Curry brings up the rear for Nets in 109-85 defeat of Kings

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Mon Feb 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

Mon, Feb 14 at 7:52 PM

By Jessica Kwong

BROOKLYN, NY. — The Brooklyn Nets handed the Sacramento Kings a 109-85 Valentine’s Day loss at Barclays Center despite missing three of their stars.

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons were absent on Monday but Seth Curry on his first night as a member of the Nets scored 23 points to snap Brooklyn’s 11-game losing streak and end the Kings’ modest two-game winning streak.

De’Aaron Fox had a game-high 26 points, Davion Mitchell scored 13 points and Donte DiVincenzo contributed 12 points. But the Kings as a team shot just 34.4% from the field.

The Kings never led and the Nets had 19-point leads in the first, third and final quarters.

Domantas Sabonis, who recently joined the Kings after a six-player trade with the Indiana Pacers, failed to impress as he did in his first two games wearing purple. Sabronis scored just 9 points on four-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes.

Still, Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry thinks Sabonis — who went into Monday’s game averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 46 games — has boosted the team.

“We have played a lot of our offense through him,” Gentry said. “I think our guys have really enjoyed playing with him on the floor. I think our cuts have been much better because I think they anticipate getting the ball on the scoring cuts that they make. He’s just been a real stabilizer for us, really.”

After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards to improve to 4-2 in the six games before Brooklyn, Gentry had high hopes for the matchup against the short-handed Nets.

“These were games that we were losing early on and all the way up until this week really,” Gentry said. “I hope this is a sign of good things to come.”

It didn’t turn out that way on Monday. The Kings were limited to 25.7% (9-for-35) from the three-point line. Meanwhile, the Nets shot 51.2% from the field and 34.6% from 3.

The Kings (22-37) are 13th in the western conference. They continue their road trip on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls in the last game of the first half of the season. Tipoff is at 5 p.m.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings in Washington Saturday looking for second straight win

Sacramento Kings players Domantas Sabonis, right, and Jeremy Lamb, left go over plays with Kings assistant coach Lindsey Harding before the game on Thu Feb 10, 2022 at Golden One in Sacramento (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (20-35) have won three of their last five games and picked up a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-35) 113-110 on Wednesday.

#2 The Kings Harrison Barnes played a big role in the win leading the Kings with 30 points.

#3 The Kings were in that terrible ten game losing streak and worked hard and figured a way out how much of that was head coach Alvin Gentry?

#4 De’Aaron Fox finished second in scoring with 27 points how important has Fox been in the role of contributing on offense for the Kings.

#5 The Kings are in Washington to take on the Wizards (24-29) the Wizards got a big win over the Brooklyn Nets 113-112 on Thursday night in Washington. Tell us how you see the Kings chances in Washington on Saturday.

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

Kings shock Nets 121-101; Barnes leads with 19 points in victory; Win snaps Sac’s seven game losing streak

Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) defends against Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Feb 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (19-34) were back in action on Wednesday night at Golden One Center. The Kings had last played on Monday in New York to face the Knicks. The Kings hadn’t won a game since January 14th against the Houston Rockets.

The Kings had lost seven straight games going into Wednesday night. The Kings would hope to change the tide on Wednesday as they welcomed the Brooklyn Nets (29-22) to town. The Kings played an up and down game but ultimately defeated the Nets 112-101.

The Kings were set to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night at 7 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings did not play very well. They came out sloppy and appeared very lethargic on the defensive end of the floor. The Nets came out in the first and scored 32 points in the first quarter as the offense got off to a quick start.

The Kings only managed to put up 23 points for the Kings as they fell into an early hole in the first quarter. The Kings turned the ball over four times in the first quarter, which would not be a recipe for success the rest of the way.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued not to play very well. The Kings defense didn’t have an answer for the Nets offense. The Nets scored another 30 points in the second to hold onto their lead. The Kings managed to outscore the Nets by scoring 31 points of their own, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.

The Kings would go into halftime down 62-54 and needed to turn the tide in the second half. The Kings were led in the first half by Harrison Barnes, who had 12 points. Nic Claxton scored 17 for the Nets to guide them in the first quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings mounted a bit of a comeback on the Nets. The Kings entered the quarter down eight points and managed to cut that to three points after the thrid. The Kings scored 29 points in the quarter compared to the Nets 24.

It was the first quarter in the game that the Kings managed to outscore the Nets. The Kings would go into the final quarter of the game trailing the Nets 86-83. Could the Kings finish the comeback in the final 12 minutes?

