Tag: NBA

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Maybe the Warriors’ Main Goal Is to Conquer the Moon

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Photo credit: @Deadspin

By: Amaury Pi-González

The Warriors are such a good team who are doing nothing but winning. So maybe they are bored with their success, and when that happens, and you are on top of the world like the 1970s A’s and Raiders, 1980s 49ers and 2000s Giants, this is bound to happen. A player will say something outrageous that will make news outside the sports world. Actually after winning three NBA titles, the Warriors’ only goal might be to conquer the Moon.

Stephen Curry said recently that man has never been to the Moon. Since then, Curry clarified his comments saying it was “a joke.” Nonetheless, NASA is offering Curry and the Warriors a tour of their facilities next time they visit the Houston Rockets. NASA offers to school Curry on moon landing, to show him some rocks that the astronauts brought from the Moon. Obviously, since NASA can’t offer Curry any advice of how to improve his game. Earlier this year, NBA star Kyrie Irving said flat Earth claims were an experiment and he was just having a little entertainment.

It is all fun, but in today’s social media world–every statement,every word is dissected, especially by famous people like Curry. I have no doubt if you take a poll across this country you will find a percentage of people that believe we never went to the Moon, that it was done inside a Warner Brothers studio, that 9/11 was an inside job by the US government to send us to war, and that Elvis still alive.

Recently, Virgin Galactic–Richard Branson’s outlet–flies its first astronauts to the end of space, taking one step further to space tourism and taking the lead over Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Today is the private world, entrepreneurs (not NASA and the government) that is taking the lead in space. In the future, Curry might be able (he sure can afford it) to actually take a trip to the Moon and tell his grandkids someday.

It is going to happen like Frank Sinatra’s huge hit in 1964: “Fly Me To the Moon.”

Raptors rout the Warriors 113-93 at Oracle Arena

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Toronto Raptors shackled the Warriors offense at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night as they routed them by a score of 113-93. The Raptors were without the services of Kawhi Leonard, but that did not stop them as they outplayed the Warriors in all facets of the game.

The Warriors, who lost in overtime in Toronto 131-128, were back at full strength with Steph Curry and Draymond Green back in the lineup. The Raptors moved the ball well, made the baskets, and forced the Warriors into committing 19 turnovers, and the Warriors usually lose if the team makes more than 15 in a game.

The Raptors outrebounded the Warriors, and Golden State did not have anyone to counter the Raptors’ big men Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas left the game with a dislocated finger, but he was a force in the middle and on the boards for Toronto. Toronto swept the season series from the Warriors and won at Oracle for the first time since 2004.

The Raptors snapped the Warriors’ four-game winning streak. The Raptors appear to be an elite team that will contend for the NBA title. The Warriors have to be concerned that the NBA might have caught up to them and they will have to figure out how to get back on track as they seek their third NBA title in a row and fourth in the last five seasons.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 30 points. Klay Thompson had 14 and Curry recorded 10. The only other Warrior in double figures was Quinn Cook with 13. No other sub had more than seven for Golden State. All five Toronto starters were in double figures.

Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 23 points and Serge Ibaka added 20. If these teams are to meet in the NBA Finals, the Warriors are going to need DeMarcus Cousins to be back in the lineup and playing at his All-Star best.

The Warriors’ record now stands at 19-10 and the Raptors improved to 23-7, which is the best record in the NBA.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Sacramento Kings Friday night at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Game time will be at 7:00 pm PST.

Kings down Timberwolves 141-130, improve to 15-12

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — I said in late October that if the Kings remained at or near a split record through November, I would be excited about this season. Well, the Kings have not disappointed! Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls improved the Kings’ record to 14-12 this season. I had an idea this was possible, but didn’t truly believe it would happen. The Kings aren’t the best team in the Western Conference. The Kings aren’t even the best team in their respective division. However, the Kings are much better than last year and dramatically more entertaining. The Kings and their fans headed into Wednesday night’s game looking to build off of their 3-1 road trip. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings started the game out the game on a high note. After about 2 minutes of play, the Kings led the Timberwolves 8-4. Through the first quarter, the Kings would be in control the majority of the time. The Kings finished the first with De’Aaron Fox leading the way with 9 points. Andrew Higgins led the T-wolves with 12 in the first quarter of play. After one, the Kings led the T-wolves 35-31.

