Tag: Orlando Magic

NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson Wed Apr 23, 2025: Celtics Brown leads the way with 36 points beat Magic 109-100; Cavs go up 2-0 defeat Heat 121-112

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) takes a shot on the Orlando Magic’s guard Cory Joseph (10) in first half action in game 2 of the NBA first round playoffs at TD Garden in Boston on Wed Apr 23, 2025 (AP News photo)

NBA Playoffs podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael, the Boston Celtics took game 2 109-100 on Wednesday night. The Celtics once again got help from leading scorers Jaylen Brown 36 points, Kristaps Porzingis 20 points, and Derrick White with 17 points.

#2 The Magic now down 0-2 in this series couldn’t close the gap on the Celtics got scoring from Paolo Banchero with 32 points, Franz Wagner 25 points, and Wendell Carter Jr 16 points. The Magic have their backs to the wall with game 3 going back to Boston on Friday.

#3 The Cleveland Cavaliers Donavon Mitchell helped the Cavaliers go up 2-0 in the series leading with 30 points, Darius Garland 21 points, and Evan Mobley with 20 points. The Cavaliers had an offensive plan and won it 121-112.

#4 The Heat tried as hard as they might just didn’t get enough to try and tie this series up the leading scorers Tyler Herro 33 points, Davion Mitchell 18 points, and Haywood Highsmith with 17 points.

#5 The Heat are talented but do they have enough to make any noise as they head back to Miami for Saturday’s game 3?

Michael Roberson does the NBA podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Implode Against Magic Losing 121-91

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) looks up to the basket as he defended by the Orlando Magic’s forward Franz Wagner (22) at the Kia Center in Orlando on Sat Mar 29, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

This had to be one of the craziest games the Sacramento Kings had played all season. They had the game in control in second and fourth quarters but fell apart in the opening and third quarters. They lost each of those quarters by 17 points for a combined 34 points.

The quarters they won was a combined four points. The Kings is fighting for a play-in spot and this loss did nothing to further that goal. The biggest question now remains; how will the Kings respond after this embarrassing beat down and will they get any help from the Phoenix Suns or the Dallas Mavericks? They remain a game ahead of the Suns and are deadlocked with the Mavericks in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Game recap: The Kings had a miserable start in the opening quarter of the game trailing after the first twelve minutes of play 38-21. This game had a very sinister tone for Sacramento who did not want to fall behind significantly as the second quarter got underway.

The Kings did outscore the Magic in the second quarter but did not make up a lot of ground. They won the quarter by a basket 25-23 trailing 46-61 at the half. With an entire half of basketball still to be played the 15 point deficit was still very much manageable for the Kings. They had to get a productive start in the third quarter if they wanted to win this game.

There was no way that Sacramento could start the second half in the same manner that they had started the first quarter of this game. Unfortunately for the Kings they did exactly that. The Magic outscored them in the third quarter 37-20 leading after three quarters 98-66 in this unbelievable meltdown by Sacramento who looked nothing like a team fighting for a playoff spot.

The Kings outscored the Magic in the fourth quarter; another 25-23 tally and this disaster had finally come to an end with the Magic winning the game 121-91.

Sacramento played two good quarters of basketball in the second and fourth but fell apart in the first and third quarters losing each of those quarters by 17 points. They were awful from beyond the arc shooting at 25% while the Magic were on a 46 % clip.

The Kings were good at the line shooting at 80%. They never led once in this game while the Magic’s largest lead of the game was 35 points. The Kings made more points in the paint than the Magic 44 to 36, but it was their failure to hit from beyond the arc, only making seven, that killed Sacramento and their inability to defend the Orlando long ball (the Magic hit 18).

The Kings bench finished the fourth quarter of the game when the writing on the wall became painfully apparent. Domantas Sabonis finished the game with a double double, 13 rebounds and 14 points.