In the fourth quarter, it was all Kings! The Kings blew out the Nets in the final quarter of the game by outscoring them 29-15. The Kings won the game and beat the mighty Brooklyn Nets 112-101. Granted, the Nets were without star Kevin Durant but they did have a healthy Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

The Kings held James Harden to only four points in 37 minutes of action. Nic Claxton led the way for the Nets in defeat scoring 23 points. The Kings best performance came from Harrison Barnes who had 19 points. The Kings had seven players in double figures. The Kings snapped their seven game losing streak improving to 19-34 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings travel to San Francisco to take on the Warriors on Thursday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Rockets vs. Warriors tip off at Chase tonight; Houston has never recovered after losing Harden

The Brooklyn Nets James Harden is excited for his team on Sat Jan 29, 2022 against the Golden State Warriors and his old team the Houston Rockets have never recovered since his departure. The Warriors host the Rockets Mon Jan 31, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, tell us about what the Brooklyn Nets (29-20) Kyrie Irving told the Golden State Warriors (37-13) Klay Thompson Saturday night saying that Stephen Curry has “completely revolutionized the game.”

#2 Irving has much respect for Golden State for what they’ve accomplished saying, “Going against each other has been great, but I think studying each other has been even more of a special bond,”

#3 Anytime the Nets and Warriors match up and you could expect a tough, exciting game full of great defense and offense and the game Saturday night was no different in a four point win for the Warriors 110-106.

#4 Barbara, talk about Andrew Wiggins who been getting off some great shots, has been getting a lot of looks and during Curry’s short slump has made up the difference on some of the scoring.

#5 The Houston Rockets (14-35) are going Houston on tonight the Rockets have lost seven of their last 11 games losing their last game on Friday night to the Portland Trailblazers (21-28) 125-110. Houston has really not been the organization that they were since James Harden left for Brooklyn.

Join Barbara for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Beat Nets In a Thriller 110-106; No KD to face old teammates

The Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving (left) can still share a joke after losing to the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson (right) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Jan 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

 Warriors Beat Nets In a Thriller 110-106

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night on prime TV the Golden State Warriors (37-13) took on the Brooklyn Nets (29-20). The Nets will be shorthanded playing without Kevin Durant and James Harden. The Warriors will continue without the brilliant defense of Draymond Green although the team has really displayed some pretty impressive defense in his absence.

The main threats that the Warriors will face from the Nets will be team leader Patty Mills and Kyrie Irving. Big Red Blake Griffin will be a weapon off the bench for the nets. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole off the bench have been having a great home-stand and with the leadership of Stephen Curry will give Brooklyn a fight. The Warriors would hold off Brooklyn 110-106 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

After trailing by six points to start the first quarter the Warriors got going leading after 12 minutes 31-20. The Nets were able to not only tie the game in the second quarter but take a four points lead. Wiggins and Poole were having a great first half and the Warriors were able to take back the lead, ahead by seven after two quarters of basketball 54-47.

Wiggins finished the first half with 17 points and was three of five from downtown. Poole had ten points off the bench with a couple from downtown himself. Mills and Irving each had 11 points in the half.

The Warriors led by as much as 19 points in the third quarter. As the quarter came to an end the Nets went on a 20-4 run and trailed Golden State by a single basket 78-76 and the Warriors had a real fight on their hands. “They need to make better decisions” said Head Coach Steve Kerr in reference to the shots that Curry and Klay Thompson had been taking in this game.

The Nets were not going away and the Warriors needed to contain Irving who had 25 points through three quarters. Mid-way through the fourth quarter the game was all tied up at 93. The Warriors had ten turnovers in the game a few of them in the critical fourth quarter.

This hotly contested game would go down to the wire. With 9.0 left on the clock the Warriors had the lead 107-106 and the ball. Thompson would shoot two free throws to end the Nets hopes for a win.

This was an amazing performance by both teams. Irving had 32 points and Mills with 24 points. This was another loss for Brooklyn in a string of losses. For Golden State it was another impressive last minute win.

The Warriors cooled off mid-way through the fourth quarter but finished it off Warrior-style. Wiggins finished the game with 24 points for the high score. Curry had 19 points heating up in the second half and both Porter and Thompson had 16 points. After struggling through three quarters Curry and Thompson turned it on when it really counted knocking off the Nets.

This finishes off the Warriors home-stand. They will head out on the road to take on the Houston Rockets Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Prescott sorry for giving credit to Cowboys fans for throwing garbage at officials; Seahawks retooling ask to talk to Denver defensive coordinator; plus more

Dallas Cowboys fans throwing garbage and trash at NFL officials and Cowboy players after the Cowboys loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sun Jan 16, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (Daily Snark news photo)

On Headlines podcast with Jessica:

#1 “Credit to them. Credit it to them” Famous last words from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after learning fans were not throwing trash and garbage at his teammates but rather to officials on Sunday after the loss to the 49ers blaming officials for not spotting the ball in time as time ran out and the Cowboys were eliminated from the post season. Prescott had since apologized on Tuesday for what he said.