The second quarter was more of the same. Sacramento wasn’t playing around when they decided to score 28 more points and hold the T-wolves to 19. The Kings clearly had momentum on their side going into halftime. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings in scoring going into the half with 12 points. Andrew Wiggins led the T-wolves with 14 first-half points. Notably, the Kings shot at a 57.1% FG clip while the T-wolves shot 50% FG.

Going into the third, the Kings came out of the locker room with a 13-point lead. That came into jeopardy when the T-wolves scored 11 unanswered points to bring the game to a score of 63-61. For the rest of the quarter, the game stayed relatively the same. Both teams traded back to back baskets. When the third was all said and done… The Kings led 96-92 going into the fourth.

In the fourth, the Kings would go on a terror early on. That run would ultimately propel the Kings to victory by the score of 141-130. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings with 25 points. Amongst others, Buddy Hield, and Bogdan Bogdanovic had notable performances with 20 points apiece.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings find their shot in Chicago to close Bulls in second half

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photo from sacbee.com Kings guard Iman Shumpert (9) loses the ball as he’s defended by Bulls forward Wendell Carter Jr. (34) in the first half, but Sacramento roared back in the second half to beat Chicago 108-89 on Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, and finish their trip with a 3-1 record. Shumpert says the Kings are now “a professional ball club.”

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Kings got a lot of key help at the United Center on Monday night De’Aarron Fox led Kings scorers with 25 points Charlie talks about Fox’s offense and how he worked his inside game to help keep ahead of Chicago.

#2 Fox told the media post game that if he makes the first three he know he’s going to have a good game and it’s something that he even told Kings head coach Dave Joerger.

#3 It’s been said by the Kings players that their more than just a team their a brotherhood. The Kings have won four of their last five games including their win over the Bulls Monday 108-89

#4 Willie Cauley-Stein has been big on assists pulling down rebounds on Monday he led the team 16 rebounds.

#5 The Kings tip off against the Minnesota Timerbwolves this Wednesday night at Golden One Center a 7:00pm start.

Join Charlie O with the Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors defeat Timberwolves 116-108 to win fourth in a row

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors welcomed back Draymond Green to the starting lineup Monday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors now have the Big Four healthy, and they were able to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 to win their fourth in a row.

The Warriors started the first quarter with a 13-0 run. Steph Curry mad two-three-pointers and Kevin Durant had one. Minnesota came back with an 8-0 run and closed the gap to just one, trailing 19-18. The Warriors regained their composure and finished the quarter leading 30-24.

In the second quarter, each team scored 33 points. The Wolves tied the game at 46 about midway through the period. It was the first time that the Wolves didn’t trail in the game. The Warriors regained the lead and never relinquished it the rest of the game. The Warriors led 63-57 at the end of the first half. The half also ended with Klay Thompson hitting a three just as the buzzer sounded. Green finished the first half with 7 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 15 minutes of action.

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr tried to give Green rest as he misses about five weeks of play due to a toe injury. Curry had 13, Thompson 15, and Durant 15. Alfonzo McKinnie and Jonas Jerebko, coming off the bench, kicked it with 7 and 5, respectively.

Minnesota’s offense was led by Karl-Anthony Towns with 13. Derrick Rose had 13, Andrew Wiggins 8 and Dario Saric 9.

In the third quarter, the Warriors showed the fans in the arena and those watching on TV that they are a team that is hungry for another championship. They outplayed the Wolves on both ends of the court. They outscored the Wolves 28-20 to take a 14-point lead at the end of three periods of play. They were outstanding on defense, and Curry scored 16 points in the stanza.

