On the NBA Playoffs with J Hawkes:
#1 Washington Wizards 118 @ Philadelphia 76ers 125 (game 1)
#2 Los Angeles Lakers 90 @ Phoenix 99 game 1
#3 Atlanta Hawks 107 @ New York Knicks 105 game 1
#5 Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz game 1
Join Joe for the NBA Playoffs throughout the post season for the NBA Playoff podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Oh Brother! The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against brother and Philadelphia 76ers Seth Curry (31) at Wells Fargo Bank Arena in Philadelphia on Mon Apr 19, 2021 (AP News photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Golden State Warriors’ (29-29) Stephen Curry had another brilliant performance with 49 points Monday night as the Warriors stunned the Philadelphia 76ers (39-18) 107-96. The Sixers owned the best record in the Eastern Conference before the start of the game.
The Sixers are also the best squad in the NBA as they hold opponents to 108 points a game. The Sixers’ best defensive player, Ben Simmons, was not on the court Monday night. Forward Tobia Harris was not in the Sixer lineup, either.
The Warriors went with a small-ball lineup. The Warriors may not be the best defensive team in the NBA, but they know how to defend. The Sixers were looking to sweep the series as they beat the Warriors 108-98 at the Chase Center on March 23rd. Curry missed that game with a tailbone injury.
Curry, who scored 47 Saturday night in Boston, played as if his hair was on fire. Curry had his sixth game of the year with ten three-pointers. Curry tied Kobe Bryant’s NBA record of a player 33 years or older scoring 30 or more points in ten consecutive games.
Curry broke the record Monday night. Curry owns the record for most games, making ten threes with 21. It was quite a night for Curry. Warrior fans at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia were chanting MVP, MVP. Steve Kerr had this to say about Curry’s performance “There’s something beautiful about it. It really is an art,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “What he’s doing is amazing to watch. Nobody in the history of this game has ever done what he’s doing right now.”
The teams played a very tight, competitive, exciting ball game. The Sixers scored the first 12 points in the first quarter. Curry knocked down a couple of threes and finished the first 12 minutes of the game with 11 points. The teams were tied 24-24 at the end of the period.
The Warriors second unit opened up a six-point lead 39-33. The Sixers tied it at 43. The Warriors hand their hands full, trying to contain the Sixers’ big man, Joel Embiid. The Sixers were 20-2 when Embiid tallies ten or more points on free throws. The big guy uses his body to draw fouls, and the smaller Kevon Looney and Draymond Green each committed three.
The teams left the court for the halftime break tied at 55 apiece. Curry paced the Warrior attack with 20. He connected on four three in eight tries. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, had 12, Andrew Wiggins eight. Kelly Oubre, making his first appearance since missing six games with a wrist injury, had six.
In the third quarter, defense was the name of the game for each team. The Warriors outscored the Sixers 20-15. Each team had to fight to get points on the game. Neither team, except for the Sixers’ early 12-0 lead in the first quarter, could pull away.
The Warriors knew that they had to stop Embiid if they wanted to win. As usual, Steve Kerr inserted his second unit to start the fourth quarter. Green and Curry would return with about six minutes and 30 seconds left in the game. Green had four fouls on him, and he had to be careful as Embiid was going to the rim every time he got his hands on the ball.
The Second unit held its own until the Sixers went on a 12-2 run to lead 84-83. Steph was back on the floor. Curry made a three to tie the game at 86. The Sixers fought back and led 90-86. Curry made another three. The Warriors led 93-92.
Curry made another three, and Green knocked down a two-pointer to put the Warriors ahead 98-92. The Warriors’ defense put the clamps on the Sixers’ offense. The Sixers scored four points in the last three minutes and forty-two seconds of the game.
Curry made another three to make it 101-92. With the score 101-95, Curry made a sensational step-back three to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat 104-95. Curry added three more free throws to lead the Warriors to victory 107-96.
Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 29-29 for the year. They have won three of the four games played on the five-game road trip. The Sixers are 39-18.
