Kings Huerter leads with 25, Sabonis gets triple double in 123-108 win over Pelicans

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) is defended by New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

Sacramento Kings (38-26) Kevin Huerter scores 25 points to lead the Kings with Domantas Sabonis scoring a triple double which was his eighth triple double of the 2022-23 season. It was another home victory for the Kings defeating the visiting New Orleans Pelicans (31-34) 123-108 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Sabonis’ contribution paid off big in the scoring department helping out Huerter’s effort. Sabonis scored 19 and had 11 rebounds, 11 assists. Sabonis is the NBA leader with 52 double doubles. The Kings have now won six of their last seven games since All Star weekend back on Sun Feb 19th.

The Kings have been playing amazing ball and picking up wins that have now placed them in second seeding in the NBA Western Conference just behind the first seeded Memphis Grizzlies by a half game. Kings Keegan Murray hopes Sacramento can keep up the pace hoping they can get the home floor advantage through the post season.

Murray mentioned that the Kings have some tough stretches coming up facing teams like the New York Knicks this Thursday at Golden 1, then hit the road to face Phoenix Suns Sat Mar 11, then back in Sacramento on Mon Mar 13 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

“We want to play our first (playoff) game at home,” Murray said. “It’s not easy, we know we have a lot of tough stretches coming up. We know we have to be locked in every single night.” The third quarter was key as the Kings out scored the Pelicans by a 18 point margin 38-20 that pretty much clinched it for Sacramento. A great offensive third quarter performance considering the game was all tied up at 59 each at the half.

The Knicks have been on a roll winning nine of their last ten games and have won nine straight games defeating the Boston Celtics in their last game on 131-129 in overtime on Sunday at TD Garden in Boston. The Knicks are in fifth place in the NBA Eastern Conference. The win for the Kings is their seventh in ten games. The tip with the Knicks and Kings is at 7:00p this coming Thursday night at Golden 1.

Warriors overcome 17-point deficit to beat Pelicans 108-99

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) tries to get past New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Mar 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

My oh my. How do the Warriors do it? For the fourth straight game, the Warriors overcame a double-digit deficit to win. The script was the same. The Warriors start slowly, then get the offense in gear and stop the opponent’s offense. They did that against Minnesota, Portland, and the LA Clippers.

Friday night’s foe, The New Orleans Pelicans, came into town with the NBA’s best defense against the three-point shot. Steve Kerr’s answer was for the Warriors to drive to the basket, get fouled, and have the Warriors defense stop the Pelican offense.

The Warriors didn’t get the message in the first quarter as the Pelicans led by 17, 35-18. Jonathan Kuminga made a three at the end of the period to get the Warriors closer, 35- 21. The Warriors started the comeback in the second quarter, holding the Pelicans to 22 points.

As they did in the games against Portland and LA, the Warrior defense allowed the Pelicans 21 points in the third quarter and 21 points in the fourth. The Warrior offense perked up, and behind the play of Klay Thompson, Kuminga, and Jordan Poole, The Warriors won a thriller 108-99.

Trailing by 15 points starting the second period, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 33-22. JaMychal Green, coming off the bench, tallied eleven points to help the Warriors get back into the game. Thompson had 11, Kumina had nine, and Poole and Kevon Looney had eight. The Warriors finished the first half trailing 57-54. The Pelicans had four players in double figures in the first half Naji Marshall led the Pelicans with 12. Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, and C J McCollum each had ten.

In the previous two games, Golden State owned the third quarter. The Warriors did win the quarter 28-21 to end the third quarter with a four-point lead 82-78. Thompson led the surge by making three threes. The Warriors defense put the shackles on the Pelican’s Ingram.

A four-point lead is relatively easy to overcome in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans had to find a way to break down the Warrior defense. The Pelicans wanted to get the ball to McCullom or Ingram. Draymond Green, Kuminga, Looney, and Donte DiVincenzo was tasked with stopping the Pelicans.

Things did not go well for the Warriors. The Pelicans fought back and regained the lead 93-89. Anthony Lamb made a three to make it a 93-92 game. Thompson made his fourth three of the night to put the Warriors ahead 95-93. DiVincenzo made his first and only basket of the night.

It was a three-pointer. DiVincenzo spent most of the night playing defense against the Pelican’s two big stars, Ingram and McCollum. The Warriors defense made the stops, and the offense carried them to a hard-fought 108-99 win.

