Tag: NBA

NBA Playoffs podcast with Tony Renteria: Celtics get 14 point win over Heat 108-88; Boston one game away from eliminating Miami

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Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) takes a jump shot over the Miami Heat’s guard Tyler Herro (14) at Boston Garden in Boston on Mon Apr 29, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the NBA Playoffs podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony, the Boston Celtics are one game away from putting the Miami Heat on the brink got a 14 point win on Monday night in Miami with a 108-88 win.

#2 Boston guard Derrick White led with 38 points who helped keep the Celtics well ahead of the Heat.

#3 For White he had the hot hand the ball went to him and he scored a career high 38 points, White got help by teammates Jayson Tatum 20 points 10 rebounds, Jaylen Brown with 17 points and Jrue Holliday with 11 points.

#4 Miami center Bam Adebayo led the Heat with with 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. As hard as Adebayo tried he carried a lot of the weight for Miami the Heat fell 14 points short and are on the brink of elimination.

#5 Game 5 the Celtics and Heat tip off Wednesday night in Boston at 4:30pm PDT. The Heat get one more chance to avoid elimination but playing game 5 in Boston is a tall order for the Heat.

Join Tony for the NBA Playoffs podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA Playoffs podcast with David Zizmor: Mavericks tie up series with Clippers at 1-1; Doncic and Irving turn up the offense for Dallas

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The Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic (77) takes a shot against the Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Apr 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the NBA Playoffs podcast with David:

#1 David, the Dallas Mavericks came back and tied the series with the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday night 96-93. As Mavericks forward PJ Washington said following the game “everybody was locked in.”

#2 Huge credit to high scorers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic scoring 32 points and Irving 23 points the Mavericks figured out the Clippers defense after losing to them 109-97 in game one at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday.

#3 The Clippers Kawhi Leonard made returned to his first game since March 31st since having surgery for his inflamed right knee. Leonard said he felt good and despite the loss the Clippers have more time and more games to play. How important is it for Leonard to return to the Clippers line up?

Join David for the NBA Playoffs podcasts Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

New Orleans Pelicans beat Kings, 105-98, to advance to first round of playoffs

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The New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas takes a shot over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) in the first half of the NBA Play In game at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Fri Apr 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings, fresh off a huge thumping of the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday night, were beaten by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans’ star forward, Zion Williamson, suffered a leg injury in the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night. The Pelicans are now the eighth seed in the Western Conference and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night in OKC. The Lakers are the seventh seed and will play the defending NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets. The Pelicans were in control for most of the game defeating and knocking out the Kings of the post season with a 105-98 play in win at Smoothie King Arena.

The Kings had met the Pelicans five times during the regular season. The Pelicans won all five. In one game, with Williamson injured, the Pelicans put 130 points on the board to beat the Kings. The Kings had two key players out with injuries. Malik Monk, a great coming off the bench, and Kevin Huerter, a good three-point threat, would not dress for the game.

The Kings hoped that Keegan Murray could play as he did against the Warriors. Murray put 32 points on the board and made eight threes. Rookie Keon Ellis, who was undrafted from the University of Alabama, scored fifteen against the Warriors, and his defense slowed down Stephen Curry’s efforts last Tuesday night.

One of the keys to the Pelicans’ win was their bench. The Pelican bench outscored the Kings’ bench 34-12. The Pelicans had three bench players in double figures. Larry Nance, Jr had 13, Naji Marshall,11, and Jose Alvarado 10. The Kings’ Damion Mitchell had ten for Sacramento.

The Pelicans and Kings started the game with a highly competitive first quarter, with the Kings managing to edge ahead with a 24-22 win. However, the Pelicans’ offense came alive in the second quarter, scoring 32 points and holding the Kings to just 21 points. This strong performance allowed the Pelicans to finish the first half with a 54-45 lead, a lead they would maintain for the rest of the game.

The Kings won the second half 53-51, but it was not enough to overcome the nine-point first-half deficit. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 35 points. Fox was an offensive force, but he could do it alone. The Kinks’ Domantis Sabonis had a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Sabonis showed off his passing skills as he recorded seven assists. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes tallied 17 points. Keegan Murray had a tough night. He was brilliant against the Warriors last Tuesday. He was a dud on Friday night in New Orleans. Murray scored 11 points and made two three-pointers and seven tries. Keon Ellis, who played so well against Golden State, did not score a point. 

Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 24 points. The Pelicans’ big man, Jonas Valanciunas, had a double-double with 19 points and 12 boards. Trey Murphy added 16. The veteran guard, C.J. McCollum, tallied seven. Even with McCollums’ off-night, the Pelicans had enough firepower to beat the Kings.

