Barnes and Monk lead Kings in scoring defeat Pacers 137-114

Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (right) welcomes former teammate and Indiana Pacer guard Buddy Heild (24) back to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. However, it was no ordinary weeknight game. Wednesday marked the return of Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton was the subject of much controversy last year as he was moved at the trade deadline for former All-Star Domas Sabonis.

The NBA community and Haliburton himself have widely scrutinized the trade. Haliburton quickly became a fan favorite before the surprise trade. Haliburton has been very vocal on Twitter about his displeasure about leaving Sacramento, and he has backed that up with excellent play. The Kings were set to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST. The King dominated the Pacers 137-114.

In the first quarter, the Sacramento faithful were out in full force. Every time Buddy Hield got the ball, they would reign down boos from the rafters. On the court, the Kings played one of the better quarters of the season so far. The Kings outscored the Pacers 33-20 in a solid offensive show. However, the defense is what stood out. Harrison Barnes started the game out hot, scoring eight points in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to put up a formidable fight on the defensive end. The Pacers picked up the offensive pressure in the second quarter, but the Kings continued to play solid defense. The Kings limited the Pacers to 28 points in the second quarter.

The Kings scored 29 points in the second quarter to take a 62-48 lead into halftime. Barnes led the way for the Kings in the first half, scoring 13 points. Former King Hield scored 13 for the Pacers. If the Kings kept up the defensive intensity, they would come away with a win.

In the third quarter, the defense was not great for the Kings. However, it wouldn’t matter because the Kings offense took over. The Kings scored a massive 45 points in the third compared to the Pacers’ 35. The Kings would take a 106-83 lead into the final 12 minutes of the game. It was all but a done deal in Sacramento. The only question was could the Kings seal the deal?

In the fourth quarter, the Kings did just that. The Kings finished the game strong and defeated the Pacers 137-114. It was maybe the best game played by the Kings this year. They played well in the first half, winning the defensive end of the floor and, in the second half turning up the offensive jets.

It was an impressive win for the Kings, who improved to 11-9 on the season. The Pacers fell to 12-9. The Kings and Pacers both scored 31 points in the fourth. Yet, that doesn’t tell the whole story before the Kings bench came into the game. The Kings ran away from the Pacers in the fourth at one point up more than 30 points.

Barnes led the Kings in victory, scoring 22 points. Jalen Smith led the way in defeat for the Pacers, scoring 22 points. It was a fabulous win for the Kings after a rough three-game losing streak.

Up Next: The Kings travel to LA to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at 1 PM PST.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal’s effort was there but Trojans pull away for win 66-51; Bears remain winless at 0-8

Lars Thiemann Cal Bears center (21) gets the finger roll going against the USC Trojans at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Nov 30, 2022 (CalMBBall photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 First half action it was probably the most thrilling the Cal Bears have put out on their home floor for awhile although not catching the intermission lead they cut the USC Trojan’s 12 point lead three times and came away with a five point half time lead 27-20.

#2 Morris, I know you said the Cal offense was just not quick enough during this seven game skid did you see anything in this contest that they have improved on trying to move the offense quicker certainly the Trojans are a challenge in the Bears season opening Pac 12 game.

#3 The Bears Devon Askew was fired up each time he had an opportunity to take the lane and drive he led Cal tonight in scoring.

#4 One thing you saw from Cal was they did not let up on USC in either the first or second half each player seemed like when they got the ball they were battling to get a decent pass or a decent shot off.

#5 Cal has a real challenge for their next game in Arizona against the undefeated Wildcats on Sunday at 2:00pm can they hand the Wildcats their first loss this season at the McKale Center in Tucson?

Join Morris for the Cal Bears podcasts Mondays and following Cal Bears home games at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Late Error Costs Sharks in 3-1 Loss to Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitchell Marner, left, celebrates with Auston Matthews after scoring an empty-net goal at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wed Nov 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Matthew Harrington

A late goal sunk the San Jose Sharks in Toronto Wednesday night with the Sharks falling to the Maple Leafs 3-1 in the second game of a back-to-back.

Matt Nieto scored in a second consecutive contest and Aaron Dell made 29 saves in his first start of the year but Pierre Engvall goal with 2:27 left in regulation eliminated an opportunity for San Jose (8-14-4) to pick up a three-point (or more) trip through Canada’s Original Six squads. Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in the win.

The Maple Leafs (15-5-5) had won four-straight entering play and took a 1-0 4:19 into the second period after sustained pressure in the offensive zone. On the goal Auston Matthews redirected a shot pass from Mac Hollowell for his 12th goal of the year.

