Tag: NBA

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Warriors’ Thompson lights up Kings with 29 points in 119-97 win

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Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) defends against Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) during the first quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Fri Apr 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night at the Golden One Center. The Kings were coming off a day off on Thursday after they finished up back-to-back on Wednesday night. On Friday, the Kings didn’t have much to play for in the regular season.

The Kings had already secured the third seed in the Western Conference. On the other hand, the Warriors were fighting for the sixth seed in the standings to avoid a play-in-game scenario and move to a playoff series. On Friday, the Kings fell to the Warriors 119-97.

In the first quarter, the Kings played a terrible quarter. Granted, the Kings sat De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Kevin Huerter. However, the Kings didn’t put up much of a fight at all. In the first quarter, the Kings only scored 16 points against the Warriors defense.

In addition, the Kings couldn’t hit any of their shots. On the flip side, The Warriors offense started solid. The Warriors scored 32 points in the first quarter to jump to an early lead.

In the second quarter, the Kings showed significantly more effort. The Kings scored 32 points in the second quarter to make it a ballgame again. The Warriors could only score 21 points as the Kings defense stepped up. It was a positive sign for the Kings reserves, who did not play well in the first quarter.

The Kings got eight-point first-half performances from Harrison Barnes, Terence Davis, and Trey Lyles. Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors with 13 points in the first half. The Kings trailed 53-48 going into the second half.

In the third quarter, the Warriors started to pick up the pace again. The Kings were outscored in the third quarter 33-25. The Warriors offense began to fire on all cylinders after taking a break in the second quarter. The Kings offense couldn’t match the output from the Warriors. The Kings would go into the final quarter trailing 86-73.

The final quarter was much ado about nothing. The Kings and the third-string players could not match the output from the Warriors. The Warriors played their starters almost the entire game to ensure no opportunity slipped away from them.

At the end of the day, practically no starters played for the Kings, and the result was as expected. The Kings were outscored in the final quarter 33-24 as the Warriors would win. Klay Thompson led the way for the Warriors with 29 points. The Kings best performance came from Trey Lyles, who scored 15 points.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets in the final regular season game of the year on Sunday at 12 PST.

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors beat Kings in must win game 119-97

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23) strip the ball away from Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis, center, in the first quarter at Chase Center in Sacramento on Fri Apr 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Beat Kings In Must Win Game 119-97

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (43-38) traveled to Sacrament to take on the Kings (48-33) at Golden One Center. The Kings have absolutely nothing to play having already secured third place in the Western Conference. In contrast the Warriors were desperate to win this one.

The one thing that they want to avoid is the dreaded play-in game. This had been a real shoot-out in the wild wild Western Conference and the Warriors win this must win game 119-97.

The Warriors had everyone on board in the first quarter with the exception of Andrew Wiggins who we will not see in these final two games.

Golden State took early control of this game in the opening quarter leading after 12 minutes 32-16. The Warriors needed this game and they were sure playing like it. They had a great start and needed the same effort through three more quarters.

The Kings started to turn this game around in the second quarter outscoring the Warriors 32-21 but Golden State had the lead at the half 53-48. This game was becoming uncomfortably close heading into the third quarter.

The Warriors got back on track in the third quarter outscoring the Kings 33-25 taking a 86-73 lead with one more quarter to clock a win.

Golden State sent the memo loud and clear in the fourth quarter taking a 112-89 lead with under five minutes left in the game. They came to win and that’s just what they did tonight.

The Splash Brothers sure made a statement in this game scoring 54 points between them. Thompson had the high score with 29 points and Curry with 25. Kevon Looney continues his impressive defense with 16 rebounds.

Granted the Kings were shorthanded, but the Warriors did play a terrific game and need to take that up to Portland and into the playoffs.

On Easter Sunday the Warriors will finish up the 2022- 23 season up in Portland taking on the Trail Blazers. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:30 PM.

