Tag: Phoenix Suns

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors come back on Suns remain in 8th in Western Conference

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The Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins who scored 38 points against the Phoenix Suns is congratulated by forward Draymond Green (23) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (37-33) were down but staged a comeback holding the Phoenix Suns (48-21) to just 18 points in the fourth quarter and scored 30 to win it 122-116.

#2 One of the keys to the Warriors offense was Andrew Wiggins who scored 38 points the Suns just couldn’t shut his shot or his offense down.

#3 It’s a tight spot for that last and final eighth spot in the Western Conference that the Warriors are holding onto they host the New Orleans Pelicans (31-38) on Friday night at the Chase Center and hope to keep winning to stay alive for a playoff position.

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

Warriors fourth quarter rally stuns Suns 122-116; Wiggins top scorer with 38 points for Golden State

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against the Phoenix Suns Devin Booker at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

For the second night in a row, the Golden State Warriors (37-33) faced one of the top teams in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns (48-21). The Suns entered the game, still smarting from a 123-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night. If the Suns were to win, they would be just one game behind the Utah Jazz in the race for first place in the Western Conference.

If Utah and Phoenix finish with identical records, Phoenix would be Division champs as they won the season series from the Jazz. The Warriors needed a win to remain in eighth place in the Western Conference. The eighth-place would give the Warriors two chances to make the final eight teams for the Western Conference title. If the Warriors finish in ninth or tenth, one loss will send them home.

Things did not go well for the Warriors in the first half. Phoenix, as so many teams have done, had two men defending Stephen Curry. The Warriors needed someone to step up and fill the void if Curry was shackled. Andrew Wiggins was the man. Wiggins finished the night with 38 points to lead the Warriors to an exciting 122-116 win.

 In the first quarter, the teams played a very face-paced, competitive game. The Warriors led 21-20 when Phoenix went on a 16-2 run to lea 36-23. The Suns were making threes, and the Warriors were not. The Suns connected on six threes. Phoenix led 38-29 after the first 12 minutes of action.

Things didn’t get better for Golden State in the second period. The Suns led by 15 points, 55-40, about halfway through the period. Kent Bazemore, Andrew Wiggins, and Juan Toscano-Anderson helped the Warriors close the gap to a eight-point deficit, 66-58 at the end of the first half.

The Suns Jae Crowder led his team with 17 points. Crowder knocked down five shots from behind the three-point arc. The 36-year-old veteran point guard, Chris Paul, had 11. Devin Booker had nine. Andrew Wiggins kept the Warriors in the game with 21. Kent Bazemore pitched in with 14. Curry finished with four points. He was 0-for-5 from downtown.

The Warriors knew they had to make adjustments to get Curry open so that he could attempt three-point shots. The Suns knew that the Warriors love to put their opponents away in the third quarter. Neither team would wilt in the quarter.

Curry made his only three-pointer of the night to bring the Dubs within six, 70-64. The Suns Devin Booker held to nine points in the first half, took over the Phoenix offense. Booker poured in 22 points while the rest of the Suns tallied just ten. The Warriors won the quarter 34-32 but still trailed by six, 98-92 heading into the final 12 minutes of play. 

The Warriors had to find a way to stop the Phoenix offense in the fourth quarter. Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Juan Toscano-Anderson were the players that held Phoenix to 18 points. The Warriors started the final 12 minutes with their second unit.

Wiggins and Jordan Poole each made a three to tie the game 103-103. Curry made a bucket to tie the game at 105-105. Phoenix went ahead 110-107 with three minutes left. Wiggins connected on a three to tie the game again. Chris Paul responded with a three to put Phoenix ahead 113-110.

Toscano-Anderson made his only three of the night to tie the game at 113-113. Jordan Poole gave the Warriors their first lead since they led 21-20 in the first period. Wiggins made a two-point bucket to give the Warriors a five-point lead 118-113 with 1:21 left.