Nieto scored his 6th of the year, matching his total from last year in 70 games, taking a feed from Logan Couture from behind the net for the point blank shot to tie the game 7:26 into the second frame.

The heartbreaker came with 2:27 left in regulation when the Sharks were attempting to rush up the ice. An errant Tomas Hertl pass in the neutral zone was picked off by David Kampf who rushed back into the offensive zone. He fed the puck to Alex Kerfoot, but Dell made the save. The rebound bounced to Engvall who potted it for his third of the season. Mitch Marner added an empty-netter to extend his point streak to 18 games.

The Sharks get a little rest before their next stop in Ottawa. They face the Senators Saturday night. The Sharks will be waiting in Kanata for the Sens who play against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Friday night.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: His name is Freedom, and he Means it

Enes Kanter Freedom photographed before he made a trip to play in China for the Boston Celtics (photo from CNN)

His name is Freedom, and he Means it

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Enes Kanter Freedom played in the NBA; he is 6’10” 250 pounds center and played from 2011 to 2022. His conviction cost him his high-paying job. He changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom as he continues to speak against the president of his native Turkey as well as injustices in China.

Enes Kanter Freedom sacrificed his career as a professional basketball player to be a voice for the voiceless. This is one of his quotes: “Whatever happens in life, always stand for the truth. Stand for justice and stand for whatever you believe in, even if it means sacrificing everything you have,”

Freedom, who has spoken out against human rights abuses at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and has raised awareness surrounding the mistreatment of Uighur, Tibetans, Hongkongers, and Taiwanese, as he received an award as Most Valuable Patriot from the Fox News Network this year,

Professional basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom accused the National Basketball Association (NBA) of hypocrisy over its decision to host a “civic engagement night” the day before Election Day, the mid-term elections here in the US, while remaining silent on the Chinese “dictatorship” that he says the league is “profiting off of.” and: “The NBA’s biggest backer is China — so when they promote Civic Engagement here, do they care to comment about a dictatorship they are profiting off of? The NBA constantly told me ‘we don’t want to get involved in politics’… I guess what they meant to say was ‘we don’t want to “upset China”

Kanter Freedom has been targeted by the Turkish government for his outspoken nature and was dropped from the Houston Rockets this year but the pushback hasn’t stopped him from advocating for those who need it most. In 2021, he took his activism to new heights when he became an American citizen, changing his name to “Freedom”. “The reason I wanted to add “Freedom” behind my jersey was to remind every child in America how blessed they are in the best place in the world,” he said. “I believe America is going to have even better years going forward. That is giving me so much motivation to fight for what’s right. I represent freedom. That’s, like, the best thing that I could do.”

Some athletes get the call for justice causes and lose their jobs, in 2016 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee for black justice and since then never returned to the NFL. Enes Kanter Freedom is an opinionated ex-basketball player who spoke publicly about the NBA involvement in China a country where human rights abuses are well documented worldwide and recently lost his job, but he seems to be happy and at peace.

Enes Kanter Freedom, nickname Enes The Menace, played in the NBA and his basketball skills made him a star in the NBA but his activism has made him more of a hero and well-known all over the world, even in the countries where the NBA is not that big.

The irony is that while Enes Kanter Freedom paid a price for speaking the truth, even the US government and other organizations are on his side. It is well documented that the U.S. government and human rights organizations have accused China of using slave labor, especially in the Xinjiang region. If you want to know more, here is the US State Department site ttps://www.state.gov/forced-la

Freedom to speak your mind is a beautiful thing. We just witnessed the USA 1-0 victory over Iran in the World Cup. The Iranian government threatened their payers for not singing their national anthem. The Iranian government could torture and imprison the families of these soccer players in the Islamic republic which is totally controlled by the government. Those Iranian soccer players are as courageous as any athletes in the world and deserve our respect and admiration.

Like Enes Kanter Freedom for speaking against the NBA and their affiliation with communist China, he can do that because he lives in the US where you can speak your mind. One of the most famous athletes in US history, Muhammad Ali when he refused the draft, to be inducted into the US Armed Forces citing his religion forbade him from serving.

It cost him a lot, like the stripping of his heavyweight title, a suspension from boxing, and a $10,000 fine which in 1967 was enough to buy a home in the US. Not to mention the criticism inside the US Armed Forces serving at that time. I was serving at that time in the US Army and Muhammad Ali was not very popular among the troops. If you believe in free speech, you have to respect these athletes.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts heard each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal open up against UCLA at Maples on Thursday night

The Memphis Tigers drive on the Stanford Cardinal in the ESPN Invitational in Orlando on Sun Nov 27, 2022 (photo by USA Today)

On the Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Michael R:

#1 Taking look at this week’s ESPN Invitational on the Memphis Tigers opened the first half with a slim lead in the opening minutes 4-0 but the Stanford Cardinal wasted not time in catching up and taking the lead mid-way through the first 20 minutes 14-9. The Tigers fought back tying the game at 14 and the teams traded leads for most of the opening half.