The playoffs start on Sunday. The Pelicans face the OKC Thunder, the Lakers play the Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves tip off against the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks.

In the Eastern Conference first round, the Boston Celtics will play the Miami Heat, The New York Knicks will see the Philadelphia 76ers, The Milwaukee Bucks will go against the Indiana Pacers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will battle the Orlando Magic.

It had to be a crushing defeat for the Kings. The Kings had a year to think about their loss to the Warriors last year, who beat them in the seven-game series. The Warriors and the Kings will be in the playoffs this year. The Kings’ front office will have to assess their roster and make moves to get them back into the playoffs next year. 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings to take on Pelicans for Play In game tonight; New Orleans star Williamson out with hamstring injury

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Sacramento Kings Keegan Murray (13) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors in the Play In game at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Tue Apr 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the New Orleans Pelicans will be without their leading star player Zion Williamson who suffered a left ham string injury and is expected to be out for the next two weeks.

#2 The Kings who face the Pelicans tonight in New Orleans for the Play In game had two of their key players out last Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk. Monk said he was impressed by his replace Keon Ellis last Tuesday.

#3 The Pelicans lost Williamson on Tuesday in their play in game against the Los Angeles Lakers losing 110-106 in New Orleans. With Williamson out of the line up how much of leg up does that give the Kings.

#4 Hureter out for the season and Monk out the Kings will be looking for Murray, DeAaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, and Domantas Sabonis to shore up the offense against a potent Pelicans team.

#5 Tip off at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans is 6:30pm PDT. Kings are down two players Pelicans down one big one how do you see this match up tonight?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with David Zizmor: Kings battle Pelicans in Play In game Friday at Smoothie King Center

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The Sacramento Kings guard DeAaron Fox (5) has a little better reach to throw down on the Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) and Klay Thompson (11) at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Wed Apr 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 David how surprised were you that the Sacramento Kings were able to defeat the Golden State Warriors in a one game Play In and short handed missing Malik Monk and Kevin Hureter.

#2 On defense the Kings were able to shut down Klay Thompson and shut him out how key was that for the Kings victory.

#3 The New Orleans Pelicans are no push overs their next on the Kings docket in the one and done play in. The Kings were 0-5 during the regular season against the Pelicans. With Zion Williamson out how important is it for the Kings to shut down CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy and Brandon Ingram to have a chance to win on Friday night?

Join David Zizmor for NBA Playoff analysis at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings Play In recap: Short handed Kings capitalize on Golden State 118-94

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Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) lights the victory beam at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play In game on Tue Apr 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night. However, it was game 83 for the Kings this season. The Kings finished the regular season on Sunday and found themselves as the #9 seed in the Western Conference.

It was a lackluster finish for the Kings, who went 2-6 over the season’s final eight games. Yet, the Kings had one thing on their minds: revenge. The Kings played the #10-seeded Warriors in the first game of the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The winner would advance to play the loser of the #7-#8 seeded play-in loser for a chance at the #8 seed in the playoffs. The last time the Kings saw the Warriors in post-season action was last season, when the Warriors defeated the Kings in game seven behind a 50-point Stephen Curry performance.

On Tuesday night, the Kings looked to flip the script and send the Warriors home. The game tipped off inside a raucous Golden One Center at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors 118-94 on Tuesday night.

Game recap: In the first quarter, the Kings started the game looking good. The Kings defense limited the Warriors to only 22 points in the first quarter. On the offensive end of the floor, the Kings managed 31 points in the first. Keegan Murray started the game red-hot for the Kings with 14 first-quarter points. The Warriors got seven points from Draymond Green in the first quarter. The key to the game in the second quarter would be to keep the defensive intensity high.

In the second quarter, the Kings kept the lead going. With 5:30 to go in, the Kings still led the Warriors 46-34. The Warriors struggled until that point to get on an offensive rhythm. However, the Warriors would pull closer as the quarter ended.

The Warriors offense would pick up a bit of a rhythm, ending the first half to come within four points at 54-50. The Kings were outscored by the Warriors 28-23 to go into halftime in much better shape than the end of the first quarter. Jonathan Kuminga would lead the Warriors with 10 points in the first half. Keegan Murray led the Warriors with 14 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings took back the big lead. The Kings dominated the third quarter behind an offensive outburst that saw them outscore the Warriors 37-26. The Kings would take a 91-76 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Kings leading scorer through three quarters was Keegan Murray, who had 26 points. Steph Curry was leading the Warriors through three with 16 points. Could the Kings hold on going into the fourth quarter to defeat the Warriors and send them home for the season?

In the fourth quarter, the Kings didn’t flinch. The Kings kept the pressure on the Warriors and didn’t allow them to get an inch on the offensive end. The Kings outscored the Warriors 27-18 in the final quarter of action.