Game Notes: The Warriors won their fifth straight game. They are now four games over the .500 mark with a record of 34-30. The Pelicans fall to 31-33.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Thompson led the team with 27 points and four threes. Kuminga had another big game. The young star finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. He played well on both ends of the court. Poole did not make a three.

What Poole did was take the ball to the basket. He was fouled several times, and he knocked down 12 free throws. His point total for the game was 18. Looney had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. JaMYchal Green had 14 points and six boards. Anthony Lamb made three threes and finished with 11. 

Instead of winning the game from behind the three-point arc, the Warriors won by outscoring the Pelicans 52-36 with points in the paint.

The Pelicans’ leading scorer was McCollum with 25. Ingram had 17. Trey Murphy had 16, and Naji Marshall finished with 14.

The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Lakers in LA on Sunday. Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be returning to the Warriors lineup. The game will start at 12:30 pm.

Kings Beat Rockets In First of Back-To- Back Games 140-120

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks between Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) and Houston Rockets forward K.J. Martin, right, during the first half in Houston Mon Feb 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kings Beat Rockets In First of Back-To- Back Games 140-120

By Barbara Mason

Monday evening the Sacramento Kings (30-23) traveled to Houston took on the Rockets (13-41). The Kings have dropped two games in a row most recently to the Pelicans 136-104 Sunday night. The starters for the Kings had an off night in New Orleans in fact it was a horrific first half for Sacramento.

Sacramento has been without De’Aaron Fox due to personal reasons and Fox missed few games and played in Monday nights’ game and gave Sacramento a much needed lift scoring 16 points as the Kings took the first of the two game series 140-120.

The Kings got a very good start in the first quarter leading 31-24. Sacramento got a much better start in this game compared to Sunday and after the first 12 minutes were shooting at 44.1% and had also hit four shots from downtown.

The Kings really got on track in the second quarter shooting at 50% from the field and led at the half 65-48 after winning the quarter 34-24. The high in the half was turned in by Fox with 13 points.

Domantas Sabonis had 11 and Kevin Huerter had ten so the team had put the ugly loss to the Pelicans in the rearview mirror. They took care of the ball in the first half with only five turnovers.

After having a 17 point lead at the half the Kings let the Rockets back in the game. Houston had cut a 17 point deficit to six points before the Kings pushed back and led after three quarters 99-88.

Sacramento turned it on in the fourth quarter squashing the Rockets. With five minutes left in the game they led by the score of 120-99.

The high for the Kings was Keegan Murray with 30 points. Malik Monk had 20 off the bench. Sacramento went crazy from downtown shooting at 51.2% hitting 19 from beyond the arc. The Kings finished shooting 58.4% from the field.

The Kings will meet the Rockets again on Wednesday trying to best Houston in back-to-backs. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Kings get clobbered by Pelicans in New Orleans 136-104

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) shoots against Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) in the first half at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Sun Feb 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

Pelicans Punish Kings 136-104

By Barbara Mason

Sunday the Sacramento Kings (29-23) traveled to the “Big Easy” to take on the New Orleans Pelicans (28-27). Friday night the Kings lost a close game to the Pacers 107-104.

The Pelicans beat the Lakers Saturday night 131-126. The Kings are currently in third place in the Western Conference while the Pelicans have fallen to ninth place tied with the Jazz. The Kings struggled against the Pelicans and it wasn’t even close losing 136-104 on Sunday.

The Pelicans jumped all over the Kings mid-way through the opening quarter 26-12. The Pelicans held a double digit lead in the remaining minutes of the first quarter and led after the first 12 minutes 34-26. For a second game in a row De’Aaron Fox was out for personal reasons and the team did not discuss it any further. Fox has missed four games this season and the team is 1-3 without him.

The slow start for Sacramento started to turned around in the second quarter. It was the Kings bench that was keeping Sacramento in this game and the team needed Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray who had not scored a single point in the first quarter.

The Kings had pulled to within four points in the quarter but started to struggle again. The starters were not holding up their end of the deal. At the half the Pelicans led 70-52 and the Kings starting roster had collectively scored 13 points in the half. The bench had scored 37 points, almost three times more than the starters in a horrendous firs half.

In the third quarter the Pelicans continued the beat down leading the Kings 87-58 with 6:50 left in the quarter. After the first three quarters the Pelicans led 104-76. The fourth quarter was more of the same with the Pelicans winning this game 136- 104.