DeMar DeRozan was the team high with 21 points. The rest of the starting roster just didn’t have much in the tank. The defense struggled and both teams had a lot of turnovers, Sacramento with 16. Going forward the Kings have got to put this game in their rear view because they are now looking at eight games left in the season and they will to win a good majority of them with some tough ones coming up. A little help from Phoenix and Dallas wouldn’t hurt either.

Game notes: As the Sacramento Kings (36-38) continue to hang onto ninth place in the Western Conference every game going forward is critical. Saturday afternoon the Kings traveled to Orlando taking on the Magic (36-39).

The Kings have a five game road losing streak after their loss to the Magic. They are coming off a win over the Portland Trail Blazers 128-107 in Sacramento Thursday night tying up their season series with Portland at two apiece. The Kings were looking to end their road game losing streak with nine games left in the season but just couldn’t get it done. The Magic lost to the Mavericks 101-92 Thursday night at home.

While this is not a deal breaker as far as a place in the playoffs, the team is making things awfully hard on themselves. They now face a tough Pacer’s team next Monday on the road. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson Fri Mar 28, 2025: Kings open six game road trip Saturday night in Orlando

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings guard Zack LaVine (8) goes up for a slam dunk on the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Mar 27, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson Fri Mar 28, 2025

#1 Zach LaVine led the Sacramento Kings in scoring with 29 points and Domantas Sabonis had 22 point, 19 rebounds, and six assists in the Kings win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 128-104 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

#2 The win for the Kings snaps their four game losing streak talk about important is that for the morale of the Kings.

#3 LaVine made 13 of 18 shots from the floor and Sabonis had nine of 11 shots. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and ten assists. The Kings Keegan Murray scored 17 points and Malik Monk scored 16 points

#4 The Kings now are just a half game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for ninth place in the Western Conference. The Kings are in front of the Phoenix Suns by a game and there are only two and half weeks left of the regular season is there any chance the Kings have at making a run at the post season?

#5 The Kings won’t get very much rest after last night’s win in Sacramento they open up a six game road trip starting Saturday night against the Orlando Magic a 2:00pm PDT tip in Orlando. The Magic are eighth in the Eastern Conference at 35-39 and have won six of their last ten games. How do you see this one on Saturday?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors rolling with four straight wins, face Orlando Thursday

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives on the Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Feb 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 David, the contest wasn’t even close Tuesday night as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Charlotte Hornets by a wide margin 128-92 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

#2 The Warriors got had six players in double figures with Buddy Hield leading in scoring with 16 points. The scoresheet reflected that the ball was distributed evenly and given the Hornets struggles the Warriors were able to do practically what they wanted to do against the Hornets defense.

#3 The Warriors face the Orlando Magic Thursday in Orlando. The Magic are seventh in the Eastern Conference and have won five of their last ten games. The Warriors are eighth in the Western Conference and have won four in a row and are closing in on the final sixth playoff spot.

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wiggins Career High Sets Stage for Thunders Beat Down Over Kings 144-110

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots over the Sacramento Kings center Isaac Jones (left) in second half action at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City on Sat Feb 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (24-24) got blasted in their matchup against the OKC Thunder (38-9) 144-110. The opening quarter was close with the Thunder leading after the first quarter 36-31. It fell apart in the second quarter when OKC outscored the Kings 46-24 taking a 82-55 lead into halftime.

The Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins who started in place of the injured Jalen Williams scored a career high of 41 points setting the stage for a blow-out of the Kings. Sacramento was outplayed in this game pure and simple. They got within nine points in the second quarter but the Thunder answered going on a 29-11 run taking a 27 point lead into the half.

Game recap: The Thunder took an early lead in the opening quarter 36-31 but hammered the Kings in the second quarter. They outscored Sacramento 46-24 in the second quarter and led at half 82-55. The Kings did win the third quarter 35-31 but were behind the eight ball for most of the game. OKC finished off the Kings in the fourth quarter 31-20 for a final score of 144-110 handing Sacramento their second loss in a row. This has been a miserable road trip for the Kings.