Oakland Falls to Undefeated Rays 9-5

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Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano (22) prepares to get tagged out at home plate by Tampa Bay Rays catcher Christian Bethancourt while trying to score on an RBI single by Jace Peterson during the second inning at the Tropicana Field in St Petersburg on Fri Apr 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Oakland Falls to Undefeated Rays 9-5

By Barbara Mason

Friday evening the Oakland A’s (2-5) took on the power house undefeated Tampa Bay Rays (7-0). The Rays come into this game after beating the Washington Nationals 7-2 while the A’s dropped one to the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 on Wednesday.

Neither team scored in the first inning but Oakland would score a run in the second inning. Jace Peterson hit a single to center driving Seth Brown home. Ramon Laureano was thrown out trying to score a second run. The Rays would have a very productive second inning driving in six runs. Harold Ramirez hit a solo home run but the fireworks began when Isaac Paredes hit a grand slam to extend the Tampa Bay lead to 6-1.

The A’s had a lot of work to do and single runs scored were not going to do it. They had one run in the third inning when Ryan Noda solo homered but the Rays would answer with a couple of solo home runs of their own. Both Manuel Margot and Christian Bethancourt knocked ball out of the park to extend their lead to 8-2.

Oakland got another run in the fifth inning when Aledmys Diaz ground rule doubled driving Esteury Ruiz home still trailing 8-3. The A’s would get another run in the seventh inning when Shea Langeliers knocked one out of the park for a 8-4 Oakland deficit.

The Rays Wander Franco would hit the fifth Tampa Bay homer in the eighth inning for the 9-5 win. The A’s got their final run of the game in the ninth inning when Kemp singled and Langliers scored.

It was the five home runs that killed the A’s in this game. They had more hits than the Rays with 12 to Tampa’s 10 but it was the long ball that mattered in this game. Oakland was able to get players on base in this game but just could not bring them home.

The A’s will meet the Rays in game two of this three game series Saturday. For the A’s Shintaro Fujinami (0-1 ERA 30.86) for the Rays Jeffery Springs (1-0 ERA 0.00) First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings close home season against Warriors tonight at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) makes a move to the basket in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Christian Wood (35) and guard Jaden Hardy (3) during the first half at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Wed Apr 5, 2023. Fox will not be in the line up for Friday’s game against Golden State. (AP News photo)

On the Sac Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (48-32) took on the Dallas Mavericks (38-42) at American Airlines Center. The Kings have secured their spot in the playoffs and are chasing 50 wins with a possibility of 51 wins when all is said and done heading into the playoffs.

#2 The Mavericks picked up the win against the Kings playing desperately to stay alive for a 123-119. While the main motivation for the Mavericks were to stay in for the post season chase they really leaned on Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and Tim Hardaway Jr for offensive help.

#3 Kyrie Irving scored 19 points in the final 12 minutes and willed his team to a 123-119 win keeping them alive although barely. The Kings were hoping to administer the last rites in Dallas but the Mavericks were on fire in the second half and refused to go away.

#4 The Kings did not have the fourth quarter magic that we have seen so often this season. Fox finished with the high score shooting for 28 points. Every starter finished with double digits and Sabonis had yet another triple double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

#5 Friday night the Kings will be back home taking on the Golden State Warriors at Golden One Center. This will be yet another team that is fighting for position in the playoffs. The Warriors do not want to have to end up in a play in game and so this is a critical game for them. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

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

Dallas Beats Kings in Final Minutes 123-119 To Stay Alive For Playoff Berth

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Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas at American Airlines Arena on Wed Apr 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (48-32) took on the Dallas Mavericks (38-42) at American Airlines Center. The Kings have secured their spot in the playoffs and are chasing 50 wins with a possibility of 51 wins when all is said and done heading into the playoffs. The Mavericks picked up the win against the Kings playing desperately to stay alive for a 123-119.

