Kings Huerter leads with 25, Sabonis gets triple double in 123-108 win over Pelicans

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) is defended by New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

Sacramento Kings (38-26) Kevin Huerter scores 25 points to lead the Kings with Domantas Sabonis scoring a triple double which was his eighth triple double of the 2022-23 season. It was another home victory for the Kings defeating the visiting New Orleans Pelicans (31-34) 123-108 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Sabonis’ contribution paid off big in the scoring department helping out Huerter’s effort. Sabonis scored 19 and had 11 rebounds, 11 assists. Sabonis is the NBA leader with 52 double doubles. The Kings have now won six of their last seven games since All Star weekend back on Sun Feb 19th.

The Kings have been playing amazing ball and picking up wins that have now placed them in second seeding in the NBA Western Conference just behind the first seeded Memphis Grizzlies by a half game. Kings Keegan Murray hopes Sacramento can keep up the pace hoping they can get the home floor advantage through the post season.

Murray mentioned that the Kings have some tough stretches coming up facing teams like the New York Knicks this Thursday at Golden 1, then hit the road to face Phoenix Suns Sat Mar 11, then back in Sacramento on Mon Mar 13 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

“We want to play our first (playoff) game at home,” Murray said. “It’s not easy, we know we have a lot of tough stretches coming up. We know we have to be locked in every single night.” The third quarter was key as the Kings out scored the Pelicans by a 18 point margin 38-20 that pretty much clinched it for Sacramento. A great offensive third quarter performance considering the game was all tied up at 59 each at the half.

The Knicks have been on a roll winning nine of their last ten games and have won nine straight games defeating the Boston Celtics in their last game on 131-129 in overtime on Sunday at TD Garden in Boston. The Knicks are in fifth place in the NBA Eastern Conference. The win for the Kings is their seventh in ten games. The tip with the Knicks and Kings is at 7:00p this coming Thursday night at Golden 1.

Reimer, Sharks Ground Jets with 3-2 OT Win

San Jose Sharks celebrate a victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg on Mon Mar 6, 2023 (Canadian Press via AP News photo)

By Matthew Harrington

James Reimer and the San Jose Sharks stole victory from the jaws of defeat Monday night in Winnipeg, beating the Jets 3-2 in overtime. Reimer made 36 saves, Tomas Hertl scored to tie the game with five seconds left and Logan Couture potted the game winner in OT for the win.

Nino Niederreiter and Nate Schmidt scored for the Jets (36-25-3) who have now lost eight of their last ten. Nikolai Knyzhov made his season debut for the Sharks (19-33-12), making his first regular season appearance since May 12th, 2021. He played 14:19 with one hit, one block and one penalty.

The Sharks held a 1-0 lead despite being outshot 14-7 after the first period thanks to a Steven Lorentz goal with 5:47 left in the period. David Rittich failed to put his glove on a loose puck that Lorentz scooped up for a backhand amongst of sea of bodies. Oskar Lindblom and Levin Labanc picked up the assists.

Niederreiter tied the game 6:05 into the second on a wrist shot, beating Reimer for the first time on the Jets 19th shot of the game for his 200th career goal and 19th of the season. Schmidt scored with 5:07 left in regulation and the Jets seemed on their way to victory.

The Sharks pulled Reimer trailing 2-1 and were rewarded for the risk. Erik Karlsson’s point slapper was blocked by Blake Wheeler but the shot richocheted perfectly to Hertl just wide of the slot. Hertl rifled a shot past Rittich with 11 seconds left in regulation, his 17th goal of the year forcing overtime.

Couture picked up his second point of the night on the game winner, with Karlsson springing him on a breakaway after picking up a rebound in the Sharks end for a second assist of the night. Couture’s 22nd of the year went backhand through Rittich’s five hole 1:21 into overtime.

After beating the Jets, third in the Central Division standings, the Sharks face another tough task Tuesday night. They face the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Mile High City.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors struggles continue road record at 7-24; Morant won’t face Warriors on Thursday

Look whose back this was Stephen Curry’s first return since his leg injury after missing 11 games. Here is Curry against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Sun Mar 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Warriors had a terrific home stand and tested their road legs after struggling defensively all season on the road. Sunday’s performance didn’t enhance their road record dropping the contest to the Lakers 113-105.