Minnesota went on a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter. The Warriors responded with several threes to go up 107-93 with 4:05 left in the game. Minnesota did get a little closer, but they did not have enough firepower to overtake the Warriors. The Warriors won 116-108.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors, with the win, improve to 19-9.

Minnesota drops to 13-14.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 38 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Curry made 7 3-point shots in 14 attempts, and the Warriors, as a team, knocked down 19 threes.

Klay Thompson finished with 26, Kevin Durant had 22. Draymond Green did not score in the second half, but he was a force on defense. He pulled down 10 rebounds and had 7 assists in his return from the DL. Jonas Jerebko had quite a night with 10 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists.

The Warriors shot 41.9% from the floor. Minnesota shot 45.8% from the floor, but made just 7 3-pointers in 25 attempts. The Warriors outrebounded the Wolves 49-42. Each team committed 16 turnovers.

The Warriors were named as Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine earlier on Monday. They became only the fourth team to earn the honor.

Up Next: The Warriors resume play Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors beat the Warriors in overtime in Toronto, and the Dubs want to avenge the loss on Wednesday at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PST.

Warriors defeat the Bucks 105-95

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By: London Marq

A few weeks and sideline argument ago, the Golden State Warriors were dysfunctional. People were questioning the organization’s loyalty to Draymond Green would he be traded before the deadline? Wondering if the on-going drama between Green and Durant would derail their season, especially after the incident was followed by a 3-game losing streak. But winning covers up all manner of sins.

The Warriors hosted the Milwaukee Bucks at Oracle Arena on Thursday night, entering play having won the previous two games. Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as the Greek Freak, and the Bucks have stayed on pace with their development and on track as one of the best teams in the league with hopes that hope to make a deep playoff run.

Perhaps this game will turn out to be a Finals preview. The Warriors certainly played like it, flying high right out of the gate. They opened the first quarter on a 12-4 run behind two Curry threes and excellent defense. Defense would be the theme throughout the game for Golden State, who had a mediocre game by there standards. Despite having 13 turnovers in the game and Durant being scoreless at halftime the Warriors were able to stay in control, holding the lead for the majority of the game.

Behind 20 point outings for both Curry and Thompson, the Warriors played their best defense of the season so far, holding the Bucks to their lowest point total of the season. Antetokounmpo ended up with 22 points, 15 in rebounds in the loss, while no other Buck was able to tally more than 15. It was great defensive outing for Golden State despite their shortcoming.

We all are ready for the end of the dynasty, but it’s not here just yet,

The Warriors defeated the Bucks 105-95.

The Warriors host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors crush the Cavs 129-105 in Cleveland on Wednesday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
GSW final
Graphic: @Warriors

By Charlie O. Mallonee

In every sport, there are certain teams that every other team wants to play because they know the chances of coming away with a “W” is so great that they can taste victory before the game begins. When “King James” ruled the city by the lake, that was not the case. Going to play in the “Q” was something to be feared.

Now that LeBron has taken his “talents” to SoCal and the Lakers, playing in the “Q” has become a place for teams to get healthy. The Cavs best player Kevin Love is unavailable due to left foot surgery, and no one would be surprised if Love does not demand to be traded to a competitive team.

Things are so bad in Cleveland that the Cavaliers were the first team in the NBA to fire their head coach. Tyronn Lue who coached the Cavs to an NBA Championship in 2016 was fired after Cleveland started the season 0-6 with LeBron James in “Lakerland” and Kevin Love ailing.

The Warriors entered the game on Wednesday night with a record of 16-9 to do battle with a Cleveland squad that had recorded a record of 5-18.

Tough Road Trip
This was game four of a five-game road trip for the Warriors. They entered the contest 1-2 on the trip. The W’s had lost games in Toronto and Detroit but had bounced back into the win column in the ATL on Monday night. A victory in Cleveland was really mandatory if this was to be a successful road trip for Golden State.

GSW Thompson to hoop
Thompson to the basket Photo: @Warriors

First Half Battle
The Cavs served notice in the first half that they were not going to just roll over and die because they were facing the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. GSW held a six-point at the end of the first quarter, but Cleveland turned it up a notch in the second period.

