Tag: Sacramento Kings

Kings Continue To Roll Beating Washington Wizards 143-131; Sabonis gets another triple double for Sac

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The Washington Wizards center Mike Muscala (35) guards the Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (7) in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Dec 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Sacramento Kings (16-9) continued to rock and roll beating the Washington Wizards (4-22) at Golden 1 Center 143-131. De’Aaron Fox was back on the court and finished with 30 points. Domantas Sabonis had his 35th triple double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Keegan Murray had another great game with 25 points. Sacramento came away with seven turnovers and this game could not have gone better for Sacramento.

Game recap: The Wizards took the lead after one quarter of basketball 31-27 but the Kings were just getting warmed up. Sacramento powered through the second quarter winning it 39-25. The Kings led at the half 66-56.

Sacramento continued to push in the third quarter extending their lead to 112-91. They won the quarter 46-35. The Kings cooled off in the fourth quarter missing a lot of shots and ended up losing the quarter. The Wizards won the fourth quarter 40-31. Sacramento had a 21 point lead at the end of the third giving up nine points in the fourth quarter but winning the game 143-131.

The Kings now sit in fourth place in the Western Conference. They have won four of their last five games. Fox finished with 30 points and Murray had another terrific game scoring 25 points. Six Kings had scored in double digits in this game. Sabonis had his 35th triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. 

The triple-double was his 17th in a King uniform, the most in the franchise’s Sacramento era. The Kings protected the ball well throughout the entire game with only seven turnovers. It was an outstanding evening for the Sacramento Kings.

The Wizard’s Jordan Poole matched his career high with eight 3 pointers scoring 28 points in total. Kyle Kuzma added 27 points. Washington is really struggling right now having lost 17 of their last 19 games. They did tie up this game in the second quarter 40 apiece but that was as close as they would get for the rest of the game.

Post game notes: Monday night the Kings took on the Wizards at Golden 1 Center. Fox was back on the court after missing the last game against the Utah Jazz. The Kings were still basking in the glow of the amazing game that Murray had last Saturday. Watching Murray hit 12 three’s and finishing with a career-high 47 points is a memory that will go down in the 2023-24 season. He is really coming into his own. The Kings were able to contain Jordan Poole (28 pts) who always poses a threat and Kyle Kuzma (27 pts) always makes an impact. The Kings are on a roll right now and have continued down that path in this game.

Wednesday night, the Sacramento Kings take on the Boston Celtics at Golden 1 Center. The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference. This will be a great matchup for Sacramento. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Murray’s 47 & franchise record 12 3s was string music for the Kings,while Jazz was out of Tune,126-104

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Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) scores over the Utah Jazz guard Ochai Agbaji in the second half at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Dec 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings (15-9) performed Royal Music in the California State capital, by defeating the Utah Jazz (9-17) Saturday Night 126-104, without their sly Fox.

Sacramento entered the game without the best player, De’Aaron Fox. He was out with a right shoulder injury from their previous game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Keegan Murray more than made up the slack of his absence.

Kings’ center Damontasa Sabonis went on a personal 4-0 run to start off the contest. That initial lead lasted the remaining 37 minutes of regulation.. The home team sat comfortably on their throne the whole evening.

Sabonis ended the first 12 minutes with 10 points and four rebounds. After one, the Kings had a 12-point lead, 35-23. Collin Sexton and Simone Fontecchio both tallied 7 points for the visitors.

Quarter number two, the aforementioned Murray started to heat up immensely from beyond the arc. He added three more to the two he hit in the first quarter, and scored 13 points during the second 12 minutes.

By intermission, Murray had 19 points and shot a sizzling 5-6 from 3=point land. Sabonis chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, while Harrison Barnes gave the team 12 points. The Kings had the same advantage (12) as they did after onew, because both teams scored 27 points in the second period. 62-50, Kings at recess.

In the third quarter, Murray was En Fuego! He hit a franchise record 7 threes in the stanza, breaking the previous record (6) shared by two players. His 26 points during the third 12 eclipsed Mitch Richmond’s record (25).

