Tag: NBA

Warriors get much needed win beat Heat 113-92; Thompson with 28 pts in win

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Guard Klay Thompson (11) takes a lay up to the hoop for the Golden State Warriors against the Miami Heat’s guard Patty Mills (88) at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Tue Mar 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (37-34) got a much-needed win Tuesday night, beating the Miami Heat (39-33) 113-92. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Klay Thompson back into the Warriors’ starting lineup.

Thompson had played well coming off the bench. Kerr knew the Heat had several key players unavailable for Tuesday’s game. Jimmy Butler was out with an illness. The Heat’s best three-point shooter, Duncan Robinson, could not play due to a back problem. Tyler Herro and Kevin Love were sidelined due to foot injuries.

The Heat used a full-court press to slow down the Warrior’s offense. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis did not play as he was not feeling well. Kerr had Kevon Looney replace Trayce in the second unit. Looney tallied seven points and pulled six rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.

The Warriors knew the keys to the game were playing well on defense, not committing fouls, and not turning the ball over. The Warriors accomplished all three tasks.

The Warriors had an early eight-point lead in the first quarter, 20-12. The Heat’s Bam Abedayo made three consecutive two-point buckets to make it 20-18. The Heat finished the quarter leading 26-24. Each team scored 29 points in the second quarter.

Abedayo and Haywood Highsmith paced the Heat’s offense. Each player tallied 13 points in the first half. Klay Thompson, with 15, was the only Warrior in double figures in the first half. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins each had seven. Jonathan Kuminga added eight. The Warriors trailed by two, 55-53, after two periods of play.

The Warriors came to play in the second half. Golden State won the third quarter 32-20. Thompson, Wiggins, and Curry were the players who took the Warriors to a ten-point lead, 95-85, at the end of the third quarter. Kuminga added to the Warriors’ offense in the fourth quarter.

Kuminga went high over the rim to score a basket after a three-point shot bounced high. The Warrior bench could not believe Kuminga’s athleticism on the play. The Warriors outscored the Heat 28-17 in the fourth quarter to win 113-92. 

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 37-34. The Heat fell to 39-33.

As a team, The Warriors shot 55% from the floor. The Warriors made 13 threes in 38 tries. The Heat was eight for thirty-three from downtown. The Warriors’ defense held the Heat to 41% from the floor. The Warriors had six steals and five blocks.

Golden State committed ten turnovers, and the Heat only made ten of 13 free throws. The defense held the Heat to 37 points in the second half. Kerr’s game plan worked to perfection. 

The Warriors won their 19th road game and avoided a fourth-quarter collapse. They had lost eleven times after leading by ten or more points after the third quarter.

Thompson led the Warriors with 28 points, connecting on six threes. Kuminga had 18 points and seven rebounds. Wiggins had 17 points and seven boards, and Curry also had 17 points and six assists.

The Heat had six players in double figures: Abedayo had 24, Terry Rozier and Haywood Highsmith had 15, Nikola Jovic had 11, Jaime Kaquez had 12, and Caleb Martin had 10.

The Warriors play again Wednesday night in Orlando. The Magic lead the Southeast Division with a record of 42-29. The Warriors need to be at their best to get a win. The game will start at 4 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Sabonis’ 25th triple double joins elite club of NBA players

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The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) is doubled teamed by the Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed (44) and guard Buddy Hield (17) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 25, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tyrese Maxey had a game-leading 21 points in the first quarter. Not far behind Maxey was Keegan Murray, who scored 17 points. 

#2 Domantas Sabonis scored his 25th triple double of the season, Sabonis also had 11 points, 13 rebounds, with 10 assists.

#3 Sabonis’ accomplishments makes him the fifth player all time for NBA players who have scored 25 triple doubles or more in a season joining Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.

#4 Kings head coach Mike Brown said that Sabonis is having a phenomenal. Coach Brown said that Sabonis should have been first, second or third NBA All Star or have earned the MVP. Despite all his work he gets very little national attention.

#5 The Kings host the Dallas Mavericks on tonight at Golden 1. It’s back to back nights for the Kings they have the home court advantage. Mavericks (42-29) have won four in a row coming into tonight’s game and have won seven of their last ten games. The Kings (42-29) have the same identical record as the Mavericks and have won two in a row coming into tonight’s game.

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

Sabonis leads Kings with 25th triple double in 109-107 victory over Magic at Golden 1

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The Orlando Magic guard Tyrese Maxey (left) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (right) in the first half at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 25, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday. The Kings were back on the court after an off day on Sunday. The Kings had last played against the Orlando Magic on Saturday in Orlando.

