Tag: NBA

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Durant says his number 35 should be retired; How big of a mistake was it to let Durant get away?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant says his No. 35 jersey should be retired and hoisted in the rafters at Chase Center after what he did for the team in his short three years in San Francisco. (SF Gate file photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob said that no other player will ever wear No.35 again after Kevin Durant left Golden State for the New Jersey Nets in Nov 2019.

#2 Durant agreed with Lacob and said his No.35 should be retired. Durant was part of the Warriors for three seasons but was the key player on the team during those seasons and was part of back to back World Championships for Golden State.

#3 You might remember the bench argument between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. The argument went from the bench and spilled over into the locker room back on Nov 18, 2018. Green yelled at Durant to sign his contract or get off the team on the Warriors bench. Durant’s contract was going to expire after the 2018-19 season. Some fans at the time thought that should be the last straw for Green and the Warriors should have traded him for such a high profile outburst and at Durant the team’s star player. It was Durant who later left for New Jersey.

#4 Durant had 18 points for the Phoenix Suns against his old Golden State teammates Tuesday night at Chase Center in San Francisco. Durant played a key part in the Suns 108-104 defeat over the Warriors.

#5 Jerry, it’s Mike Brown and the Sacramento Kings hosting the Warriors at Golden 1 Credit Union Arena in Sacramento on Fri Oct 27th. The Kings battled Golden State last season in the playoffs but were eliminated by Golden State. How do you see these two teams on Tuesday night matching up?

Join Jerry for the Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: 49ers Purdy out of action against Bengals; Why Dusty Baker retired after game 7; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Down goes Purdy: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is caught from behind for a sack by the Minnesota Vikings Danielle Hunter linebacker (99) on Mon Oct 24, 2023 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports Jessica Kwong:

#1 After last Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings it was learned that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be out this Sunday on concussion protocols.

#2 Another fun fact concerning the 49ers is when they are down by five points or more in the fourth quarter they are 0-29 under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Was winning the first five games to start the season an aberration?

#3 Turning to baseball and the World Series the Houston Astros were mighty disappointed and the last game 7 in the ALCS turned out to be Astros manager Dusty Baker’s last game of his baseball career. He announced his retirement after the game calling the 162 season plus post season a grind.

#4 There is joy in Mudville today as the San Francisco Giants have signed former San Diego Padres and Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin. Melvin had caught before as a player for the Giants and managed for the Padres where last season became a toxic working relationship between the Pads GM AJ Preller and Melvin.

#5 Jessica, lastly the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics are favorites to win the NBA Championship according to sportsbooks around the country. The Celtics got some key help signing guard Jrue Holiday and the Milwaukee Bucks got Damian Lillard from the Portland Trailblazers. With Lillard now pairing up with power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Join Jessica for Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings defeat Jazz 130-114 in Salt Lake City

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Mary Anne

The Sacramento Kings took on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The Kings defeated the Jazz 130-114 at Delta Center. Sacramento improved to 1-0, while Utah fell to 1-0 to open the 2023-24 NBA season.

Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 33 points and four rebounds and was 11-for-16 from the field goal line. Domantas Sabonis recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points and six assists. Mailk Monk added ten points and seven assists.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis. Fox got his first bucket of the season early in the first quarter. In addition, Sabonis capitalized on a three-pointer opportunity in the first. The Kings ended the first on a 12-4 run and led 32-24 over the Jazz.

The Kings continued to succeed in the second quarter. Chris Duarte made his first regular season bucket, Harrison Barnes poured in the points, and Sacramento went back-to-back from three-point land.

The Kings led the Jazz 72-58 at the end of the first half. Harrison Barnes had 27 points and four rebounds and 10-for-11 from the field goal line and 5-for-5 from the three-point line — the most points in a first half in the opening game of the season by a Kings player since the 1996-97 NBA season, passing Kevin Martin, who had 24 at the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28, 2009.

The Kings reached the 100-point plateau in the third quarter. Malik Monk’s noteworthy dunk helped the Kings to a 20-point lead, 102-82, with 40 seconds left in the third. The Kings led the Jazz 105-87 after three quarters.

The Kings maintained composure in the fourth quarter. Domantas Sabonis waited patiently around three Jazz defenders to shoot his shot, which hit the rim, late in the fourth. The Kings beat the Jazz 130-114.

Notes
Kings’ injury update
Chris Duarte (left knee) is available, while Trey Lyles (left calf strain) and Jalen Slawson (illness) are out.

Up Next
The Kings will return home to host the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.

Phoenix Suns start season with win over Warriors 108-104 in SF

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) takes the ball up the floor against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Oct 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors hosted the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center Tuesday night to open the 2023-2024 season. The Warriors lost their home opener by four points to the Suns 108-104. Both teams remade their roster over the off-season. The Suns acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards and Jusef Nurkic from the Portland Trailblazers.

