Kings Start Road Trip With Clutch Win Over Bulls 117-114; Fox gets 3 pt buzzer beater for win

Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine (8) gets Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox off his feet during the second half at the United Center in Chicago on Wed Mar 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kings Start Road Trip With Clutch Win Over Bulls 117-114

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (41-27) took on the Chicago Bulls (31-37) at United Center in Chicago. The Bulls came into this game after a winning effort beating the Houston Rockets 119-111. The Kings had a tough loss against the best team in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks 133-124.

In Mondays loss to the Bucks the Kings were faced with the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Kings had the lead at the half and mid-way through the fourth quarter the game was a tight one, the game tied at 108. Sacramento just couldn’t finish.

The Kings had some untimely turnovers in the final three minutes and too many empty possessions. They missed six shots in the closing minutes. The Kings just got by the Bulls on Wednesday night in a four point win 117-114.

In the opening quarter of this game, the Bulls took a 30-25 lead. The Kings had some early turnovers in the first twelve minutes, five in total.

At the half, the Bulls still had the lead 62-53 and the Kings had some work to do in the second half.

As the third quarter came to an end the Kings continued to trail 90-87 but had made up some ground in the quarter. They went into all-important fourth quarter, where the Kings have time and time again come up big.

Sacramento battled throughout the fourth quarter taking the lead with 38 seconds left on the clock. De’Aaron Fox, the NBA’s number one clutch player, came up big giving the Kings a 112-107 lead. The Bulls tied up the game with 12.1 left in the game. Again it was Fox who delivered the final blow with yet another shot from downtown to finish off the Bulls.

Fox finished the game with 32 points and as we have seen over and over this season Domantas Sabonis had yet another double double with 14 points and 17 rebounds. Fox turned out the lights in Chicago shooting a three with 0.7 left in the game for the game winner. Malik Monk finished with 19 points off the bench.

Thursday night the Kings continue their road trip traveling to Brooklyn to take on the Nets at Barclays Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Golden State in DC to face Wizards after photoshoot at White House Monday

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, top left, drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at the United Center in Chicago on Sun Jan 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1  The Warriors couldn’t overcome the Bulls in a 132-118 loss at the United Center. Golden State came out flat in the first 12 minutes trailing 35-20. They had a lot of work to do in the second quarter. The seven turnovers in the opening quarter really hurt the team.

#2 Golden State really turned this game around in the second quarter scoring 42 points to the Bulls 24. They turned this game inside out leading at the half 61-59. 

#3 The third quarter was a tough one with too many empty possessions for Golden State. The Bulls had scored 28 points off turnovers and the Warriors continued with these mental mistakes with seven turnovers in the third quarter. 

#4 The Warriors finished the game with 23 turnovers to Chicago’s ten. They did score 20 shots from downtown which was all wasted. 

#5 Barbara, Monday is a big day for the Warriors they will go to the White House for the big photo shoot with President Biden who will recognize the team for their World Championship trophy from last season and it’s off to face the Washington Wizards for a 12 noon tip at the Capital One Center.

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

Turnovers and Fouls Spell Defeat For Golden State Losing To Bulls 132-118

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) drives against Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, right, during the first half at the United Center in Chicago, Sun Jan 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Golden State Warriors (21`-22) took on the Chicago Bulls (20-24) the second game of this five-game road series. The Warriors will be challenged by the Bulls. Chicago has a couple of formidable weapons in Nikola Vucevic and Zach Lavine. After crushing the San Antonio Spurs Friday night the Warriors could have kept the momentum going into game two of this road trip?

The first quarter answered this question with a resounding No! The Warriors couldn’t overcome the Bulls in a 132-118 loss at the United Center. Golden State came out flat in the first 12 minutes trailing 35-20. They had a lot of work to do in the second quarter. The seven turnovers in the opening quarter really hurt the team that they’ve seen this far too often.