The Kings beat the Magic 109-107. On the other hand, the Kings welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers, who had last played on Sunday in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The 76ers defeated the Clippers 121-107. The Kings and 76ers tipped off at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center. The Kings defeated the 76ers on Monday by the final of 108-96.

In the first quarter, it was the Tyrese Maxey and Keegan Murray show. Tyrese had a game-leading 21 points in the first quarter. Not far behind Maxey was Keegan Murray, who scored 17 points. The Kings outscored the 76ers in the first quarter 31-25. The Kings would look to maintain Maxey in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings did a solid job on Tyrese. Maxey only managed five points in the second quarter as the Kings ballooned the lead on the 76ers. The Kings outscored the 76ers 29-23 in the second quarter. The Kings went into halftime leading 60-48. Keegan Murray led the Kings in the first half with 19 points. Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 26 points in the first half.

In the third quarter, the Kings continued to put pressure on the 76ers. The Kings expanded the lead on the 76ers by outscoring them 23-20. The Kings would go up 83-68 entering the final quarter. The Kings leading scorer through three quarters was Keegan Murray with 21 points. Tyrese Maxey was still the leading scorer for Philly with 26 points. In the third quarter Domas Sabonis recorded his 54th striahgt double-double a league leading record the last 50 years.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings managed to hold on and seal the deal. The Kings held on to defeat the 76ers by the final of 108-96. The Kings were outscored in the final quarter 28-25. The Kings leading scorers in the game were De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray who each had 23 points. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers in defeat with 29 points. The Kings got a much needed win against an opponent they should have beaten on paper without start Joel Embid.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Dallas Mavs on Tuesday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors tip off with Heat Tuesday in Miami

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Stephen Curry guard Golden State Warriors (30) takes a shot in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Mar 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

On Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

  1. The Warriors are fighting for their playoff lives. They faced a tough game against the Minnesota Timberwolves who are currently playing without Karl-Anthony Towns. They will be facing the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic this coming week so they are facing a lot right.

2. The Timberwolves struggled early in Sunday’s game while the Warriors came out strong. Both teams played very well throughout the game but it was the crazy triples that the Timberwolves hit that spelled the difference as well as their defense.

3. The Warriors had a great first half but started to stumble in the second half. They needed to avoid a mental lapse and unfortunately they had a lapse to start the fourth quarter. Both teams had lapses in this game but it was Minnesota that pulled it all together in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

4. Although the Warriors lost this game, they had four of their starters in double digits as well as Klay Thomson with 16 off the bench. They put out a great effort but just fell short.

5. The Warriors now face a couple of tough assignments on the road in Florida. First up will be the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. With 12 games left in the season every game matters and the Warriors are faced with some huge challenges. They are looking at roughly nine really tough games but no team can be overlooked right now.

Listen to the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Fall Short From Downtown Losing to the Timberwolves 114-110; Minnesota ties season high of 3’s with 21

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Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Ried (11) celebrates his three pointer against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Mar 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (36-33) played a terrific game for three quarters but fell short in the fourth losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves (48-22) 114-110. Despite playing without Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota played very well after struggling through the first quarter.

It was the triples that the Timberwolves hit that sealed the win for Minnesota. They hit 21 in this game while the Warriors only had 14. Stephen Curry finished with 31 points but it was not enough to get past the Timberwolves.

Sunday evening the Warriors traveled to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. The Warriors have lost both games they have played against the Timberwolves this season and that was back in November. Both games were close.

On November 12 they lost by six points 116-110 and days later Golden State lost by the score of 104-101. The Warriors were having their struggles in late 2023 and they have turned things around in 2024 so all bets are off in this one.

The Timberwolves are having struggles of their own missing Karl-Anthony Towns who is dealing with a torn left knee meniscus. He had surgery to repair the knee in early March and will be re-evaluated in a month. This pushes his return into the month of April when the regular season will be winding down.

Towns has been a huge part of the Timberwolves rise into the top tier of the Western Conference and he has been missed. The Warriors had a great opportunity to handle this team without Towns as well as their solid starting roster along with their improved play.

Golden State needed this win trailing the Lakers by a game and a half and the Rockets on their heels a mere game and a half behind them but Golden State just couldn’t over come the Timberwolves in a four point 114-110 loss.