#2 The Seattle Seahawks front office kept busy this week as they fired their defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis in what was the worst season for the Seahawks in more than ten years under head coach Pete Carroll. The Hawks have asked permission to speak with the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

#3 According to head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin all options are on the table as his starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is presumed not to be returning for the 2022 season after 18 seasons as starting quarterback Roethlisberger will most likely be hanging it up and Tomlin will be searching for a new quarterback for next season.

#4 Golden State Warriors minority owner Chamath Palihapitiya (polly who said 15 minutes into an interview on Saturday that “Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs, OK?” Palihapitiya continued saying “I’m telling you a very hard, ugly truth, OK, of all the things that I care about, yes it is below my line.” The Uyghurs Muslims are being are reportedly being persecuted and suffering from genocide in China according to the US Government. The Warriors embarrassed by the comments are reportedly keeping themselves away from Palihapitya and his remarks and sources say Palihapitya share of the team could be bought out depending on how much the team has to do damage control over the remarks.

#5 Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving re-enforced his no Covid 19 vaccine stance telling the media on Tuesday that his life outside of basketball is his choice not be vaccinated. Irving is not eligible to play in Brooklyn his home building the Barclay Center where the vaccine shot is mandated to be able to play.

Join Jessica for Headline Sports every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Snydergaard to wear a Halos hat for 1 yr at $21 million; Kyrie won’t take the shot Nets could make him trade bait; plus more

Former New York Met Noah Snydergaard will be winding up for the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 season he’s signed onto a one year deal which was completed on Mon Nov 15, 2021 with the Angels (AP News file photo)

On Headline Sports with Jessica:

#1 Former New York Met pitcher Noah Syndergaard has signed onto a one year $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Snydergaard pitched for seven years for the New York Mets Snydergaard joins an Angels team that is struggling with starting pitching and hopes to shore that up joining forces with the face of baseball and new teammate Shohei Ohtani.

#2 Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving on Sunday sent out two tweets one showing a picture of the matrix and the other saying “God never fails.” The City of New York has a full vaccine protocol for employees, players, and fans and Irving can’t come into Barclay Center until he’s fully vaccinated.

#3 From all indications from his responses and convictions he will not take the vaccine. Kyrie is allowed to travel with the Nets but the Nets have elected to have him sit out for road trips until he is fully vaccinated which does not look likely.

#4 Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan had some heavy criticism for Jets head coach Robert Saleh saying he has philosophical differences in his coaching abilities and Ryan added that he’s insulted when he’s compared to Saleh regarding defensive strategies. Saleh said if Ryan feels that personal about it he knows where to find me.

#5 Jessica the New York Yankees and Mets are looking to make some moves to acquire free agents Starling Marte and the Yankees have express interest in Matt Chapman both who were teammates on the Oakland A’s last season. Marte last season played with the Miami Marlins before being dealt to Oakland mid season and hit .310, 145 hits, 12 HRs, and 55 RBIs, Chapman hit .210, 111 hits, 27 home runs, 72 RBIs.

Join Jessica every other Wednesday for Headline Sports podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Curry leads with 37 points and Durant scores season low 19 as Warriors defeat Nets 117-99

Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden, right, and Kevin Durant (7) try and put a stop on the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Tue Nov 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

BROOKLYN— In a matchup of the NBA’s top two scorers – former teammate champions – at Barclays Center on Tuesday night, Golden State Warriors (12-2) star Stephen Curry came out on top with 37 points. Curry led his team to a 117-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets (10-5) and Kevin Durant, who scored his season-low 19 points.

At the end of the night, it was Curry who stood at half court and enjoyed “MVP! MVP! MVP!” chants.

“It’s fun for us but we appreciate the support. It’s nice to have that energy around when we’re traveling like that,” Curry said. “Doesn’t happen unless you win games, and you don’t win games by yourself.” Curry made nine 3-pointers and was 12 for 19 overall, boosting his average to 28.7 points per game.

Meanwhile Durant, who failed to hit 20 points for the first time this season and finished 6 for 19, dropped his average to 28.9 points per game.

Durant, who decided to leave the Warriors for the Nets more than two years ago, acknowledged that Curry is “a master at what he does… playing at an all-star, MVP, hall of fame level.”

The two players shared a warm embrace on the court after the game.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked whether Durant is a better player now than when he played for Golden State over three seasons, twice winning NBA Finals MVP.