#2 At 15:42 in the second half, the Tigers took a double digit lead 31-21. The Cardinal continue to fight back but both Harrison Ingram and Brandon Angel were struggling in this game with three and two point efforts midway through the second half.

#3 Angel had 22 points in the Florida State game and Ingram had 24 against Ole Miss. It was a let-down that Stanford could not afford.

#4 Stanford showed the will to win in the final minutes but every time they got to within striking distance, Memphis answered and refused to let Stanford back into the game. The Cardinal had pulled to within four points at 2:12 50-46. Stanford just didn’t have enough to pull this game out. The final was 56-48.

#5 Stanford opens up Pac 12 Conference play against UCLA on Thu night Dec 1 for a 7:30 pm tip at Maples Pavilion Michael get your take on how you see this game coming up.

Join Michael Roberson for Stanford Cardinal basketball podcasts Wednesday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Without Mitchell for 2 months how 49ers will cover at running back

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (25) gets tackled after carrying the ball at Levi Stadium on Sun Nov 27, 2022 . Mitchell is out with a chipped knee MCL for the next two months. (photo by the San Francisco Chronicle)

On the 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 Dave, talk about how the Elijah Mitchell injury (sprained MCL) for two months will impact the 49ers (7-4) at running back.

#2 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel said that former 49ers running back and current Miami Dolphin (8-3) Raheem Mostert needed to be real after Mostert said that the 49ers medical staff mishandled his chipped knee in 2021 injury the 49ers were upset that Mostert decided to go with surgery and miss eight weeks rather finish off the season and get surgery afterward.

#3 Dolphins are hot they are on a five game winning streak and they face the 49ers who are on a current four game win streak it’s the tale of two of the winningest teams in the NFL how do you see this match up at Levi Stadium this Sunday?

Join David for the 49ers podcast Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks, Kähkönen Shut Out Habs 4-0

San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen deflects the puck off his glove during the first period. Kahkonen faced 28 shots and stopped all of them to shutout the Montreal Canadiens at the Belle Centre in Montreal on Tue Nov 29, 2022 (The Canadian Press photo/via AP)

By Matthew Harrington 

Kaapo Kähkönen and the San Jose Sharks shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Tuesday night at the Bell Centre in Montreral in a penalty-filled contest. Tomas Hertl scored a pair, Logan Couture had two points and Matt Nieto scored for San Jose (8-13-4) to snap a three-game winless streak. Kähkönen made 28 saves for the win over Montreal (11-10-1).

Kähkönen was stellar in net, giving the Sharks confidence in their net situation with James Reimer currently out with an injury. Reimer had earned the bulk of starts while Kähkönen scuffled early in the year. 

Nieto opened the scoring on a wrister just 1:33 into the contest, but the real damage came in the thirs period. Hertl tipped a puck past Habs netminder Jake Allen 2:29 into the period for a 2-0 lead. Just 1:15 later Couture would beat Allen with a wrist shot then Hertl chipped in the empty netter with 2:14 left to play. Kevin Labanc assisted on both Hertl’s goals for a two-point period.

The Canadiens went on the man advantage six times, including a 5-on-3 to open the third, but Kähkönen was stout in the crease. The Sharks also had their power play chances, going up a man five times without scoring.

San Jose continues the Canadian road trip with a back-to-back, facing Toronto Wednesday night. Then its on to Ottawa Saturday for a match-up with the Senators.

Warriors Lose A Close One to Mavericks 116-113

Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr is fired up with the crowd after hitting a three pointer against the Golden State Warriors in Dallas on Tue Nov 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Lose A Close One to Mavericks 116-113

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday evening the Golden State Warriors (11-11) traveled to American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks (10-10). This match-up will be a clash between two super-stars Stephen Curry and Luca Doncic. Doncic is the number one shooter in the NBA and Curry is second.

The Mavericks have lost four in a row while the Warriors come into this game after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday 134-114 but just couldn’t hold and to beat the Mavericks and dropping the contest by three points 116-113 on Tuesday.

The Warriors got a slow start in the first quarter. They were getting some good looks but just were not shooting well. The Mavs came into this game very hungry after losing four and they were very aggressive to start this game. Mid-way through the quarter Dallas led 15-4. Golden State continued to miss shots and with four minutes left on the clock the Warriors trailed 23-6.