Game recap: The Warriors won the first quarter leading after the first 12 minutes 27-18 and by the half had forced 13 Minnesota turnovers. The Timberwolves got going in the second quarter winning the quarter by a single point 28-27.

Golden State took a 54-46 lead into the locker room at the half. Minnesota began to heat up in the first half hitting nine triples and out-rebounding the Warriors 24 to 18. Ball protection was huge for the Warriors who only had five turnovers so far in the game as well as hitting 46% from the field.

The Warriors 12-2 run in the first half and containing Rudy Gobert was a huge part of their halftime lead. Curry, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins were all in double digits; Curry leading the pack with 14 points.

The Warriors had as much as a dozen point lead in the first half but the Timberwolves were hanging tight in the third quarter but still trailing 60-57. Golden State had their work cut out for them against the number one defensive team in the league.

Minnesota is also fourth in the league from downtown pushing their triple count to 12 in this game. The Warriors established a seven point lead 74-67 with 2:55 left in the third quarter. Minnesota got to within one point in the closing minute but Golden State pushed their lead back out to 81-78.

A single triple by the Timberwolves would tie up this game and so far the Warriors had been outscored by 18 points from the 3-point line. Curry had scored 22 points through three quarters. Golden State could not afford a mental lapse as this game went into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors started the fourth quarter with a couple of turnovers that the Timberwolves turned into two more triples taking a 84-81 lead. With ten minutes left in the game it was tied at 84 in another close game between the two conference foes.

The tide began to turn with under seven minutes left in the game. Minnesota continued to hit triples, 19 in total, taking a 97-89 lead. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the game Curry came back on the court instantly hitting a triple and cutting the Minnesota lead to 97-92.

With under six minutes left on the clock triples began to fly from both sides. With 41.0 seconds left in the game Minnesota had a five point lead 111-106.

The Warriors cut the Timberwolves lead to 111-110 with 14.9 seconds and the ball in Minnesota’s possession. This game was going down to the wire. Klay Thompson got a decent look at 11.2 and missed and that was the game 114-110 in favor of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dictated the pace of the game after the first quarter and their shooting from downtown was a huge part of tonight’s win for Minnesota. The Timberwolves had won all three games against Golden State this season. Anthony Edwards made some key shots in the game finishing with 23 points. They are now 25-9 at home this season.

It does not get any easier for the Warriors as they head into Florida to take on the Miami Heat Tuesday night followed by a matchup with the Orlando Magic Wednesday night. Both of these games are critical and both of them will be a tough call. Tipoff for the first of the two games Tuesday night is scheduled for 4:30 PM. 12 games are left in the season and it is going to be a photo finish.

Kings Win Cliff-Hanger Beating Orlando 109-107

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The Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) takes the ball against the Orlando Magic center Mortiz Wagner (21) in the first half at the Kia Center in Orlando on Sat Mar 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After losing a game to the worst team in the NBA Thursday night, the Sacramento Kings (40-29) went on to beat one of the best Saturday night. The Kings beat the Orlando Magic (42-28) in a crazy game where there were insane lead changes numbers-wise. The game went right down to the wire with the Kings coming out on top 109-107. This was not a game for the faint of heart. It was a great and badly needed win for the team.

Saturday evening the Kings traveled to Orlando for a matchup with the Magic. The Kings lost a shocker to the Washington Wizards Thursday night 109-102. Whether they took the Wizards lightly which hardly seems the case or they were just off their game, they cannot afford losses this late in the season. These two teams are evenly matched so fans were in store for a real barn burner.

The first half was close from start to finish. As the two teams headed to the locker room after the first two quarters the Magic had a slim lead 56-54. After the first 12 minutes, the Kings had a 27-26 lead. The Magic went on to win the second quarter 30-27 and thus the halftime lead 56-54. This game had proven to be as close as expected.

The Kings fought for the third quarter winning it 27-25 and this game was knotted at 81. The Kings made a move in the fourth quarter. Keegan Murray was having a monster game making 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.

De’Aaron Fox was needed to provide his fourth quarter magic as the clock wound down to under four minutes with Sacramento leading 99-94. The Kings had hit 15 triples so far in this game.

The Magic had pulled to within three points several times during the final minutes of this game with Sacramento fighting to hang onto the lead. With 21.2 seconds left on the clock, the Magic had taken the lead 107-106.

Orlando’s Jalen Suggs fouled Fox who hit both free throws and Sacramento took back the lead 108-107 with two seconds left in the game. Orlando went on to foul Keon Ellis who hit one of two free throw and that was the game. The Kings had won a nail-biter 109-107 against one of the best in the NBA.

