Tag: NBA

Fox rains baskets on Trailblazers in Kings 133-116 win at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) reacts after scoring a basket against Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little (10) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on Thu Feb 23, 2023 (USA Today photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (33-25)were back in town on Thursday night after the All-Star break. The Kings last played against the Phoenix Suns on the road on Saturday, the 14th. The Kings did not play well in the valley of the sun as they lost to the Suns 120-109.

The Kings sent four players to the All-Star festivities. De’Aaron Fox and Domas Sabonis as reserves, Keegan Murray in the rising stars game, and Kevin Huerter in the three-point contest. On Thursday, the Kings looked to get the unofficial second half underway as the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off was set for 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings downed the Trail Blazers (28-31) by the final of 133-116.

In the first quarter, the Kings played terribly. It was one of the worst quarters of the year for the Kings. They were outscored 37-26, but that didn’t tell the whole story. The Kings were sloppy with the ball on offense, and the defense was nonexistent. It makes it even worse that Portland didn’t have a single starter in the game. They were all resting due to the plane ride delays and injuries.

In the second quarter, the Kings played much more competitively. They sharpened up the defensive side of the ball a little bit. However, the defense was still bad. The improvement came on the offensive end as the shots started to fall more for the Kings. In the second quarter, the Kings outscored the Blazers 37-20 to take the lead into the second half. D Fox led the way with 11 points in the first half. Nassir Little led the way for the Blazers with 12 points in the first half.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Blazers both scored 34 points. It was an uneventful quarter in which neither team played any defense. The Kings offense stayed hot after a sizzling second quarter. You have to give the Blazers second unit credit in the game. With the lack of most of the starters, the Blazers held their own. The Kings looked to close out Portland in the final quarter. The score after three was Kings up 100-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings efficiently handled the Blazers. The Kings outscored the Blazers 33-25 in the final quarter to defeat them. It was a solid win for the Kings. Some would even say a great win for the Kings. In times of old, the Kings would lose this game.

The 2021 and 2022 Sacramento lose this game. However, after starting the game poorly, the Kings managed to come back and defeat the short-handed Portland team. The Kings did what good teams are supposed to do. Leading the way for the Kings was All-Star Fox, who scored 31 points.

The performance by Fox is not to be overshadowed by the 18-point triple-double by Sabonis. It was an excellent win for the Kings, who did nothing at the deadline and hope for a playoff birth. Let the race to the postseason begin.

Up Next: The Sacramento Kings will fly to LA to take on the Clippers on Friday night at 730 PM PST.

Lakers Bulldoze Warriors 124-111

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, center, shoots as Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney, right, defends during the first half at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thu Feb 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

Lakers Bulldoze Warriors 124-111

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (29-30) took on the Los Angeles Lakers (28-32) at Crypto. com Arena. With only 24 games left in the regular season, this was a must win for the Warriors as is every game going forward. Golden State needed to turn their defense around, protect the ball and make the most of every possession tried as they may the Lakers came away with a 124-111 win against Golden State at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The team will still be without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins will also be out for personal reasons with no return date right now.

After the first 12 minutes, the Warriors were trailing 31-23. While Golden State did not get the hot start that they were looking for, they did get a decent start. They needed to be better in transition and protect the ball.

WIth 4:36 left in the second quarter the Lakers took a 51-38 lead, their largest of the game. The Warriors were having trouble getting clean looks. The Laker defense was on point forcing Golden State to take some ill-advised shots. The Warriors played their best basketball in the final two minutes of the half.

They trailed 59-56 after having trailed by fourteen points in the quarter. Jordan Poole who had a slow start hit a couple of three’s in the later minutes of the second quarter and finished the half with 15 points, the high score for the Warriors.

The Lakers quickly extended the three point lead they had at the half. They were destroying the Warriors in transition and with 6:47 left in the third quarter had their largest lead of the game 79-63. Despite a very quiet night for LeBron James the Lakers led after three quarters 95-80.

The Lakers continued to build on their lead in the fourth quarter and with ten minutes left in the game had a 20 point lead 102-82. The Warriors could not buy a basket in this final quarter and the Lakers continued to pound Golden State. The Warriors had trailed by 28 and had cut the deficit in half but it was too little too late.