Golden State really turned this game around in the second quarter scoring 42 points to the Bulls 24. They turned this game inside out leading at the half 61-59. With only four turnovers in the second quarter the Warriors started hitting shots from downtown to take this lead after trailing at one time by 17 points.

The third quarter was a tough one with too many empty possessions for Golden State. The Bulls had scored 28 points off turnovers and the Warriors continued with these mental mistakes with seven turnovers in the third quarter. The Bulls took back the lead 92-86. The Warriors continued to foul sending the Bulls to the line which was largely responsible for the Chicago lead.

After leading at the half this game turned around again and Golden State was faced with another uphill climb. A horrible start, turnovers, and the Warriors were beating themselves in this game. Chicago continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter leading 108-93 with 8:40 left in the game.

Inside of four minutes the Warriors put the Bulls in the bonus. It was going to take nothing short of a miracle to win their first back-to-back road game this season. Chicago’s offense was high octane in the final quarter. They had now scored 31 points off turnovers and Vucevic came unhinged and with 5:15 left in the game had scored 37 points, a season high for him.

With the clock running out the Warriors trailed 120-107. Turnovers and fouls lost this game for Golden State and until they turn this around, they will continue to suffer disappointment.

The Warriors finished the game with 23 turnovers to Chicago’s ten. They did score 20 shots from downtown which was all wasted. The start of any game is critical and Golden State had a horrible start in this game. Klay Thompson finished with 26 points and Stephen Curry had 20 points.

The absence of DeMar DeRozan did not hurt the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic finished with 43 points and coupled with Zach Lavine’s 27 points it was just too much for the Warriors.

Monday the Warriors will be in Washington to take on the Wizards in another day game. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM.

Poole tops Warriors in scoring with 30 in 119-111 win over Bulls Friday

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) tries to drive around the Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Dec 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Golden State Warrior Draymond Green just missed out on scoring a triple-double on Friday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Chicago Bulls. Green contributed in scoring three pointers as well in the Warriors 119-111 victory over the Bulls.

Jordan Poole who came off the bench to score 30 points and lead Golden State with seven three pointers which helped offensive stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Poole gave credit to the Warriors chemistry saying things have changed up a bit and that the team is on a roll having now won four of their last five games.

The Bulls Zack LaVine got a three point bucket with 2:27 left and put the Bulls just one point down at 110-109. Green however would deliver some crucial points to help the Warriors get back into the game. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Green’s late basket was the shot of the game and that the Warriors had nothing going during that last possession.

Klay Thompson 26 points and a three pointer that Thompson got a pass from Curry when the Bulls were just down by four points 105-101. Curry was a huge offensive help for the Warriors scoring with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Curry did get into foul trouble after getting six assists. Curry picked up his sixth foul at 1:19 left in the game. What saved Curry from fouling out was the Warriors contested the call and it got reversed.

Poole shot 11-18 and was 7for 13 for three pointers, he had scored in the first quarter 14 points, and got four of the Warriors seven 3 point shots. Three of Poole’s three pointers help put Golden State up 92-76 with 1:50 left in the game. The Houston Rockets tip off against the Warriors on Saturday night at Chase Center at 5:30 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Kings looking to snap four game skid against Bulls tonight

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) gets airborne between Sacramento Kings defenders at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Mar 12, 2022. The Kings hope to improve their chances against the Chicago Bulls on Mon Mar 14, 2022 in Sacramento (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Morris:

#1 The Chicago Bulls (41-26) fourth in the Eastern Conference against the Sacramento Kings (24-45) 13th in the Western Conference a 7:00 pm PDT tip at the Golden One Center in Sacramento. Kings are looking to end their four game losing streak.

#2 Morris, the Kings take on the Bulls tonight this is after De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 41 points but Sacramento still lost to the Utah Jazz on Saturday night 134-125 in a high scoring game.

#3 The Kings are five games below .500 at home at 15-20 and showing not much of a chance to play catch up ball when they are down by ten or more points with a record of 11-25 in that category.