Former Warrior Kevin Durant came over to the Suns late last year in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. The Warriors traded away Jordan Poole in a trade for the veteran point guard Chris Paul. The Warriors added Dario Saric and Corey Joseph.

Each team was missing a key player. The Warriors Draymond Green did not play due to an ankle injury, and the Suns’ Bradley Beal was out due to an injury. 

Each team wanted to open the season with a win. Like the Warriors, the Suns were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs last season. The opener could be a preview of the teams meeting later in the playoffs. Round one went to the Suns as they could grind out a win.

The Suns grabbed an early advantage in the first period. The Suns led 24-12 when the Warriors went on a 16-3 run. The teams ended up tied 28-28 after the first 12 minutes. The Suns dominated the second period. They outscored the Warriors by 15 points to finish the first half leading 61-46. The Warriors continued their bad habit of committing too many fouls.

The Suns had 15 shots from the free-throw line and made 12. The Suns shot 49% from the floor, the Warriors 31%. It looked like it might be a long night for the Warriors.

Things changed in the third quarter. The Warriors outscored the Suns 40-19 to finish the quarter leading 86-80. In the quarter, the Suns sent the Warriors to the free-throw line. Phoenix continued to turn the ball over, and the Warriors put points on the board due to their miscues.

The Warriors handled the ball better for the first three periods. However, teams have to play 48 minutes of basketball. Teams have no trouble overcoming a six-point deficit with 12 minutes to play. Jonathan Kuninga opened the fourth quarter with a bucket to up the lead to 88-80.

The Suns answered with an 11-0 run to lead 91-88. Neither team would wilt. Phoenix led by four 103-99 until guard Stephen Curry connected on a three to make it a two-point deficit. Phoenix connected on a three, but Curry’s three made it 106-104.

30 seconds remained to play. Phoenix worked the clock and scored with ten seconds left. The Warriors needed a four-point play. They were hoping to get the ball to Curry for the final shot. The Suns did not let that happen. Phoenix wins the opener 108-104.

Game Notes: Steve Kerr was disappointed with the Warriors loss. There were some bright spots for Golden State. Chris Paul scored 14 points, had six rebounds, and nine assists. Kuminga scored 12 points and had six rebounds. The one negative was Kuminga’s five fouls. Curry had 27 points.

Curry made four threes in 14 tries. Curry also committed five fouls and had to sit longer on the bench. Dario Saric scored seven, had seven rebounds, and played well on defense. Klay Thompson made three threes in 11 tries. 

The Warriors, unfortunately for them, turned the ball over five times in the fourth quarter. The Warriors defense had 11 steals and blocked six shots. 

The Suns had five players in double-figures. Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points. Kevin Durant had a double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds. Jusef Nurkic had 14 points and 14 boards. Eric Gordon had ten points. Gordon made a key three late in the fourth quarter. Josh Okogie was the third Sun player with a double-double. The Warriors had no answer for Okogie. Okogie knocked down 17 points and had 15 rebounds. 

The Warriors start a three-game road trip with a game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at the Golden One Arena. The game will start at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: In they’re mid 30s can Warrior veterans make a run at the Finals this season?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green (23) seen here in a scuffle with the Boston Celtics is questionable for opening night against the Phoenix Suns on Tue Oct 24, 2023 at Chase Center in San Francisco. At 33 will age play a factor with injuries for Green and other Warrior 30 somethings? (New York Times file photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, had players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney exceed 20 minutes of playing time in their last pre season game against San Antonio.

#2 Kerr did not want any of those guys to get hurt. Draymond Green did not play due to an ankle injury.

#3  In the third quarter, Kerr had his starting five sit on the bench. Kerr wanted to see how Kuminga, Moses Moody, Dario Saric, and Corey Joseph would perform. 

#4 The other question for the Warriors is the age of their key player. Paul is 38, Curry is 35, and Green and Thompson are 33. Will they go through the grueling 82-game NBA season without injury?

#5 The regular season starts on Tuesday, October 24th. The Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant will be at the Chase Center for the first time since his Achilles heel injury in 2019.

Join Barbara for the Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors lose final preseason game to Spurs 122-117 at Chase Center

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left) and San Antonio Spurs head coach George Popovich (right) converse on the floor of Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Oct 20, 2023 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played their final pre-season game Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs at the Chase Center. The Warriors lost for the first time by a score of 122-117.

The Spurs were led by their first-round pick, Victor Wembanyama. Webanyama is seven feet, four inches tall. He is 19 years old and appears to be a skilled offensive threat and a defensive force. Victor played 20 minutes and tallied 19 points, four rebounds, and an assist. He also blocked four shots. Victor will help get the Spurs back into the playoffs this year.

The Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, had players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney exceed 20 minutes of playing time. Kerr did not want any of those guys to get hurt. Draymond Green did not play due to an ankle injury.

The Spurs ran the Warriors off the court in the first period. Wemanyama dominated play in the first seven minutes of the game. Victor scored 12 points in seven minutes and blocked three shots. The Warriors had trouble shooting over Wembanyama as he has a tremendous height advantage. The Spurs led 44-35 after the first 12 minutes, and Kerr had to be concerned about the Warriors lack of defense.

The Warriors held the Spurs to 28 points in the second quarter. They couldn’t cut the deficit as they also scored 28. Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 12 points in the first half. Dario Saris and Curry each had 11.

In the third quarter, Kerr had his starting five sit on the bench. Kerr wanted to see how Kuminga, Moses Moody, Dario Saric, and Corey Joseph would perform. The Spurs’ head coach, Greg Popovich, had his second unit on the floor, too. The Spurs increased the lead to 87-71. The Warriors tried to come back, but the Spurs seemed to have the answer to stop the Warriors challenge. The Warriors did close the gap and finished the third quarter trailing 98-91.

Moody got hot in the fourth quarter. Moody kept making three-point shots. Saric and Kuminga played well as the Warriors got within three points of tying the game. They trailed 120-117. The Spurs held onto win.

Game Notes- The takeaways from the game for Golden State is this: The second unit will be better than last year’s version. Kerr had to be impressed with the plays of Kuminga, Moody, and Saric. It will be interesting to see if Chris Paul will be the leader of the second unit.

The other question for the Warriors is the age of their key player. Paul is 38, Curry is 35, and Green and Thompson are 33. Will they go through the grueling 82-game NBA season without injury? Let’s hope the younger players on the team can pick up the slack if any of the stars are hurt.

The Spurs will be much better with Wembanyama. The young man from France appears to be a future superstar. The one concern will be his ability to be a force against NBA players with bigger frames. Will he handle Anthony Davis, LeBron James, or Nikola Jokic? He has a slight frame. He does weigh 220 pounds, but that is spread over seven feet, four inches. Will he have the stamina to play 36 to 42 minutes in a game? Those questions will be answered soon when the regular season starts.

The regular season starts on Tuesday, October 24th. The Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant will be at the Chase Center for the first time since his Achilles heel injury in 2019. The Suns will also have Bradley Beal in the starting lineup.

The game will start at 7 p.m.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings open season in Utah Wednesday night against Jazz

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings rookie Colby Jones (20) scored 19 against the Utah Jazz at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Thu Oct 18, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Jeremiah, in last night’s final pre season game against the Utah Jazz the Sacramento Kings had a sloppy first quarter. They were missing pivots, the defense wasn’t effective, and they were grateful to Malik Monk who scored seven points in the quarter.

#2 In the second quarter of the game the Kings held onto the ball and made better decisions on passing the ball. The Kings picked up 27 points to the Jazz’ 23. The Kings JaVale McGee led with 12 points to the Jazz’ Colin Sexton who had 14 points.

#3 The Kings in the third quarter went back to playing sloppy basketball, they got out of sink and regrouped later in the quarter by scoring 25 points but let down on defense as the Jazz came away with 36 points.

#4 The Kings in the fourth quarter had to make a comeback and later traded baskets to keep pace with the Jazz. If it weren’t for Monk leading with 23 points total for the game and the Kings scoring 37 points for the fourth quarter. it would have been difficult to stay ahead of the Jazz. The Kings win the final exhibition game 116-113.

#5 Kings face the Jazz again, this time in Utah for opening night Wed Oct 25th for a 6:00pm PT tip. How ready to do you see the Kings going into opening night?

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

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Monk leads with 23 pts in 116-113 win over Jazz; Sac picks up first pre season win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings small forward Kessler Edwards (17) throws down against the Utah Jazz at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Thu Oct 19, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action for their final preseason tune-up on Thursday night in Sacramento. The Kings preseason hadn’t gone so smoothly as of Thursday. The Kings entered the matchup having gone 0-4 in the preseason after facing the Raptors, Lakers, and the Warriors twice.

On Thursday, the Kings welcomed in the Utah Jazz at Golden One Center for the 7 PM PST matchup. It’s worth noting that the Kings will face the Jazz in their first regular season game next week. In the final preseason game of 2023 the Kings defeated the Jazz 116-113.

In the first quarter, the game was unwatchably sloppy. The Kings were throwing the ball around, missing cuts, losing defensive assignments, and playing careless basketball. The Kings scored 27 points in the quarter, partly thanks to Malik Monk scoring seven points. The Jazz scored 26 points in the first quarter, with Collin Sexton scoring seven. The Kings would look to clean things up before halftime. 

