Tag: NBA

Kings battle, but fall to Wizards 121-115 in DC

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Photo credit: @sbgglobal

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

In the first half, it was a tale of two quarters for the Kings. The Kings appeared to get off to a quick start against the Washington Wizards, scoring the first five points, but that would prove to be just a mirage at the Capital One Arena Monday evening. After that, De’Aaron Fox and company struggled mightily in the first quarter. The Kings were only able to muster 20 points while shooting 29% from the field and making two of three from the stripe.  The Wizards, on the other hand, were able to score 28 points to take control of the game in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings flipped the script. The Kings put up an impressive 40 points to take the lead in the game 60-59 going into the locker room at the half. At one point, Fox went on a run to score 15 points in just over 3:30. Going into the locker room, the Kings appeared to have some confidence after a very up and down half. Going into the third, it was imperative for the Kings to keep the momentum and add onto the lead they managed to capture in the second.

However, the Kings weren’t able to do that. They came out in the second half much like the performed in the first quarter. They gave up their second 31-point quarter and only managed to score 21 points, a near carbon copy of the first quarter, but the Kings weren’t done yet.

The Kings managed to retake the lead in the fourth with 3:21 remaining on a Willie-Cauley Stein free throw. Unfortunately, they lost steam after an encouraging run. They missed a couple of key shots while the Wizards made some key shots and that proved the difference in the game.

When it was all said and done, the Kings gave up six too many points in the early quarters and fell to the Wizards 121-115. Notable scoring performances were De’Aaron Fox with 23 points for the Kings and Bradley Beal with 27 points for the Wizards. This game ended the way so many Kings games have ended lately. The Kings were close but were unable to finish the game in the final minutes.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger summed it up perfectly in postgame, “This game sucks, this one hurts.” Indeed, this game hurt the Kings’ playoff chances as they fall 4.5 games back of the Clippers and Spurs with 16 games left.

Close but no cigar for the Kings:

FG PCT: Kings 45.1%, Wizards 46.5%
3PT PCT: Kings 33.3%, Wizards 37.8%
REB: Kings 47, Wizards 47
AST: Kings 28, Wizards 29
TO: Kings 16, Wizards 17
BLK: Kings 3, Wizards 1

Scoreboard Watch:

Kings fans will be locked in Monday evening to the Clippers vs. Celtics matchup on NBA TV. The Kings desperately need the Clippers to lose to keep the deficit to four games behind the eight seed in the Western Conference.

Up Next:

The Kings travel to Boston to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday afternoon at 4:30 PM PST.

Suns stun the Warriors 115-111

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Warriors, after beating the Denver Nuggets Friday night, hoped that the game against the young Phoenix Suns would be an easy win. The Suns had other thoughts. Phoenix, under head coach Igor Korkoskov, entered the contest with an abysmal record of 15-52. However, they had won five of the last seven played, and the Warriors knew that they should not be taken lightly. The Warriors had beaten the Suns 18 straight times and had not lost to them since November 9th, 2014. The Suns made a trade earlier in the season when they traded Trevor Ariza to the Washington Wizards for Kelly Oubre, Jr, and Austin Rivers. Rivers was traded to Houston. Oubre has helped the Suns, and with Devin Booker’s 37 points, they upset the Warriors’ applecart Sunday night at Oracle by a score of 115-111

The Warriors, who have had problems getting started in the first quarter over the last 10 or 12 games, got off to a good start as they finished the quarter with a 29-16 lead. Klay Thompson led the attack with 10 points. They had the offense working and were playing strong defense.

The second quarter was a reversal of fortune for Golden State. With the W’s second unit on the floor, the Suns outplayed the Warriors on both ends of the court. The Suns outscored the W’s 40-28 in the quarter and finished the first half trailing by a single point 57-56. The Warriors were led by Thompson 19 points. Durant 14, Cousins 7, and Steph had 3. The Suns Deandre Ayton paced the team with 12, Oubre 10, and Devin Booker 11. The Suns’ bench outscored the Warrior bench 20-10.