#4 The Bulls are a .500 team on the road this season at 16-16. The Bulls have the upper hand in the three points total leading the NBA with 37.5%. Patrick Williams leads the Bulls with 50% in six games.

#5 The meeting tonight at Golden One will be the second meeting between the Bulls and Kings the last time they met Feb 16th the Bulls defeated the Kings 125-118 with the Bulls DeMar DeRozan leading with 38 points and Fox with 33 points.

Morris has the game recap tonight between the Bulls and Kings from the Golden One Center in Sacramento at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

DeRozan breaks record set by Wilt, Bulls hold off Kings 125-118

Chicago Bulls’ Javonte Green (24) throws down against the Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes (right) at the United Center in Chicago on Wed Feb 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, February 16, 2022

DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Nikola Vucevic combined for 80 points Wednesday, as the Chicago Bulls defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 125-118 in front of 19,166 at United Center.

DeRozan scored a game-high 38 points, White – starting in place of Zach LaVine – had 31 points, including six 3-pointers, and Vucevic was next with 21 points and 10 rebounds for his 34th double-double of the season.

Javonte Green and Ayo Dosunmu added 15 and 12 points, respectively, for the Bulls. Dosunmu also had six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

DeRozan also broke an obscure NBA record with his seventh straight game of 35 or more points on 50 percent or better shooting. Wilt Chamberlain set the previous mark in 1960-61 and 1962-63 with the Warriors.

Chicago shot 50 percent on field goals for a league-leading 23rd time this season, while committing only eight turnovers. The Kings kept it close by shooting 51 percent, including 12 of 30 from behind the arc.

But DeRozan was up to the task, scoring 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, finishing with a 15-for-27 shooting night for the Bulls (38-21), who are first in the Eastern Conference standings.
DeAaron Fox led the Kings with 33 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Recently acquired Domantas Sabonis scored 22 points while pulling down 12 rebounds to go with eight assists. Justin Holiday scored 18 points, followed by Harrison Barnes with 17 points, and Chimezie Metu added 11 points off the Kings’ bench.

The Kings return to action after the All-Star break when they host Denver on Feb. 24.

Warriors Provide Electric Play To Trounce Bulls 138-96

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, left, dribbles against Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (right) at the United Center in Chicago on Fri Jan 14, 2022 (AP News photo)  

Warriors Provide Electric Play To Trounce Bulls 138-96

By Barbara Mason

After last nights game against the Milwaukee Bucks the Golden State Warriors were not entirely sure what they would be seeing from the Golden State Warriors going forward. The Bucks put the hurt on the Warriors in a blowout 118-99. At the half in that game the Bucks led by the score of 77-38.

Friday night the Warriors (31-11) took on another great team the Chicago Bulls (27-13). The Bulls are the leaders in the Eastern Conference and were probably pretty confident going into this game especially seeing what the Bucks had done to Golden State last night. Going into the game the Bulls were favored by four points.

We knew that it was just a matter of time before the Warriors shook off the funk they were in. We know what this team is capable of. What we saw in this game was a reversal of fortune. Golden State totally cleaned up the turnovers and the shooting in this game was a thing of beauty.

After the first quarter the Warriors led 37-28. In the second quarter it was the Warriors who took a significant lead into the locker room 78-47. Instead of giving up 77 points in the first half, Golden State scored 78 points.

Andrew Wiggins had 20 points at the half followed by Jordan Poole with 15. Jonathan Kuminga and Stephen Curry both had double digits. With only two turnovers in the game and 11 of 24 from downtown plus shooting at 57% it was clear that the Warriors were on a mission.

The Warriors had held the Bulls to 45% shooting and forced eleven turnovers which turned into 21 points for Golden State. There was a bit of a scare in the second quarter when Curry fell on his hand and favored his wrist for a bit.