Fox had the high for the Kings with 31 points and Domantas Sabonis had yet another double double, his 66th this season. This one was his 53rd in a row tying Kevin Love for the longest streak. Sabonis finished with 21 points. Murray had a terrific game with 22 points going 6 of 7 from downtown. Ellis continues to play lights out with 19 points improving with every game.

“Heck of a win for our guys. They put pressure on the rim and they had a huge size advantage. I thought our group showed resilience and we rebounded well,” said Head Coach Mike Brown after the game. “When you are not shooting well, you have to defend. We won the possession game in a tough environment,” he said.

Monday night the Kings return home to Golden 1 Center to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Pacers Offensive Effort Spurs Win Over Golden State 123-111

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Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson Davis (32) drives against the Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Mar 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (36-32) had a lot of trouble containing the Indiana Pacers (39-31) Tyrese Haliburton as they dropped their Friday night game at Chase 123-111. Haliburton dropped two triples, one a buzzer-beater to end the second quarter and another buzzer-beater to end the third. The Pacers took off in the fourth quarter and there was no looking back for Indiana. The final was 123-111.

Game recap: At the end of the first quarter this game was tied up at 38. It was indeed a hotly contested quarter of basketball. The Warriors guard Stephen Curry had a great quarter finishing with 13 points and his first quarter play pointed to a hot night for the superstar.

Both teams were shooting at 50% from beyond the arc and both teams were protecting the ball with only three turnovers between the two teams. Both teams displayed some amazing defense as well as offense.

Several minutes into the second quarter the Warriors had created some separation leading 48-41. If the first quarter was any indication the Pacers would push any lead that Golden State took.

The Warriors came up with some solid defense and continued to push their lead. Mid-way through the quarter Golden State continued to hold onto a ten point lead 58-48 and their defense was really disrupting the Pacers offense.

The Warriors had established a 12 point lead that the Pacers erased in the final two minutes of the quarter. With a one-point lead 64-63 the Warriors were hanging on with under two minutes until the half.

The Warriors had pushed the lead out to 67-63 with seconds left in the first half of play. The Pacers were not done as Haliburton hit a three-point buzzer beater to end the half with Golden State leading 67-66. The Pacers had erased a 12 point Warrior lead and Golden State would have their work cut out for them in the second half of play.

Both Curry and Klay Thompson (off the bench) finished the first half with 15 points apiece. They were both on course for some great numbers. Golden State was controlling the pace but needed more stops.

Most of the stats for these two teams were as close as they could possibly be. The Warriors would try to continue to contain Haliburton in the second half. The Pacers had three of their starters in double digits with Pascal Siakim leading the pack scoring 13 points with Haliburton close behind with 11 points. The second half of the game would have all the makings of an intense battle between two playoff bound teams.

The tables turned in the third quarter as the Pacers took their largest lead of the game 77-72 at 7:23. The Warriors pushed back as they attempted to take back the momentum trailing by a single point 77-76.

Every time the Warriors challenged in the second half, the Pacers came right back and more often then not they came back with a triple. The Pacers had flipped this game by 22 points leading at 4:55, 89-79 in a strong Indiana turnaround.

The Warriors offense had slumped as the Pacers continued to extend their lead to 91-79 with under four minutes left in the quarter. Indiana came unleashed leading 100-85 with under a minutes left in the third as the Golden State offense continued to struggle.

The incomparable Haliburton ended the third quarter the way he ended the second; with a buzzer beating triple. Indiana had built a 102-88 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors looked disconnected and you could see the frustration etched on Curry’s face as the fourth quarter got underway. The Warriors had to make a push now or never because the Pacers were not letting down, they refused to go away.

The Warriors were 15 of 41 from downtown and that makes winning awful tough. At 6:37 the Warriors were in the bonus and they had a real shot provided they got some offense going. The Pacers offense faltered and with the Warriors flying all over the court hitting shots, the door had opened up for Golden State.

They had cut the Pacer lead to 116-109 with 3:07 left in this wild game. The Warriors had to be near perfect for the remainder of the game. They were not. Golden State fought so hard in the final quarter but it was the horrendous third quarter that did them. The final was 123-111. To make this even worse Chris Paul got ejected near the end of the game in a case of clear frustration. The Pacers were now 5-0 at Chase.

