Tag: NBA

Lyles lead Kings with 24 pts in 133-100 win over Memphis

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Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., left, and Desmond Bane, second from left, guard against Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, second from right, during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Jan 23, 2023 (AP News phot)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings last played Saturday in Golden 1 Center as they competed against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Kings finished disappointingly on Saturday, losing to the undermanned 76ers by two points. On Monday, the Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies to town.

The Grizzlies had been hot as of late until losing their last two games. On Monday, stars Ja Morant and Steven Adams were out of the ballgame. The Kings defeated the Grizzlies 133-100 at Golden 1 Center.

In the first quarter, the Kings put on a show! The Kings opened the game red hot from behind the arc. Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray both started the hot shooting starting 5/5 and 3/3, respectively, from three-point land.

The Kings, all in all, would score a massive 47 points to take the commanding lead early. The Grizzlies were able to score 33 points in the first. The Kings took a 47-33 lead into the second quarter.

Both teams fought in the second quarter, and the score drew closer. However, the Kings would retain the lead. Granted, with a smaller margin. The Kings would only score 19 points in the second quarter as the offense went dormant. On the other hand, the Grizzlies scored 28 in the quarter to pull within five points of the Kings.

The score going into halftime was 66-61, with the Kings in the lead. Harrison Barnes led the way for the Kings scoring 15 points. Tyus Jones led the way for the Grizzlies with 10 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings expanded the lead a bit. The Kings offense got back on track and were able to score 34 points in the quarter. On the other end of the floor, the Grizzlies were able to score 29 points.

The Kings were able to open back up the lead to double digits as they took the 100-90 lead into the final quarter. The Kings had been mistake-prone all night, and it would be paramount to limit the turnovers and rebound in the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings roared back! On the Golden 1 Center before the game, a large “Roar with us” sign illuminated the stadium; roaring is exactly what Kings fans did in the final quarter. The Kings dominated in the fourth quarter outscoring Memphis 33-10.

It was an incredible performance from the Kings on both ends of the floor. The Kings did what they needed to do against a Memphis team missing Ja Morrant and Steven Adams. Six Kings players finished the game in double figures as Trey Lyles led the way with 24 points. The Grizzlies were led by Desmond Bane, who scored 21 points. The Kings improved to 27-19 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors host Grizzlies Wednesday; Golden State trying to avoid a fifth straight home loss

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Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry defends Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first quarter at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Sun Jan 22, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 After having the night off in Cleveland, hopes were high that the Golden State Warriors (23-24) starting roster would bring some great energy in Sunday night’s game. How did that go against the Brooklyn Nets (29-17)?

#2 It was an especially tough night for Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. They were six for 26. Talk a little bit about that.

#3 The 23 and 24 record simply says that right now the Warriors are just not good enough to close out these kind of tight games.

#4 The one thing that kept the Warriors in this game was the bench scoring a collective 50 points.

#5 Wednesday night the Memphis Grizzlies (31-15) come to Chase and they will be looking to hand the Warriors their fifth straight loss at Chase. How do you see this game?

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

Warriors Offense Sputters Lose To Nets 120-116

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Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) looks to pass away from defensive pressure by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson and forward Draymond Green (23) during the first quarter at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Sun Jan 22, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Offense Sputters Losing To the Nets 120-116

By Barbara Mason

Sunday evening the Golden State Warriors (23-24) took on the Brooklyn Nets (29-17) back home at Chase. The Warriors are coming off an amazing win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night won for the most part by the Golden State bench. Such was not the story on Sunday as the Brooklyn Nets took a four point 120-116 win over Golden State at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green all sat out the game in Cleveland and so come into this game rested and ready to take on the Nets. The Warriors did not see Kevin Durant who is still out with a sprained ligament in his right knee.

The Warriors came out on fire winning the first quarter 33-28 and going on to win the second quarter as well 39-32. They led at the half 72-60. Golden State had some great ball control with only foir turnovers in the half. The Nets have a history of some great second half comebacks and the Warriors needed to keep their foot on the pedal and not let the Nets back into the game.

Brooklyn started their comeback in the early minutes of the third quarter cutting their twelve point deficit to three points; trailing 75-72 with seven minutes left in the quarter. The 17 point lead the Warriors had previously had in the first half was gone when the Nets tied up the game at 75 with 6:45 left on the clock in the third.

Golden State had a real battle on their hands coming away with mounting empty possessions. In the final minutes of the quarter everything started going the Nets way. The Warriors offense got a bit of life finishing the quarter on a 10-2 run and led 90-86.

The Warriors got a great start in the fourth quarter extending their lead 100-91in the opening minutes of the final quarter. Golden State got a ten point lead 106-96 without Curry with 6:41 left in the game which was huge for the team pending Curry’s return. With 3:26 left in the game the Warriors were clinging to a 112-107 lead and they were over the limit so they had to limit the fouls for the rest of the game.