Cleveland shot 68.2-percent from the floor (15/22) in the second quarter and hit seven 3-point baskets. The Cavs outscored the Warriors 39-27 for the period behind the scoring of Cedi Osman (8 pts), Jordan Clarkson (8 pts) and Larry Nance Jr. (7 pts). The Cavs also outscored the Warriors on 2nd Chance Points 8-0 in the quarter.

At the half, Cleveland held a 64-58 lead over the Golden State Warriors.

Time to go to school
The Warriors came out of the locker room after halftime fired up and ready to play. Kevin Durant led the charge for the “W’s” as he scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists in the period. Durant hit 6-of-9 shots – three of which were 3-point baskets.

GSW outscored the Cavs 12-2 on the Fast Break in the quarter.

At the end of three quarters, Golden State was leading Cleveland 95-86.

Turn Out the Lights
The Cavs’ final demise came in the fourth period when Stephen Curry came alive and scored 12-points shooting 2-for-4 from the floor (both 3-point baskets) and converted 6-for-6 in opportunities from the free throw line.

Klay Thompson and Quinn Cook also added eight points apiece in the final period as the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 34-19 in last 12 minutes of the contest.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Golden State Warriors (17-9) had defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-19) 129-105. For the Warriors, it was their second consecutive win.

Top Performers

GSW Prime Logo

Golden State

  • Leading scorer: Steph Curry 42 points (also game high) to go with nine rebounds
  • Double-double: Kevin Durant 25 points and 10 rebounds (9 assists)
  • FG% 52.9 (45/85)  3FG% 52.9 (18/34)  29 Assists 9 Turnovers (17 CLE pts)

Cleveland

  • Leading scorer: Colin Sexton 21 points (7/14 shooting)
  • Double-double: Tristan Thompson 14 points and 19 rebounds
  • Wow: George Hill 25:13 on the floor 0 points and 3 assists

Steve Kerr on Curry
“It’s pretty rare, but Steph is rare in general in everything he does. We’ve seen it before where Steph was out with an injury and comes back and starts lighting it up right away,” said Kerr. “The guy keeps himself in amazing shape – which allows him to come back pretty quickly if there is an injury.”

Up Next
The Warriors wrap up this five-game road trip on Friday night in Milwaukee versus the very tough Bucks in a nationally televised game. The game tips off at 4:00 PM PST.

The Cavs will also be in action on Friday night when they will host the upstart Sacramento Kings at the “Q”.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Suns missing two key scorers; Kings’ Bagley was a maybe, but he can help with offense

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sactownroyalty photo: The Phoenix Suns DeAndre Ayton (22) and the Sacramento Kings Marvin Bagley III (35) faced each other Tuesday night in Phoenix

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Despite having a 4-20 record the Phoenix Suns have home floor and the Kings come in with a shaky defense after the game with Indiana a 111-110 win for the Kings Saturday. Then got the win over the Suns 122-105 Tuesday night.

#2 The Suns are absent a lot of help so much so that they have holes in their line up that could leave them in the Arizona desert of winning for awhile, out Devin Booker, T.J. Warren is day to day.

#3 The Kings last played Saturday giving them two days off and with the rest they should win this game with the Suns two best scorers out of the line up.

#4 How did you like that match up between centers of the Kings Marvin Bagley and the Suns DeAndre Ayton. Bagley was listed a game time decision Bagley has been suffering from back spasms. Bagley and Ayton went to school together.

#5 The Kings head to Cleveland for a December 7th at 4:30PM. No more LeBron how does Charlie see the Kings going up against the Cavs at Quicken Loans Arena.

Today’s podcast is sponsored by Hana Zen at San Francisco’s Pier 39 for fine Japanese Cuisine don’t miss the great sushi and fine Japanese food at Hana Zen.

Charlie O does the Kings podcasts each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings use fast start to knock off the Suns 122-105 in Phoenix

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Ana Kieu

The Sacramento Kings were looking to make it two wins in a row on Tuesday evening against the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. And win they did.