This is certainly a game that the Kings are looking forward to putting in their rearview mirror. Nothing was working offensively or defensively. They were 22.5% from beyond the arc and the Pelicans were hot with 54.2%. This was just one of those games that come along and you just have to get past it.

The bench worked hard in this game and collectively scored 63 points while the starters had 41 points. Malik Monk had 16 points off the bench which was the team high.

Sacramento will travel to Houston to take on the last place in the Western Conference Rockets Monday night. They are in desperate need for a confidence builder which a win would provide, Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Pelicans Trounce Golden State 128-83

Pelicans Trounce Golden State 128-83

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Ty Jerome in the first half at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Mon Nov 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday night the Golden State Warriors (8-10) won their first road game of the season in Houston. Monday night the Warriors took on the New Orleans Pelicans (10-7) and added another road loss to their road record total 128-83 their ninth road loss this season.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green sat out the game and the kids got the start. Jonathan Kuminga, Anthony Lamb, Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and veteran Kevon Looney were on the starting roster. There were only ten guys in uniform Monday and they would no doubt get a vigorous work-out against New Orleans.

It was a slow start for both teams in the first quarter. The slow start for New Orleans got going after the opening minutes and at the end of the quarter the Pelicans had a significant lead 35-16.

By halftime, the Pelicans had a healthy 65-41 lead. The Warriors had committed a lot of turnovers and were simply outplayed by New Orleans in the first half. Jordan Poole was having a great game with 20 points in the first two quarters. The Warriors had a real uphill battle in the second half against the full strength Pelicans.

The Warriors had a struggle trying to contain the Pelicans who welcomed back Zion Williamson tonight after he had missed the last three games. New Orleans has a terrific offense and a pretty decent defense as the Warriors found out early. The Warriors had trouble shooting threes’’s going 6 of 28 through three quarters. The Pelicans led after three 97-65 and it had been all New Orleans all night.

The Warriors were getting trounced in this game but got some great experience. They were trailing 116-76 with 6:00 left on the clock. The lose Warriors in a blow-out.

There were some bright spots for the Warriors in the game. The high score was Poole with 26 points. Kuminga had 18 points. They did struggle from downtown going 10 of 43. This was just more invaluable experience for these young guys.

The Pelicans were cruising from the start of the game. Brandon Ingram finished with the high score 34 points. CJ McCollum had 15 points. Jonas Valanciunas was great defensively with 13 rebounds. New Orleans was shooting 54% in the game.

The Warriors will play the Clippers Wednesday night at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors return home after racking up 0-6 road trip; Host the Kings tonight at Chase Center

A view of the Golden State Warriors bench on Fri Nov 4, 2022 in New Orleans (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, how depleted do the Golden State Warriors seem after resting their three key players Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson and taking a nine point 114-105 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night in Pelican town.

#2 The Pelicans Brandon Ingram lead the Pelicans with 26 points and contributed on offense keeping New Orleans in the drivers seat for most of the game.

#3 What was remarkable was Ingram had missed four games in a row due to a concussion and was glad for the timing of getting back in the line up to face the Warriors.

#4 The Warriors Jordan Poole led Golden State with 20 points and nine assists, Ty Jerome had 18 points, and Kevon Looney was the only regular starter that was in uniform.

#5 The Warriors return to the nest tonight at Chase Center and host the Sacramento Kings who are coming off two road wins against the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets.

Barbara Mason does the Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

It’s Five Straight loses For Golden State; Warriors lose to Pelicans 114-105; Warriors now have 0-6 road record

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives to the basket between Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman (33) and forward JaMychal Green (1) in first half action in New Orleans on Fri Nov 4, 2022 (AP Ne

It’s Five Straight For Golden State Losing to Pelicans 114-105

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (3-7) finished up their road trip taking on the New Orleans Pelicans (5-3) in the “Big Easy” and wound up dropping their fifth straight game 114-105.

It has been a road trip that no-one saw coming. Golden State has not win a single road game this season and looked for a win tonight against a very tough Pelican team. New Orleans had some great starters which of course included Zion Wiliamson along with CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciiunas. With Williamson completely healthy for this game under the best of circumstances would be a challenge.

Tonight’s game featured a new look for the Warriors. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green rested and watched the game from the bench. This was an absolute opportunity for the young guys to get on the floor and exercise their skills.