OKC outplayed the Kings at every turn the most glaring the 70 rebounds to Sacramento’s 37. The Kings protected the ball well with only eight turnovers but their shooting percentage was anemic with 25% from behind the arc and falling flat from the field. The Thunder had 74 points in the paint, the Kings had 50.

The Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins was outstanding scoring a career high 41 points. Wiggins had started in place of the injured Jalen Williams and he certainly made quite a statement clocking a double double.

Williams scored 14 points in the final quarter. Sacramento was helpless to stop him along with the 29 points scored by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder put a real beat down on the Kings with all but one of their starters scoring double figures.

At the half the Thunder had dictated play shutting down the Kings offense. Oklahoma City went on a 29-11 run to end the second quarter and take a 82-55 lead in to the half. The Kings did win the third quarter 35-31 but the Thunder finished the Kings off in the fourth quarter 31-20.

All of the Kings starters had double digits with De’Aaron Fox the high for Sacramento with 20 points. Malik Monk followed Fox with 19 points in the losing effort.

Game notes: Saturday night the Sacramento took on the Western Conference leading OKC Thunder at Paycom Center. This game was tough one for the Kings who have been struggling losing their last game to the Sixers 117-104.

They did win prior to that game beating the Nets 110-96 in Brooklyn but lost two game in a row prior to that win against the Nuggets and the Knicks. They have been spotty lately and the 7-game winning streak they had been on not long ago has fallen apart.

Saturday night’s game was a challenge the Kings who has not been playing very well of late. With so many rumors swirling regarding Fox moving on there has been a lot of distraction as they begin to wind down their current road trip which has been a bit of a disaster.

The Kings will finish off this road trip traveling to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves Monday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM. They will be looking to right the ship before heading back home for a game with the Orlando Magic Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings playing .500 ball tip off against Clippers tonight in the Southland

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) takes a shot against the Atlanta Hawks guard Garrison Matthews (right) at Golden One Center on Mon Nov 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 How bad is it for the Kings right now as they are shorthanded and were defeated by the Atlanta Hawks 109-108 in Sacramento on Monday.

#2 De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points and teammate Dyson Daniels had four blocks and Daniels was able to block another shot in the closing seconds of the game.

#3 The Hawks Trae Young had 19 assists, Clint Capela scored 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and was able to score the clutch three points which were the difference to win the game in the closing seconds.

#4 Keon Ellis had a career game with 33 points, including nine 3 pointers. The Kings were without the injured Domanta Sabonis (back), DeMar DeRozan (back), and Malik Monk (right ankle sprain) which was a factor in the loss.

#5 The Kings try it again tonight at Intuit Dome in Inglewood against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are 9-7 and won their last game against the Orlando Magic 104-93. The Clippers are ninth in the Western Conference. The Clippers who lost to the Houston Rockets in a two game group stage series. The Clips have turned it around and have won three straight games.

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

Warriors grind out a win over Magic 101-93; Green gets 4th ejection of season

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) tries to keep the ball away from Orlando Magic forward Pablo Banchero (5) in the first half in Orlando on Wed Mar 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The stage was set for an intense battle as the Warriors squared off against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night in Orlando. The Magic, boasting a formidable lineup with five players towering over six feet ten inches and one at six feet nine inches, currently sit atop the Southeast Division with an impressive record of 42-29.

The absence of the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga only added to the challenge. The Magic, known for their defensive prowess, rank among the top four defensive teams in the NBA. They also lead the league in the number of free throws taken, a testament to their aggressive style of play. The Warriors, facing a significant height disadvantage, knew they had their work cut out for them.

To make matters worse, Draymond Green was charged with two technical fouls with less than four minutes of action. Draymond was ejected. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, had to find a way to beat the Magic.

The Magic’s game plan was to bottle up Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Keeping those two under their season’s averages meant someone had to step up. Andrew Wiggins was the man. Wiggins scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Wiggins blocked a shot late in the game to help the Warriors hold off the Magic. The Warriors held on a late Magic run to win the game 101-93.