The Suns Jae Crowder made his sixth three of the night to close within two, 118-116 with 1:10 left. Curry made a floater. Curry made a floater. Golden State led 120-116. The Suns, running out of time, fouled Jordan Poole. Poole made both free throws to seal the win for the Warriors 122-116.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 37-33 for the year. They have two games left on the schedule. They meet the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night and finish the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies trail the Warriors by 1/2 game in the race for the eighth spot in the conference. Sunday’s game should be a barnburner.

Andrew Wiggins was the player of the game for Golden State. Wiggins finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Wiggins was 17-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on two threes. Green finished with a triple-double.

His numbers were 11 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists. The Warriors rarely lose when Green has a triple-double. Poole had 20 points. Poole made three threes. Kent Bazemore had another solid game on both ends of the court.

Bazemore finished with 17 points. For most players scoring 21 points in a game would be a big night. For Curry, it was an off night. Curry tallied 21 points, three rebounds, and six assists. He was seven-for 22 from the floor, and he made one three in 11 tries. Toscano-Anderson finished with seven points, five rebounds, and six assists. He made one three, but it was huge when it happened in the fourth quarter. 

As a team, the Warriors made 47 field goals in 95 attempts. They were 11-for-40 from behind the three-point arc. They outrebounded the Suns 51-40. The Warriors recorded 33 assists on 47 field goals. 

Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points. Chris Paul had 24, and Jae Crowder finished with 20.

The Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. Zion Williamson will not play. The Pelicans’ star forward due to an injury he suffered last week against the Warriors in Crescent City. The game will start at 6:30 pm

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings lost ninth straight game 122-114

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The Phoenix Suns guard Devon Booker (1) drives on the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) on Thu Apr 15, 2021 in Phoenix (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings (22-34) have lost their ninth straight game and again the game wasn’t even close as the Kings were handed a 122-114, 22 point loss in Phoenix (40-15).

#2 The Kings had a hard time shutting down the Suns Deandre Ayton led in scoring with 26 points and Devon Booker had 23 as they ran right through the Kings defense.

#3 The De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring with 27 and Buddy Hield finished second with 24, the Kings had a total of six players in double figures and lost the game by eight.

#4 Coach as hard as he may and it’s been like that every night for Luke Walton this has to be his toughest patch of this 2021 season.

#5 The Kings get some rest as they won’t play again until next Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks (30-24). The Mavericks have won five out of their last eight games. Jeremiah size this game up Sunday between the Kings and Mavericks can the Kings snap the losing skid.

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

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings struggle with defense again lose by eight,122-114

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The Phoenix Sun center Deanadre Ayton (22) takes a shot while being defended by the Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (22) and De’Aaron Fox (5) on Thu Apr 15, 2021 at Phoenix (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night. The Kings were playing in the second night of a back-to-back that saw them take on the Washington Wizards in Sacramento on Wednesday, and the Pheonix Suns on Thursday. The Sacramento Kings fell on Thursday to the Suns 122-114 in Phoenix. However, before we talk about that game let’s quickly recap Wednesday’s loss.

Flashback Wednesday: In the Kings last game they welcomed into Sacramento the Washington Wizards. The Wizards came into the game as one of the worst teams in the league according to their record, but that didn’t stop them. The Kings didn’t play a very solid defensive game as the Wizards beat the Kings by the final of 123-111. The Kings lost their eighth straight game as the losses continue to mount in the hunt for a play-in spot.

Thursday night recap: The Kings are a much worse team than the Phoenix Suns. That much we knew going into Thursday’s game for the Kings. However, the Kings have been known to win unexpected matchups while failing to take care of the “easy” opponents. The Kings were set to take on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at 7 PM PST in Phoenix.

In the first half, The Kings kept up well with the Suns. The first quarter saw the Kings get outscored 33-28. The Kings defense was the blind side as the Suns took advantage. In the second quarter, the Kings managed to outscore the Suns 37-34 as the Kings made back some of the ground they lost in the first quarter. The Kings would go into halftime down 67-65. The Kings kept it close with the Suns in the first half and would look for the comeback win on the road.