The Mavericks have a distinctly different future. The Mavericks are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and will be fighting for a play in spot. Dallas does not have any injured players and the Kings are very close to full strength. Bench player Matthew Dellavedova underwent surgery to repair a fractured index finger. There is no timetable right now for him. Two teams with vastly different agendas.

The two teams battled throughout the first quarter. After the first 12 minutes the Mavericks had a slim lead 28-27. Keegan Murray had a quiet opening quarter but he really began to heat up in the second quarter. He had eleven points at the half with two triples.

The teams two power houses De’Aaron Fox and Luca Doncic both finished the half with 17 points. Domantas Sabonis had a terrific first half with seven rebounds, eight assists and 14 points. The Kings outscored the Mavericks in the second quarter 44-32. They led at the half 71-60 with a lot of ball still to play.

After an amazing game against the Hawks on Sunday Kyrie Irving had a quiet first half in this game with 6 points. It was a far cry from the 41 points he scored against the Hawks Sunday but it was only one half of basketball.

The Mavericks came roaring back in the third quarter outscoring the Kings 32-21 taking the lead mid-way through the quarter. The teams traded the lead in the final minutes of the quarter. The game was tied at 92 after three.

Kyrie Irving got hot in the second half and with 6:09 left in the game had shot for 24 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. also had 24 points and Luca Doncic does what he typically does and that is control the game shooting for 29 points. Dallas was fighting for their playoff lives and they were playing like it.

Kyrie Irving scored 19 points in the final twelve minutes and willed his team to a 123-119 win keeping them alive although barely. The Kings were hoping to administer the last rites in Dallas but the Mavericks were on fire in the second half and refused to go away.

The Kings did not have the fourth quarter magic that we have seen so often this season. Fox finished with the high score shooting for 28 points. Every starter finished with double digits and Sabonis had yet another triple double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Friday night the Kings will be back home taking on the Golden State Warriors at Golden One Center. This will be yet another team that is fighting for position in the playoffs. The Warriors do not want to have to end up in a play in game and so this is a critical game for them. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

Dallas Beats Kings in Final Minutes To Stay Alive For Playoff Berth

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Kuminga and Lamb make up difference for injured Thompson

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) and guard Moses Moody during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors did not have Klay Thompson available Tuesday night. Thompson was a late scratch due to tightness in his lower back. Steve Kerr had Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb in the starting lineup and that made the difference for the missing Thompson in the Warriors 136-125 win.

#2 The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry paced the offense with 34 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and Curry made six threes. Poole had 30 points, two rebounds, and four assists, and Poole made five threes. Green had quite a night.

#3 Andrew Wiggins won’t return on the floor soon coach Kerr said that Wiggins will get into practice shape and he’ll most likely be saved for the post season to avoid injuries during the closing days of the regular season.

#4 The Warriors have two games left in the regular season. Both games are on the road. The Warriors meet the Sacramento Kings Friday night in Sacramento for a 7:00 pm PDT tip. 

Join David Zizmor for the Warriors podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warrior thriller shuts down OKC offense in second half win 136-125

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, top left, reaches for the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) and guard Moses Moody, bottom, during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (42-38) played their final home game of the regular season Tuesday night at the Chase Center. Their opponent were the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-42).

OKC beat the Warriors in Oklahoma City the last time the teams played. The young Thunder players love to drive to the rim and get opportunities to make three-point plays.

The Warriors did not have Klay Thompson available Tuesday night. Thompson was a late scratch due to tightness in his lower back. Steve Kerr had Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb in the starting lineup and that made the difference for the missing Thompson in the Warriors 136-125 win.

The game turned out to be a high-scoring affair. The Thunder shot a blistering 59.6% from the floor in the first half. The Thunder won the first quarter 39-36. The Thunder scored 40 points in the second period. The Warriors scored 33 in the period but found themselves down 79-69 at the end of two periods of play.

Curry led the Warriors with 24. No other Warrior was in double figures. The Thunder had four players in double figures. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21. Jalen Williams had 14, Isaiah Joe 14, and Lu Dort added 11. 