The Warriors got off to a slow start in the third period. They continued to fail to make three-point shots. They scored just 11 points in the first eight-plus minutes in the quarter. The W’s offense came to life as they finished with a 15-6 run to maintain the one-point lead 80-19. In the final period of the night, the W’s extended the lead to 88-83. It was at this point that the momentum shifted to Phoenix. The referees called Shaun Livingston for an offensive foul on Booker. The refs reviewed the play and determined that Shaun committed a flagrant foul. Booker made the two free throws and retained possession. The Suns capitalized and increased the lead to 91-88. It was all part of an 8-0 run for the Suns. Steph Curry hit a three to tie the game at 91. They lead changed hands several times until Phoenix led 99-98. The Suns’ Devin Booker was on fire, and he propelled the Suns to a 109-98 lead. The Warriors closed the gap to three 111-108, but the Suns held on to win 115-111.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ Kevin Durant suffered a right ankle contusion with 6:34 left in the game. Durant went to the locker room and did not return. The Warriors are now 45-21 for the season, and Phoenix improved to 16-52. The Suna have won six of the last eight games played and have beaten the Milwaukee Bucks twice and now the Warriors. They are a team that is on the rise with young, talented players and can no longer be taken lightly. The Warriors and Suns do not play again this year.

Klay Thompson led the team with 28, KD had 25, Steph 18. Klay and Steph each made four threes in fifteen attempts. DeMarcus Cousins added 13. Draymond Green had 6 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Warriors bench helped out with 21.

Devin Booker was the start of the night for Phoenix. The third-year player knocked down 37 points and made 13 straight points for Phoenix in the fourth quarter. Kelly Oubre helped out with 22, and the big 7 foot 1-inch center, rookie Deandre Ayton, had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The Warriors embark on a four-game road trip starting Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have won eight in a row and are looking to sweep the season series against the Warriors.  Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

Fox leads the Kings to a 102-94 victory over the Knicks at MSG

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jessica Kwong

The Sacramento Kings rallied in an early game Saturday—starting at 9 a.m. PST—to beat the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden.

Sacramento beat New York 102-94, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 30 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. It was not an easy win, with the Knicks dominating with energy to start and leading by as many as 15 points in the first quarter. The Kings were able to cut the Knicks’ lead to 30-23 by the end of the quarter and kept the home team to 16 points in the second quarter and ended the half up 48-46.

The game was tied at 68 points with three-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter. Sacramento’s Buddy Hield then scored 5 points and the Kings went on a 12-0 run and took a 80-68 lead at the end of the third.

But in the final period, the Knicks went on a 11-0 run and captured a 89-87 lead halfway through. In the last six minutes, Fox made 12 points, including two triples, to take the victory.

“It was a gritty win for us,” Kings head coach Dave Joerger said. “It wasn’t always pretty, but we’re happy to get out with a win.”

Hield scored 19 points and 4 rebounds, Nemanja Bjelica had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Harrison Barnes had 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The Kings are now 33-32 and ninth in the western conference, behind the San Antonio Spurs, who have a track record of pulling through.

Joerger acknowledged that his team may not make the playoffs, but gave the players props for how far they’ve come and how Sacramento has embraced them.

“It does feel good because we’re not where we’re going to be, we’re not where we want to be, but we sure are having fun,” Joerger said. “We’re developing players and guys are getting along great and it’s just a really good vibe, and the city of Sacramento’s on fire right now and we’re having a great time.”

The Kings continue their four-game road trip on Monday against the Washington Wizards. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. PST.

Warriors, behind Thompson’s hot shooting and Cousins’ defense, knock off the Nuggets 122-105

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Photo credit: @warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, facing questions about the play of the team after being trashed by the Boston Celtics Tuesday night, bounced back and beat the Denver Nuggets 122-105 at Oracle Arena Friday night. The Warriors entered the game leading the Nuggets by one game for the best record in the Western Conference. The Warriors’ win increased their lead to two with 17 games left to play in the regular season.

The Warriors now lead the Nuggets 2-1 and play once more on April 2nd at Oracle Arena. The task for the Warriors Friday night was to stop the Nuggets’ starting lineup. They needed DeMarcus Cousins to find a way to shackle the Nuggets’ big man Nikola Jokic. Jokic came into the game averaging a triple-double for the season. Wilt Chamberlain was the only other center to be able to do that for an entire season. The Warriors had to find a way to get off to a good start. They had lost five of the last eight games and trailed by more than 10 points at halftime in at least six of the last 10 games played.