In the second half, the Kings weren’t able to complete a comeback. In the third quarter, the Kings did outscore the Suns 29-28 too keep the game close going into the final quarter. In the final quarter, the Kings offense evaporated. The Kings only managed to score 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns put up 27 to seal the deal in the dessert.

The Suns beat the Kings by a final of 122-114. The Kings were led by the usual person in the form of De’Aaron Fox who scored 27 points. For the Suns, Deandre Ayton led the way with 26 points. The Kings have now lost nine games in a row and will head to take on the Mavericks next.

Up Next: The Kings flew to Dallas after the game on Thursday to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at 4:30 PM PST.

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Embiid and Simmons barber had Covid-19 leading to removal from All Star Game; Kings and Warriors reviews

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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

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Mar 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Suns easily handle Warriors 120-98; W’s different team without Curry in the line up

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The Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul plays keep away from the Golden State Warriors Nico Mannion during the second half on Thu Mar 4, 2021 in Phoenix (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix Thursday night. The Warriors were hoping to rebound from the tough loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night. It was not going to be an easy task as the Suns had won 15 of the last 18 games and own a record of 23-11.

There was another problem that the Warriors had to overcome. The team did not play Kelly Oubre, Jr. Thursday night. He missed the game in Portland and was not ready to go Thursday. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr gave his two veteran stars, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the night off.

The move was controversial as Thursday nights’ game was the last before the All-Star break. The team doesn’t play for a week. Curry is going to Atlanta to play. So, without three starters, the only regular in the starting lineup was Andrew Wiggins.

Damion Lee and Nico Mannion were the starting guard, Juan Toscano-Anderson was the other forward, and James Wiseman replaced Kevon Looney at the center position. Kerr wanted the young players to get more playing time. Phoenix used all their regulars, and they sent the Warriors down to defeat 120-98.

The Warriors played well until late in the first quarter. The Warriors trailed 24-23 when Phoenix went on a 10-nothing run to finish the first 12 minutes leading 34-23. Phoenix continued to punish the Warriors in the early going of the second period.

They outscored the Warriors 10-4 to lead 44-27. The Suns were on their way to a win. From this point until late in the fourth quarter, the Warrior youngsters held their own with the Suns. Jordan Poole, who had gone down to the G-League to get playing time, lit up the court when he entered the game.

Jordan knocked down 13 points and made two threes in 16 minutes of action. The Warriors finished the first half trailing 62-51. Andrew Wiggins helped out with 11 points. Devin Booker led the Suns with ten.

The Suns outscored the Warriors 58-47 in the second half to easily win 120-98. The Warriors had to be pleased with Jordan Poole’s performance. The second-year guard from the University of Michigan had a career-high 26 points. He was ten-for sixteen from the floor, and he knocked down five threes. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 19-18 for the year. Phoenix improved to 24-11.

Andrew Wiggins was second on the team with 16. James Wiseman had 11 points and ten rebounds. He was on the court for 34 minutes. Rookie guard Nico Mannion had nine points as he connected on three threes. Juan Toscano-Anderson had nine. The Warriors shot 43.7% from the floor, and they made 12 threes in 35 tries. The Suns outrebounded them 59-46. The Suns’ defense forced 17 turnovers.

The Suns had seven players in double-figures. Booker had 16, Cameron Payne 17, Abdel Nader, Jae Crowder 14, Dario Saric 13, Deandre Ayton 11, and ten boards. Chris Paul had ten.

James Wiseman and Mychal Mulder were named to the NBA’s Rising Stars team.  Curry will be playing in his seventh All-Star game. He has been a starter every time he has appeared in the NBA Classic. Curry will also compete in the three-point shootout. 