#2 Golden State will welcomed Stephen Curry back while still awaiting the return of Andrew Wiggins. The Lakers were without LeBron James who suffered a right foot tendon injury February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks and will more than likely be lost to the team for much of this month.

#3 The final quarter of this game was tight and was tied with 5:16 left in regulation 91-91. Golden State had some opportunities but suffered far too many empty possessions which was making a huge difference in this game. 

#4 The crazy road losses continue and this team needs to figure this out with a lot of games coming up away from Chase and time running out on the season.

#5 Tuesday night the Warriors will take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM. Another road game do you find it that the Warriors can struggle in OKC too?

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

Warriors Road Woes Continue Losing To Lakers 113-105

Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, bottom, is defended by Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Mar 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Road Woes Continue Losing To Lakers 113-105

By Barbara Mason

Coming off a five-game winning streak, the Golden State Warriors (34-30) took on the Los Angeles Lakers (30-34) at crypto.com Arena. The Warriors had a terrific home stand and tested their road legs after struggling defensively all season on the road. Sunday’s performance didn’t enhance their road record dropping the contest to the Lakers 113-105.

Golden State welcomed Stephen Curry back while still awaiting the return of Andrew Wiggins. The Lakers were without LeBron James who suffered a right foot tendon injury February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks and will more than likely be lost to the team for much of this month.

The first quarter was all Lakers and next to nothing for the Warriors. The Lakers Anthony Davis had a terrific start in this game with 19 points. The Warriors offense was struggling with the only points from the starting five coming from Klay Thompson with nine and off the bench Jonathan Kuminga and JaMychal Green with eight points collectively. The Warriors had four turnovers in the quarter, three of them from traveling. The Lakers led 33-18 after the first 12 minutes crushing Golden State. Curry, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Donte DiVincenzo all came up empty.

After trailing by as much as 20 points in the first quarter, the Warriors started to come around. They had trimmed the Laker lead to six points in the opening minutes of the second quarter 35-29.

The Warriors kept chipping away, and at 5:34 left in the first half had pulled to within one point 41-40. The Lakers went on a run extending their lead to ten points but the Warriors fought back and trailed 55-54 at the half. Golden State had an exceptional second quarter winning it 36-22.

Curry hit his first shots of the game in the second quarter finishing with eight points. Klay Thompson had 15 points in the first half and Jordan Poole had ten points off the bench. The Warriors had all the momentum going in this game as they headed into the third quarter.

The Warriors fell off a bit losing much of the momentum they had garnered in the second quarter. The Lakers won the quarter 23-18 and led going into the fourth 78-72.

The final quarter of this game was tight and was tied with 5:16 left in regulation 91-91. Golden State had some opportunities but suffered far too many empty possessions which was making a huge difference in this game. With two minutes left in the game two points separated the two teams 103-101. With 48.9 left on the clock Anthony Davis orchestrated the final blow with a 5-foot jump shot to give the Lakers a 109-101.

The slow start in this game for Golden State was one of the deciding factors in this loss. Empty possessions also hurt the team. Despite a quiet first quarter, Curry really picked it up finishing with 27 points. Thompson had 22 points. The crazy road losses continue and this team needs to figure this out with a lot of games coming up away from Chase and time running out on the season.

The terrific game from the Lakers Davis was a huge factor in this Los Angeles win as they fight to even make the playoffs. He had 39 points and was unstoppable helping his team win despite the absence of LeBron and D’Angelo Russell.

Tuesday night the Warriors will take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Timberwolves win four point contest 138-134 over Kings; Sac win streak ends at five

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince (12) is defended by Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) and forward Keegan Murray (13) as he shoots in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Sun Mar 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (37-26) were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were set to play the second night of a back-to-back as they welcomed to Golden 1 Center the Minnesota Timberwolves (34-32). The Kings first game of the back-to-back came against the LA Clippers on Friday.

The Kings defeated the Clippers 128-127. On Saturday, the Kings looked to keep the winning streak alive with a win against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.

GAME RESULT: In the first quarter, the Kings offense got off to a slower-than-normal start. Simultaneously, the Kings defense didn’t do much to slow down the Timberwolves offense. The Wolves scored 36 points in the first quarter to put themselves in the driver’s seat. The Kings only managed 30 points in the first quarter. The Kings offense looked a little tired playing another back-to-back game. The Kings would look to the second quarter to spark the comeback.

