Tag: NBA

The Warriors lose a nail-biter to the Chicago Bulls 125-122

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The Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) tries to reach in for the basketball against the Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (33-30) played a back-to-back game Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Chase Center. The Chicago Bulls (32-32) were in San Francisco after beating the Sacramento Kings on Monday and the Utah Jazz last night.

The Bulls were going for their third straight win on the road. The Warriors bounced back from a 52-point loss to Boston on Sunday to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 35 last night. The Warrior fans were hoping that their team could knock off the Bulls.

The Bulls, led by DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, gave the Warriors more than they could handle. The game was a dogfight until the last few seconds before Chicago pulled ahead for good. The Bulls won 125-122.

The game was a nail-biter. The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter. They grabbed an early 13-point lead, 31-18. The Bulls started an 11-0 run by making a three. DeMar DeRozan put four points on the board when he was fouled, making a three-pointer, and the quarter ended with the Warriors ahead 31-25.

DeRozan made the first bucket of the second period to bring the Bulls within four. The Bulls outscored the Warriors 28-28 in the second quarter to finish the first half leading 63-59. DeRozan and Vucevic led the Bulls attack with 18 points each. Klay Thompson was hot in the first half.

Thompson put 16 points on the board for the Warriors. Jonathan Kuninga and Andrew Wiggins each had eight. Draymond Green had seven points, six rebounds, and six assists. The Bulls’ defense put the clamps on Stephen Curry. Curry had just five points.

Neither team could pull away. Green and Brandin Podzienski made baskets to tie the game at 63. Curry made a three to give the Warriors a one-point lead 66-65. The two teams fought tooth and nail. The lead changed hands several times until the Bulls went on a 19-4 run at the end of the third quarter to lead 99-89.

The Warriors were unfazed. They stormed back to take the lead, 108-107. The teams tied at 114-114 and again at 116-116. There were 13 ties and 20 lead changes at this point in the game. Curry had to leave the game with 3:51 left to play.

Curry appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg. Curry went to the locker room and did not return. With 58 seconds left, Green fouled out. The Bull’s DeRozan made it 118-116. Thompson connected from downtown to put the Warriors ahead, 119-118.

DeRozan answered with a bucket, making it a three-point play as he was found. The Warriors then fouled Vucevic. Vucevic made both free throws. Chris Paul made a three to bring the Warriors within a point, 123-122. Unfortunately for the Warriors, time was running out. With just 2.1 seconds left, the Warriors fouled DeRozan. DeRozan made both free throws to end the game.

Game Notes: With the loss, the Warriors are 33-29. They are 14-5 in their last 19 games. Chicago improved to 31-32.

The Warriors could not stop the Bulls’ two top offensive threats, DeRozan and Vucevic. The Bulls had five players in double figures. DeRozan scored 33 points, eight rebounds, and four assists and made three threes in six attempts.

Vucevic’s numbers were similar to DeRozan’s. Vucevic had a double-double with 33 points and 11 rebounds. He also had five assists and connected on three threes in six tries. Coby White added 20, Jevon Carter, 10, and Ayo Dosunmo had 14 for Chicago.

The Bulls shot 53% from the floor and connected on 16 threes. Thompson made five threes, and the Warriors as a team had 11. 

The Warriors had seven players in double figures. Curry finished with 15 but did not score in the fourth quarter. Thompson finished with 25, and Green almost had a triple-double. Green had 11 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists. Kuninga had 19, Podzienski 11, Moses Moodey 10, and Chris Paul 15. The Warriors shot 45% from the floor and made 11 threes in 42 attempts. 

The Warriors welcome the San Antonio Spurs to the Chase Center on Saturday night. The fans will see the Spurs’ rookie sensation, Victor Wembanyama, in action. Wembanyama is 20 years old and stands seven feet four inches tall. He is averaging almost 21 points a game. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Warriors get back on win track rout Milwaukee Bucks 125-90 at Chase Center

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins looks to pass the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Mar 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Golden State Warriors, who were trounced by the Boston Celtics last Sunday in Boston, returned home to face the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the second-best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

The Bucks fired their coach earlier in the season and brought Doc Rivers to right the ship. Things didn’t go well for Milwaukee after Rivers took over. However, the Bucks got their act together and had won six straight after the All-Star break.

