Kings don’t clinch lose to Timberwolves 119-115 at Golden 1 Center

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, left, defends against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 27, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night. It wasn’t any old game for the Kings. The Sacramento Kings had a chance to clinch a playoff berth for the first time in 16 years. Sacramento was buzzing, and the arena was packed to full capacity.

Would Monday, March 27th be the day the Kings finally snapped the longest playoff drought in the NBA? Well, the Kings must first go through the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Wolves were on a second night of a back-to-back after they beat the Warriors on Sunday night. The Kings were fresh off an off day after beating the Jazz on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Kings lost a tough one at home, 119-115. Kings fans would need to wait another day to clinch.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out sluggish. The Kings offense was not firing in sync, and the Timberwolves took advantage of that on the offensive end. The Kings only scored 25 points in the first quarter. However, the Timberwolves scored 34 points in the first as they played a solid all-in-all first quarter. The Kings would look to fix the offense early in the second.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to play without much energy. The usually potent Kings offense was not knocking down their normal shots as they struggled to keep up with Minnesota. However, the Kings were able to battle back and take the lead going into halftime. The Kings scored 33 points in the second quarter as they took off in the quarter’s final minutes. On the other hand, the Timberwolves scored onl6 23 points to relinquish the lead 58-57 going into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Kings reverted to their first-quarter form. The Kings did not appear to be in rhythm most of the quarter, as they could only hang in with the Timberwolves. The Kings were outscored in the third quarter 29-27. The Kings offense was a bit stagnant as the likes of Malik Monk were ice-cold. The Kings would need to awaken the offense if they hoped to win and clinch a playoff berth. The Kings leading scorer was De’Aaron Fox,, who scored 24 points through three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, The Kings could not pull it together. The Kings defense was poor as usual in the game, and the offense could not pick up the slack. The Kings dropped the last game of the homestand to the Wolves by the final of 119-115.

It was a tough loss for the Kings, who played in front of a hungry Kings fanbase ready to clinch. The Kings were outscored in the fourth quarter 33-30. The Kings were led in the defeat by De’Aaron Fox, who scored 29 points in the game. The Timberwolves were led by Jaden McDaniels, who had 20 points.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Portland to take on the TrailBlazers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Timberwolves shockingly edge out Golden State 99-96 at Chase

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) beats Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards around a pick set by Kevon Looney (5) during the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Mar 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The very determined Minnesota Timberwolves (38-37) didn’t give a inch in the closing moments of their game at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors (39-37). The Wolves Karl Anthony Towns hit a three pointer to lift the Timberwolves to a 99-96 win on Sunday night.

#2 The Warriors Jordan Poole score a three pointer himself that gave Golden State the lead at 1:28 right after Towns had hit a three pointer. Poole was the leading scorer for Golden State with 27 points and had grab a crucial rebound on the other end of the floor to score the three.

#3 In the last 9.9 seconds left in the game Poole looked for Stephen Curry to get a pass which didn’t reach him. Curry later attempted a three pointer that ruled no basket at the buzzer and the win went to the T-Wolves.

#4 The Timberwolves Rudy Gobert and the Warriors Draymond Green battled all night. Gobert went up for a dunk with just 27.7 seconds left in the game to dunk but was fouled by Green. Green went to the line hitting one of two. Earlier Green got knocked over by the 7’1 Gobert on a charging foul.

#5 Look out the New Orleans Pelicans (37-37) are coming to face the Warriors Tue Mar 28 at 7:00pm. The Pelicans are coming off a four game win streak and are eighth in the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. The Pelicans won their last game against the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night 131-110.

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

Timberwolves grind out win over Warriors 99-96; T-Wolves Towns hits two three pointers to edge Warriors

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (8) defends against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (1) during the second quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Mar 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The game between the Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves felt like an NBA playoff game. Both teams played defense at a very high level. Neither team would give an inch. The players needed pads, but there are no pads in basketball. Draymond Green was on the receiving end of three flagrant fouls.