Klay Thompson returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with a knee injury. Klay helped the Warriors to get off to a good start. His two-game hiatus gave him some needed rest, and he helped propel the Warriors to a 30-20 first quarter. Kevin Durant, Cousins, and Steph Curry all made shots while the Warrior defense kept Denver down. The one drawback in the quarter was the number of fouls the Warriors committed. Those fouls enabled Denver to go on a 12-3 run to close the gap to 10.

The Nuggets tied the game early in the second quarter at 34. From that point, the lead changed hands several times. The Warriors were leading 53-48 when they went on a 14-2 run to finish the first half with a 17-point lead 67-50. Klay made two threes and Curry helped out with one of his own. Denver’s Malik Beasley kept the Nuggets close as he made four threes and led the Nuggets with 14. None of the Denver starters were in double figures. Jokic was held to 8 points and 3 boards. Klay Thompson had 27 in the first 24 minutes. Kevin Durant had 16, Steph Curry 9, and Andre Iguodala had 5 coming off the bench.

The closest the Nuggets came was 79-70 after the Warriors made too many turnovers. The Nuggets capitalized, but the Warriors righted the ship and increased the lead to 15 90-75 at the end of three periods. In the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry increased the lead to 21, 105-84. Klay continued to make threes. Cousins hit a three and raised his hands upward as he had not hit one for several games. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr removed the starters and the second unit players finished the game as the Warriors won 122-105.

Game Notes and Stats: DeMarcus Cousins had his best defensive effort since his return from the devastating Achilles tendon injury he suffered last season when he was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. He had 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. He also had 3 steals and six blocked shots. It was, without question, an All-Star performance. He also held Jokic to just 16 points and handled the Nuggets other big, Mason Plumlee.

Klay Thompson led the team with 39 points. Thompson made nine threes in 11 attempts. Durant had 26, Steph Curry 17, and Kevon Looney had 9 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

Malik Beasley led the Nuggets with 17. Beasley mad 5 threes, but was held to just 3 points in the second half. Jokic finished with 16. Will Barton had 5, Gary Harris 6, and Jamal Murray 11.

The Warriors are now 45-20 and own a two-game lead of the 43-22 Nuggets for the NBA Western Conference lead.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the very young and, suddenly, improving Phoenix Suns. The Suns upset the Milwaukee Bucks last week and cannot be taken lightly. Game time will be at 5:30 pm Sunday night.

The Warriors then go on the road for four games. They face the Houston Rockets Wednesday night for the fourth time this season.

The Rockets lead the series 3-0. They then go to Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Minnesota.

Headline Sports with London Marq: More trouble as Giants outfielder arrested for DUI, Will Baer’s situation be a distraction for Giants?; Kings lose two close ones against NBA’s best; plus more

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mug shot photo by Scottsdale Police and sfgate.com: In this Friday, March 1, 2019, photo provided by the Scottsdale Police Department, San Francisco Giants outfielder Cameron Maybin is shown in a booking photo in Scottsdale, Ariz. Police said Tuesday that the 31-year-old was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 If things couldn’t get worse for the San Francisco Giants, Giants outfielder Cameron Maybin was arrested at 2:30 am on Friday morning for DUI. He was driving in Scottsdale when he was pulled over by an officer who said he smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. Maybin was arrested and released two hours later. The team said they are monitoring the situation and had no comment.

#2 With San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer being in the headlines this week, could this be a distraction for the team in spring training?

#3 How despite losing, the Sacramento Kings played some very close games with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks this past week?

#4 Chaquita Evans became the first woman to be drafted by an NBA team in the NBA 2K league. Does this signal that more women could be playing in the NBA?

#5 The Oakland Raiders and the Oakland Coliseum Authority authorized a two-year deal on Tuesday for the Raiders to stay at the Coliseum for 2019. The team will pay $7.5 million and 2020 is an option year at the cost of $9.5 million. The Raiders are still being sued by the City of Oakland as they’re moving to Las Vegas and will leave the city in a financial lurch as the lawsuit claims.

London Marq does Headline Sports each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Celtics blow out the Warriors at Oracle 128-95

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Boston Celtics, a team that has not lived up to expectations this season, came into Oracle Arena Tuesday night and handed the Warriors their worst loss at home in the Steve Kerr era. The Warriors fell behind once again in the first half. In the last 10 games, the Warriors trailed by more than 10 points after the first 24 minutes of action. It was worse Tuesday night as they trailed Boston by 25 73-48 at the intermission.