In the second quarter, the Kings couldn’t get things going on the defensive end. The Kings continued to give up massive numbers to the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves scored 38 points in the second quarter to expand the lead over the Kings. On the other hand, the Kings couldn’t pick up the slack on the offensive end. The Kings scored 34 points in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Wolves. The Kings would go into halftime trailing 74-64. The Kings would need to improve on the offensive and defensive end of the floor if they wanted any chance to win the game.

In the third quarter, it looked all downhill for the Kings. The Kings, at one point in the quarter, were down 18 points. The Wolves could do no wrong on the defensive end, and the Kings were not making shots. However, the Kings rallied back in the last minutes of the quarter to bring it to within three points heading into the final quarter. The Kings outscored the Wolves in the third quarter 38-31. The Kings would need to maintain the intensity in the fourth quarter to have a chance at victory.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings and Wolves fought hard for the win. The Kings did all they could to try and muster the energy to win another back-to-back game. However, the Kings weren’t able to get it done. The Timberwolves were too much to match on the offensive end as the Kings lost the game 138-134.

The Kings fought hard in the defeat and were led by Kevin Huerter, who had 29 points. A strong performance was had by the Timberwolves Anthony Edwards, who had 27 points. Ultimately, the Kings need to play some defense if they want to win big games when the offense isn’t on fire the whole game. The Kings enter a crucial stretch of the season against top-tier opponents that will challenge their standing in the western conference.

Up Next: The Kings will welcome in the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Warriors overcome 17-point deficit to beat Pelicans 108-99

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) tries to get past New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Mar 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

My oh my. How do the Warriors do it? For the fourth straight game, the Warriors overcame a double-digit deficit to win. The script was the same. The Warriors start slowly, then get the offense in gear and stop the opponent’s offense. They did that against Minnesota, Portland, and the LA Clippers.

Friday night’s foe, The New Orleans Pelicans, came into town with the NBA’s best defense against the three-point shot. Steve Kerr’s answer was for the Warriors to drive to the basket, get fouled, and have the Warriors defense stop the Pelican offense.

The Warriors didn’t get the message in the first quarter as the Pelicans led by 17, 35-18. Jonathan Kuminga made a three at the end of the period to get the Warriors closer, 35- 21. The Warriors started the comeback in the second quarter, holding the Pelicans to 22 points.

As they did in the games against Portland and LA, the Warrior defense allowed the Pelicans 21 points in the third quarter and 21 points in the fourth. The Warrior offense perked up, and behind the play of Klay Thompson, Kuminga, and Jordan Poole, The Warriors won a thriller 108-99.

Trailing by 15 points starting the second period, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 33-22. JaMychal Green, coming off the bench, tallied eleven points to help the Warriors get back into the game. Thompson had 11, Kumina had nine, and Poole and Kevon Looney had eight. The Warriors finished the first half trailing 57-54. The Pelicans had four players in double figures in the first half Naji Marshall led the Pelicans with 12. Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, and C J McCollum each had ten.

In the previous two games, Golden State owned the third quarter. The Warriors did win the quarter 28-21 to end the third quarter with a four-point lead 82-78. Thompson led the surge by making three threes. The Warriors defense put the shackles on the Pelican’s Ingram.

A four-point lead is relatively easy to overcome in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans had to find a way to break down the Warrior defense. The Pelicans wanted to get the ball to McCullom or Ingram. Draymond Green, Kuminga, Looney, and Donte DiVincenzo was tasked with stopping the Pelicans.

Things did not go well for the Warriors. The Pelicans fought back and regained the lead 93-89. Anthony Lamb made a three to make it a 93-92 game. Thompson made his fourth three of the night to put the Warriors ahead 95-93. DiVincenzo made his first and only basket of the night.

It was a three-pointer. DiVincenzo spent most of the night playing defense against the Pelican’s two big stars, Ingram and McCollum. The Warriors defense made the stops, and the offense carried them to a hard-fought 108-99 win.

Game Notes: The Warriors won their fifth straight game. They are now four games over the .500 mark with a record of 34-30. The Pelicans fall to 31-33.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Thompson led the team with 27 points and four threes. Kuminga had another big game. The young star finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. He played well on both ends of the court. Poole did not make a three.