The smaller Warrior team had to find a way to contain Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid. The Warriors grinded out a slim 55-53 lead at the end of the first half. The Warriors had four players in double figures. Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole each had 12. Stephen Curry had ten, and Green had eleven. The Wolves point guard, Michael Conley, led his team with 12. Conley made four threes.

The Warriors wanted to extend the lead in the third quarter. In the past, Golden State blew teams away in the third period. That was not the case Sunday night. The Warriors’ offense went ice cold. The Wolves defense held them to 18 points. The Warriors had one field goal in the first six minutes and 22 seconds of the third quarter. The Warriors defense held the Wolves to 24 points, but they were trailing 77-73 heading into the fourth quarter. 

Minnesota raced out to a nine-point lead, 86-77. Poole and Gary Payton II helped the Warriors to a 10-2 run to get within a point of the lead 88-87. The Wolves’ Reid made a three, but a bucket by Kevon Looney and a Thompson three gave the Warriors the advantage 92-91.

Towns made a three to regain the lead for the Wolves, 94-93. Time was running down. Poole electrified the crown with a three to return the lead to the Warriors, 96-94. The Warriors needed to eliminate turnovers and stop fouling to win. Neither happened.

The Warriors turned the ball over, and Towns made another three to give the Wolves the lead 98-96 with 9.9 seconds left. The Warriors committed a foul, and Minnesota made a free throw. The W’s has 2.4 seconds left to make a three. Unfortunately for Golden State, they failed to score. The Wolves win 99-96.

Game Notes: The loss stopped the nine-game home winning streak and the modest three-game streak that started in Houston. The Warriors are now 39-37. The Wolves improved top 38-37. 

Poole led the Warriors with 27 points. Poole made three threes. Thompson made five threes and finished with 15 points. Thompson was five-for-17 from the floor.

Curry’s line was 20 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. Curry made four threes. Green had 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Green took a beating as Gobert’s fouls sent Green to the floor in a lot of pain.

Payton played his first game of the year for the Warriors. Payton, a fierce defender, received a standing ovation from the fans at the Chase Center when he entered the game in the second quarter. Payton played 15 minutes and knocked down nine points. His three-pointer from the corner in the fourth quarter helped the Warriors regain a brief lead in the fourth quarter. 

Reid, who had a career-high point game against the Warriors in Minnesota, led the Wolves with 23. Reid made three threes. Anthony Edwards had 13, Conly 12, and Towns 14.

Gobert had a double-double with ten points and 18 rebounds. Coming off the Wolves’ bench, Kyle Anderson finished with 12 points and ten rebounds. Anderson’s steal made a steal with 4.4 seconds left in the game to seal the win for Minnesota.

The Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Chase Center Tuesday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Timberwolves win four point contest 138-134 over Kings; Sac win streak ends at five

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince (12) is defended by Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) and forward Keegan Murray (13) as he shoots in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Sun Mar 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (37-26) were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were set to play the second night of a back-to-back as they welcomed to Golden 1 Center the Minnesota Timberwolves (34-32). The Kings first game of the back-to-back came against the LA Clippers on Friday.

The Kings defeated the Clippers 128-127. On Saturday, the Kings looked to keep the winning streak alive with a win against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.

GAME RESULT: In the first quarter, the Kings offense got off to a slower-than-normal start. Simultaneously, the Kings defense didn’t do much to slow down the Timberwolves offense. The Wolves scored 36 points in the first quarter to put themselves in the driver’s seat. The Kings only managed 30 points in the first quarter. The Kings offense looked a little tired playing another back-to-back game. The Kings would look to the second quarter to spark the comeback.

In the second quarter, the Kings couldn’t get things going on the defensive end. The Kings continued to give up massive numbers to the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves scored 38 points in the second quarter to expand the lead over the Kings. On the other hand, the Kings couldn’t pick up the slack on the offensive end. The Kings scored 34 points in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Wolves. The Kings would go into halftime trailing 74-64. The Kings would need to improve on the offensive and defensive end of the floor if they wanted any chance to win the game.