He was able to shake it off and it appeared that he suffered no ill effects from the fall. Going into the third quarter the Warriors kept the pressure on the Bulls. Four of the Warriors starters had shot in double digits mid-way through the quarter.

Kevon Looney had a double double with 11 rebounds and 10 points. It was an amazing turnaround for the team. It was Warrior basketball at it’s finest. It was all Warriors through three quarters. When they should have been fatigued from back to back games, the Warriors were sharp and refreshed and showing not a sign of lethargy or weariness.

As the third quarter came to an end the Warriors were still tearing it up 112-72 for a 40 point lead.

In the fourth quarter it was Jonathan Kuminga who was attacking the rim like a pro shooting for 23 points. This was as complete a game offensively and defensively as one could ask for. In the fourth quarter Curry went to the locker room to have his hand evaluated. He returned without a wrap on his hand and appeared to be just fine. The final was 138-96 in a blowout.

Off the bench Kuminga had 25 points in an excellent game, his best of the season. Starters Poole had 22 and Andrew Wiggins had 21. They finished with only seven turnovers.

“We needed this win, it was important. We’ve got to be strong and show them what we are about,” said Wiggins after the game. “We have a lot of guys who can dominate,” he said.

The Warriors will be taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday to end their road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM. Golden State will head home after this game for a 7-game home stand.

Warriors prove elite status beating Chicago 119-93; Curry scores 40 in victory

Stephen Curry guard for the Golden State Warriors jumps for joy after converting one of his three point shots in the second half of action at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Chicago Bulls on Fri Nov 12, 2021 (AP News photo)

Warriors Prove Elite Status Beating Chicago 119-93

By Barbara Mason

After a horrific start in Friday night’s game, the Golden State Warriors (11-1) turned things around led by a Curry Flurry of epic proportion. They finished off the Eastern Conference leaders 119-93.

Friday night the Warriors finished their eight-game home stand against the Chicago Bulls (8-4) looking for their seventh win in a row. Their last six wins were by double digits although tonight they will be challenged by the Eastern Conference leading Bulls.

The Warriors will try to contain a Chicago team that is very good on both ends of the court. The Bulls do not take very many three point attempts, probably their only weakness but they are very good from mid-court range.

In the first quarter, the Bulls simply outplayed the Warriors forcing seven turnovers and taking the early lead 29-23. The Warriors were actually lucky to only be trailing by six points. It was an ugly start for the Dubs and against a team like the Bulls a start like this could prove very costly.

The Warriors really turned things around in the second quarter and limited the turnovers with only three. They took the lead at the half after trailing by ten points 48-43. The Warriors did a good job on the glass in the second quarter. This game had all the makings of a very close finish. Zach Lavine had 12 points for Chicago and Stephen Curry finished the half with 17 points, three of them from downtown.

The third quarter was a good one for the Warriors forcing turnovers and outplaying the Bulls. Curry continued his three point onslaught leading the team to a nineteen point advantage mid-way through the quarter. The Warriors defense forced the Bulls into three points attempts which did not go well for Chicago and at the end of three quarters the Warriors had a big-time serious lead 84-62.

The Bulls would need a monster comeback in the final quarter trailing by 24 points mid-way through the fourth quarter. Chicago began to hit some three’s trying to trim the Warrior lead. Every time the Bulls would make a run, the Warriors would answer. It had been all Golden State in the second half. The final of 119-93 proves without doubt that Golden State is indeed an elite team.

Curry had 40 points in this game and again Andrew Wiggins had an amazing game with 15 points and seven rebounds. The bench was equally amazing with Kuminga, Iguodala and Payton scoring eight points apiece. We can’t talk Warrior offense without talking defense and an amazing job by Draymond Green with nine rebounds and seven assists.

This game silenced those saying that the Warriors hadn’t played any real team yet. Well now they have and there is your answer. These guys are for real and are going to be very difficult to beat moving forward. Still they talk about improving all the time and we all look forward to those improvements because they look pretty invincible right now.