Klay Thompson had the high score for the Warriors with 22 points and off the bench Ty Jerome finished with 20 points. Once again the Warriors defense fell short. Los Angeles outplayed them offensively and defensively.

The high score for the Lakers was Malik Beasley with 25 points. The Los Angeles bench had a great night with 68 points collectively.

After dropping their first game after the All-Star game, the Warriors now have a chance to grab some wins playing their next five game at Chase Center. Friday night the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets in the first game of this homestand. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: How Wiggins out of the line up impacts Golden State going against Lakers tonight

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots against Washington Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis, left, during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Feb 13, 2023. This would be Wiggins last game as he has been out due to personal reasons. (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Jerry, first of all as you know Andrew Wiggins was out of the line up for their last game just before the All Star break on Tue Feb 14 vs. the Los Angeles Clippers a game the Warriors lost by ten 134-124.

#2 Wiggins has been listed out of the line up because of undisclosed personal reasons. As to how long Wiggins will be out of the line up the Warriors don’t even know yet.

#3 Jerry what dimension does Wiggins bring to the Warriors game and how will head coach Steve Kerr compensate for his absence?

#4 Wiggins has missed 21 games this season and a bulk of those come in December and that was a month that Stephen Curry missed a good number of games and now both are out starting the second half of the season.

#5 The Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Warriors have lost five of their last ten games and the Lakers have lost four of their last ten games. How do you see this battle tonight?

Join Jerry Feitelberg for the Warriors podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA podcast with Barbara Mason: Break gladly welcomed by NBA players

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The Vivint Arena is shown during the transformation taking place inside the arena before the start of the NBA basketball All-Star weekend Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

On the NBA podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 This year’s captains based on the number of votes were Giannis Antetokounmpo and the incomparable LeBron James. Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron 184-175.

#2 The first quarter was as close as a game could be. Giannis hit the first basket of the game and seconds later “King James” tied up the game. 

#3 At halftime Team Giannis led 99-92. They won the second quarter 53-46 and along with it the $100,000 going to “Raise the Future”.

#4 The second half was played without their captains. James had sustained a hand issue while dunking in the first half and so the two captains watched from the bench. The MVP award went to Jason Tatum who broke the all-time scoring record. 

#5 It was a great evening for all the fans in person and watching from their living rooms. The greatest names in the world of basketball put on an exciting show as we have seen year after year.

Barbara Mason covered the NBA All Star game for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Tatum Leads Team Giannis To Victory 184-175

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Team Giannis forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives during the first half of the NBA basketball All-Star game Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

Jayson Tatum Leads Team Giannis To Victory

By Barbara Mason

Sunday evening the NBA All-Star Game took place after an amazing weekend of events. This was the 72nd year that this event has taken place, this year held in Salt Lake City. This game got underway after Mac McClung blew the crowd away on Saturday night winning the Dunk Contest with a run of spotless scores.

This year’s captains based on the number of votes were Giannis Antetokounmpo and the incomparable LeBron James. Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron 184-175.

The two captains for the first time ever, drafted their teams just ahead of the game. They first selected from the reserve pool and then chose from the players named All-Start starters.

Giannis Antetokounmpo took the stage with his very own playbook. The reserve players he chose were Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shai Gilgeous- Alexander, DeMar Derozen, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis. His starters were Jason Tatum, Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markanen.

LeBron James chose Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyrese Haliburton as his reserve players. His starters were Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Luca Doncic and Nikola Jokic.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters” was the charity chosen by Team LeBron and “Raise the Future” was Team Giannis’ choice.

The first quarter was as close as a game could be. Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the first basket of the game and seconds later “King James” tied up the game. The contest would pivot back and forth with neither team taking more than a three point lead. After the first 12 minutes the game was dead even 46-46 and the two teams would split the cash for the opening quarter. Each of their charities would receive $50,000.

At halftime Team Giannis led 99-92. They won the second quarter 53-46 and along with it the $100,000 going to “Raise the Future”.