Curry finished the night with 49 points, three rebounds, and five assists. He was 14-for28 from the floor, and he connected on ten threes in 17 tries. Andrew Wiggins had a double-double with 16 points and ten boards. Damion Lee had 12 points, six rebounds, and an assist.
Lee was five-for-six from the floor. He made two threes in two tries. Kevon Looney had five pints and a career-high 15 rebounds. Green’s line was eight points, six rebounds, and six assists. Kelly Oubre had nine, and Jordan Poole six.
The Warriors shot 45% from the floor. They made 14 threes in 32 attempts. They took 13 fewer shots than the Sixers. The Warriors outscored the Sixers 25-14 from the free-throw line. On defense, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Sixers 58-49.
Joel Embiid had a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Embiid made eleven points from the charity stripe. The Sixers are now 20-3 when he scores more than 10 points from the free-throw line. Curry’s brother, Seth, tallied 15 points in the first half. The Warriors held him scoreless in the final 24 minutes of the game. Danny Green made four three for 12 points. The Sixers’ backup center, Dwight Howard, did not score. He pulled down ten rebounds.
The Warriors finish the five-game road trip Wednesday night when they face the Washington Wizards. The game will start at 4 pm.
The Philadelphia 76ers Tony Bradley (11) center and guard Ben Simmons (25) exchange congratulations as the Sixers pick up their fifth consecutive road win over the Golden State Warriors on Tue Mar 23, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (@sixers photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Warriors, still without Stephen Curry’s services, faced a daunting task Tuesday night as they squared off against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers own the best record in the NBA east, 30-13, and the NBA’s second-best record. Their best player, Joel Embiid, was out with an injury.
The Sixers, coached by Doc Rivers, have been the hottest team in the NBA in March. Philadelphia averaged 120 points a game, and their defense is one of the best in the league. The Warriors’ defense had their work cut out for them if they hoped to win. The team welcomed back James Wiseman and Kevon Looney after they passed the necessary Covid-19 protocols. The Warriors even with Wiseman and Looney in the line up couldn’t close the Sixers losing Tuesday night 108-98.
The Sixers dominated the first half of play. The Warriors defense had no answers as the Sixers raced out to a 35-19 lead after 12 minutes of playing time. Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Tony Bradley led the onslaught. The Warriors regrouped in the second quarter as they cut the deficit to 14 at the end of the first half, 59-45.
Damion Lee, coming off the bench, led the Warriors with nine. Kelly Oubre also had nine. Jordan Poole had eight. Andre Wiggins and Draymond Green each had two. The Sixers’ Tobias Harris had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Simmons and Tony Bradley each had 12.
The Sixers appeared to be on their way to a blowout win over the Warriors. The Warriors had lost eight games by 20 or more points so far this season. They did not want to make it nine. The Warriors offense lit up the board with 40 points while holding them to 19 to finish the third period with a five-point lead 85-80.
The Warriors were playing well on both ends of the court. They had their biggest lead of the night, 92-86, when things went south. Behind the big three of Simmons, Bradley, and Harris, the Sixers went on a 22-6 run to beat the Warriors by ten 108-98. The Sixers showed the Warriors that they are one of the best teams in the NBA because they know how to win in crunch time.
Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 22-22 for the season. The Sixers improved to 31-13.
The Warriors’ head coach announced that Curry would miss another week due to a contusion on his tailbone. He will miss games against the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls.
Kelly Oubre had a double-double with 24 points and ten rebounds to lead the Warriors’ offense. Jordan Poole knocked down 19 and was two-for-nine from behind the three-point arc. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, had 16. He made two threes. Wiggins finished with 14. James Wiseman had 11. Draymond Green had six points, nine boards, and six assists. The W’s shot 43 % from the floor and connected on eight three in 25 tries. The Sixers outrebounded them 63-51.
The Sixers had six players in double-figures. Tobias Harris had a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Tony Bradley, too, had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards, Ben Simmons had 22, Shake Milton 13, Furkan Korkmaz 12, and Danny Green 11.
The Warriors play the Kings in Sacramento Thursday night. Tip off at 7 pm.