The Warriors have had several comebacks from double-digit deficits this season. The Warriors would need better defense if they hoped to win. The Warriors needed Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Draymond Green, and Moses Moody to get going on offense. All those players came through for golden state.

The Warriors won the third quarter 33-27 to cut the deficit to four, 106-102 at the end of the third period. Stephen Curry started the fourth quarter on the bench. Poole met the challenge by making a three to tie the game 108-108. Poole made another bucket to make 110-108.

The Thunder made a three to regain the lead 111-110. Poole made a three and a two-point basket to give the Warriors the advantage 115-113. The Thunder tied the game at 115-115. Curry entered the game and made a three. The Warriors led 118-115. The Thunder didn’t know it then, but they were toast.

The Warriors defense stiffened as they held the Thunder to 19 points in the fourth quarter. The Warriors scored 33. Green, Gary Payton II, and Kevon Looney played well on defense. Curry and Poole led the comeback to give the Warriors the win.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 42-38. The Warriors are 33-8 at the Chase Center this year. The Warriors are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference. They will drop to sixth as the winner of the Clipper-Laker game will take the fifth spot. The Thunder lost their third in a row and fourth in the last five. The Thunder are now 38-42.

In the second half, the Warrior defense held the Thunder to 39% from the floor. The Warriors won the second half 67-46. 

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry paced the offense with 34 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and Curry made six threes. Poole had 30 points, two rebounds, and four assists, and Poole made five threes. Green had quite a night.

Green had 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, blocked two shots, and made two steals. DiVincenzo kicked in with 16 points, six boards, and five assists. DiVincezo made four threes. Moody added 13 points. Moody made three threes. Looney recorded 11 boards.

Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder attack with 32 points. Jalen William had 19, Josh Giddey 16, Aaron Wiggins 11, and Isiaah Joe 14.

The Warriors have two games left in the regular season. Both games are on the road. The Warriors meet the Sacramento Kings Friday night in Sacramento for a 7:00 pm PDT tip. 

Kings handle Pelican defense 121-103

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Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the first half at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Tue Apr 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kings Handle Pelican Defense 121-103

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (48-31) took on the New Orleans Pelicans (40-39) Tuesday night at Smoothie King Center in the “Big Easy”. The Kings have already secured their spot in the playoffs so now it’s all about preparing for mid-April and remaining healthy.

The Kings have had an amazingly injury-free season which accounts, in part, to much of their success. All the credit goes to the training staff that is onboard in Sacramento. Case in point the Kings offense lit up the Pelicans for a 121-103, 18 point win.

The Kings got a slow start in the opening quarter and the Pelicans Brandon Ingram tore up the court in the first quarter scoring 14 points. The Kings may have started poorly but they came on strong in the later minutes of the quarter outscoring the Pelicans 25-22.

Sacramento got fully on board in the second quarter outscoring New Orleans 40-32 and led at the half 65-54. The Kings had successfully taken Ingram out of the game after his hot start.

Sacramento maintained a double digit lead throughout the third quarter. Keegan Murray continued his amazing play shooting 7 of 9 from downtown. After three quarters the Kings had extended their lead to 96-80.

With 3:01 left in the fourth quarter the Kings had a 116-95 lead. They had handled one of the best defenses in the NBA. The Kings clinched the Pacific Division title in yet another milestone in this 2022-’23 season.

Every starter in this game had double digits with De’Aaron Fox leading the pack shooting 23 points. Malik Monk was back in action and finished with 17 points.

This season not only Keegan Murray but also Kevin Huerter were on the most 3-Pt field goals in a season list. In 2022-’23 Murray shot 201 and Huerter was right behind him with 200. Just another measure of the success that the Kings have had this season.