In the third quarter, it looked all downhill for the Kings. The Kings, at one point in the quarter, were down 18 points. The Wolves could do no wrong on the defensive end, and the Kings were not making shots. However, the Kings rallied back in the last minutes of the quarter to bring it to within three points heading into the final quarter. The Kings outscored the Wolves in the third quarter 38-31. The Kings would need to maintain the intensity in the fourth quarter to have a chance at victory.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings and Wolves fought hard for the win. The Kings did all they could to try and muster the energy to win another back-to-back game. However, the Kings weren’t able to get it done. The Timberwolves were too much to match on the offensive end as the Kings lost the game 138-134.

The Kings fought hard in the defeat and were led by Kevin Huerter, who had 29 points. A strong performance was had by the Timberwolves Anthony Edwards, who had 27 points. Ultimately, the Kings need to play some defense if they want to win big games when the offense isn’t on fire the whole game. The Kings enter a crucial stretch of the season against top-tier opponents that will challenge their standing in the western conference.

Up Next: The Kings will welcome in the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Thompson and DiVincenzo lead Warriors to win over Timberwolves 109-104

The Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga (00) tries to reach in and get the ball while teammate Klay Thomson (11) watches at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Feb 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (31-30) found a way to down the Minnesota Timberwolves (31-32) Sunday night at the Chase Center Sunday night. The Warriors, still without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. Could Steve Kerr’s revamped lineup do it again?

The answer was yes. It wasn’t easy, but it was a win. The fans had to hold their collective breaths as the Warriors almost gave away the game in the last 30 seconds of the game. Their longtime star, Klay Thompson, had another terrific outing and, along with Donte DiVincenzo, led the Warriors to a 109-104 win on Sunday night.

The Timberwolves, without big men Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, jumped off to an early 14-4 lead. Naz Reid led the Timberwolves attack. Reid poured in 24 points in the overtime win, 119-113, on February 1st. The Timberwolves point guard, D’Angelo Russell, also helped down the Warriors that night.

Russell was not in the lineup Sunday night as he was traded to the LA Lakers. Michael Conley was the new point guard. The Warriors started putting points on the board but finished the quarter trailing the Timberwolves 34-25.

Things changed in the second quarter. Jordan Poole and DiVincenzo led the Warriors rally. The Warriors defense slowed down the Minnesota offense. The Warriors won the quarter 34-23 to finish the first half with a slim two-point lead 59-57.

The Warriors had four players in double figures. Thompson paced the Warriors with 12. DiVincenzo had 11, and Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney had ten. Reid led the Wolves with 22. 

The fans hoped the Warriors could continue to play as they did in the second period. That did not happen. The Timberwolves came out firing from behind the three-point arc. Minnesota made five threes early in the quarter. The Warriors did not wilt until late in the period.

The Warriors scored just two points in the last five minutes of the third quarter. They made one two-point bucket and missed 11 times in those five minutes. The Timberwolves outscored the Warriors 30-19 to finish the third quarter with a nine-point advantage, 87-78.

If the Warriors were to win, they had to play defense, stop committing turnovers, drive to the basket and get some free throws. They did all three. The Timberwolves increased the lead to ten, 94-84. The Warriors went on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 96. The Warriors continued to play well.

The Timberwolves went ahead 99-96. Anthony Lamb and DiVincenzo each connected on a three to give the Warriors the lead 103-99. Time was running out. Thompson made a three to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat 105-99. Looney made it 107-99.

The Timberwolves made a three to make it a five-point game, 107-102, with 44 seconds left. All the Warriors had to do was make a basket, and the win would be secured. The Timberwolves had other thoughts. Minnesota hit a three, and the possibility of tying the game and going to overtime was now possible.