The Warriors won three games on the four-game road trip. The only blemish was Sunday’s massacre in Boston. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said the team had to flush the loss down the toilet. The Warriors did just that as they crushed the Bucks 125-90.

The Warriors came to play Wednesday night. The Warriors scored 40 points in the first quarter. Andrew Wiggins returned to the starting lineup after missing four games for personal reasons. Brandin Podzienski also returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a sore knee.

Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga paced the Warriors’ offense in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors led 40-32 at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Warriors played well on both ends of the court. Klay Thompson tallied ten points, Gary Payton II, nine, and the Warriors won the quarter 38-26 to finish the first half leading 78-56. Steph Led the Attack with 17. Kuninga was a force on offense as he tallied 16.

The Warriors shot 64% from the floor. They made 12 threes in 19 tries. Milwaukee shot 50% from the floor, but they could not find a way to stop the Warrior offense in the first half. Milwaukee’s only advantage in the first half was at the free-throw line.

The Bucks had 12 free throws and made eight. The Warriors went to the free-throw line just once in the first half. Curry made both free throws.

As NBA fans know, leads can quickly disappear in the second half. The Warriors have been guilty of blowing big leads in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee’s stars Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard could get hot and lead the Bucks back into the game.

The Warriors, on the other hand, have owned the third quarter for many years. The Warriors loved to come out and blow away their opponents in the third quarter. If they hoped to win, the Bucks knew they had to stop the Warriors offense and take control of the game.

Milwaukee stopped the Warriors’ offense cold. Milwaukee went on a 19-5 run to close within six points of the lead, 83-77. At this point, Steve Kerr inserted the rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Davis turned things around for Golden State.

The Bucks won the quarter 23-15, but Jackson Davis was excellent on both ends of the court. Davis blocked two of Giannis’ shots, and TJD knocked down six points. The Warriors led by nine, 93-82, after three periods of play.

Milwaukee felt they had figured out how to get back into the game. They were wrong. The Warriors’ second unit of Moses Moody, Davis, Podzienski, Curry, and Draymond Green stopped the Bucks’ offense. The Warriors won the final stanza 32-9 to propel the Warriors to a very important bounce-back win 125-90.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 33-28. They have won 14 of the last 18 games. Milwaukee falls to 41-22. The Warriors split the season series with the Bucks.

The Warriors shot 56% from the floor, made 19 threes in 39 tries, and had 37 assists on 51 made baskets. On defense, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Bucks 57-45. The Warriors had ten steals and a season-high 13 blocks. 

Curry paced the offense with 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Curry also made six threes. Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points. Klay Thompson finished with ten. Green had 12 points, six boards, and six assists. Green connected on two threes in the fourth quarter. Jackson-Davis had quite a night. The 24-year-old rookie from Indiana tallied 15 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 points. Lillard had 20. Lillard made five threes, and he is now tied with Reggie Miller for fourth place in the NBA making threes. 

The Warriors must put this game behind them as they face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m.

Despite Slow Start, Sacramento Takes Care of Business in Los Angeles 130-120

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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) defends and the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) tries to get the shot in first half action at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Mar 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (35-26) had a horrible start in the first quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers (34-30). It was like night and day between the opening quarter and the second quarter. Sacramento won the second quarter 44-20 and they kept their foot on the pedal for the rest of the game. The Lakers challenged at times but the Kings held on for the 130-120 win at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Game recap: Wednesday night the Kings take on the Lakers in Los Angeles looking to get back on track. The Kings are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference while the Lakers are in ninth place with only a game and a half separating the two teams.

Both will be playing for the win trying to avoid the dreaded play-in game. Sacramento needs to get a strong start, and most of all they need to finish strong and keep an eye on those turnovers.

They had 18 turnovers in the Chicago game. The Kings will be playing with a full roster while the Lakers will be missing at least three players with Cabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood out with injury.

There is also an outside possibility that LeBron James and Anthony Davis may not play now being listed as questionable. The Kings are 2-0 against the Lakers this season. This game carries major importance for both teams and it will no doubt prove to be a battle.

The Kings did not get the start they wanted with three turnovers, one unforced, in the early minutes of the first quarter. It was an ugly start for Sacramento. They looked to be completely out of sync and needed to generate some second chance shots as well as more efficient offense.