Wednesday night the Kings travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks looking for win #49. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Wiggins back in Bay girlfriend instagrams he’ll be back soon

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Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins girlfriend Mychal Johnson instagrammed that Wiggins will be back soon. Head coach Steve Kerr has shutdown all rumors that Wiggins will be out for the rest of the season. There has been talk Wiggins could be back for the post season. (photo from clutchpoints.com)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Barbara, the Golden State Warriors came out of the gates in the first quarter with a ten point lead 36-26 and held the Denver Nuggets in check to start off the game.

#2 The Warriors continued on the same path in the second quarter and two minutes into the quarter led 44-31. The Warriors led by as much as 15 points in the quarter but at 2:44 the Nuggets had trimmed the Golden State lead to five 56-51. 

#3 The best two-point shooting team in the league started to show their muscle in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets took a 105-96 lead with 5:40 left in the game and came out a two point winner in the end.

#4 Andrew Wiggins whose been out of action is reportedly back in the Bay Area and his girlfriend Mychal Johnson says Wiggins will be back soon. Wiggins has been out due to a mysterious and undisclosed reason. Rumors had Wiggins not returning for the rest of the season but Mychal’s communique sounds like Wiggins is about to make an appearance.

#5 Tuesday night the Warriors will be back home at Chase taking on the OKC Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled 7:00 PM. How do you see this match up?

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

Warriors Unable to Finish Against Western Conference Leader Denver 112-110 

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The Denver Nuggets Jeff Green (32) and the Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga (00) jump for the basketball at Ball Arena in Denver on Sun Apr 2, 2023 (@warriors photo)

     By Barbara Mason

Sunday evening the Golden State Warriors (41-38) took on the Denver Nuggets (52-26) at Ball Arena. The Nuggets sit on top of the Western Conference and the Warriors could not bring their A-game against the Nuggets in a road game in Denver losing 112-110.

The Warriors have struggled mightily on the road this season and couldn’t find a way to handle this game. Nikola Jokic did not play in this game out with a calf issue missing a third game.

The Warriors handled the first quarter very well leading after the first twelve minutes 36-26. Golden State had a solid start, they were attacking the basket and put out some very good defense. The Warriors have won their last two road games and were looking to make it three. If the first 12 minutes were any indication, the Warriors play in this game was very promising.

The Warriors continued on the same path in the second quarter and two minutes into the quarter led 44-31. The Warriors led by as much as fifteen points in the quarter but at 2:44 the Nuggets had trimmed the Golden State lead to five 56-51. Denver had been cold from beyond the arc but started to heat up as the first half came to an end. The Warriors had the lead at the half 61-58 but the Nuggets owned the later part of the second quarter.

Golden State started adding to their lead in the third quarter 71-63 only to see it dissolve at 7:21. Denver tied up the game 71-71. For the first time since the start of the game the Nuggets took the lead 73-71. Both teams were having a miserable night shooting three’s. Denver was seven of 27 and the Warriors were 7 of 30. After the first three quarters the Nuggets ha a 89-87 lead. This game was still up for grabs.

The best two-point shooting team in the league started to show their muscle in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets took a 105-96 lead with 5:40 left in the game. Denver was in control outplaying the Warriors in the second half and leading 109-98 with under four minutes left in the game. This was the Nuggets largest lead of the game and they showed no signs of slowing down. The Nuggets got a two point win.

The bottom line is that the Warriors just didn’t shoot well enough to win this game. Stephen Curry finished with 21 points but was two of 13 from downtown. Off the bench Jordan Poole had 17 points. The Warriors were able to hang in this game for three quarters but fell short in the fourth quarter unable to finish. The promise that the Warriors showed in the first half vanished in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line.

The Warriors did make a valiant effort in the final two minutes of this game. The Nuggets had an 11 point lead 112-101 but Golden State pulled to within two points. Klay Thompson had a great look with 4.1 left on the clock to win the game. He missed and the Warriors came up a bucket short. It was a wild finish and Golden State fought hard to the very end.

Tuesday night the Warriors will be back home at Chase taking on the OKC Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled 7:00 PM.