The hot start for Curry cooled in the second half. He had 13 points in the first quarter but only 12 points for the remainder of the game. The Warriors were 14 of 46 from downtown and Golden State continues to struggle at home. Golden State will be on the road for seven of their next eight games. The good news is that they have been a lot better on the road this year than they have been at home.

Game notes: Friday night the Warriors lost the Pacers to Chase Center in an east meets west matchup. The Pacers are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and the Warriors are fighting to stay in playoff position hanging onto tenth place.

The Warriors ultimate goal is of course to move up in the standings. The Pacers are 43% three point shooters and Golden State needed solid defense to guard against that. It was very well hotly contested game but in the end the Warriors lost by 12 points. The Warriors have now lost five of their last ten games.

After this disappointing loss the Warriors head out on the road. Sunday the Warriors will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves looking for a more productive offensive effort. This will be another challenging game taking on the power house Timberwolves. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings battle 4th place Magic Saturday night

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Sacramento Kings center Alex Len (25) defends the Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (right) in the first half at the Capital One Center in Washington on Thu Mar 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:
#1 You know what they say in the NBA anything could happen on any given night and at the Capital One Center the Washington Wizards who have one of the worst records in the NBA defeated the Sacramento Kings 109-102.

#2 The win ended the Wizards five game losing streak and Kyle Kuzma led Washington with 31 points. Kuzma hit 13 of 22 shots and had six rebounds this after missing the last two games.

#3 For the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox had 25 points and Malik Monk had 20 points and the Kings now are 16-8 when playing back to back games.

#4 Domantas Sabonis is still on a hot streak with 52 straight double double games. Sabonis had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

#5 The Kings tip off against the Orlando Magic on Saturday at 4:00pm PDT in Orlando. The Magic are 42-28 and are fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are going well with a five game winning streak.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts on Fridays at wwww.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Lose Critical Game To The Wizards 109-102

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The Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (left) is on a mission driving on the Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis to score at the Capital One Center in Washington DC on Thu Mar 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

On Thursday night Sacramento Kings (40-29) suffered a stunning loss to the Washington Wizards (12-58) who are currently the worst team in the NBA 109-102 at the Capital One Center. The Kings had a miserable first and third quarter. Their offense was sadly lacking in those quarters.

De’Aaron Fox finished with 25 points, 13 of those points coming in the fourth quarter but it was just not enough to get past the Wizards. Sacramento had squandered a golden opportunity with the Pelicans losing to the Magic.

Game recap: The rest did not do much for the Sacramento starters coming out stale in the opening quarter. They did not hit a single three in the first quarter. The Wizards led after the first twelve minutes 35-27.

Sacramento was unable to hit a three until 8:33 in the second quarter and the Wizards continued to build their lead. With under six minutes left in the half, the Wizards had a 54-36 lead.

The Kings needed some offense and they were not getting very much continually turning the ball over. Sacramento was missing Trey Lyles, and Kevin Huerter. In the late minutes of the second quarter the Kings were on the move with 4:20 left in the half.

They cut the Washington lead from 20 to 14. A single digit lead at halftime were in the Kings sights making this game manageable. Sacramento was missing short the entire first half and they also unable to make very many stops.

The Kings began to get those stops and they also got some great offense storming back on a 18-0 run tying up the game at 54. At the half the Wizards led 56-54. Sacramento had turned a 20 point deficit to two points and we had a brand new game.

The Kings had stopped the bleeding in the later minutes of the second quarter. De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk each had 10 points in the half. Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes were on the verge of double digits and Sacramento had gotten this game under control.

Sacramento had a rough start in the third quarter falling behind by 15 points. The Wizards are the worst third quarter team in the league but the Kings were not taking advantage of this deficiency and Head Coach Mike Brown was forced to take an early timeout.

The Kings struggled throughout the third quarter and continued to search for answers in this nightmarish quarter trailing 84-76. The Wizards won the third quarter 28-22 but the Kings had cut the 15 point lead, in an 8-0 run, to 8 points. They were finally looking like they were back on track going into the fourth quarter.

As in the second quarter, the Kings got going in the fourth quarter going on a 15-0 sprint now trailing by a single point 84-83. In the fourth quarter Fox who is third in the league in scoring would do his best to carry his team on his back and the Kings would need him to finish off Washington.

With 7:00 left in the game Fox had already hit three three’s and two shots inside the paint. The Kings just could not get enough stops and their offense fell short in a stunning 109-102 loss to the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards had won their 12th game this season. The Kings had squandered a golden opportunity with the Pelicans losing to the Magic. Sacramento had the opportunity to pull to within one game of fifth place.