The Lakers continued to cruise leading 30-13 with four minutes left in the opening quarter. The Kings had fouled six times, the Lakers had a single foul and the Kings had ground to make up going into the second quarter trailing 28-37. The Kings did close the quarter with a 10-0 run after trailing by 19 points and Sacramento was starting to come around.

The Kings turned up the pace to start the second quarter cutting the Laker’s lead to six points 40-34. Malik Monk entered the game bringing his trademark energy as this game began to turn in favor of Sacramento.

With six minutes left in the half, the Kings had tied up this game at 48 and seconds later taken the lead 50-48. Monk was making incredible decisions shooting for 17 points in 13 minutes and Sacramento had it all going on.

Monk had really spear-headed this King’s comeback. With less than two minutes left in the second quarter the Kings had taken a 64-51 lead in this turnaround. Sacramento had sucked the energy out of Crypto.com Arena. At the half the Kings had taken a 72-57 lead. They had a 44 point quarter and won the second quarter by a landslide 44-20.

De’Aaron Fox finished the first half with 20 points closely followed by Malik Monk with 19. The Kings had really turned the triples around hitting 10 of 20. Davion Mitchell was a perfect 4 of 4 from downtown. Sacramento would need more of this intensity in the second half.

The Lakers put together a 9-2 run to win the third quarter 35-32. The Kings lead had been cut but every time the Lakers challenged, the Kings answered continuing to maintain a double digit lead going into the fourth quarter. Sacramento needed to hang onto the lead, they needed to finish this game. With only a 12 point lead, the Lakers were within striking distance.

Los Angeles continued to push and the Kings pushed right back taking a 21 point lead 118-97 four minutes into the fourth quarters. The Laker’s continued to hang around cutting the King’s lead to 12 points 120-108 with under five minutes left in the game.

With under three minutes left on the clock this game became clutch; Sacramento had to finish this game. The Kings refused to let this game go winning 130-120.

This was the third straight win over the Lakers for the Kings this season. Fox had the high for the game with 44 points. Off the bench, Monk really got this game going in favor of Sacramento in the second quarter finishing with 26 points.

There was another triple double for Domantas Sabonis with 20 rebounds, 12 assists and 16 points. This guy never ceases to amaze. After the slow start, the Kings started to play lights out basketball and hung on for the win.

Every starter for the Lakers had double digits but they could not match the play of the Kings tonight.

Post game notes: There is so much going for the Kings right now. Sabonis leads the league in rebounding, double-doubles and triple-doubles. He has 43 consecutive double doubles right now. The Kings have an ace on the bench who just may be the leading candidate for sixth man this season in Monk.

Of course the Kings also have clutch player in Fox who is supported by the above mentioned along with Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter. With so much talent their win/loss pattern is sometimes confusing. Last Friday Sacramento beat the first place Minnesota Timberwolves 124-120. They went on to lose to the Chicago Bulls after leading for all but the final minute of play. The team managed to turn the ball over three times in the final 1 1/2 minutes missing critical baskets. They couldn’t close out this game.

As the season begins to wind down every game is critical. Thursday night, the Kings take on the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center. The Spurs have struggled all season holding down last place in the West. San Antonio comes into this game looking to play spoiler and Sacramento needs to respond. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors hoping to rebound tonight against Bucks after Celtics thrashing

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The Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) gets the throw down on the Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson Davis (32) in the second half at TD Garden in Boston on Sun Mar 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with David:

#1 David, how much did Stephen Curry’s injury impact the Warriors loss to the Boston Celtics last Sunday. Curry scored a season low four points.

#2 The Warriors were having big success on this last road trip with wins in Washington, New York and Toronto before hitting that brick wall in Boston on Sunday. Was it a matter of the Celtics lying in wait for Golden State and just lit them up with a great offensive game plan or the Warriors were exhausted from little sleep playing four games in six days on the road?

#3 The Warriors host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at Golden State for a 7:00pm PT tip. The Bucks are in first place in the Eastern Conference at 41-21. The Bucks have won eight out of their last ten games.

Join David Zizmor for the Warriors podcasts Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings hope to stop King James and Lakers tonight in the Southland

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The Chicago Bulls guard Coby White drives on the Sacramento Kings Malik Monk (0) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (34-26) got shut down by the Chicago Bulls (29-32) in a four point loss 113-109 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

#2 One of the keys to the Bulls victory was in the fourth quarter holding the Kings to just 18 points as opposed the Bulls 36. The Bulls had to come back from behind in this game and the defense made the difference in the fourth quarter.