24 seconds remained to be played. The Warriors had the ball. The Timberwolves’ defense forced the Warriors to turn the ball over twice. The Warriors could not inbound the ball. With eight seconds left, the Warriors finally got the ball to Thompson. The Timberwolves fouled him, and Thompson made two free throws to ice the win.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are now 31-30. Minnesota is 31-32. 

All five Warrior starters were in double figures. Thompson finished the night with 32 points. Thompson had five rebounds and four assists, and he made six threes. It was the first time in Thompson’s career that he had 25 or more points in two consecutive games. DiVincenzo had 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists and made four threes/ Poole had 15, Jonathan Kuminga 13, and Looney added 12 points and 17 rebounds for a double-double. 

The Timberwolves’ Reid had a career-high 30 points. Kyle Anderson had 12, Jaden McDaniels had 12, Anthony Edwards had 12, Nickiel Alexander-Walker 10, and Conley nine.

The Warriors host the Portland Trailblazers at the Chase Center Tuesday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: No.7 Warriors know each win is crucial; Golden State hosts Portland Tuesday

Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) gestures after making a 3-point basket during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Feb 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Barbara just how important was this win for the Golden State Warriors (31-30), the playoff spots in the Western Conference are tight and winning is the alternative as Golden State got a big one over the Minnesota Timberwolves (31-32) on Sunday night 109-104.

#2 The Warriors have been using a big chunk of their bench while starters Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry are out of action.

#3 The Warriors Klay Thomson topped the top of the leaderboard 32 points and four assists Thompson has take over the offense in particular with Curry being out.

#4 Kevon Looney continues to play consistent ball with 17 points and has scored at least 13 or more in the last six straight games the Warriors have been some close games and Looney has been key in keeping them in the game.

#5 The Portland Trailblazers (29-31) who’ve won five of their last five games tip off against the Warriors this Tuesday night at Chase Center . Barbara talk about this game as you see it?

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

Thompson’s big night leads Warriors to win over Rockets; Understaffed Golden State defeats Houston 116-101

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) celebrates with Klay Thompson, left, after scoring a 3-point basket against the Houston Rockets during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Feb 24, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The understaffed Golden State Warriors faced off against the young Houston Rockets Friday night at the Chase Chase. The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins(for personal reasons), and Draymond Green, out with a knee contusion suffered in the loss to the Lakers Thursday night in Los Angeles. 

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had Jonathan Kuminga fill in for Green. Donte DiVincenzo replaced Andrew Wiggins in the lineup. Poole and Klay Thompson were in the backcourt. The Rockets arrived in town owning a seven-game losing streak. Their coach, Stephen Silas, hoped his young troops could pull off the upset. The Rockets gave the Warriors a tussle in the first quarter, but the defending NBA champions, behind Thompson’s stellar performance, pulled out a win beating Houston 116-101.

The Rockets had an early lead, 12-5. The Warriors regained the lead 17-16, and the fans started thinking that the Warriors would easily beat the Rockets. That didn’t happen as the teams battled to a 26-26 tie at the end of the first quarter.

Things changed in the second quarter. Thompson got into a rhythm and knocked down four threes to lead the Warriors to a 66-49 advantage at the end of the first half. Poole had two threes, and DiVincenzo made four threes. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 40-23 in the second period.

The Warriors did not put the game away in the third quarter. The Warriors started giving the Rockets opportunities to score points. The Warriors committed too many turnovers, allowing the Rockets to shave eight points off the Warriors halftime advantage. The Warriors led by nine heading into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors had an answer. His name is Klay Thompson. Thompson, playing in back-to-back games for just the second time this season, continued to knock down three-point shots. With his 12th three of the night, the Warriors led 116-99. The game was over. The Warriors went on to win.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are now 30-30. The Rockets lost their eighth in a row, and their season record in now 13-46.