Photo credit: @NBCSKings
By Jeremiah Salmonson
The Sacramento Kings were back on the court on Saturday night. After playing on Friday in Boston, the Kings traveled to take on the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. The Kings weren’t able to math the 76ers and fell 129-105 in regulation.
Flashback Friday: The Sacramento Kings did something they hadn’t done since 2007 on Friday night. That feat was beating the Boston Celtics in Boston. The Kings had a very uncharacteristic win on Friday beating the Celtics 107-96. The Kings defense is what was on display on Friday as they held the Celtics to only 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Saturday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the 76ers on Saturday at 4:30 PM PST in Philadelphia.
In the first half, the Kings didn’t play particularly great. It was the teams defense that let them down again. The first quarter saw the 76ers outscore the Kings 42-21. It was an embarrassing defensive performance for a team not known much for defense as it is. In the second quarter, the Kings offense picked up the pace, but the defense remained ineffective. The Kings and 76ers both scored 31 points in the second quarter. An improvement on the first quarter for the Kings, but not really enough to close the 20-point gap heading into halftime. The score at half was 73-52 76ers on top.
In the second half, the Kings played better, but didn’t get the effort they needed to perform a comeback. The third quarter saw the 76ers outscore the Kings again 33-28 and saw the lead grow to 26 points. At this point, playing the final quarter was just a formality. The Kings outscored the 76ers in the fourth quarter 25-23, but came up drastically short of mounting a comeback. The Kings ultimately fell 129-105 in the city of brotherly love.
Tobias Harris led the victorious 76ers with 29 points as Buddy Hield led the Kings in defeat with 25 points. It was a tough pill for the Kings to swallow after their improved play of late. The Kings fell to 17-25 as the 76ers improved to 29-14 (Best in the Eastern Conference) on the season.
Up Next: The Kings travel to Cleveland for the final game of their six game road trip to play the Cavaliers at 4:30 PM PST on Monday.
Joe Embiid (21) and Ben Simmons (25) of the Philadelphia 76ers both were removed from playing in the NBA All Star Game due to Covid-19 protocol issues on Sun Mar 7, 2021 in Atlanta (@sixers)
On Headline Sports with Barbara:
#1 The Philadelphia 76ers (24-12) Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons received haircuts from a barber who had tested positive for Covid-19 and the NBA announced that both players were not going to play in last night’s All Star game in Atlanta.
#2 Barbara, the Sacramento Kings (14-22) have been playing .500 ball in their last four games. The Kings lost their last game to the Portland Trailblazers (21-14) 123-119 on Thursday night. The Kings previous game to that one was a shocker as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (24-13) 123-120 also memorable because LeBron did not play.
#3 The Kings although they lost to Portland on Thursday looks to have improved over the last two games with the win over the Lakers and the close contest against the Trailblazers.
#4 The Golden State Warriors (19-18) just below the playoff line in ninth place in the Western Conference the Warriors after winning six of seven went on a three game losing streak losing most recently to the Phoenix Suns (24-11) 120-98 last Thursday. Jordan Poole scored 26 leading Golden State in scoring.
#5 The Warriors face the fourth place Los Angeles Clippers (24-14) on Thu Mar 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Clippers have lost five of their last seven games and in their last game they lost a close one to the Washington Wizards (14-20) 119-117.
Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Monday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Philadelphia 76er guard Ben Simmons (right) tests out the defensive skills of the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (left) in the first half at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue Feb 9, 2021 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony R:
#1 After winning four straight games the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night cooled off a bit when the Philadelphia 76ers came calling to Golden One Center and shut down the Kings offense in the fourth quarter to score only 20 points and the Sixers picked up a five point win 119-111.
#2 The 76ers Joel Embiid led the way with 25 points, 17 rebounds and six assists the Kings just couldn’t do anything with him on Tuesday night.
#3 The 76ers also got scoring help from Tobias Harris and Seth curry both with 22 points. Four 76ers finishing in double figures to off set the Kings on Tuesday night.
#4 Tony the Kings despite the loss on Tuesday had some offensive help with five scorers in double figures that included with De’Aaron Fox 34 points and Buddy Hield with 21 points two of the key players during the Kings four game win steak.