#3 Bulls point guard Coby White led in scoring with 37 points and power forward DeMar DeRozan led contributed with 33 points.

#4 The Kings wanted to counter with De’Aaron Fox who had 20 points and Domantas Sabonis finishing behind Fox with 18 points but it was a matter of not enough points all around and the Bulls just simply shutdown the Kings offense in the at fourth quarter.

#5 The Kings battle the tenth place Los Angeles Lakers 33-29. The Lakers have won six of their last ten games. How do you see the Kings taking on King James and the Lakers tonight at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Join Tony Renteria Tuesdays for the Sacramento Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bulls White scores 37 points in four point win to defeat Kings 113-109

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Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) goes up for the throw down over the Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (10) in the second half at Golden 1 Center Sacramento on Wed Mar 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings were coming off a brief road trip that saw them make stops in Denver and Minnesota. The Kings were blown out in Denver but were able to pull out the victory in Minnesota against the Timberwolves 124-120.

The Kings were looking to stay on track against a hobbled Chicago team. Zach Levine and Lonzo Ball were among the Bulls who were inactive. Ball has missed significant time and will continue to do so due to his lower body injuries. On Monday, the Kings were set to take on the Bulls at 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center. The Bulls defeated the Kings 113-109 on Monday night. 

The Kings came out lethargic in the first quarter to start the game. The Kings couldn’t buy a basket early and didn’t appear to have much energy from the jump. However, they managed to keep pace with the Bulls early on. The Kings offense took off after about the halfway mark of the quarter. The Kings would outscore the Bulls in the first quarter 36-22 to take the big lead early. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers in the first quarter with nine points. 

In the second quarter, the Kings offense cooled significantly. The Kings were outscored by the Bulls 27-20 in the second quarter. The Kings were careless with the ball in the quarter, and their shots stopped falling. The Kings turned the ball over six times in the quarter and nine in the half, which didn’t help their cause.

The Kings would look to turn the tide back in their favor in the third. The Kings leading scorer at halftime was Fox, who scored 13 points. Ayo Dosunmu led the way for the Bulls in the first half with 15 points. 

In the third quarter, the Kings offense erupted. The Kings outscored the Bulls in the third quarter 35-28 as they built on their lead in the first half. The Kings offense was flowing, and the Bulls were struggling to make shots. Domantas Sabonis led the charge for the Kings as he scored 12 points in the third quarter. The Kings would lead the Bulls 91-77 after three quarters of play. 

In the final quarter, the Kings let the big lead slip away as they looked to secure the win. The Kings opened the quarter, leading the Bulls by 14 points. By the time the game arrived near the four-minute mark, the Kings only led by four points at 104-100.

The Kings were fighting for dear life down the stretch. However, with 36 seconds left in the game, Coby White would hit a floater to put the Bulls up 111-109. DeMar DeRozan would hit two big free throws with 3.5 seconds left to extend the lead to 113-109.

That’s where the game would end. The Kings would lose 113-109. It was a huge 14-point fourth-quarter upset from the Bulls, who were shorthanded. The Kings were led in the game by Fox, who scored 20 points. Coby White led the Bulls, scoring 37 points. 

Up Next: The Kings head on the road to take on the LA Lakers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Curry hurting can only score 4 points against Celtics

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The Boston Celtics guard Jaylon Brown (7) is excited about scoring against Trayce Jackson Davis (32) and the Golden State Warriors in second half action at TD Garden in Boston on Sun Mar 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Golden State Warriors have been on a roll now with a 32-28 record and faced a major challenge Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics a game televised on national TV. The Warriors had a 3-1 road trip record on this short road trip.

#2 A physically struggling Stephen Curry who was questionable prior to this game was able to take the court. He struggled as did the entire team for the entire first half.

Head Coach Steve Kerr had been noticing a tired Curry

#3 The stars of this game were Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum who tore up the court in the first half. Starters on both teams sat out the second half in this demolition.

#4 This was a great opportunity for both benches to get some invaluable experience as this game became a bench game for the two remaining quarters of the second half. This game was a done deal at halftime.