During the 36 minutes of gameplay Murray made an NBA record 11 consecutive 3s, shot 15-19 & 12-13 from three and had 45 points. The team outscored the Jazz by 18, and took their largest lead of 30, 106-76 at the 3/4 mark of the game.

The fourth quarter was just a formality, as the Kings essentially led from wire to wire after Sabonas scored the first two points of the game. The only drama was would Murray get 50?

Keegan ended up 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from behind the 3-point line in the final segment, finishing with a career-high 47 points. There was a bit of controversy when Coach Mike Brown pulled him from the game, to the dismay of the packed Golden1 Center.

When I queried them both about that moment, they both were ok with the decision. Coach Brown said that he gave him a chance to get 50, but he missed both three attempts. Murray was content with his career high and multiple records.

At the final horn/whistle, the Kings win their second in a row and crown the Jazz by 21, 125-104.

The Kings are next in action on Monday, December 18, as they host the Washington Wizards at 7 PM PST. The Jazz head back to Salt Lake City on the same date to host the Brooklyn Nets at 6 PM MST

Warriors Outlast Nets 124-120; Curry leads with 37 pts for Golden State

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry drives on the Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (left) and Nets forward Mikal Bridges (center) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Dec 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (10-14) had a productive first half against the Brooklyn Nets (13-11) leading 70-54. They began to struggle in the third quarter giving up an 18 point lead going into the fourth quarter. 

The Nets not only trailed the Warriors by a single point in the early minutes of the final quarter but took the lead numerous times throughout the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry hit five shots in a row in the fourth giving the Warriors just enough to pull out this win. Giving up the lead this way is of some concern but they did come away with the win 124-120.

Saturday evening the Warriors took on the Nets at Chase Center. The Warriors are coming off a loss to the Clippers Thursday night 121-113. The Warriors are of course seeing a very different starting roster since the suspension of Draymond Green. Jonathan Kuminga is finally getting the chance to start and bench player Brandin Podziemski also joins him as a starter. The Nets Cam Thomas came in as a real threat shooting an average of 22 points. This was a very close and competitive game.

Game recap: The Warriors got on board early in this game winning the opening quarter 32-25. They went on to win the second quarter 38-29 extending their lead to 70-54. Going into the locker room at the half, the Warriors had control of this game and had sailed through the first half. They would have to keep the pressure on in the second half against a very dangerous Nets team. Games like this can turn on a dime; there can be no letdown.

The Nets began their comeback in the third quarter winning it 35-25 but still trailing 95-89. The Nets had erased an 18 point Warrior lead in the quarter and going into the fourth quarter, the Nets trailed by a single point 97-96 at 9:47. 

Curry went crazy in the final four minutes of the game hitting five shots in a row and with under 2 1/2 minutes the Warriors had a 120-115 lead. With just over a minute left in the game, the Nets were double teaming Curry trying to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard. 

There is no stopping Curry double-teamed or not. He hit a two giving Golden State a 122-118 lead. The two teams were trading shots and with 28 seconds left on the clock the Warriors had a 122-120 lead as this game predictably went down to the wire. 

Curry drove to the basket giving the Warriors a 124-120 lead which would be the final. The Warriors had finally been able to hold onto this game after giving up a huge second half lead. With only 14 turnovers, Golden State saw some nice improvement. 

They also hit critical shots in the fourth quarter en route to this win. It is of course concerning seeing Golden State drop the lead the way they did in the fourth quarter but they were able to hold on in the end.

Curry finished with 37 points which is just what this guy does. He carries this team but teammate Klay Thompson also had a great game with 24 points and Podziemski had 19.

The Nets Thomas finished with 41 points but his team came up just short. Brooklyn had a great second half winning both quarters. They gave the Warriors all they could handle and Golden State answered the call in this clutch game.

The Warriors will now head up to Portland playing the Trail Blazers Sunday night with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 PM.  