#5 The Orlando Magic come to Sacramento on Friday night. The Magic have been struggling of late 9-16 and have won only one game in their last six tries they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in their last game Tuesday night 106-97. The Kings had a four game win streak going until they lost Tuesday night to the 76ers. How do you see this match up on Friday night at Golden One?
Join Tony Renteria for the Sacramento Kings podcasts every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
photo sfgate.com: The Philadelphia 76ers Al Horford holds onto the ball as the Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) reaches in to get it loose at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday night
By Jerry Feitelberg
San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at the Chase Center Saturday night. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry did not play as he was diagnosed with a case of seasonal flu. Draymond Green continued to rest his sore knee and Kevon Looney was out with a hip injury. The Sixers’ two best players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were not available.
The Warriors, playing well of late, had hoped to have Curry in the lineup. The Warriors lost a close game to the Toronto Raptors Thursday night. The fans, who have suffered along with the team all season long, were beginning to see a glimmer of hope for next season. The Warriors, down eight points at the end of three quarters, rallied to beat the Sixers 118-114.
The Dubs trailed for most of the game. They trailed the Sixers by two at the half 57-55. The Sixers won the third quarter 33-37 to lead 90-82 after three periods of action.
The Warriors had their work cut out for them. They were able to stop the Sixer attack with an aggressive defense. Damion Lee knocked down a three to put the Warriors ahead 113-111. The Sixers’ Tobias Harris countered with a three of his own to put the Sixers back in the lead. Eric Paschall made with two free throws.
The Sixers missed three consecutive shots. Mychal Mulder made two free throws. “It took until the fourth quarter to really get much traction defensively,” Kerr said. “Philadelphia did a good job beating us inside for the first three quarters . But our guys hung in there and kept the game close. And then the fourth quarter really turned up the defense, and we got a lot of great individual performances, too.”
The Warriors held on to win 118-114. The Warriors are now 15-49 for the season. The Sixers are 38-26 and trail the Indiana Pacers by 1/2 game for the fifth spot in Eastern Conference.
Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors snapped a 10-game home losing streak with the win. They won at the Chase Center for the first time since January 18th. They have won for the third time in the last five games.
The Warriors used nine players in the game. Seven of them were in double figures. Damion Lee led the W’s with 24 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and he made three threes in eight tries.
Eric Paschall, coming off the bench, tallied 23 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Mychal Mulder, who played the last day of his ten day contract, added 18 points. Marquese Chriss just missed a triple-double.
Chriss recorded 13 points, ten rebounds, and eight assists. Jordan Poole had 11, Dragan Bender ten, and Andrew Wiggins finished with ten. The team shot 55% from the floor. They moved the ball well as they recorded 30 assists. They committed seven turnovers. The Sixers out rebounded them 41-35
The Sixers had six players in double figures. Tobias Harris led the team with 24, Al Horford had 22 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. Shake Milton had 14, Raul Neto 11. Glenn Robinson and Alec Burks traded to Philadelphia at the trade deadline, returned to the Chase Center with their new team. Robinson tallied 15 points, and Burks added 11.
The Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at Chase Center in San Francisco
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings have been playing great since the All-Star break. The Kings are only 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings looked to continue that success at home against a banged up Philadelphia 76ers team. Tip-off was set for 7PM PST at Golden 1 Center.
In the first half, the Kings really struggled to find their shot. The Kings spent most of the first half down double digits as the 76ers made the majority of their three point shots. For a traditionally poor three point shooting team, the 76ers managed to shoot 47.4% (9-19) from downtown in the first half. In contrast, the Kings only managed a 25% (2-8) clip from deep.
That discrepancy alone was enough to put the Kings behind the eight ball going into the second half down 53-63. Leading the way for the 76ers was Tobias Harris who had 19 first half points. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in the first half with 13 points.
In the second half, the Kings continued to struggle. The 76ers outscored the Kings 33-27 in the third while the Kings couldn’t get stops. The Kings went on a few runs but ultimately couldn’t make up any ground. The Kings would start the 4th down double digits at 96-80.