After the 47 point first quarter lead Sunday in Minnesota this quarter was a stark contrast. This was an extremely sloppy start for the Warriors. Dallas led after the opening quarter 36-24. The final minutes of the first saw Golden State starting to hit shots. They had held Dallas to 41 % but they were not protecting the ball. They had four turnovers in the early minutes of the game and would finish the game with 17.

In the second quarter the Warriors started to grind back into this game. They turned a 17 point deficit to two points with 5:48 until the half. They started keeping Doncic off the line turning this quarter around. At the two minute mark Golden State had tied the game at 50. With 0.30 left on the clock the Warriors took the lead 54-52. The Warriors owned the second quarter winning it 30-19 but did trail at the half 55-54.

After three quarters Dallas continued to lead 92-87. The Mavericks would hang onto the lead through most of the fourth quarter although the Warriors did have the lead several times. The Mavericks Spencer Dinwiddie was ejected in the final quarter for a flagrant foul two, a blow for Dallas but they managed to hold on to the game.

This game came down to the final shot. With 4.1 seconds left on the clock and trailing 116-113, the Warriors took a timeout. Golden State had the chance to tie up this game. The call made was a good one. A pass in to Klay Thompson who had an open look but just came up short. After a horrendous start the Warriors lost a winnable game. They fought hard to tie up the game and lead at times. The Warriors undoing was the lack of shots from the perimeter shooting at around 25%.

Curry had the high for the Warriors with 32 points and Jonathan Kuminga had his first double double of the season. He finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. It was a tough night for Thompson who not only missed that critical shot from downtown at the end but finished 1 of 6 from deep and five points.

As expected Doncic was a force in this game finishing with his fifth triple double. He had 41 points, 12 assists, and 12 rebounds in this first meeting of the season with Golden State. Dallas had ended their four-game losing streak.

The Warriors will back home at Chase Friday taking on the Chicago Bulls. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Iran-USA World Cup politics; Abreu signs 3 year deal with Astros; Tigers Cabrera says this is his last year; plus more

Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu signed a three year deal with the Houston Astros Mon Nov 28, 2022 and will join them for the 2023 season (mlb.com file photo)

On That’s Amaury podcast:

#1 Amaury, talk about the big signing of Jose Abreu 36 with the Houston Astros for a three year deal and how it improves the Astros chances of repeating winning another World Series?

#2 Amaury, talk about the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera saying that 2023 will be his 21st and last season. Cabrera said he thought would say “never” but has conceded that this will be his last season playing MLB.

#3 AL Cy Young Award winner and free agent Justin Verlander met with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in a bid to land Verlander also joining the Verlander sweepstakes are the New York Mets and New York Yankees. Question is which team will Verlander going into the Hall of Fame as?

#4 Trea Turner has been rumored to be linked to the Philadelphia Phillies it was reported by mlb.com that there is a very good chance that Turner will sign with the Phils. Turner last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers had 194 hits, 21 home runs, 100 RBIs and a .298 batting average.

#5 The Carlos Rodon sweepstakes is heating up as the Texas Rangers could be top pursers of the pitching star who the Rangers are also approaching getting a deal done with Kodai Senga. The Rangers were also looking at Jacob deGrom but have backed off as they are focusing more on signing Rodon. deGrom has expressed interest in signing with the Rangers but that deal never developed.

Join Amuary Pi Gonzaelz for News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Tuesday

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders playoff picture still bleak; Raiders take each game one week at a time

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) enjoys the celebration of scoring with teammates against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle on Sun Nov 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, two weeks ago the Las Vegas Raiders were collapsing they were on a five game losing streak with them scheduled to start a two game road trip in Denver and Seattle all looked bleak until they had break out games resulting in overtime wins in Denver and Seattle.

#2 Tony, when you saw Raiders quarterback Derek Carr nearly broke down after the game after a home loss to the Indianapolis Colts was that a moment of reckoning for Carr and the Raiders that they mad and they weren’t going to take it anymore?

#3 Also owner Mark Davis had head coach Josh McDaniels back after the fifth straight loss and fans calling for his head. Was it a matter of Davis is not going to fire McDaniels and be on the hook for the rest of his salary or he still had faith in McDaniels to persevere through those tough times.

#4 Tony, the Raiders as now have no chance of making the post season at 4-7. The Raiders would have to win the rest of their games and finish 10-7 that’s six consecutive more games and wins to get some daylight.

#5 Tony, Raiders and Chargers as the Raiders return to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to face the Los Angeles Chargers (6-5). The Chargers just got by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday 25-24. How do you see the outcome between these two teams.

Join Tony for the Raiders podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com