The Kings’ starters featured De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Iman Shumpert, Nemanja Bjelica and Willie Cauley-Stein. Prior to the game, Shumpert talked about his routine on and off the court. Shumpert told the local media: “I like being able to show that you can do more than one thing and do it at a high level.”

The Kings surprised the crowd and most, if not all, of basketball Twitter as they seriously took an early lead and never looked back. The Kings led the Suns 36-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Then, the Kings put the game out of reach with a whopping 40-9 lead over the Suns with 9:48 left in the second quarter. There were a few plays that were impeccable like Bogdan Bogdanovic’s flashy pass and Kosta Koufos’ signature floater. The Kings brought a 68-40 lead to the locker room at halftime.

The Suns’ Twitter account sent a tweet to the Kings early in the second half. The Suns tweeted: “You’re literally playing your OWN game right now. Focus on that.” Of course, the Kings retweeted it and wrote a comment that said “We are.”

“Can’t stop, won’t stop” was the perfect phrase to describe the Kings in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Fox showed numerous highlight reel moments like he was some sort of God. There were a lot for us to choose from, but check out this noteworthy moment in the embedded tweet below.

The Kings held a comfortable 99-67 lead over the Suns at the end of three quarters.

Aside from Fox’s dominance, it’s worth noting that Harry Giles III made a 4-point hook shot with less than nine minutes in the fourth. The crowd was amazed and so were we.

The Kings defeated the Suns 122-105. It wasn’t even close. Buddy Hield led the Kings with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Fox finished with 16 points and 7 assists. Bogdanovic had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

And, if you’re a Kings fan, you were extremely happy. Oh and don’t forget that if someone asks you a question along the lines of “You’re still a Kings fan after all these years?” just shrug and give him or her a funny look like you don’t want to be bothered right now.

The Kings head to Cleveland to take on the Cavs on Friday, Dec. 7 at 4:30 pm PST.

Warriors do the KD Splash in the ATL: Hawks dispatched, 128-111

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By Morris Phillips

The Warriors had that look again on Monday night in Atlanta, and Stephen Curry ascended to the superstar zone first, soon after he shook the hand of Trae Young, his sharpshooter protege, prior to the opening tip.

Curry put up 18 of his game-best 30 points in the first quarter, single-handedly outscoring the Hawks in the frame, as the Warriors posted a momentum-changing 128-111 win.

“We controlled the tempo in the first quarter, the defense kicked in, and that set the tone,” Curry said.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson soon joined Curry as all three hit show-off mode at some juncture of the evening. The Warriors’ stars all had 10 made baskets, with Durant finishing with 28 points, and Thompson 27.

Young didn’t fare well facing Curry for the first time. The rookie from Oklahoma forced some passes and never found his shooting stroke. Young finished with 20 points, but need 20 shot attempts to get there, while committing seven turnovers (all on the first half) and failing to make a 3-pointer (0 for 5).

“It’s hard to stop someone like that,” Young said. “He’s going to score. He’s going to find ways to make plays. You just have to try to make it difficult if you can.”

The Warriors led by 17 after one, and by 14 at the half, before finishing the Hawks with a 67-point second half. The Hawks didn’t do themselves any favors with 18 turnovers juxtaposed against 23 assists. Young finished with just three of those assists.

“I thought we played well, then you take the turnovers into the equation and you figure you’re going to have a long night,” said Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, who served as a Warriors’ assistant during Curry’s rookie season.

Former Warriors Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Lin suffered rougher stat lines than Young, particularly due to being on the floor when Golden State surged. Bazemore missed five of his six shots, and had a team-worst -23 plus/minus.

Lin fared better offensively, with 14 points and 5 assists. But his plus/minus was -17.

Curry offered advice for Young, after missing the rookie’s visit to Oakland last month due to his groin injury that cost him 11 games.

“Don’t worry about comparisons, just play the game, get better,” Curry said of Young.

The Warriors continue their road trip on Wednesday in Cleveland, the site of their most recent World Championship title victory in June.