With 1:48 left on the clock the game was tied at 112. With 27.1 left in the game the Nets had a 118-116 lead but Golden State had possession. Thompson attempted a three that failed and he had gone 0-7 from downtown. Brooklyn’s offense helped the Nets go on a 17-4 run.

It was a great night for the Warrior bench scoring 50 points in this game. It was tough night for the starting roster most notably Thompson and Wiggins. Thompson had ten points and Wiggins finished with a disappointing four points. Curry had the high finishing with 26 points.

Kyrie Irving was a challenge for the Warriors the entire game. He finished with 38 points and seven rebounds.

Wednesday night the Warriors will play the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sixers edge Kings 129-127 ends Sac’s six game win streak

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Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) shoots over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Jan 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday night after playing the night before. The Kings faced the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night in Sacramento. The Kings managed to put the Thunder down to the final score of 118-113. The Kings welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at 7 PM PST. The Kings fell to the 76ers 129-127 in a tough loss.

In the first quarter, the Kings started the game playing well. The Kings, immediately after tip-off, started to put pressure on the 76ers. The Kings offense started hot with 35 points in the first quarter. Kevin Huerter had seven points in the first quarter to get the Kings going. On the defensive end, the Kings played well. The Kings held the 76ers to 27 points in the first quarter to jump to the early 35-27 lead.

In the second quarter, The Kings continued to play well. Harrison Barnes was on fire from the perimeter in the first half, scoring 17 points. The Kings built a dominant lead early in the second quarter but then lost some of it heading into halftime. The Kings would end the half leading 74-64 after outscoring the 76ers 39-37 in the second quarter. The Kings looked in control of the game but would need to limit mistakes in the second half not to give away the lead.

In the third quarter, the Kings play was atrocious. The Kings fell apart in the third quarter to a 76ers team that was down James Harden and Joel Embiid. The Kings only managed to score 22 points in the third quarter. However, the Kings offensive woes were nothing compared to the defense.

The Kings allowed the 76ers to score 38 points in the third quarter as they rallied back and took the lead going into the final quarter of the game. The Kings and 76ers would go into the fourth quarter with the 76ers leading 102-96. It was a meltdown of historic proportions for the Kings who would look to get back on track in the last quarter of play.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings fought hard but could not come away with a win. The Kings outscored the 76ers 31-27 in the final quarter. However, the 76ers pulled out the 129-127 short-handed victory. It was a tough blow for the Kings who had a commanding lead in the first half just to see it evaporate.

The Kings biggest struggle was on the glass as they were outrebounded almost 2-1. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was De’Aaron Fox who had 31 points.The 76ers best performance came from Tyrese Maxey who dropped 32 points in the game. The Kings would look to turn the page as they will face a tough opponent on Monday.

Up Next: The Kings welcome the red hot Memphis Grizzlies into Golden 1 Center on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Kings Extend Winning Streak Beating OKC 118-113

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Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort collide under the basket during the first half at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Fri Jan 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kings Extend Winning Streak Beating OKC 118-113

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings (26-18) took on the OKC Thunder (22-24) at Golden 1 Center. The Thunder have been rolling winning their last four games most recently against the Pacers 126-106. The Kings are coming off a win over the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night 116- 111. The Kings picked up their sixth straight win against the Thunder 118-113.

The Kings got a slow start in the first quarter unable to score in the first three minutes. The Thunder had led by as much as nine points in the opening quarter but the Kings fought back and won the first 12 minutes by the slimmest of margins 33-32.

The Thunder finished the first half leading 66-59 after winning the second quarter 34-26. Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox all had double digits with Fox leading the starters with 13 points. Harrison Barnes had a slow start with only two points and would need to heat up in the second half.

The Kings only had seven turnovers and were shooting at 50% from the field and 54% from downtown. The Thunder were struggling from beyond the arc shooting 21% and the Kings needed to force OKC to shoot long balls.

The Kings came out in the third quarter erasing the deficit to tie up the game at 76 with 5:05 left and led after three quarters 91-88.

Sacramento continued to maintain a minimal lead through the first half of the fourth quarter. With 2:37 left in the game the Kings extended their lead and the entire starting roster had shot in double digits. They had a ten point lead 112-102 with two minutes left in the game. Sacramento held on to finish the game winning it.

Murray finished with the high score 29 points followed by team leader Fox with 23 points. Sacramento had a great defensive effort: Murray had 14 rebounds and Sabonis finished with 13. After the slow start in this game, the Kings kept the pressure on for the remainder of the game.