The loss for the Warriors potentially marked the end of the dynastic run of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green. Asked postgame, Curry and Green didn’t have many concrete answers other than, “they want to win and do whatever it takes to win.” Murray led the Kings in victory with 32 points. Curry led the Warriors with 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans in the win or go home final NBA play-in game. The winner is the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Loser goes home. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30pm PDT on Friday night.

Golden State Warriors Play In wrap up: Kings demolish Warriors 118-94 end Warriors’ season

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) takes an off balance shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (right) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Apr 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, the tenth seed in the Western Conference, had to play the ninth seed, the Sacramento Kings, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The winner of the game would play the loser of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

The Warriors played well on the road and were 16-4 in the last 20 games away from the Chase Center. The Kings were seeking revenge as the Warriors beat them in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.

That loss to the Warriors left a bad taste in the mouths of the Kings’ players. The Kings got their revenge as they blew away the Warriors to earn the right to play the Pelicans on Friday night in New Orleans. The final score was 118-94. 

The Warriors had one of their worst games in the 2023-2024 season. The Warriors committed too many turnovers in the first half. Their defense was non-existent. The offense went to sleep. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson put five points on the board in the first half. Curry made the five points. Thompson was scoreless.

Warriors fans counted on Thompson and Curry to lead the charge in the second half. That did not happen. Curry finished with 22 points. Curry did not make a basket and finished the game scoreless. I don’t remember Thompson being held to zero points in a game. The margin of victory over the Warriors was the largest since 2006. 

The Warriors led 8-6 early in the first quarter. The Kings went ahead 11-8 and never relinquished the lead. Sacramento finished the first quarter leading 31-22. The Kings led by 14, 48-34. The Warrior’s offense began to click, and they closed the deficit to four points at the end of the first half. The Kings led 54-50.

The Warriors made a run early in the second half to trail by one, 56-55. The Kings’ fans were starting to squirm. The Warriors, famous for owning the third quarter, had the tables turned on them. The Kings’ offense came to life. Keegan Murray continued to make shots. Murray had 14 points in the first quarter and four threes in the first half and continued hitting shots from downtown. Sabonis continued to clog the middle and block shots. Sabonis finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. 

The Kings won the third quarter 37-26 to lead by 15, 91-76.

The rout was on. Sacramento continued to stop the Warrior offense. Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Murray, and D’Aaron Fox made key buckets. The Warriors’ offense went to sleep. The game was over when the Kings led 105-86 with 5:29 left to play.

Game Notes: The Warriors’ season is over. Many people are now speculating about the team’s future. Thompson will be a free agent. Thompson had expressed interest in finishing his Hall of Fame career with Golden State. Hopefully, the Warriors’ management and Thompson can agree soon.

Other players may be elsewhere next year, including Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Dario Saric, and Kevon Looney. Wiggins’s scoring went down this year. Wiggins is owed a bundle of money, and the Warriors may trade him to reduce payroll.

The veteran playmaker Chris Paul is 38 years old. Letting Paul seek employment elsewhere will also reduce payroll significantly. Saric was relegated to the bench due to Trayce Jackson-Davis’s improvement at the center position.

Saric earned a little, but he probably did better elsewhere. Kevon Looney was the starter at the center spot early in the season. The Warriors’ head coach adjusted his rotation later in the season. Looney became a fixture on the second unit. Looney never complained and stayed ready even though his minutes on the court were diminished. 

Murray led his team to the Friday night game against the Pelicans. Murray finished the game with 32 points and connected on nine threes. Former Warriors Harrison Barnes added 17. Keon Ellis, an undrafted rookie from Alabama, had 15 points and made three threes. Fox added 24. Malik Monk, who torched the Warriors, was unavailable due to an injury. The Kings’ Kevin Huerter was also unavailable.

The Warriors will now watch the playoffs from their homes.Curry will play for the United States at the Olympics in Paris, France, this summer.

It was a remarkable season. The Warriors needed help finding their rhythm early in the season. They lost games when they had big leads heading into the fourth quarter. They got into gear when Kerr put Jackson-Davis into the second unit.

Thompson, a starter for his entire career, was sent to the bench. Thompson responded by getting back to the player of old. Jonathan Kuminga raised his game to a higher level. Brandin Podziemski, picked 19th in the first round, exceeded expectations. Podziemski played well on both ends of the court. Moses Moody, fighting for playing time, will be someone the Warriors will play more next year. Moody gave the Warriors a spark in the third quarter. 

The Warriors played better on the road this season. They won two more games than they did last year. The competition in the Western Conference has caught up with the Warriors. The OKC Thunder finished as the one seed in the Conference.