Kings Soar as Thunder Falls: A Basketball Overture in Sacramento 128-123

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The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) goes for the layup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Dec 14, 2023 (photo by Mauricio Segura/Sports Radio Service & Golden Bay Times)

By Mauricio Segura

SACRAMENTO–The second place Oklahoma City Thunder (15-8), entered the Golden One Center Arena in Sacramento with an unyielding determination to depart in their chartered plane with a triumphant “W” etched into the stat book. After all, they had already lost eight in a row to the Sacramento Kings (14-9), another loss would be unacceptable.

Little did they know that as their plane soared over the downtown area later that night, all they would witness out of their windows would be a vibrant purple beam piercing through the star-filled sky, a radiant reminder that the “W” fell from their grasps once again to the mighty Kings with a score of 128-123.

The court served as the dramatic stage for a clash of titans of sorts, featuring the league’s standout point guards – Sac Town’s De’Aaron Fox and the Thunders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The duo delivered performances that merited a standing ovation, leaving an indelible mark on the hardwood.

Fox notched an impressive 41 points (marking the third occasion this season with 40+ points), seven assists, three rebounds, and a flurry of five 3-pointers. On the opposing end, Gilgeous-Alexander showcased his own brand of brilliance, culminating in 43 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and a near-perfect 16 for 18 at the free-throw line.

The Thunder thundered into action right from the tip-off, with Gilgeous-Alexander unleashing a torrent of 14 points in the opening quarter, affording his team a slender one-point lead. Yet, the Kings, orchestrating unparalleled teamwork with the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Keon Ellis, and Malik Monk in the second quarter, surged past the 50% shooting mark, claiming a 59-53 lead as halftime buzzer radiated throughout the G1 Center.

This momentum seamlessly continued into the second half, where the Kings maintained their steady flow while Gilgeous-Alexander valiantly attempted to shoulder his team’s fortunes. Jalen Williams struggled, converting only 2 of his 14 attempts, and Chet Holmgren, finding his rhythm with three successful shots in the fourth quarter, added a layer of hope that proved too late in coming.

As the clock dwindled to 2:03 remaining, the Thunder found themselves trailing by a mere four points. Despite Holmgren’s final desperate shot when the outcome was already decided.

On the Kings’ side of the court, the triumph featured Sabonis, contributing 18 points and an impressive 16 rebounds, Monk adding another 18 to his name, and Ellis capping off the night with a career-high and smile-inducing 17 points.

Thursday’s game was the first of six in this current homestand. The Utah Jazz will be in town this Saturday, tip-off will be at 7:00 pm.

Mauricio Segura has been a Bay Area sportswriter & photographer for the past 20 years, covering baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. He’s contributed articles for Area Chica Magazine, The Baseball Analyst Quarterly, and various newspapers. He currently publishes an online sports and entertainment website called Golden Bay Times and is the graphics and art Director for the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.

Kings Overwhelmed By Clippers 119-99

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The Los Angeles Clippers center Daniel Theis (10) takes a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings center JaVale McGee (00) in first half action at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Los Angeles (13-10) Clippers routed the Sacramento Kings (13-9) for their fifth straight victory 119-99 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Clippers convincingly won the first three quarters of play. The Kings did win the fourth quarter 29-20 but it was far too little far too late. Sacramento at one time trailed by over 30 points. They had offensive and defensive letdowns throughout the game.

The Kings have been playing some terrific basketball this season and as they headed down to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers more great play was expected from the Kings. What transpired was totally unexpected.

The Clippers got this game going early winning the opening quarter 32-24 and they never looked back. They continued to pile it on in the second quarter extending their lead to 70-48 at the half. The Clippers continued to expand their lead throughout the first half and the Kings were helpless to do anything about it. Sacramento was trailing by 22 points but had an entire half to do something about it.

The Kings were clearly anything but engaged. They fell short offensively and defensively. De’Aaron Fox and company were quiet on both sides of the ball. Sacramento lost the third quarter 29-22 and the Kings had dug a huge hole making a come-back near to impossible. The Kings were not at all focused and it just came down to one of those games where nothing worked.