The Warriors head out on the road to take on the Hornets (7-7) Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Curry’s return helps Warriors to 116-102 victory over Bulls

Photo credit: @WarriorsNBCS

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors’ all-world star, Steph Curry, returned to action for the first time since March 17th. The Warriors were 1-6 without Curry in the lineup. The Warriors had lost four in a row and were hoping to get back on the winning track Monday night. All Curry did was score 32 points to lead the Warriors to a 116-102 win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls, coached by Billy Donovan, acquired Nikola Vucevic at the Orlando Magic trade deadline. Vucevic helped the Magic defeat the Warriors back in February. The Warriors needed a total team effort if they hoped to snap the four-game losing streak. All five Warrior starters finished in double figures. The Bulls lost their fourth straight and sixth in the last seven games.

The teams played a fairly even first quarter. Steph Curry paced the attack as he knocked several threes. Curry landed on his backside late in the first quarter and spent most of the second quarter with an ice pack wrapped around his back. Each team scored 31 points in the second quarter, and the Warriors finished the first half leading by five 65-60.

The Warriors increased the lead to 11 after three quarters of action. Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Kelly Oubre all made contributions to keep Chicago from gaining ground. Defense was the name of the game in the fourth quarter. The Warriors won the quarter 20-17 to win by a final score of 116-102.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors improved to 23-24 for the year. Chicago dropped to 19-26.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 32 points, five rebounds, and six assists. He was 11-for-24 from the floor, and he made six threes in 14 tries. It was not a bad line for someone that had not played in the last two weeks. Steph scored 30 or more points in a game for the 18th time this season. Andrew Wiggins was second in scoring with 21 points. Wiggins made three threes. Kelly Oubre had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. James Wiseman had 12 points and five rebounds. Draymond Green finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and nine assists. Green, who did take a shot last Friday night, was 4-for-7 from the floor and knocked down three threes from downtown. Jordan Poole had seven, and Kent Bazemore added nine. The Warriors shot 50% from the floor and made 16 threes in 38 attempts.

The Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic led his team with 21 points and nine rebounds. Tomas Satoransky, Patrick Williams, and Lauri Markkanen each had 14 points. Zach LaVine had 12 points.

Up Next: The Warriors start a three-game road trip against the Heat in Miami Thursday night at 5 pm PST.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Drop Sixth In a Row to the Bulls 122-114

Photo credit: @chicagobulls

Kings Drop Six In a Row to the Bulls 122-114

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings are struggling mightily after suffering their fifth straight loss last Thursday against the Heat 118-110. They had a good first half in that game, but stumbled in the second half.

Nemanja Bjelica had 25 points in the game and they will be depending heavily on him in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls. Bagley also turned in 19 points in that game while De’Aaron Fox had 11 points in another disappointing game for him.

The Kings are considered one of the worst defenses in the league, however, performing better than expected with a record of 12-16. The Kings won their last game against the Bulls in early January. In that game, the Kings’ Tyrese Haliburton had some great play late in the game.

The Bulls had a 28-21 lead to end the first quarter of play. They outscored the Kings in the second quarter leading by the score of 68-58 at halftime. The Bulls stayed on top of the Kings in the third quarter 95-83 and Sacramento had some work to do in final quarter of play.

The Kings made some bids in the second half, but just couldn’t put up enough defense to pull out a win. Every time they pulled close, the Bulls turned them away. The final score was 122-114 with the Bulls handing the Kings their sixth loss in a row.

Again, Bagley was the top shooter with 26 points. De’Aaron Fox had 20 points coming on in the second half. Buddy Hield had 23 points and off the bench Tyrese Haliburton had 16 points. Zach Lavine had 38 points for the Bulls. He had support from teammates Coby White with 19, Garrett Temple with 14 and Patrick Williams with 11.

Things will not be getting much easier for the Kings. They will be facing the Bucks tomorrow evening followed by a Tuesday night game against the Nets.