#5 The Warriors thankfully back at home will take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. They really need a break right now after this game and so a few days off will be appreciated. The Bucks are another hot team in second place in the Eastern Conference.

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

Warriors Buried By Celtics 140-88

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) takes a fade away shot against the Golden State Warriors guard Lester Quinones (25) at TD Garden in Boston on Sun Mar 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

This a game the likes of which we decline to witness again this season. It was a massacre and that is putting it mildly. The second half was a bench game for both teams the Golden State Warriors (32-28) and the Boston Celtics (48-12) at TD Garden in Boston. Trailing by as much as 56 points in the fourth quarter this is a game that the team needs to put in their rearview. The final was an inconceivable 140-88 crushing of Golden State.

Game recap: The two teams traded baskets in the early going of the first quarter. Mid-way through the quarter the game was tied at 21. It all changed for the Warriors for the remainder of the first quarter.

The Celtics came unleashed and at the end of the first 12 minutes had gone on a 21-3 run and this game had taken a huge turn in favor of Boston. Stephen Curry who was able to start in the game came away empty in the opening quarter.

Boston took a 44-22 lead into the second quarter. Jaylen Brown erupted in the first quarter hitting three consecutive 3s to close out a great start for the Celtics. He scored 19 points in the opening quarter.

The second quarter was a rough one for the Warriors as Boston continued extend their lead. The Warriors were doing a poor job handling the pressure, the offense from outside and ball control committing eight turnovers while the Celtics had a single turnovers.

The Warriors were shooting at 33% while the red-hot Celtics were solid with 62%. This was as close to a perfect first half that Boston has possibly seen this season. At the half the Celtics had punished Golden State in every possible way; offensively, especially from downtown, as well as defensively.

After the first two quarters, Boston led by an astonishing score of 82-38 and if one is doing the math that is 44 points. This was a season high for Boston in Celtic history in the first half of any game.

Not a single Warrior had double digits in the first half. Curry only had four points for the quarter and the high for Golden State was Moses Moody with nine points. Boston won the second quarter 38-16.

The Celtics finished the half with 15 shots from outside to the Warriors 3. Jaylen Brown had the high for Boston with 25 points followed by Jason Tatum with 22. This was so far a good-old fashioned spanking that would be near to impossible to overcome and to compound it all it was happening on national TV.

Klay Thompson did not return for the remainder of the game with left hamstring tightness. it was a nightmare that continued into the third quarter. At 9:00 in the third quarter Boston took a 51 point lead 95-44.

Most of the Golden State starters did not take the court to start the quarter and it eventually became a bench game for both teams. Younger players on both benches were getting some invaluable experience at the expense of the Warriors.

Curry had four points, obviously not even close to 100% and Thompson had six points. Thankfully this is only one game and all eyes will be watching their Wednesday matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks and how they bounce back. Boston finished the third quarter leading 115-62.

The Warriors did win the fourth quarter 26-25 probably the only bright spot in this game. The final was 140-88. Lester Quinones had the high for Golden State with 17. The Warriors did not get their three’s going from the start and finished with seven to the Celtics 25.

Post game notes: Sunday afternoon the Warriors faced the ultimate challenge taking on the first place Eastern Conference Celtics at TD Garden. The Warriors came into this game off a win over the Toronto Raptors 120-105 Friday night. The Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks soundly despite a triple-double from Lucas Doncic 138-110.

Curry was questionable with right knee bursitis but did play and he had to be aggravated by his pain as he scored only four points. The Warriors would really needed him in this game and they needed him as healthy as possible. The Celtics are on a role and between Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum Golden State was challenged defensively.

Thankfully the Warriors travel home on what, more than likely, will be an extremely quiet flight. They have a few days off to digest this game and put it behind them as they prepare to take on the Milwaukee Bucks who are currently tied for second place in the Easter Conference, nine games behind the Celtics. They will not be a pushover in another battle between the east and the west. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT Wednesday night.

No Fox? No Problem As Kings Beat First Place Timberwolves In Overtime 124-120

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The Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk gets in front of the Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Townes (32) for a lay up in the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis Fri Mar 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings played what was probably one of their best games this year and they did it without De’Aaron Fox. They beat the number one Minnesota Timberwolves 124-120 in an overtime thriller. Malik Monk put on quite a show willing his team to the win with 39 points off the bench.