Sacramento did win the fourth quarter by the slim margin of 31-29 which did not make much of a dent in this game.

This was a huge disappointment for the Kings. Nothing went right for them in this game. Kawhi Leonard continued the scoring binge he has been on scoring 31 points and Sacramento could not contain him. 

The Kings starters had a quiet night; they were just off. Harrison Barnes came away with two points and one rebound. Kevin Huerter finished with three points. Their bench came away with 48 points collectively scoring almost half of the points in this game. 

Keegan Murray led Sacramento with 17 points and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kings superstar D’Aaron Fox finished with 14 points, a quiet night for him. The Kings had won five of their last seven games but just could not get it done tonight. 

Sacramento has had a few games this season that were blowout losses but they weathered those storms and came back stronger. There is no reason that they will not come back after this game as well. Returning to Golden 1 Center is going to look awfully good to these guys. There is truly no place like home.   

The Kings will welcome the OKC Thunder Thursday night getting a six-game home stand underway. They will be looking to put this game behind them and move forward. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings’ Record-Breaking Victory 131-118 Sparks Three-Point Success Buzz

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Photo by Mauricio Segura: The Sacramento Kings Trey Lyels slam dunks in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets on Mon Dec 11, 2023

By Mauricio Segura

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings lit the beam Monday night with an exhilarating, record-breaking victory of 131-118 over the Brooklyn Nets.

They not only secured the win but also etched a new chapter in their franchise history by setting a remarkable record for 3-pointers—totaling an impressive 25. This achievement also marked the second instance this season where three of their players managed to dish out seven assists or more.

The Kings are currently riding a wave of success, having emerged victorious in 11 of their last 15 games. DeAaron Fox has been at the forefront of this impressive run, showcasing his skills and leadership, hinting at a potential MVP season for the former Wildcat.

Fresh from a dazzling fourth-quarter performance where he scored 23 points over the Phoenix Suns Friday night, Fox continued his stellar play by making significant contributions in the long-range shooting game. Alongside Trey Lyels, the duo combined for an astounding 10 three-pointers. In total, Sacramento demonstrated their prowess by shooting 25 of 45, boasting an impressive 55.6% success rate from beyond the arc.

The Kings dominated the game from start to finish. Despite Nets forward Mikal Bridges breaking through the Kings’ defense with an impressive stat line of 22 points, five assists, and five rebounds, his efforts were not enough to inspire the rest of Brooklyn’s squad against Sacramento’s formidable defense.

While the Nets managed to narrow the gap to four points (71-67) with Cameron Thomas’ three-pointer midway through the third quarter and within seven points (89-74) with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Sacramento’s relentless barrage of three-pointers allowed them to pull away and secure the final, resounding victory.

Contributions from Domantas Sabonis were instrumental, as he added 15 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists, further solidifying the Kings’ dominance. This victory marked the Kings’ third consecutive win against the Nets, including a season sweep from the previous year. Keegan Murray also played a crucial role with a scoring output of 24 points, while Malik Monk contributed 21 points and nine assists to seal the Kings’ triumphant night.

The Kings fly down to face the Clippers Tuesday night, but will return on Thursday against the Wizards in what will be the beginning of a six-game home stand.

Mauricio Segura has been a Bay Area sportswriter & photographer for the past 20 years, covering baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. He’s contributed articles for Area Chica Magazine, The Baseball Analyst Quarterly, and various newspapers. He currently publishes an online sports and entertainment website called Golden Bay Times and is the graphics and art Director for the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings hoping to comeback after tough loss to Pelicans; Tip off with Suns tonight at Footprint Arena

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The New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Dec 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

The Sacramento Kings (11-8) were back in action on Monday night. The Kings were set to host the first game of the in-season tournament as they welcomed in the New Orleans Pelicans (12-10). The Kings last played Saturday night as they defeated the Denver Nuggets 123-117.