In the fourth, it was more of the same for most of the quarter. The Sixers were hitting shots while the Kings weren’t and not getting stops. The Kings went on a 16-2 run in the middle of the quarter to get within six points but in the end it wouldn’t matter.
The Kings would fall to the Philadelphia 76ers by a final 125-108. It was a disappointing game for the Kings who had been playing so well of late. They would look to Saturday in Portland to get back on track.
The leading scorer for the 76ers was Tobias Harris who had 28 points. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led the way with 23 points and Buddy Hield was right behind with 22 points in the game.
Up Next: The Kings head to Portland to take on the Trailblazers on Saturday night.
photo from sfgate.com: Comedian Bill Murray takes a cut on the green at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am on Thu Feb 6, 2020
On Headline Sports podcast with London:
#1 The AT&T at Pebble Beach Pro Am is under way and fan favorite Phil Mickelson is there. Mickelson won last year’s tournament by three shots.
#2 The Golden State Warriors were sellers dealing Glen Robinson III and Alec Burks to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night and dealing D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night
#3 Talk about some of the San Francisco Giants pitchers vying for a spot in the rotation to name a few, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Shaun Anderson, Tyler Beade, Derek Rodriguez, and Aaron Saurez.
#4 Former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose is asking MLB for reinstatement citing sign stealing and steroids issues that might support his defense to have a shot into the Hall of Fame
#5 The Sacramento Kings host a very talented Miami Heat team on Friday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Kings are coming off a big win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
London does Headline Sports each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell (0) drives next to Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Brooklyn, Russell was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday morning
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Golden State Warriors did not play Alec Burks or Glenn Robinson III Wednesday night in the game against the Brooklyn Nets. Burks and Robinson, as well as guard D’Angelo Russell, had been the subject of trade rumors for several weeks.
The Warriors announced the trade after the game. The Sixers will get Burks and Robinson, and the Warriors will get three second-round draft choices. They get Dallas’ pick in the 2020 draft, Denver’s pick in the 2021 draft, and Toronto’s pick in the 2022 draft.
Burks and Robinson were signed this season to a one-year contract. Both players would be free agents after the season. The trade took $4.2 million off the Warriors’ books and dropped the luxury tax bill from $9.3 million to $3.4 million. The team is now $1.38 million above the tax threshold. The Warriors payroll will go up as they have only 11 players under contract. They probably will sign Marquese Chriss to an NBA contract.
Alec Burks, in his ninth season, and Glenn Robinson, in his eighth, played well for the Warriors. Robinson was a starter, and Burks came off the bench. Both players can make a three-point shot. Burks averaged 16.1 points-per-game. Robinson averaged 12.9 ppg. Robinson pulled down 4.9 rebounds per game.
The trade will fortify the Sixers’ offensive attack. The Sixers rank 21st in the NBA in 3-point percentage. They need more scoring, and Burks and Robinson give them two players that can score.
The Warriors’ management and players liked Robinson and Burks. They fit in well. Since both will be free agents at the end of the year, the Warriors will be able to sign one or both if they feel that the players will fit in with the Warriors next season.
The Warriors dealt D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday morning. With Klay Thompson and Steph Curry back, the Warriors will go without Russell as the leader on the second unit. The Warriors will have two players that can put 50 points on the board every game next season.
The Warriors will get a lottery pick this year. They have the worst record in the NBA. With Burks and Robinson gone, The Warriors will give players like Jordan Poole and Omari Spellman more playing time. Next season, the Warriors will move Damion Lee to the second unit. Either Marquese Chriss or a healthy Kevon Looney will start at the center position.
If the Warriors get the number one pick in the lottery, they probably will pick James Wiseman. Wiseman is a big man coming in at 7 feet 1 inch of height. He left the University of Memphis after he was suspended for 12 games. He also declared for this year’s NBA draft. Wiseman averaged 19.7 points per game, 10.7 rebounds, and three blocks.
The Warriors, under coach Steve Kerr’s tutelage, will continue to play to the best of the team’s ability. It may not translate into wins this season, but with the return of Klay and Steph, the Warriors should be playoff contenders next year.
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