The Magic scored the game’s first basket to lead 2-0. With the score tied 6-6, Wiggins was called for a foul. Green argued with the referee and received his first technical foul. As the Refs walked up the court, Green did something that got him his second technical and an automatic ejection.

The Magic’s last lead came with a score of 8-6. The Warriors went on a 21-4 run to finish the quarter leading 27-11. Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Thompson paced the Warrior offense.

The Magic’s offense fought back in the second quarter. The Magic outscored the Dubs by eight, 26-18, to finish the first half trailing 45-37. Both teams were playing excellent defense. The Warriors held the Magic to 37 points in the half.

Last Night in Miami, The Warriors held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. Even without Green, the Warriors showed the NBA they know how to defend. Wiggins, Thompson, and Podziemski were excellent, keeping the much bigger Magic squad from scoring points in the paint.

Wiggins and Thompson led the Warriors with seven points in the half. Curry had six. Moses Moody knocked a key three and had five in the half. Podziemski and Gary Payton II each had six. The leading scorer for Orlando was Paolo Branchero, who scored nine. The Warriors’ defense held the Magic to 30% from the floor.

Things changed in the third quarter. The Magic, the worst team in the league shooting threes, connected on four threes to trail 49-41. The Magic’s Cole Anthony connected on five threes to help his team close the gap. The Warriors regrouped and led by 15, 63-48, after Gui Santos hit a three. Orlando went on an 11-2 run to trail by six, 65-59. The Magic won the quarter 29-27 to trail by six, 72-66 at the end of three quarters.

Wiggins hit a three to start the fourth quarter. The Magic hit a three, and Wiggins hit another three. The Warriors had an answer for every Magic bucket, but the Magic kept on coming. With the score 94-88, Orlando hit a three to make it 94-91. The Warriors failed to score. Orlando made a two-point play to trail by one, 94-93. Payton made a three, and Curry scored the game’s last five points. The Warriors win 101-93.

Game Notes: The Warriors are now 38-34. They have ten games left in the regular season. They play the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night in Charlotte. The Magic fell to 42-30.

Wiggins had one of his best games of the season. He led the team with 23 points, pulled down six rebounds, and blocked a shot late in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors win. Curry finished with a double-double. Curry scored 17 points and had ten assists. Curry made three threes.

Thomson tallied 15, and he, too, had three threes. Moody had 12, Gary Payton ten. The Warriors shot 44% from the floor as a team and made ten threes. The Warrior’s defense held the Magic to 42%. The Magic also made ten threes. The leading score for Orlando was Cole Anthony. Coming off the bench, Anthony recorded 26 points. He made five threes in seven tries. Banchero had 15, and Franz Wagner added 14.

The Warrior’s game against the Hornets starts at 4 pm Friday.

Warriors get much needed win beat Heat 113-92; Thompson with 28 pts in win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Guard Klay Thompson (11) takes a lay up to the hoop for the Golden State Warriors against the Miami Heat’s guard Patty Mills (88) at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Tue Mar 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (37-34) got a much-needed win Tuesday night, beating the Miami Heat (39-33) 113-92. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Klay Thompson back into the Warriors’ starting lineup.

Thompson had played well coming off the bench. Kerr knew the Heat had several key players unavailable for Tuesday’s game. Jimmy Butler was out with an illness. The Heat’s best three-point shooter, Duncan Robinson, could not play due to a back problem. Tyler Herro and Kevin Love were sidelined due to foot injuries.

The Heat used a full-court press to slow down the Warrior’s offense. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis did not play as he was not feeling well. Kerr had Kevon Looney replace Trayce in the second unit. Looney tallied seven points and pulled six rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.

The Warriors knew the keys to the game were playing well on defense, not committing fouls, and not turning the ball over. The Warriors accomplished all three tasks.

The Warriors had an early eight-point lead in the first quarter, 20-12. The Heat’s Bam Abedayo made three consecutive two-point buckets to make it 20-18. The Heat finished the quarter leading 26-24. Each team scored 29 points in the second quarter.