Fox finished with 25 points and off the bench Monk had 20 points. Sacramento shot 28% from beyond the arc and when the Kings are struggling from downtown they have a rough time winning.

Post game notes: The Kings traveled to Washington Thursday night to take on the Wizards after trouncing the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night to the tune of 123-89. How would they come out in this game after the amazing effort last night? The Kings starters were able to rest in the fourth quarter of that game looking ahead to Wednesday’s game.

Saturday night the Kings continue on the road traveling to Orlando taking on the Magic in a very tough matchup. They have to put this unexpected loss behind them and get back on track. This game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Warriors bounce back rout Memphis Grizzlies 137-116; Curry scores his 300th 3 pointer in a season for the fifth time

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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) gets the throw down on the Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (right) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Mar 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (36-32) welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies (23-47) to the Chase Center Wednesday night. Despite the absence of two crucial players, the Grizzlies’ superstar Ja Morant, who averages 25 points per game, and Marcus Smart, the team showed resilience but it wasn’t enough as the Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 137-116.

The Grizzlies still had players who could produce, counting on Gregory Jackson, Jaren Jackson, Jr., and Desmond Bane as the offensive weapons. The Warriors, still reeling from losing to the New York Knicks on Monday night, were eager to bounce back.

The Grizzlies, however, were to be considered. The teams engaged in a fast-paced first quarter, with the Grizzlies making seven three-point shots. Guard Stephen Curry of the Warriors also contributed with two threes, leading the Warriors 24-19. Curry achieved his 300th 3 pointer in a season for the fifth time in his career. The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors 12-8 in the closing minutes of the quarter to lead the Warriors 33-32.

In the second quarter, the game took an intense turn. Moses Moody’s three-pointer gave the Warriors a slight edge, but a scuffle between Draymond Green and Bane added a dramatic twist. Both players received technical fouls.

Jonathan Kuminga’s steal and dunk further fueled the Warriors’ momentum, leading to a 10-0 run and a halftime score of 68-58 in favor of the Warriors. Kuminga’s impressive performance, with 18 points, was a highlight of the quarter.

Kuminga led the Warriors with 18 points. The Grizzlies, led by Santi Aldama’s 21 points, Aldama made six threes. Memphis fought back with their three-point shooting, making 12 threes in 30 attempts.

The Warriors showcased their dominance at the start of the third quarter. Curry ignited the run with a three-pointer, marking his 300th three-point shot of the season, a testament to his exceptional career.

The Warriors maintained their momentum, completing a 31-3 run, including the last ten points scored in the first half, to lead 89-61. The Grizzlies’ offense, however, started to find its rhythm and made baskets. The Warriors won the quarter 40-32 and led by 18, 108-90.

Curry did not play in the fourth quarter. The Warrior’s second unit, led by Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, kept the pressure on the Grizzlies’ defense. The Warriors offense put 29 points on the board to record their highest point total in a game this year.

Game Notes—With the win, The Warriors are 36-32. They have 14 games left to play. The Warriors had a season-high 43 assists. Green (10 points and 12 rebounds), Chris Paul( 12 points and 14 assists), and Andrew Wiggins( 22 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double-double.

The Warriors’ offensive prowess was on full display, with seven players scoring in double figures. Kuminga led the team with 26 points, Thompson with 23, and Wiggins with 22. Despite not playing in the fourth quarter, Curry contributed 14 points. Jackson-Davis also made a significant impact with 13 points. Thompson’s five three-pointers were a testament to his shooting skills.

The Grizzlies Aldama and Gregory Jackson had career-highs in scoring. Alama torched the Warriors for 29 points. Aldama made seven threes. He had six in the first half and made just one in the second. Jackson also made seven threes and put 35 points on the board for Memphis.

Jaren Jackson posted 28 points. Jackson has been one tough customer for the Warriors to handle. Wednesday night was no exception. The only other Memphis player in double figures was Jake LaRavia with 12. The Grizzlies attempted 49 three-point shots. They made 18. The Warriors made 19 in 29 tries. 

The Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to be pleased with his teams’ performance Wednesday night. The Warriors must play their best basketball of the season. The way things stand now, the Warriors are in 10th place in the Western Conference. They would have to win two play-in games to make the playoffs and then face a team with a high seeding. 

The Warriors play the Indiana Pacers at the Chase Center on Friday night. The game will start at 7 pm.