Game recap: The first quarter was a solid one for Golden State leading after the first 12 minutes 27-26. Ryan Rollins got his first three in the NBA in the quarter. Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Anthony Lamb were the starters for the game.

In the second quarter the turnovers were starting to mount with seven in the early going. After trailing by 11 points Golden State climbed back into the game trailing by a single point 50-49 with under three minutes left in the half. The youngsters were giving the elite Pelicans a run for their money.

New Orleans made a push in the final minute of the second quarter leading 61-54 going into the locker room. Despite trailing it was an impressive showing by the kids. At the half Poole had 12 points, Kuminga had 11 and Lamb also had double digits with 10 points.

With 3:79 left in the third quarter the Warriors had tied up the game at 70. Golden State remained competitive throughout the quarter. A tough sequence in the final minute gave the Pelicans an 88-79 lead going into the final quarter. Brandon Ingram was having a great game with 25 points supported by Williamson and McCollum each with 14.

The Warriors hung in this game for three quarters and made a push in the fourth quarter trailing 93-89 with eight minutes left in the game. Golden State was just looking to keep this game close. The Pelicans put up a real push in the final minutes and finished off the Warriors in the final game of this road trip. The final was 114-105.

The kids had some great moments. They struggled with traveling and turnovers but this was a terrific opportunity to play for these guys. They played a scrappy game and no doubt learned an awful lot. Poole finished with 20 points, Ty Jerome and Kuminga had 18, Lamb with 16 and Moody 14 points. Not bad for a bunch that hasn’t played together. The Warriors will head home with a five game losing streak.

The Warriors will have some time off before they take on the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Warriors lose fourth straight game to Magic 130-129 in Orlando

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) reacts after being fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half in Orlando on Thu Nov 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Lose Fourth Game In a Row To The Magic 130-129

By Barbara Mason

Thursday evening the Golden State Warriors (3-6) lost to the Orlando Magic (2-7) and were looking for their first road win of the season they didn’t get it dropping their fourth straight game in a row 130-129 in Orlando.

It has been an extremely difficult road trip for the team. Golden State who looked to defend without fouling up something that has just not happened in this stretch. Limiting the turnovers would also be beneficial. Quality road trips is the sign of a great team. The Warriors have not looked anything like a great team that they used to be on this road trip.

Thursday game recap: Klay Thompson got the first quarter going in a big way with three from downtown grabbing a 16-8 lead for the Warriors. The turnovers began to cause a lot of problem as the quarter wore on and the lead that Golden State had built began to evaporate. After the first 12 minutes the score was tied at 30.

By the end of the second quarter the Warriors had built a double digit lead 65-53. Golden State had a great quarter. They pushed that lead with good offense and good defensive. They forced turnovers and had second chance points, doing all of this with some Warrior-like hustle and scrappiness. The splash brothers had a great first half, both going four of eight from downtown while the Magic had trouble shooting from the paint. As it turned out this would be a tale of two halves.

In the third quarter Thompson picked up where he left off in the first half shooting a couple of three’s in the first two minutes of play. The Warriors had their largest lead of the game with 9:22 left in the quarter 75-60. The Magic fought but continued to trail by double digits. Orlando continue to pick away and with less than two minutes left the Warriors suffered a disasterous sequence. James Wiseman had a shooting foul, a technical giving Orlando the chance for a possible four points. Going into the fourth quarter the Warriors were hanging onto a 98-96 lead.

The Warriors had a terrible start to the fourth quarter committing three fouls inside of one minute. The Magic took the lead 108-104 with 8:20 left in the game. Orlando had been sixteen down and with the lead they were looking to win their second game of the season at the expense of the Warriors. The frustration began to boil over when Head Coach Steve Kerr was called for a technical. With 3:27 on the clock the Warriors had pulled to within one point 117-116. Kevon Looney and Draymond Green were both playing with five fouls.

This game was absolute torture tied at 126 with 43 seconds. The Magic took the lead 130-126 with 31 seconds left. Green had fouled out and it was a two score game. The Warriors pulled to within one point when Thompson hit a three. The Warriors ended the game with possession and 4.9 seconds but fell short losing 130-129 in a nightmare game.

Every team that has played the Warriors on this road trip has played to a new level. 31 more free throws for the Magic makes it pretty tough to win under any circumstances. The Magic hit clutch bucket after clutch bucket. So the Warriors have their fourth loss in a row.