The Celtics dominated the Warriors on both ends of the court. They made 29 shots from the field while the Warriors made 15. They made 8 threes. The Warriors made 6. The Celtics had 22 rebounds, the Warriors had 17. The Celtics had 23 assists on 29 buckets. The Warriors had 11. The Celtics had six steals, the Warriors 2. The Celtics turned the ball over six times, the Warriors 12. The W’s did not make a field goal in the last 3:53 of the second quarter. Gordon Hayward, coming off the bench and looking like the Gordon Hayward that was an All-Star when he was with the Utah Jazz, knocked down 19. Kyrie Irving had 11, Jayson Tatum 12, and Jalen Brown 9.  Steph Curry led Golden State with 19. Kevin Durant had 10, Draymond Green 5, and the Warrior bench added 12.

The Warriors played a little better in the third quarter. They scored 28 points, but they lost ground as Boston scored 32. The Celtics had a commanding 105-76 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Kerr waved the white flag as he pulled all of his starters except DeMarcus Cousins. The Boston reserves outscored the W’s backup guys 23-19 to win going away 128-95

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors lost for the fifth time in the last eight games. They are 44-20 for the year and are still 1 1/2 games ahead of Denver for first place in the Western Conference. The Warriors face the Nuggets Friday night at Oracle. The Celtics improved to 39-26 and are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Warriors were missing Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney due to injury. Shaun Livingston had the night off. Curry led the W’s with 23. Durant had 18 and Cousins finished with 10. No other Warrior was in double figures. Boston had five players in double-digits. Gordin Hayward had 30. He was the third Celtic player this season to come off the bench and score more than 30 points. Kyrie Irving 19, Jalen Brown, the ex-Cal Bear, had 18, Jayson Tatum 17, And Marcus Morris 10.

The Celtics made 49 baskets compared to the Warriors’ 34. They were 14-for-34 from three-point range. The Warriors made eight threes in 35 attempts. The Celtics dominated on defense with 12 steals and five blocks and forced the Warriors to commit 21 turnovers.

The Warriors are reported to be interested in signing Andrew Bogut as a backup center. Bogut was the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the Australian League. He has stated that he is interested in returning to the NBA and has to clear up some issues with a visa before he can join the Warriors. He should be here in about 10 days if he decides to accept the Warriors’ offer.

Up Next: for the Warriors will be Friday night when they face the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Knicks were a no brainer, Celtics will be a tougher task on Wednesday night

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Los Angeles Clippers got a seven-point win over the Sacramento Kings (33-31) 116-109 on Saturday night in another game that was a cliff hanger.

#2 On Monday night, the Kings host the New York Knicks and the Kings held a ten-point lead over the Knicks for most of the game. It showed how well they were coached to hold such a lead.

#3 The Knicks are struggling this season at 13-51 for the Kings. It was like taking candy from a baby at Golden One on Monday night.

#4 The free throws made the difference for Sacramento 81.5% and for New York 60.0%

#5 On Wednesday, March 6th, the task doesn’t get easier as the Kings host the Boston Celtics (38-26).

Sacramento Kings podcasts with Charlie O is heard each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Will Durant go to Boston? Irving and Durant to meet tonight at Oracle

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photo from sfgate.com: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors greet each other prior to the start of their NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on January 27, 2018 in Oakland, California.

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 David talks to us about his thoughts on the Warriors acquiring Andrew Bogut

#2 It’s the Boston Celtics (38-26) tonight at Oracle Arena and David sets tonight’s game up

David does the Warriors podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors take down the 76ers 120-117

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors beat the Sixers in Philadelphia Saturday night 120-117. The Warriors needed the win to stay in first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets lost again, and the Warriors are now 1 1/2 games ahead of the Nuggets. The Warriors’ Klay Thompson was unable to play due to soreness in his knee. He suffered the injury in the game against Orlando. Kevon Looney also sat out the game with soreness in his pelvis. The Sixers were without their star center Joel Embiid. Embiid has missed his last five games due to injury. Embiid is averaging a double-double for the season with 27.3 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.

The Warriors, who have not played well in the first half in several of the last 10 games, fell behind early in the first minutes of the first quarter. They righted the ship and finished the quarter trailing 32-31. The teams swapped leads until about halfway through the second period. The Sixers were able to stop the Warriors and outscored them 35-24 to finish the first half with a 12-point lead 67-55.