The Pelicans got lots of help from top scorers Brandon Ingram with 30 points and the Kings defense had double coverage on Zion Williamson which relegated the ball to Ingram.

The Pelicans runner up scorer guard Herb Jones contributed with 23. The Kings would have been pretty much in lock step with the Pelicans if it were for that nine point deficit they had in the second quarter where New Orleans were ahead 34-25.

The Kings play tonight in Footprint Center Arena with a 6:00pm PT tip off. The Suns have won seven of their last ten games.

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

Kings eliminated from tournament. Lose to Pelicans 127-117

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The New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) gets that winning feeling early in the game against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Mon Dec 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings were set to host the first game of the in-season tournament as they welcomed in the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings last played Saturday night as they defeated the Denver Nuggets 123-117.

The Pelicans also last played on Saturday, as they were defeated by the Chicago Bulls 124-118 on the road. The Pelicans had embarrassed the Kings in the last two contests on the road. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST on TNT. The Kings fell to the Pelicans 127-117 on Monday night.

In the first quarter, the fans in attendance were in for a roller coaster. The Kings came out hot and jumped out to an early lead. The Kings, at one point, led by 15 points. However, the Pelicans roared back to shrink that lead down to one point by the end of the quarter. It was a wild quarter you would only assume would not repeat itself. The Kings outscored the Pelicans 36-35 in the first quarter and looked to right the ship in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the bizarre play from the Kings continued. After starting the game red hot, the Kings were struggling mightily to score and get any stops on defense. It was a full-blown meltdown for the Kings after the midway point in the first quarter. The Pelicans outscored the Kings 34-25 in the second quarter to take the lead going into halftime. The Pelicans led the Kings 69-61 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Kings stopped the bleeding. However, they were still outscored by the Pelicans 31-30 in the quarter. The defensive assignment the Pelicans give the Kings is not a good matchup. The Kings continued the struggle on the defensive end to get stops. As the quarter winded down and we headed to the fourth quarter, the Kings were trailing 100-91.

In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. The Kings weren’t able to muster any comeback against the Pelicans as they lost 127-117. The Pelicans outscored the Kings in the final quarter 27-26. It was a disappointing game for the Kings after steering the game so hot.

The Kings appeared poised to win the game early but that quickly vanished. The Kings were led in defeat by De’Aaron Fox with 30 points. The Pelicans best performance came from Brandon Ingram who scored 30 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, Dec 11th, after the in-season tournament break concludes. The Kings will take on the Nets at 7 PM PST.

Despite Jokic’s triple double Kings defeat NBA Champs Nuggets 123-117

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) despite getting his eighth triple double of the 2023-24 campaign and doing all the heavy lifting couldn’t get the Nuggets past forward Domantas Sabonis (left) and the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were set to welcome in the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. The Kings were coming off a tough loss to the LA Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings and Nuggets were set to tip-off at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center. The Kings defeated the Nuggets 123-117.

In the first quarter, the Kings yet again came out slow. The Kings didn’t gid themselves a huge hole; however, they were outscored by the Nuggets 30-25 in the first quarter. The Kings offense was still not hitting on all cylinders as the Kings were looking to recover from the Clippers loss. The Nuggets were looking solid on the offensive end, even with the absence of Jamal Murray.

In the second quarter, the Kings offense came alive a bit. The Kings outscored the Nuggets by a sizeable 39-20 margin. Overall, the Kings played a much more efficient quarter on both sides of the court to take the lead going into halftime. The Kings would be leading 64-50 as the half concluded. Nikola Jokic did what he usually does, scoring 18 points in the half. Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox each had 11 points in the first half.

In the third quarter, the Kings melted down early in the quarter. The 14-point lead they had built up all but had evaporated midway through the quarter. However, the Kings were able to respond and build the lead back to 10 points heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings would need to buckle down in the final 12 minutes of the game if they hoped to defeat the reigning NBA champs.