Two turnovers by Golden State in the final minute and 31 Magic free throws shut this whole thing down. The third and fourth quarters were horrendous. Stephen Curry finished with 39 points, Thompson with 27, Looney with 17 and Andrew Wiggins with 15; surely good enough to win any game had it not been for those 31 free throws and turnovers. The Warriors made 19 three’s and shot at 51% and still lost.

It doesn’t get any better for the Warriors taking on the New Orleans Pelicans in the “Big Easy” tomorrow night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 as the Warriors are looking to break a stunning losing streak.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: NBA teams after Green but Warriors not budging; NBA enforcing carrying violations

Golden State Warriors Draymond Green addressing the media Sat Oct 8, 2022 the week he slugged teammate Jordan Poole has been sought by many other NBA team but the Warriors are denying that he’s on the trade block. (AP News file photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, there has been rumored talk that the Warriors (3-6) Draymond Green could bring suiters although the Warriors deny rumors about dealing Green.

#2 Green has been a commodity ever since he punched teammate Jordan Poole in a practice in early October. NBA teams still have approached the Warriors. Knowing this the Warriors just very well might hang onto Green as long as he can help the team and not get the itch to punch anyone else.

#3 Green’s contract ends at the end of this season but as long as his long time championship teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the team Green may just try and reup with Golden State.

#4 The NBA is pushing the carry rule. The Warriors were whistled for three carry violations in their last game against the Detroit Pistons. Warrior head coach Steve Kerr being well aware that the league is serious about such violations has let his players know to dribble not carry the ball.

#5 Jerry, the Warriors complete their five game road trip Friday night in New Orleans against the Pelicans the Warriors are trying to pick up some wins after losing four straight to start the road trip how do you see this game in New Orleans for a 5:30 pm tip.

Join Jerry for Warrior podcasts on Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Finish Third In Western Conference With Win Over Pelicans 128-107

The Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) gets the finger roll shot over the New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Sun Apr 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Finish Third In Western Conference With Win Over Pelicans 128-107

By Barbara Mason

Sunday night the Golden State Warriors (53-29) clinched for third place finish in the Western Conference. They beat the New Orleans Pelicans (36-46) 128-107. Both of these teams are playoff bound but the Warriors really need to finish the season on a high note heading into the post-season.

Klay Thompson was back on board for this game. Andrew Wiggins sat this one out and Moses Moody was on the starting roster with Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson.

The Pelicans took an early lead but it would not be long before the Warriors started to crank things up. At the end of the first quarter the Warriors had a slim lead 27-26. The Pelicans had a seven point lead early but the Warriors erased that lead to win the first quarter.

The second quarter was a good one for the Warriors. Golden State finished the first half shooting an impressive 63%. Thompson went off finishing the half with 21 points and was 4 of 9 from downtown.

Jordan Poole had a better game tonight with 12 points after two quarters. Golden State had a 20 point lead at the half 68-48. The Pelicans are one of the poorest three- point shooting teams in the league and so it was no surprise that they shot only three in the first half to the Warriors ten.

The Warriors had shot 72% in the second quarter which was impressive. Every time that Thompson was open he was letting them fly and he was connecting. The team was protecting the ball and limiting those turnovers and had to keep that kind of play going into the second half of the game.

Both offenses began to slow down in the third quarter. It was the Pelicans that began to heat up in the final four minutes of the third quarter cutting a 29 point Warriors lead to an 11 point deficit.

Golden State took their foot off the gas and the Pelicans took it all the way to the bank and cashed in on a 22 to 4 run. The score after three quarters was 89-78 in favor of Golden State. It is a sure bet that the Dallas Mavs had renewed interest in what was going on in this game.

Going into the fourth quarter the Warriors had 16 turnovers and more importantly the Pelicans had scored 20 points off those turnovers.

The Golden State offense turned things around big time in the final quarter thanks to the shooting of Thompson. The Warriors really pulled it together when push came to shove. The victory for the Warriors gives them the third best record in the NBA.

Klay Thompson had his first 40 point game since his comeback shooting 41 points. Jordan Poole was back shooting for 22 points. The entire team had a beautiful defensive effort with 41 rebounds.

We now know that the Warriors will be taking on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM. It still remains to be seen if Stephen Curry will be ready for Game One in playoff series.