The Warriors resume play next Thursday night in Los Angeles when they face the Clippers. They return home to face the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Warriors’ offense flounders in Phoenix, Suns win easily 114-93

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Hoping to earn their first three-game winning streak this season, the Golden State Warriors failed to generate enough offense to beat the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors trailed Phoenix by five at the half 52-47. The Warriors usually play better in the second half, but not Thursday night, as the Suns won both the third and fourth quarters to win 114-93.

The Warriors’ Kelly Oubre, Jr, James Wiseman, and Damion Lee all performed well against Minnesota Wednesday night. Their performances on Thursday was the exact opposite. Oubre finished with four points. He was 1-for-11 from the floor and did not make a three in five tries. Wiseman, who scored 25 against Minnesota, had five points and was 2-for-9 from the field.

Damion Lee did not score. He had 17 against Minnesota. The Warriors had three players in double figures. Steph Curry 27, Andrew Wiggins 16, and Eric Pascall 12. Seven Suns’ player had more than 10 points in the game.

The Suns were playing the last game of a four-game homestand. The visiting teams won all three very closely contested games. The Suns lost one in overtime, one in double-overtime, and one in regulation. They needed to beat the Warriors. They were without the star backcourt ace, Devin Booker, out with a hamstring injury. Dario Saric was not available due to COVID-19 protocol. The Suns found a way to win. They got off to a good start and were able to break down the Warriors’ defense as they outscored Golden State 36-29. 

The Warriors slowed down the Phoenix offense in the second quarter. They held the Suns to 16 points. Typically, the Warriors would have grabbed the lead. Thursday was not a typical night. The Warriors knocked down 18 to finish the first half trailing by five, 52-47. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins led the team with 13 and 12, respectively. Brad Wanamaker was third in scoring with six. 

Early in the third quarter, the Warriors closed to within one, 58-57. Phoenix went on an 11-0 run to make it 69-57. The Warriors could not generate any offense. They were toast. The Suns outscored them 33-24 to lead 85-71 after three quarters of play.

In the fourth quarter, Eric Paschall started making some baskets to keep the Warriors close. The Suns responded with an 11-2 run to lead 100-81. With five minutes left in the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his bench players to finish the game. The Suns won 114-93.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 10-9 for the year. The Suns are now 9-8. 

The Warriors shot 38.9% from the floor. They made 11 threes in 38 tries. Phoenix shot 46.6% from the floor, and they made 11 threes in 32 attempts. 

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

Warriors-Suns game in Phoenix postponed due to Covid-19 issues on Friday

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Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix will remain empty for Fri Jan 15, 2021’s game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns due to Covid 19 issues (The Business Journal file photo)

Covid-19 effects reach the NBA´s West Coast as Warriors postpone Friday´s game

By Pearl Allison Lo

January 13, 2020

Welcome to the real world outside the bubble. So far, the San Jose Sharks and the San Francisco 49ers have played in Arizona, but that will not include former Phoenix Sun Kelly Oubre Jr. and Golden State, at least not yet. The Warriors are now the first California team in the NBA to have coronavirus concerns affect their schedule.

After protocols to protect the league´s players and teams were enhanced Tuesday, Wednesday saw the Warriors-Suns game on Friday, as one of two games added to the rescheduled slate. Instead of starting their three-game road trip with back-to-back games, Golden State will have three days in between Thursday’s match versus the Denver Nuggets and Monday´s contest back in California against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The coronavirus almost came even closer for the Warriors, when forward Eric Paschall, initially tested positive, missing Tuesday’s game. With another test though, it was deemed that the first result was a ´false positive´.

Friday will be the second postponed game for Phoenix, as they were scheduled to play the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday, before it was called off. In a bit of a domino effect, the Washington Wizards and Suns played each other Monday, with players testing positive on the Wizards’ side. Both teams are two of the three teams with multiple games sidelined amidst contact tracing, due to lack of the eight minimum personnel needed on each side to conduct a contest.