The Warriors, who were running uphill in the games against Miami and Orlando, regrouped in the third quarter. Also, they had to do it with Steph Curry sitting on the bench. Curry picked up his fourth foul with just 3 minutes and 45 seconds played. Steve Kerr sent in Curry’s brother-in-law, Damian Lee to fill Curry’s shoes. Lee was the right choice as he knocked down four threes and behind the play DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant, the Warriors won the third quarter 93-90.

Curry came back in the fourth quarter, and he led the Warriors to the win. He knocked down a three to give the Warriors the lead 111-109. Curry scored six points in the last 2:35 to put the Warriors ahead 120-117. The Sixers had a chance to tie the game, but they lost the ball out of bounds with 1.7 seconds left in the game.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors improve to 44-19. The Sixers drop to 40-23.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Cousins had 25 points and 8 boards. Curry finished with 28. Damian Lee had 12, and the rest of the Warrior bench added 15. The Warriors connected on 14 three-pointers.

Ben Simmons had his second straight triple-double with 25 points, 15 boards, and 11 assists. Jimmy Butler had 21, Tobias Harris, the ex-LA Clipper, 20, Jonah Bolden 12. Mike Scott, coming off the bench, had a big night for the Sixers with 22 and T.J>McConnell added 10.

The Warriors split the season series with the Sixers. The Sixers won in Oakland, and the Warriors returned the favor in Philadelphia.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to play the Boston Celtics Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

Kings fall short, lose 116-109 to Clippers

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With the 7th seeded Los Angeles Clippers headed into town, Sacramento would have a chance to help their own cause, trying to move up from the No. 9 spot in the West. Tension is high. The playoffs are in sight and the young Sacramento Kings are feeling the pressure. Having played and lost 3 games, the Clippers already made this game feel all the more important. A win would bring them closer to the 8th seed and the added confidence of overcoming a challenge.

The Kings had trouble scoring in the beginning of the game. Willie Cauley-Stein, Harrison Barnes, and Bogdan Bogdanovic — all of whom only scored 6 points between them in the first. De’Aaron Fox scored on a lone free throw before picking up two early fouls and being forced to sit. Los Angeles would lead by 10 at one point but as the quarter closed the Kings would make a push. Behind 8 first quarter points from Buddy Hield, the Clippers only held a 3-point advantage going into the second quarter.

Staying hot to start the second, the Kings would regain the lead with 8:43 left in the third. Harry Giles had strong night off the bench, working around the rim for 6 points in the second giving him 10 points at halftime. Giles finished the night with 15 points. Foul trouble continued to plague Sacramento as they committed 6 fouls in the second, allowing LA to keep the game close with free throws. However, Fox made up for his absence in the first with exceptional playmaking. He had some sweet dimes, racking up 6 assists in the second quarter alone. He finished with a 12-point, 12 assist double-double.

The Kings began the second half with a four-point 56-52 lead, but allowed 35 points in the third quarter as LA went on a run to retake the lead. From that point on in the game the Clippers were in control. Leading by as much as 13 points, LA played a tough brand of basketball that Sacramento had trouble coping with. Montrezl Harrell gave Sacramento the trouble he has all season with his high-energy brand of play. Harrell was a beast around the rim and ended the game with 15 points. After the game, Kings coach Dave Joerger described the Clippers as more physical and more experienced. It showed as the Kings were outrebounded 42-38, committed 25 fouls and allowed LA to score 24 points from the line.

The final score was 116-109 as the Kings fell to the LA Clippers. It was a tough blow for the Kings as a team trying to make the playoffs. They still have a chance to obtain the elusive 8-seed and Harry Giles knows it. Stoic after a loss, but staying focused on the schedule ahead of the team, saying, “We need to make sure we win. Win, win, win.”

Coach Joerger said this loss hurt, but when thinking about the big picture, he felt positive about the future. Whether he’s talking about next season or their playoff prospects, he’s right the Kings have a lot of positives ahead of them despite this loss.

The Kings are playing with house money — no one expected them to be in this position at this point in the season. They are playing close, competitive games against tough opponents. The Kings will try to get back on track with some significant and favorable matchups ahead of them, including playing the Knicks twice over the next seven days and road trip to the eastern conference. If the Kings want to make the playoffs, they need to capitalize now. They don’t have time to lose.

FINAL: Clippers defeated the Kings 116-109.

UP NEXT: Kings host the New York Knicks on Monday, March 4th at 7:00 pm PST.