“He was pretty damn good then, so he doesn’t look any different to me and that’s after an Achilles injury that kept him out for a year and a half,” Kerr said. “So that’s saying something. But I don’t think you can tell he had an injury, given his ability, his speed, his explosion.”

The game started out as a head-on duel. Brooklyn made their first six shots and took a 34-31 lead in the first quarter, with Durant and Curry scoring 12 points apiece.

Andrew Wiggins, who scored 19 points, hit triples for the last two baskets of the first half, including at the buzzer to give the Warriors a 63-58 lead.

The third quarter was when Golden State took control of the game, finishing with a 98-76 lead. The rest was history.

“This was a big game for us,” Wiggins said. “I felt like we came and showed the league that we’re here. That we’re deep and we’re here.”

The Warriors (11-2), leading the Western Conference, take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m.

Warriors 7 game Winning Streak Comes To An End 106-102

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) looks to throw the ball inbounds over Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) Sun Nov 14, 2021 in Charlotte (AP News photo)

Warriors Winning Streak Comes To An End 106-102

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (11-2) missed far too many wide open looks from downtown against the Charlotte Hornets (8-7) losing 106-102. The Warriors shot 9-39 from long range and just the fact that they were in this game till the end was amazing in itself.

Sunday afternoon the Warriors faced the Hornets on the road. The Warriors will be minus one of their weapons and that is their fan base, one of the loudest crowds in the NBA. The Warriors are coming off an eight-game home stand in which they went 7-1 winning all seven games by double digits. Road games can be an entirely different challenge.

The Hornets will be looking for a little revenge after having lost to Golden State less than two weeks ago. The Hornets can be inconsistent but they can also heat up and give the Warriors some real trouble.

The Warriors have to have a fast start and control the turnovers. Charlotte is the worst defensive team in the NBA but they are also a high octane offensive team. The Warriors have to take advantage of the Hornets ineffective defense. They will also have to contain the trio of Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.

The Hornets led at the end of the first quarter 30-27. They were up to their old tricks and had seven turnovers which robs them of a possible seven shot attempts. They will have to clean that up going forward in this game.

There were far too many turnovers by Golden State in this game and at the half this game was all tied up at 57. The two highest scoring teams in the league were living up to their reputations. In the third quarter the Warriors would have to contain Ball who already had 19 points and was 4-6 from downtown. They needed to convert those wide open looks that they were missing in the first half as well.

Mid-way though the third quarter this game was as tight as the Warriors have seen all season. They were tied up at 70 and the Hornets were giving the Warriors all they could handle.

28 points in 26 minutes for Andrew Wiggins was big for Golden State. The fourth quarter of this game saw lead changes every minute or two. This game was going down to the wire with both teams struggling offensively in the final three minutes of this game.

Would this be the game that saw the winning streak end for the Warriors? With 44 seconds left in the game it was all knotted up at 102. The Warriors were 9-39 from downtown which is something seldom seen from this team and could prove to be their undoing.

The Warriors continue their road trip on Tuesday night taking on the Brooklyn Nets. Tipoff is at 7:30PM.

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Yankees give Boone 3 more years; Nets will feel Irving’s absence; plus more

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone seen talking to the media before the AL Wild Card game on Mon Oct 4, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston has signed a three year deal with the Yankees for three years to remain as manager. (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone will return next season. Boone signed for a three contract and has an option for 2025. Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said that Boone has acumen and brings respect in the clubhouse.

#2 Boone and the Yankees finished in third in the AL East and lost to the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card game that put Boone’s future with the Yankees in jeopardy. Steinbrenner felt that Boone had the respect of the players to return and make a run at the post season.

#3 Jessica turning to the NBA the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks who battled in an opening night game in Milwaukee. The Bucks held the lead for pretty much of the game later to win it 127-104. It’s early to tell but without Kyrie Irving in for the Nets does his absence from the team for Covid-19 protocol issues have an impact on the team?

#4 Taking a look at the MLB post season. The Atlanta Braves have had such a hold on the Dodgers winning the first two games of the series by two walk off hits in the ninth in Atlanta. The Braves taking a significant lead on the Dodgers on Tuesday night 5-2 in Los Angeles. The Dodgers made a comeback 6-5 to win game 3 with a 2-1 Braves margin. The Braves now with a 3-1 series lead won a laugher in game 4 on Wednesday night need one more win to sweep the series.

#5 It’s been a series the Houston Astros have a 3-2 lead on the Boston Red Sox taking a 9-1 laugher in Boston in game 5. The Astros had their biggest inning in the top of the sixth scoring five runs and now returning to Houston on Friday night for game 6 and they are the brink of eliminating the Red Sox needing just one more win.

Jessica Kwong does Headline Sports every other Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com