The third quarter went to team Giannis 59-49 and they were on a roll leading 158-141. The target score was set in the fourth quarter at 182 with no commercials and no clock. Jayson Tatum tore through the second half of play with 55 points. Damian Lillard hit the winning three, the final 184-175 in favor of Team Giannis. They would earn $550,000 for “Raise the Future” and team LeBron would come away with $200,000 for “Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

The second half was played without their captains. James had sustained a hand issue while dunking in the first half and so the two captains watched from the bench. The MVP award went to Jason Tatum who broke the all-time scoring record. Tatum had a lot of help from Donovan Mitchell with 40 points. On team LeBron the high score was Jaylen Brown off the bench with 35 points. Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid both came away with 32 points.

It was a great evening for all the fans in person and watching from their living rooms. The greatest names in the world of basketball put on an exciting show as we have seen year after year. It was a great night out for not only the fans but the players as well.

These players will now head back to continue the 2022- 23 season with games resuming this coming Thursday.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Fox and Sabonis look forward to representing Kings at All Star game

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (left) and De’Aaron Fox (right) will represent the Kings at the NBA All Star Game this weekend on Sun Feb 19, 2023 in Florida (photo from NBC Sports Northern California)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the first half of the season ended for the Sacramento Kings (32-25) not so well in Phoenix as the Kings were defeated rather handedly by the Phoenix Suns (32-27) at Footprint Arena on Tuesday night.

#2 The Kings by and large did get some high scoring by De’Aaron Fox with 35 points and Domantas Sabonis with 24 points but it wasn’t enough to win the game for the Kings.

#3 The key part of the Suns victory was they kept the Kings from scoring by some double teaming and strangling the paint the Kings for some crucial parts of the game got their inside game shutdown.

#4 On defense for the Kings couldn’t plug up the hole for the Suns Devon Booker 32 points and Deandre Ayton with 29 points.

#5 Fox and Sabonis are representing the Kings at the NBA All Star game this Sunday Feb 19th talk about the season they’ve both been having and what you look forward to see them doing this weekend at the NBA All Star game.

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

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors end first half with loss to Clippers; Lack of defense plays a big part in loss

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Try as they may the Golden State Warriors battled through their contest against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (29-29) took on the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and couldn’t hold on getting beat by ten points 134-124. 

#2 The Clippers took an early lead in the opening quarter 31-23. Los Angeles kept pushing taking a ten-point lead before the Warriors began to turn things around.

#3 They won the second quarter 42-30 and had four players in double digits, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb all had scored 11 points. Donte DiVincenzo had ten points and the tide of this game had turned in the second quarter. 

#4 The Warriors offense went cold in the fourth quarter. Golden State ran into a fully loaded Clipper team and suffered their 29th loss of the season 134-124.

#5 Next game for the Warriors Thu Feb 23 at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Jerry Feitelberg does the Golden State Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors now have lost three of last four games going into All Star break

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The Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) drives towards the bucket defended by the Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (29-29) took on the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and couldn’t hold on getting beat by ten points 134-124. 

#2 Dave, you saw Kevin Durant get traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns who are in the same division as the Warriors. When Durant was available not that the Warriors would acquire him wouldn’t somebody like that be a big help to Golden State at the juncture.

#3 Next game for the Warriors will take on the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Thu Feb 23. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00. PM. Warriors were defeated in their last meeting with the Lakers 109-103 Sat Feb 11 at Chase Center.

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

Fully Loaded Clippers Beat Warriors 134-124

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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, shoots as Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga defends during the first half at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

Fully Loaded Clippers Beat Warriors 134-124

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (29-29) took on the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and couldn’t hold on getting beat by ten points 134-124. The Warriors came off a win Monday night against the Washington Wizards 135-126 at Chase Center in San Francisco. After trailing in the first quarter of that game, the Warriors turned the game around scoring 42 points in the second quarter.

Andrew Wiggins had his best game since his return to the court although he was not in the starting roster for Monday’s game which will make this game even tougher for Golden State. The Clippers on the other hand are fully loaded with their entire lineup healthy.

The Clippers took an early lead in the opening quarter 31-23. Los Angeles kept pushing taking a ten-point lead before the Warriors began to turn things around.