What Poole did was take the ball to the basket. He was fouled several times, and he knocked down 12 free throws. His point total for the game was 18. Looney had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. JaMYchal Green had 14 points and six boards. Anthony Lamb made three threes and finished with 11. 

Instead of winning the game from behind the three-point arc, the Warriors won by outscoring the Pelicans 52-36 with points in the paint.

The Pelicans’ leading scorer was McCollum with 25. Ingram had 17. Trey Murphy had 16, and Naji Marshall finished with 14.

The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Lakers in LA on Sunday. Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be returning to the Warriors lineup. The game will start at 12:30 pm.

Kings edge Clippers 128-127 at Golden 1; Sac extends win streak to five

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) spins away from Los Angeles Clippers center Mason Plumlee (44) during the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Fri Mar 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings ((37-25) were back in action on Friday night. The Kings last played on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. The Kings played two games against the Thunder with an off day in between. The Kings played the Los Angeles Clippers (33-33) not long ago Fri Feb 24 when they had the second-highest-scoring NBA game in history.

The Kings won in double overtime 176-175. On Saturday, the Kings looked to put away the LA Clippers for the second time in as many weeks. The Kings defeated the Clippers 128-127 on Friday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings and Clippers both got off to hot starts on offense. The Kings scored 35 points in the first quarter to jump out to a quick three-point lead. The Clippers started with 33 points in the first. The defense for both teams was lacking early on in the game. The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard in the back-to-back game after losing to Golden State on Thursday.

In the second quarter, the Kings added two points to the lead. The Kings managed to outscore the Clippers 33-31 in the second quarter. This led the Kings to take a 68-63 halftime lead. The Clippers in the absence of Kawhi were getting a great performance from Russ Westbrook. Westbrook had 15 points at halftime. The Kings were led in the first half by Kevin Heurter who scored 14 points. The Kings in the second half would need to turn it up on the offensive end to put away the Clippers.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Clippers didn’t move an inch. The Kings scored 33 points in the quarter as the Clippers followed with 33 of their own. The Kings and Clippers would head to the final quarter with the Kings leading 101-96. The Kings and Clippers might be a first-round playoff preview. It would be an exciting series if that is the case. The teams are very competitively matched. The Kings would look to secure the game on the defensive end of the floor in the final quarter to seal the deal.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings barely held onto the lead. The Kings were outscored by the Clippers 31-27 in the final quarter. The game was an absolute nail-biter. Like the game a couple of weeks ago, it came down to one point and the final shot.

The Kings of last year would have lost this game. However, the new look Kings didn’t give in. Putting my critical hat on, the Kings should have won this game by five or more points. However, the win is all that counts for a fan base dying to make the playoffs. The Kings were led in victory by De’Aaron Fox who had 33 points. In defeat, Paul George was the leading scorer with 28 points. The Kings will look to continue the winning streak in the next game.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings looking to avenge Clippers tonight at Golden 1

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Tre Mann, center, shoots between Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) and forward Domantas Sabonis (10) in the first half in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Kings took the court without De’Aaron Fox out with a wrist issue. Sacramento extended the Thunder’s losing streak to four straight games 123-117 on Tuesday night.

#2 The Kings came out strong in the first quarter winning the first 12 minutes 44-38. Sacramento had a great offensive start shooting at 66%.

#3 The Kings saw some beautiful ball movement in the second quarter as the Kings extended their lead to 68-59 with two minutes left in the half. They had led in the quarter by as much as 15 points. 

#4 In the absence of Fox the man of the hour with the high score was Barnes shooting for 29 points. Sabonis had 22 and Kevin Huerter with 20 points. The Thunder got close at times but the Kings held on for the win.

#5 Friday night the Kings will be facing a very tough Los Angeles Clipper team at Golden 1 Center. Los Angeles will be looking to avenge the double overtime they lost to Sacramento back on February 24th. The score in that game was 176-175. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

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

Poole leads Warriors to comeback win over Clippers 115-91 at Golden State

Every is okay with the Golden State Warriors Jordan Poole who led Golden State with 32 points against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

As Yogi Berra once said, “it was deja vu all over again.” For the second game in a row, the Golden State Warriors (33-30) played a sub-par first half and then stormed back in the second half as they beat the LA Clippers (33-32) 115-91 Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors won their fourth consecutive game while the Clippers lost their fourth in a row.