The Denver Nuggets, with Nikola Jokic, are preparing to repeat as NBA Champions. The Minnesota Timberwolves are right behind those two teams in talent. The Wolves are built around Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Houston Rockets are on the rise. 

The Kings beat the Pelicans on Friday to become the eighth seed. If they win, they will face the number one seed, the OKC Thunder. 

That’s it for the season. It was very interesting to watch the Warriors in 2023-2024. Let’s hope they draft some players to return them to the top.

Adios

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: What are the Kings chances without Monk and Huerter in tonight’s line up

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The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis is guarded by the Portland Trail Blazers forward Justin Minaya in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Sacramento Kings Malik Monk injury is a huge hit to the Sacramento Kings who host the Golden State Warriors tonight in an NBA Play In game tonight at Golden 1 Center. Talk about how huge of a hit it is not to have Monk in the line up tonight.

#2 The Kings are also missing Kevin Huerter and will rely heavily on DeAaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis for scoring. The Warriors have lots of experience in post season. The way it looks right now the Kings will have to depend on Fox and Sabonis and their younger players if they want to get by the Warriors.

#3 How will the Kings shutdown the Warriors offense with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green under the basket grabbing rebounds.

#4 The Kings in their final game of the regular season on Sunday blew out the Portland Trail Blazers 121-82. Fox led with 24 points, Sabonis had 18 and Harrison Barnes with 17 points. These are the guys that the Kings will rely heavily on in the play in game against Golden State tonight.

#5 Tony so it all boils down to this game tonight at Golden 1 the Kings need to win big or go home. How do you see them matching up with the Warriors in this play in game tonight?

Tony Renteria podcasts Sacramento Kings basketball Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: After Lakers and Kings win Warriors settle for 10th place finish

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The Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) gets a pass away while the Utah Jazz Darius Bazley (21) defends in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Going into yesterday’s game, there was a lot to be ironed out in the Western Conference not only for the number one seed but also in the eighth through tenth place.

#2 The Warriors had their eye on a eighth or ninth place finish but the Lakers and the Kings had something else in mind. Both the Lakers and Kings demolished their opponents and the Warriors had to settle for 10th place.

#3 Stephen Curry and Draymond Green sat out yesterday’s game–the team needing them to be fresh for Tuesday nights game.

#4 Klay Thompson led the team in points in their win over the Utah Jazz. Every Warrior that took the floor in this game scored points with the exception of Jonathan Kuminga.

#5 The playoffs get underway Tuesday night with the Warriors taking on the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento has a grudge to settle but can they do it without Malik Monk? How will this game play out.

Join Barbara Mason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings host Warriors for play in on Tuesday at Golden 1; Beat Blazers Sunday 121-82

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The Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) shown after making a three point shot in the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday afternoon for the final game of the season. After losing to the Pelicans at home on Friday, the Kings welcomed the Portland Trail Blazers to town. The Kings were fighting for position in the play-in-game while Portland was already eliminated.

The Kings were looking for a win and a Lakers loss to be the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Also of note in the matchup was Kings Keegan Murray facing off against twin brother Kris Murray.

It was the second time the two faced each other in the NBA. The Kings and Trail Blazers tipped off at 12:30 PM PST inside Golden One Center. The Kings defeated the Trail Blazers on Sunday 121-82 to secure the 9th seed in the Western Conference.

In the first quarter, the Blazers appeared outmatched against the Kings. The Blazers were only able to score 18 points in the first quarter. Portland shot an abysmal 1-19 on three-point attempts in the first quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense was going strong early. The Kings scored 30 points to take the quick first-quarter lead. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in the first quarter with eight points and two steals. The Kings would lead 30-19.

In the second quarter, the Kings started the process to route the Trail Blazers. The Kings offense took off to outscore the Blazers 35-19. The Kings would lead going into halftime 65-37. The Kings offense was on fire as Portland couldn’t muster anything to stop the Kings. The story was less about the Kings defense and the inability of Portland to put the ball in the hoop. The Kings would look to keep the pressure on in the second half to come away with the victory.

In the second half, the Kings completed the route with ease. The Kings outscored the Trail Blazers in the second half by a combined 56-45. It was clear that the Portland Trail Blazers had nothing left to play for in the season. The Kings took care of business by defeating the Blazers 121-82.

In the second half, Delano Banton was ejected from the game after a technical foul and altercation in which he dropped his shoulder into a Kings defender. Other than the ejection, the second half was very uninteresting. The Kings emptied their bench after the third quarter. The Kings best performance in the game came from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 24 points. Delano Banton led the Trail Blazers with 17 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Golden State Warriors in the 9-10 seed NBA Play-In Game on Tuesday at 7PM.