Abedayo and Haywood Highsmith paced the Heat’s offense. Each player tallied 13 points in the first half. Klay Thompson, with 15, was the only Warrior in double figures in the first half. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins each had seven. Jonathan Kuminga added eight. The Warriors trailed by two, 55-53, after two periods of play.

The Warriors came to play in the second half. Golden State won the third quarter 32-20. Thompson, Wiggins, and Curry were the players who took the Warriors to a ten-point lead, 95-85, at the end of the third quarter. Kuminga added to the Warriors’ offense in the fourth quarter.

Kuminga went high over the rim to score a basket after a three-point shot bounced high. The Warrior bench could not believe Kuminga’s athleticism on the play. The Warriors outscored the Heat 28-17 in the fourth quarter to win 113-92. 

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 37-34. The Heat fell to 39-33.

As a team, The Warriors shot 55% from the floor. The Warriors made 13 threes in 38 tries. The Heat was eight for thirty-three from downtown. The Warriors’ defense held the Heat to 41% from the floor. The Warriors had six steals and five blocks.

Golden State committed ten turnovers, and the Heat only made ten of 13 free throws. The defense held the Heat to 37 points in the second half. Kerr’s game plan worked to perfection. 

The Warriors won their 19th road game and avoided a fourth-quarter collapse. They had lost eleven times after leading by ten or more points after the third quarter.

Thompson led the Warriors with 28 points, connecting on six threes. Kuminga had 18 points and seven rebounds. Wiggins had 17 points and seven boards, and Curry also had 17 points and six assists.

The Heat had six players in double figures: Abedayo had 24, Terry Rozier and Haywood Highsmith had 15, Nikola Jovic had 11, Jaime Kaquez had 12, and Caleb Martin had 10.

The Warriors play again Wednesday night in Orlando. The Magic lead the Southeast Division with a record of 42-29. The Warriors need to be at their best to get a win. The game will start at 4 pm.

Sabonis leads Kings with 25th triple double in 109-107 victory over Magic at Golden 1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Orlando Magic guard Tyrese Maxey (left) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (right) in the first half at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 25, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday. The Kings were back on the court after an off day on Sunday. The Kings had last played against the Orlando Magic on Saturday in Orlando.

The Kings beat the Magic 109-107. On the other hand, the Kings welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers, who had last played on Sunday in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The 76ers defeated the Clippers 121-107. The Kings and 76ers tipped off at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center. The Kings defeated the 76ers on Monday by the final of 108-96.

In the first quarter, it was the Tyrese Maxey and Keegan Murray show. Tyrese had a game-leading 21 points in the first quarter. Not far behind Maxey was Keegan Murray, who scored 17 points. The Kings outscored the 76ers in the first quarter 31-25. The Kings would look to maintain Maxey in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings did a solid job on Tyrese. Maxey only managed five points in the second quarter as the Kings ballooned the lead on the 76ers. The Kings outscored the 76ers 29-23 in the second quarter. The Kings went into halftime leading 60-48. Keegan Murray led the Kings in the first half with 19 points. Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 26 points in the first half.

In the third quarter, the Kings continued to put pressure on the 76ers. The Kings expanded the lead on the 76ers by outscoring them 23-20. The Kings would go up 83-68 entering the final quarter. The Kings leading scorer through three quarters was Keegan Murray with 21 points. Tyrese Maxey was still the leading scorer for Philly with 26 points. In the third quarter Domas Sabonis recorded his 54th striahgt double-double a league leading record the last 50 years.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings managed to hold on and seal the deal. The Kings held on to defeat the 76ers by the final of 108-96. The Kings were outscored in the final quarter 28-25. The Kings leading scorers in the game were De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray who each had 23 points. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers in defeat with 29 points. The Kings got a much needed win against an opponent they should have beaten on paper without start Joel Embid.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Dallas Mavs on Tuesday at 7 PM PST.