In the fourth quarter, the Nuggets stormed back. The Nuggets got the game within four points in the final quarter. However, the Kings held on to win the game. The Kings got big three-pointers from Malik Monk and Huerter in the last minute of the game to secure the deal.

The Kings defeated the Nuggets 123-117. The Kings and Nuggets engaged in a slugfest in the final quarter as the Nuggets outscored the Kings 39-35. Fox led the Kings with 25 points and 16 assists. The 16 assists were a career high for Fox. Jokic led the way for the Denver Nuggets with 36 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Warriors bounce back beat Los Angeles Clippers 120-114; Third win in last ten games for Golden State

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Cury (30) passes the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers forward Terrance Mann (right) and center Ivica Zubac (left) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Nov 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, smarting from the 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings Tuesday night, bounced back to play a complete game on both ends to defeat the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, 120-114. The Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Clippers scored 130 points and came into town intending to beat the Warriors. The Warriors were without three key players:

  • Chris Paul was out with soreness in his knee.
  • Andrew Wiggins injured a finger and was unavailable.
  • Gary Payton II suffered a torn calf muscle and is out indefinitely. 

Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Moses Moody into the starting unit instead of Wiggins. Kerr’s second unit consisted of Dario Saric, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, and Cory Joseph. The Warriors found the right combination, as they had seven players in double-figures, and Warriors stopped committing turnovers and too many fouls. The Warriors went on to win 124-114.

The Clippers are in the top five defensive units in the NBA. They also have players that can light up the board. Future Hall of Fame players Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook led the Clipper’s offense. The Clippers had Ivica Zubac and Daniel Theis in their lineup as rim protectors. The Warriors knew they were in for a dogfight.

The first quarter went to the Warriors, 31-24. The game was tied at 22-22 when the Warriors went on a 7-2 run to finish the quarter. The Warriors committed just two turnovers in the first 12 minutes. As they did in the game against the Kings, the Warriors played well and increased the lead to 11 at the end of the quarter.

The Warriors led 61-50. Warrior guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were not the leading scorers in the first half. Curry and Thompson each had seven points. The leading scorers were Draymond Green, Saric, and Podzienski, scoring ten points each. The Warriors made ten threes in 22 tries to give them the 11-point lead. Leonard led the Clippers with 12, Zabac had 11, and James “the Beard” Harden added 10.

The Clippers knew the Warriors were beaten by the Kinds in the second half of the game Tuesday night in Sacramento. They score the first four points to start the third quarter. Curry answered with a three. The Warriors went back up by 11, 71-60. The rest of the quarter was nip and tuck. The Clippers won the quarter by two points to finish trailing by nine, 86-77.

The second unit, plus Thompson, was on the floor to start the fourth quarter. Thompson led the Warriors with ten points to lead by 13, 99-86. The Clippers didn’t fold. They came back behind the efforts of Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Leonard.

The Clippers were down by five, 105-100. Buckets by Curry and Moses Moody gave the Warriors the lead 115-107 with less than a minute to play. The Clippers fouled Curry to get the ball, but their tactics failed as the Warriors won 120-114.

Game Notes: The date of Thursday night’s game was remarkable. The date of 11-30-23 are the numbers of Thompson, Curry, and Green. All three players are in the 12th season together and will be going into the NBA’s Hall of Fame. 

With the win, the Warriors improved to 9-10. The Clippers fall to 8-10.

Curry finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three threes in nine tries. Thompson’s numbers were 22 points, six rebounds, and two threes. Kuminga had a big night. Kuminga, coming off the bench, recorded 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three threes. Green, Saric, Moody, and Podziemski added 13 points each. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Clipper bench 44-31.

The Warriors committed seven turnovers, a major improvement from Tuesday night. They allowed the Clippers 24 free throws on Tuesday night, and the Kings went to the line 42 times.

The Warriors won the rebounding battle, 60-48, and made 30 assists on 41 baskets. As mentioned above, it was a complete game on both ends of the court.

The Warriors meet the Clippers in LA on Saturday afternoon. The game will start at 1 p.m