Sacramento (26-18) will host the Philadelphia 76ers (29-16) on Saturday night in another home game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Warriors Pull Off Upset Over Cleveland 120-114

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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Pull Off Upset Over Cleveland 120-114

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (23-23) took on the Cleveland Cavaliers (28-19) in the last game of this current road trip. The Warriors were short- handed resting the majority of their starting roster. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins did not take the court tonight. The Cavaliers were a challenge and under the best of circumstances this game was a tough one for the Warriors but they pulled it off with a 120-114 win over the Cavs.

Game recap: Golden State got off to a great start winning the opening quarter 33-28 and leading at the half 64-59 after a 31-31 tie in the second quarter.

This game got very interesting in the third quarter when the Warriors outscored Cleveland 34-27 leading 98-86. A win against the Cavaliers would be a shocker of an upset. The Warriors had hurt themselves with 11 turnovers in the second half, but Golden State had six players in double digits and the Warriors were trying to finish this road trip on a winning note against a very tough Eastern Conference squad.

The Warriors had under four minutes in the fourth quarter to hang onto a 114-106 lead. Cleveland had trailed by twenty points in the second half but was making a run in the closing minutes. The Cavs are an incredible fourth quarter team and this quarter was littered with empty possession after empty possession for Golden State.

They desperately needed some offense in the final two minutes of this game. Ty Jerome found that offense to give the Warriors a 117-110 lead. With 14.6 left on the clock the Warriors picked up a six point win and the Warrior bench had pulled off the best road game of the season in an unlikely upset. The Warriors defense really stepped up and Golden State had their first winning road trip of the season.

Jordan Poole was the high for this game with 32 points and without him this win would not have happened. Ty Jerome had 22 points, Donte DiVincenzo had 17 and Kevon Looney had 17 rebounds in the game. The bench had some great play from Jamychal Green with 13 points and Anthony Lamb with 12.

The Warriors had some beautiful ball movement throughout the game and shots from downtown were on task shooting for 53.5% with 23 shots made from beyond the arc.

The Warriors will enjoy the flight home after this amazing win. They will take on the Brooklyn Nets at Chase on Sunday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30.

Warriors Fall In Overtime To Celtics 121-118

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks for an opening around Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo, left, in the first half at TD Garden in Boston on Thu Jan 19, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Fall In Overtime To Celtics 121-118

By Barbara Mason

Fresh off a win over the Washington Wizards on Monday nighT. This would be a battle of the Titans. Boston features Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown facing off against the “Splash Brothers” Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Celtics also have numerous weapons with Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Robert Williams III. The Warriors just couldn’t overcome the Celtics at the Garden taking a 121-118 overtime loss

The first quarter was close from just about start to finish. The Celtics did have a five point lead at one point in the quarter but when the buzzer ran out on the opening quarter it was Golden State that held the lead 26-25.

The second quarter was more of the same. This was a very close game through two quarters and again Golden State led after two by a single point 55-54. Thompson had a great half with 20 points. With 1.1 left on the clock Curry drained a 46-foot three point jumper.

The Warriors picked up where they left off in the first half and with 7:28 left in the third quarter had a 73-64 lead. Golden State had also protected the ball well so far in this game with only nine turnovers. Draymond Green had ten rebounds and Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole were all in double digits mid-way through the quarter.

The Warriors maintained the lead through the third quarter winning it 34-28 and leading after three 89-82. Curry, Thompson, and Poole had 22 points apiece through three quarters. Kevon Looney and Green had 11 rebounds apiece in a well-balanced game. The challenge now would be to hold off the Celtics in the fourth quarter no easy task.

The Warriors offense began to stumble in the later minutes of the final quarter with too many empty possessions. With 2:19 left in the game the Warriors were clinging to a 102-98 lead. With 18 seconds left on the clock a Curry shot for the win fell short. The Celtics had 0.5 seconds to break the 106 tie and win this game. Boston could not hit the final shot of regulation and this game would go into overtime.

The Celtics got on the board quickly in overtime with two baskets and taking a 110-106 lead. The lead would see-saw in this high caliber game. Boston had struggled for most of the night from downtown but that was not the case in overtime. They started hitting three’s and led 118-113 with 1:02 left. The poor Warrior offense in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as well as the overtime was the straw that broke the camel’s back,

The Warriors are now five and 18 on the road losing a close one. Curry finished with the high 29 points, Thompson (who fouled out in overtime) and Poole both had 24 points.Green had 13 rebounds and Looney had 12.

Golden State will barely have a chance to catch their breath before they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Thunder Friday night at Golden 1; Sac coming off win in LA

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Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) dunks against Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant (31) and LeBron James (6) left during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the Sacramento Kings (25-18) got a big road win over the Los Angeles Lakers (20-25) on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles 116-111 and they pulled it off without Domantas Sabonis in the line up.