Warriors Fall Short From Downtown Losing to the Timberwolves 114-110; Minnesota ties season high of 3’s with 21

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Ried (11) celebrates his three pointer against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Mar 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (36-33) played a terrific game for three quarters but fell short in the fourth losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves (48-22) 114-110. Despite playing without Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota played very well after struggling through the first quarter.

It was the triples that the Timberwolves hit that sealed the win for Minnesota. They hit 21 in this game while the Warriors only had 14. Stephen Curry finished with 31 points but it was not enough to get past the Timberwolves.

Sunday evening the Warriors traveled to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. The Warriors have lost both games they have played against the Timberwolves this season and that was back in November. Both games were close.

On November 12 they lost by six points 116-110 and days later Golden State lost by the score of 104-101. The Warriors were having their struggles in late 2023 and they have turned things around in 2024 so all bets are off in this one.

The Timberwolves are having struggles of their own missing Karl-Anthony Towns who is dealing with a torn left knee meniscus. He had surgery to repair the knee in early March and will be re-evaluated in a month. This pushes his return into the month of April when the regular season will be winding down.

Towns has been a huge part of the Timberwolves rise into the top tier of the Western Conference and he has been missed. The Warriors had a great opportunity to handle this team without Towns as well as their solid starting roster along with their improved play.

Golden State needed this win trailing the Lakers by a game and a half and the Rockets on their heels a mere game and a half behind them but Golden State just couldn’t over come the Timberwolves in a four point 114-110 loss.

Game recap: The Warriors won the first quarter leading after the first 12 minutes 27-18 and by the half had forced 13 Minnesota turnovers. The Timberwolves got going in the second quarter winning the quarter by a single point 28-27.

Golden State took a 54-46 lead into the locker room at the half. Minnesota began to heat up in the first half hitting nine triples and out-rebounding the Warriors 24 to 18. Ball protection was huge for the Warriors who only had five turnovers so far in the game as well as hitting 46% from the field.

The Warriors 12-2 run in the first half and containing Rudy Gobert was a huge part of their halftime lead. Curry, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins were all in double digits; Curry leading the pack with 14 points.

The Warriors had as much as a dozen point lead in the first half but the Timberwolves were hanging tight in the third quarter but still trailing 60-57. Golden State had their work cut out for them against the number one defensive team in the league.

Minnesota is also fourth in the league from downtown pushing their triple count to 12 in this game. The Warriors established a seven point lead 74-67 with 2:55 left in the third quarter. Minnesota got to within one point in the closing minute but Golden State pushed their lead back out to 81-78.

A single triple by the Timberwolves would tie up this game and so far the Warriors had been outscored by 18 points from the 3-point line. Curry had scored 22 points through three quarters. Golden State could not afford a mental lapse as this game went into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors started the fourth quarter with a couple of turnovers that the Timberwolves turned into two more triples taking a 84-81 lead. With ten minutes left in the game it was tied at 84 in another close game between the two conference foes.

The tide began to turn with under seven minutes left in the game. Minnesota continued to hit triples, 19 in total, taking a 97-89 lead. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the game Curry came back on the court instantly hitting a triple and cutting the Minnesota lead to 97-92.

With under six minutes left on the clock triples began to fly from both sides. With 41.0 seconds left in the game Minnesota had a five point lead 111-106.

The Warriors cut the Timberwolves lead to 111-110 with 14.9 seconds and the ball in Minnesota’s possession. This game was going down to the wire. Klay Thompson got a decent look at 11.2 and missed and that was the game 114-110 in favor of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dictated the pace of the game after the first quarter and their shooting from downtown was a huge part of tonight’s win for Minnesota. The Timberwolves had won all three games against Golden State this season. Anthony Edwards made some key shots in the game finishing with 23 points. They are now 25-9 at home this season.

It does not get any easier for the Warriors as they head into Florida to take on the Miami Heat Tuesday night followed by a matchup with the Orlando Magic Wednesday night. Both of these games are critical and both of them will be a tough call. Tipoff for the first of the two games Tuesday night is scheduled for 4:30 PM. 12 games are left in the season and it is going to be a photo finish.