The Warriors had four players in double-figures. Thompson led the way with 42 points. His 12 three-pointers were two short of his NBA record of 14. Thompson did not have a two-point bucket all night. His other six points were free throws. Poole and DiVincenzo each had 15. Poole made two threes, while DiVincenzo had five. The other player in double-figure was Patrick Baldwin, Jr. PBJ made three threes.

The Rockets had five players in double figures. Jabari Smith, in his rookie season, had 13. Kenyon Marttin, Jr., 22. Jae’Sean Tate, 14, TyTy Washington, Jr., 15, and Josh Christoper, 13.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor. They made 26 three in 47 tries. The big negative of the night was the 18 turnovers.

The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30m pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Russell comes up big for Timberwolves in OT 119-114 to defeat Warriors

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) shoots while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wed Feb 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Minnesota Timberwolves (28-26) De’Angelo Russell got 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter at the Target Center in Minneapolis who help pave the way for the Wolves to get a narrow five point win over the Golden State Warriors (26-25) 119-114.

#2 Russell fouled out in overtime and Anthony Edwards took over in the early minute of OT, Edwards who didn’t score in the fourth quarter scored baskets in traffic in the overtime stanza and was big in overcoming Golden State scoring four of his 27 points in the overtime.

#3 Minnesota head coach Chris Finch said it was good to see Russell’s game before he fouled out “We needed it,” Finch said of Edwards. “It was good to see him get to the paint.”

#4 What was also important for the Timberwolves was they gained a half game on Golden State in the Western Conference standings.

#5 The Warriors will not get much rest as they head to Denver for a Thursday night game against the Denver Nuggets a 6:00pm tip. The Nuggets first in the Western Conference and have won seven of their last ten games. Jerry how do you see this match up tonight.

Jerry Feitelberg does the Golden State Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wolves outlast Warriors in OT 119-114

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (1) works towards the basket while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wed Feb 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Anthony Edwards stepped up in overtime, D’Angelo Russell had a big fourth quarter, and the Minnesota Timberwolves battled back to upend the Golden State Warriors 119-114 Wednesday at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Golden State (26-25).

Minnesota (28-26) trailed the Warriors by 11 after three quarters. Russell, who scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, fouled out in the first minute of overtime. Then, after a scoreless fourth period, Edwards scored four of his 27 points as the Wolves outscored Golden State 9-4 in the extra period.

Leaders for the Warriors were Stephen Curry with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Jordan Poole had 18 points, Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points against his former team, and Draymond Green added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

After Curry missed a jumper in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Minnesota was unable to get a quality shot off at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Minnesota played without center Rudy Gobert due to soreness in his right groin.

The Warriors’ road trip continues Thursday night at Denver.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Curry asks city of Atherton not to develop near his property; Curry gets hit with $25k fine for throwing mouthguard in stands

Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors guard (30) responds to getting a technical and thrown out of the game after throwing his mouth guard into the stands on Wed Jan 25, 2023 at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies (USA Today photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Dave, big story today as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and his wife Ayehsa Curry have asked the city of Atherton to not develop more townhomes near their property. Curry stated for the benefit of his wife and kids that Atherton which carries the most affluent zip code in America that he doesn’t want development near his land because of “safety and privacy” reasons which he wrote in a letter to the city of Atherton. It should be noted that other neighbors are collaborating with the Curry’s in protesting against further development in the neighborhood.

#2 For the second time Curry was fined $25,000 for throwing his mouth guard into the stands most recently he was fined after getting mad after teammate Jordan Poole missed a 3 point shot with just 1:14 left in Wednesday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies the first time he did it was in an NBA playoff game. Curry was ceremoniously ejected and Poole ended up scoring the game winning basket with just seconds remaining in the contest.

#3 The Warriors now on a three game win streak tip off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (27-26) on Wednesday night in Minneapolis at the Target Center. The Timberwolves are coming off a 118-111 loss Monday night against the Sacramento Kings in a two game series. The Timberwolves took the first game on Saturday 117-110. Talk about how you see Warriors and Timberwolves going into Wednesday night.

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