Still, without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors kept pace with the Clippers in the first quarter. The teams exchanged the lead several times in the first 12 minutes. The Clippers finished the quarter with a slim one-point lead, 27-26.

Things changed for the worse for the Warriors in the second period. The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George made life miserable for the Warriors. The Warriors’ offense went ice-cold. The Warriors could not buy a bucket. They made three threes in 22 tries.

The Clippers made six threes. The Warriors shot 33% from the floor, the Clippers 50%. Los Angeles entered the locker room at the end of the first half with an 11 point advantage of 56-45 

The Warriors wanted to avenge the 134-124 loss to the Clippers last month in LA. It didn’t look like that would happen. The fans thought it would not be a good night for the Warriors. The fans knew the Warriors shut down the Portland Trailblazers in Tuesday night’s second half. Could they do it again? The Clippers are a better defensive team than the Blazers.

The Warriors answered the question. Yes, they could do it again, and they could do it again against a better defensive team. How did they do it? Jordan Poole was the man in the third quarter. Poole was all over the court. He scored 22 points in the quarter, and the Warrior defense shut down the Clippers’ offense.

The Warriors won the quarter 42-16 to finish the quarter leading 87-72. The Warriors went from an 11 point halftime deficit to a 15-point lead. At one point in the quarter, the Warriors went on a 38-8 run.

In the NBA, 15-point leads can disappear quickly in the fourth quarter. The Warriors knew that they should not turnovers the ball or start to commit fouls. Those mistakes could allow the Clippers to get back into the game. Steve Kerr’s team did not make those mistakes, and they increased the lead to 24, 100-76.

Everyone made contributions to get the win for Golden State. Kevon Looney, Jonathan Kuminga, Donte DiVincenzo, and Anthony Lamb performed well. Poole was the star of the game. Poole finished the night with 34 points. Poole did not make a three-point shot in the first half.

Poole knocked down five threes to lead the Warriors to the win. Klay Thompson was second on the team with 19. Thompson had a career-high 11 rebounds. It was his first double-double game since the 2017 season. The Warriors cruised to a 115-91 victory.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 33-30. They are three games over the.500 mark for the first time this year. The Clippers fell to 33-32. The Warriors are now in third place in the Pacific division of the Western Conference.

Kuminga played well on both ends of the court. Kuminga recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Jonathan knocked down three threes. Kerr had to be pleased with his 20-year-old phenom. Draymond Green finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Looney added 11 points and pulled down eight boards. DiVincenzo scored five points. DiVincenzo played a ferocious defense all night long. He also had eleven rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard paced the Clippers with 21 points. Leonard made two threes. Eric Gordon had 16, Paul George 11, Mason Plumlee 12, and Russell Westbrook had eight points.

The Warriors shot 41% from the floor. The Clippers were held to 36%. The Clippers shot 50% in the first half. The numbers show the great defensive effort the Warriors had in the second half. The Warriors made 14 threes, the Clippers nine. The Clippers had six in the first half, nine-for-43 from three-point range. 

Curry is almost ready to rejoin the team, possibly as early as Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers in LA.

The Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Curry close to making a return Kerr just not sure when; Warriors host Clippers tonight at Chase

The Portland Trailblazers Damian Lillard takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors left to right Draymond Green (23), Anthony Lamb (40) and Jordan Poole (3) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Mar 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been out of action since Feb 4th when he injured his lower leg from all indications he’s pretty close to returning.

#2 After watching Curry workout on Wednesday Warriors head coach said that Curry can do more and was impressed with his improvement after recent practices.

#3 Curry has had his share of injuries in the past and the ankle being one of the most famous injuries he’s been on the shelf for a few weeks on this lower leg injury assuming whenever his return is talk about his capabilities to battle in an NBA game coming off this injury?

#4 Jordan Poole has filled in for Curry averaging 22 point per game, grabbing 2.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, netting 41.8% of his shots, and is 36.6 percent for three pointers.

#5 The Warriors take on the Los Angeles Clippers (33-31) tonight at Chase Center. The Clippers are coming off a 108-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Clippers like the Warriors are battling for a top spot in the playoffs how do you see this match up tonight?

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