The Kings won the opening quarter 30-22 and the battle was on with Sacramento looking for a win against the number one team in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves fought back winning the second quarter 37-30 and at the half, the Kings were clinging to a one point lead 60-59. Going forward the clash between these two teams was just beginning and a crazy battle ensued.

Sacramento won the third quarter 31-23 and led in the game 91-82 but this game was hardly a done deal. The fourth quarter was a block-buster as the team traded the lead throughout the entire quarter.

Apparently 48 minutes was not enough to settle this game and when the clock expired at the end of the fourth quarter this game was tied at 115. Five more minutes of play would decide this game.

The overtime was a rough start for the Kings as Domantas Sabonis fouled out with just under four minutes left to play. This would be a huge challenge for Sacramento. This game turned into a crazy physical affair as the two teams battled from the field as well as from the line.

With under 2 1/2 minutes left on the clock this game remained tied 120-120. Monk was having the game of his life with 39 points giving the Kings a 123-120 lead with 52 seconds left in the overtime, less than a minute left in this game.

This game was certainly not one for the faint of heart. The Timberwolves were giving the Kings all sorts of opportunity with turnovers but Sacramento was not cashing in. With 7.4 left on the clock, the Kings were holding onto a 123-120 lead.

Trey Lyles got the biggest rebound of the game with seconds left in play. He was fouled, made one free throw and that was the game 124-120. For the second time this year the Kings came into Minnesota and beat the Timberwolves. Back in November, the Kings also beat the Timberwolves 124-111 on their home court.

This was an amazing win for the Kings closing out the game without Sabonis who fouled out in the overtime and their star player De’Aaron Fox. Talk about a gutsy performance for every Sacramento player on the floor tonight.

The hero in this game was Monk who finished with 39 points. Domantas Sabonis had another double double with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Keegan Murray finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds in this amazing effort.

Sacramento had their hands full trying to contain Rudy Gobert who had 16 rebounds and they did a solid job despite some questionable calls involving Gobert. If there was one down side in this game, it was misses at the line something that needs to be addressed moving forward. They have struggled with this issue all season and they have to correct this. Going forward it could mean all the difference in games.

“I had to get it going at some point. We did it big.,” said Monk after the game. “This was a staple win, this was a team effort. We got 23 games left and we had to come together”, he said. With this performance, Monk certainly made a great case for winning the sixth man award for this season. He was truly amazing.

Game notes: It has been a tough go for the Kings of late getting stomped big time Wednesday night losing to the Denver Nuggets 117-96. They lost to the Heat Monday night and have been dropping in the standings. Friday night they took on the first place Western Conference Timberwolves and got a four point win in Minnesota.

The Kings were really struggling right having to play without De’Aaron Fox is taking it’s toll. He will missed another game Friday night against the Timberwolves with a continued issue, a left knee contusion. The Kings Monk and Sabonis led the way for the win against the Wolves.

The Kings will be off this weekend, earning some desperately needed rest before taking the court after this road trip. Monday they will be back home in Sacramento. They will be facing off against the Chicago Bulls at Golden 1 Center with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings defeat first place Timberwolves at Target Center

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The Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (left) dishes off the basketball past Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (right) in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Wed Feb 28, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 After the Sacramento Kings defeated the Denver Nuggets in three previous meetings you had to wonder if the Kings would be able to pull it off a fourth time and doing it at Ball Arena in Denver would be a tall order. The Kings got beat by 11 points as the Nuggets prevented losing to them a fourth time.

#2 The Nuggets got scoring help from Jamal Murray who led with 32 points and Nikola Jokic followed up with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

#3 Jokic is rolling he scored his 19th triple double of the season and Murray hit 13 of 15 shots and made five out six 3 pointers.

#4 The Kings did their homework on the Nuggets in the previous three games including their win at Ball Arena on Feb 14th. This fourth game Murray and Jokic kept the Kings off balance all game long.

#5 The Kings turned things around on Friday night at Ball Arena in Denver when they shutdown the Western Conference first place Minnesota Timberwolves 124-120. The Kings Malik Monk led with 39 points and Domantas Sabonis followed up with 21 points. The Kings head back to Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento to host the Chicago Bulls on Mon Mar 4th for a 7:00pm PT tip.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com