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. The pace and urgency on offense were much better for the Kings. The Kings held onto the ball and made better decisions on passing front. The Kings scored 27 points in the second quarter, the same as in the first.

Conversely, the Jazz scored 23 points in the second quarter. The Kings would go into halftime with the lead 54-49. The leading scorer for the Kings in the first half was JaVale McGee, who scored 12 points. The Jazz’s leading scorer in the first half was Collin Sexton, who had 14 points. 

In the third quarter, the Kings really struggled. The offense for the Kings couldn’t find much of any rhythm, on top of that the Kings reverted to their sloppy ways as in the first quarter. However, the Kings did show some late life in the quarter. Overall, the Kings scored 25 points in the quarter. The caveat is that the Jazz put up 36 points in the quarter to build an 85-79 lead going into the final quarter.  

In the fourth quarter, the Kings returned to take the lead, but it would be short-lived. The game would come down to trading buckets down the stretch. However, the Kings would manage to score 37 points in the quarter compared to only 28 for the Jazz.

The Kings would win the game 116-113. It was the first win for the Kings in preseason and it had to feel good for the team. While preseason is mostly just for getting back into rhythm and playing with new teammates, you like to get a few wins under your belt going into the season.

The Kings were led in scoring by Monk who had 23 points in the game. The Jazz’s best performance came from Talen Horten-Tucker who had 26 points.  

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Utah to open the season against the Jazz on October 25th at 6 PM PST. 

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Green out for remaining pre season game; Questionable for opener

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green seen here at a playoff presser on Sat Apr 22, 2023. Green will be out with an ankle injury until at least opening night on Tue Oct 24, 2023 against the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center in San Francisco according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (AP file photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green will be out for the rest of the pre season as he tries to recover from a lateral ankle sprain. Jerry knowing you’ve had patients who you’ve seen with this injury during your pharmacy days how long does an injury like this take to recover from?

#2 Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Green may not even make it for opening night Tue Oct 24th vs. the Phoenix Suns.

#3 For this week Green has been given the okay by the Warriors medical team to begin light workouts, shooting drills, the Warriors say that Green will not be able to scrimmage and practice with the team yet.

#4 How much does Green’s injury play into his age at 33 and his recovery. Green like all players in the NBA eventually age and there comes a time when it could be the end of the road. In your opinion has Green reached that stage of his career.

#5 Kerr said using caution will not put Green in a five on five situation until he evaluates Green from his light workouts and shooting drills and see how the ankle does in those practices.

Jerry Fetielberg is a Golden State Warriors beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings report: Kings lose to Warriors 116-115 in preseason thriller

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Mary Anne

The Sacramento Kings took on the Golden Warriors in the second game of the home-and-home preseason series. The Kings lost to the Warriors 116-115 at Chase Center on Wednesday night. Sacramento fell to 0-4, while Golden State improved to 4-0 and remained undefeated.

De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 25 points and seven rebounds. Keegan Murray scored 24 points and eight rebounds. Davion Mitchell added 14 points.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Andre Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis. Murray hit a fast three-pointer to help the Kings get on the board first, and Murray led all scorers early on, shooting 3-5 from the field, in the first quarter. The Kings merely led 23-22 at the end of the first.

The Kings continued to pour in the points in the second quarter, but the Warriors hit quite a few three-pointers, such as Andrew Wiggins’ three-pointer, to avoid falling behind by double-digits. The Kings carried a 56-49 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

The Warriors initially trailed by more than a dozen, but they picked up the pace and made it a four-point game, 68-64, with 6:08 left in the third quarter before a TV timeout. The Kings, however, made it rain with three-pointers, including Keegan Murray’s three-pointer. The Kings led 91-76 after three quarters.

Kings rookies Malik Monk and Colby Jones showed some range in the fourth quarter. Warriors veteran point guard Chris Paul hit a three-pointer late in the fourth. The game went down to the wire. Warriors star Stephen Curry hit a late three-pointer to make it a two-point game, 115-113, but Warriors power forward Dario Šarić missed a pair of free throws. The Kings’ challenge was tossed out, and the Warriors had the ball for the remaining 10.7 seconds. The Warriors sealed the scoring with a three-pointer for a 116-115 win.

Notes
Kings shooting guard Chris Duarte was out with a left knee injury.

Kings rookie Malik Monk recently talked about his fashion choices in a new episode of the show “NBA Style” on the NBA App. Watch Monk’s recent appearance here.

The Kings will hold their NBA 2K24 3v3 Tournament at Fan Fest on Saturday, October 21. Sign up here.

Up Next
The Kings will return home to host the Utah Jazz on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.