#2 Kings head coach Mike Brown had been talking about the Kings depth and drive all season long and they really showed it keeping the Lakers contained towards the final minutes of Wednesday’s contest to come away with a five point win.

#3 Brown commented that the Kings have guys to step up if someone like Sabonis is out of the line up and DeAaron Fox was that guy leading with 32 points.

#4 LeBron scored 32 points but the Kings held off much of the Lakers offense and the Kings had five starters finish the game in double figures. The Kings Richaun Harris scored 16 points subbing for Sabonis and that made a difference for Sacramento.

#5 The Kings return to Sacramento take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (22-23) Friday night. The Thunder are coming off a 126-106 win over the Indiana Pacers (23-23) in OKC. The Thunder take a four game win steak into Sacramento. Jeremiah let me know your thoughts on how you see this contest.

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

Sweet Revenge for Kings Beat Lakers 116-111

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Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) dunks against Los Angeles Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel (35) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sweet Revenge for Kings Beat Lakers 116-111

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night LeBron James and the Lakers (19-25) hosted the Sacramento Kings (25-18) in a Western Conference matchup. The Kings in fourth in the conference and the Lakers sit in 13th place. The Kings came in on a three game win streak.

The last time they lost was at the hands of the Lakers in a two point game 136-134. Sacramento got a little revenge with a 116-111 win to extend their winning streak to four Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers won their last game against the last place Rockets.

The Lakers got off to a quick start leading at one time by 14 points winning the first 12 minutes 39-28. The Kings bounced back in the second quarter winning it 33-21 and leading at halftime 61-60. De’Aaron Fox had 20 points in the first half, the only King in double digits.

Sacramento continued to extend the slim one point lead they had at the half finishing the third quarter leading 90-82. The entire Kings starting roster finished the third quarter in double digits.

The Lakers began to challenge the Kings lead cutting the deficit to four points trailing 90-86 in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. With 7:30 left in the game, the Kings held a one point lead 98-97. The lead that Sacramento had in the third quarter had vanished and the Lakers had taken the lead 101-100 with 6:45 left on the clock.

The two teams began to trade baskets and this would be a close one to the finish. The game was tied with 4:11 left on the clock at 103. With 30 ticks left on the clock the Kings had a 111-108 lead and possession. Sacramento was able to hold on for the win.

Fox finished the game with 31 points the team high and Harrison Barnes had 20 points. LeBron James had 32 points for the Lakers and Los Angeles had some nice work from their bench scoring 59 total points. Friday night, the Kings will take on the Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Warriors Beat Wizards In Nation’s Capitol 127-118

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Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) goes up for a rebound against Golden State Warriors forward Anthony Lamb (40) and guard Ty Jerome (10) during the first half at the Capital One Center in Washington DC on Mon Jan 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Beat Wizards In Nation’s Capitol 127-118

By Barbara Mason

Monday afternoon the Golden State Warriors (22-22) took on the Washington Wizards (18-26) at Capital One Arena in Washington DC. The fact that the Warriors struggled on the road is no secret and opposing teams have been taking full advantage.

After losing against the Bulls Sunday in an absolutely lackluster game, the Warriors got a win Monday 127-118 defeating the Wizards. Stephen Curry has a great history in Washington and the team got a repeat of that history in a collective effort.

The Warriors had a far different start to this game compared to the game in Chicago. Curry had 17 points in the opening quarter. They did a far better job defensively and only had two turnovers in the first quarter. They led after the first 12 minutes 35-33.

Curry had an outstanding first quarter and in the second quarter Jordan Poole stepped up to the plate shooting for 23 points. He finished the half with 26 points and Curry had 21. The Warriors had four turnovers in the second quarter and won the quarter 34-31 leading at halftime 69-64. The Warriors needed to continue protecting the ball and limit the fouls in the second half.

As expected Kristaps Portzingis presented the greatest challenge in this game. He finished the first half with 25 points.

The third quarter was a bit of a let-down for Golden State. The shots from downtown were not dropping going 13 of 36. They had three turnovers and after three quarters this game was tied at 93.

The Warriors made up a seven point deficit to lead 112-108 with four minutes left in the game. The Warriors had contained Portzingis who had five points in the second half with 2:24 left on the clock.

It was the Washington bench that was keeping them in the game. With under two minutes left in the game the Warriors led 123-114 and Curry was approaching 40 plus points. In the final minutes Curry hit a three followed by Poole who shot a three and the Warriors were rolling.

The Wizards played a very good game and had this game in hand through three plus quarters before Draymond Green got his squad going and there was no looking back.

This was the Warriors fifth road win and they really needed this game. Curry finished with 41 points and Poole had 32. The team had a very efficient game with only 12 turnovers a far cry from Sunday’s game total of 23 turnovers.

Next up for the Warriors will be a matchup with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.