One NBA game was postponed in December and the count is currently at eight in the new year´s first month. These have been recent matches, spanning from the 10th to the 15th. According to the latest testing results, the positivity rate is at 3%. Of the 497 players tested for COVID-19 since Jan. 6, 16 new players have returned confirmed positive tests.

“This virus is nothing to play with whether it’s a false positive or an actual positive,” Golden State guard Damion Lee said. “I’m glad we took the right or proper protocols and handled everything the way we were supposed to.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Suns put a stop to Kings wins 116-100

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The Phoenix Sun Devin Booker (1) goes for the mid air attempt at a ball off the boards against the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 27, 2020 (USA Today photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings had started the season off right. The Kings managed to win the first game of the season against the Denver Nuggets 124-122. This was a tough task for the Kings who on paper seemed to be a much weaker team. The Kings beat the Nuggets on Wed Dec 23rd.

The Kings then faced off against the Phoenix Suns Sat Dec 26th. The Kings beat the Suns 106-103. They had passed both the tests they face so far this year. They didn’t pass the third test on Sunday night Dec 27th in Sacramento getting beat by 16 points 116-100 at Golden One Center dropping their early 2020-21 season record to 1-2.

On Sunday, the Kings faced their first back to back games of the season. The Kings couldn’t stop the Suns who scored 34 points in the third quarter and another 26 points in the fourth quarter and put the game so far out of reach the Kings couldn’t catch up in the 16 point Sunday night loss.

In the first half the Kings held their own. They managed to outscore the Suns 33-28 in the first quarter. In the second, the Kings offense faltered and they were only able to score 20 points. This led to the Suns taking a 56-53 lead into halftime.

In the second half, it was up and down for the Kings. The Kings managed to keep pace with the Suns early in the third, but faltered later in the quarter. The Suns out scored the Kings 34-25 in the third. In the fourth, the Kings unfortunately couldn’t get back momentum. The Suns out scored the Kings 26-22 to win the game by a final of 116-100.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 17 points as the Suns Mikal Bridges dropped 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings take on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

Sacarmento Kings game wrap: Kings pick up second win of season defeat Suns 106-103

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The Phoenix Sun Devin Booker (1) tries to drive to the basket on the Sacramento Kings Richaun Holmes (left) in the first quarter of their game at Walking Stick Arena in downtown Phoenix on Sat Dec 26, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings have started the season off right. They were able to beat the Denver Nuggets last Wednesday on the opening night of the season. On Saturday night, the Kings were set to take on the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns wrapped up the season on a high note last year. After making the bubble, they were able to make all their games going 8-0 in Orlando. In the offseason, they managed to add veteran point guard Chris Paul. The Suns then started the season off right by beating the formidable Dallas Mavericks in their first game. The Suns and Kings matchup was going to be a quality comparison of talent. The Kings out scored the Suns and were able to hold onto a 106-103 three point victory.

In the game the Kings jumped out to an early lead outscoring the Suns 31-25 in the first quarter. For the most part, the Kings were able to hold the lead going into halftime by a score of 59-54. The Kings had been playing a strong game up until this point. The key for them going forward was not giving up a “meltdown” quarter.

In the second half, the Kings did not give up any monster quarters. However, at times in the second half, the Kings did slip into their old ways. The encouraging part for the Kings was the ability to stop the bleeding and get back on track. The Kings and Suns matched pace in the third each scoring 25 points. The Kings weren’t able to replicate the offensive success in the first half in the last quarter but they did just enough to hold on. The Suns out scored the Kings 24-23 but the Kings were able to hold on 106-103 for the win.

The Kings got a tremendous performance from De’Aaron Fox as he scored 24 points and had seven assists. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 26 points. Harrison Barnes had 11 rebounds compared to the Suns Deandre Ayton who had 12.

Up next: The Kings will run it back against the Suns on Sunday at 6 PM PST at the Golden One Center.