With seven minutes left in the half Golden State trailed by a single point 42-41. With 6:42 left in the second quarter the Warriors took the lead 43-42 in an impressive turnaround. At the half the Warriors had managed a 16 point reversal and led 65-61.

They won the second quarter 42-30 and had four players in double digits, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb all had scored 11 points. Donte DiVincenzo had ten points and the tide of this game had turned in the second quarter. This was the second game in a row that the Warriors had a 42 point second quarter.

Golden State needed to take the same energy into the second half. They only had five turnovers so they were protecting the ball and the defense was cooking against a very tough duo in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

As good as the Warriors had played, the Clippers were equal to the task and erased the Warriors half time lead. With 6:22 left in the third quarter Los Angeles led 84-83. The Clippers continued to press and with 2:59 left in the quarter led 96-89. The Warriors began to suffer mental lapses committing turnovers and empty possessions. Los Angeles had their largest lead of the night 105-93 after three quarters.

The Warriors offense went cold in the fourth quarter. Golden State ran into a fully loaded Clipper team and suffered their 29th loss of the season 134-124. The absence of Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins has been a challenge for Golden State and they were unable to keep the pressure on the Clippers for four quarters.

Every starter for the Warriors had double digits, Jordan Poole with the high of 28 points. The bench had 42 points but the loss of focus in the second half was the deciding factor that beat the Warriors. Golden State is now 29-29 going into the All-Star game.

Next game for the Warriors Thu Feb 23 at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings no match for Suns Booker and Ayton in 120-109 crushing at Footprint Arena

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) who led with 35 points but the effort wasn’t enough as the Phoenix Suns came away with an 11 point win at Footprint Arena in Phoenix on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

PHOENIX–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Phoenix as they took on the Suns. The Kings were last on the court on Saturday when they took on the Dallas Mavericks on the second night of a back-to-back at home. The Kings lost the first night of the two-game series against Dallas.

However, the Kings managed to lock down an overtime win on Saturday 133-128. On Tuesday, the Kings would look to secure a win in the last game before the All-Star break. The Kings will send Domas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox to the festivities in Utah as All-Stars. Kevin Heurter will travel to Utah to compete in the NBA three-point challenge. On Tuesday, the Kings fell to the Suns 120-109 in Phoenix.

In the first quarter, the Kings played a solid opening quarter. The Kings defense was solid with the exceptions of Ayton and Devin Booker who scored eight and nine points respectively. Fox started the Kings out on the right foot scoring seven points. The Kings defense overall was solid even with a few missed assignments. The Kings outscored the Suns 29-27 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, The Suns came out hot in the quarter and were able to maintain the pressure throughout. The Suns scored 35 points in the second quarter compared to the Kings who only scored 29 points. The Kings defense could not contain Josh Okogie, Chris Paul, and Booker.

The three players scored a combined 41 points in the first half. The Kings would enter the second half down 62-58. However, the Kings did put up a fight in the first half. Fox had 16 points as he was leading the Kings. The Kings would need to go off on the offensive end in the second half if they wanted to defeat the Suns.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Suns were trading shot for shot. Both teams scored 28 points in the third to keep the score at 90-86. The Kings defense continued to not be able to contain the Suns. Also, the Kings offense was missing some of the burst you typically see. Shots were not falling as easily for the Kings on Tuesday night.

The difference in the game was the Kings shooting under 50% in the game and the Suns shooting over 50%. The Suns were simply making more out of their possessions than the Kings. In the fourth quarter, the Kings would need every ounce of offense to make the comeback happen.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings weren’t able to muster the offense needed to make the comeback. The whole game the Kings appeared outmatched. However, the Kings kept the game close and stayed in the fight. The Kings were outscored by the Suns in the final quarter 30-23.

The Kings offense couldn’t get on a run all night long. The Kings fell to the Suns in the valley by the final 120-109. The Kings were led by an impressive Fox who scored 35 points in the game. Booker torched the Kings as usual as he scored 32 points in the game.

Up Next: The Kings will be off for the All-Star break until February 23rd. When the Kings return to play they will take on the Portland Trailblazers at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.