Golden State Warriors podcast on David Zizmor: How Warriors came back to defeat Trailblazers Tuesday

The Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga (00) tries to give little territory to the Portland Trailblazers Damian Lillard (0) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Feb 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 The Portland Trailblazers outscored the Golden State Warriors 41-27. The Blazers made five threes to get things rolling in beginning of the game on Tuesday night. 

#2 In the Warriors comeback, Draymond Green is back after missing two games with a knee contusion and almost had a triple-double. Green knocked down 12 points, had nine rebounds, and eight assists. Jonathan Kuminga, coming off the bench, added 16 points and three rebounds.

#3 The Warriors meet the LA Clippers Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm. Could this be a tough game for Golden State?

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

Warriors overcome 23-point deficit trample Blazers 123-105

Portland Trail Blazers forward Drew Eubanks, middle, reaches for the ball between Golden State Warriors forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) and forward Anthony Lamb during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Feb 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

What a game! Still, without Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors hosted the Portland Trailblazers at the Chase Center in San Francisco Tuesday night and helped with a comeback win over the Blazers 123-105. The Warriors were hoping to get a win over Portland to avenge the 125-122 loss in Portland on February 8th and they did in a big way.

The Warriors knew it would not be easy as the Blazer’s star guard, Damian Lillard, scored 71 points Sunday night. The Warriors had to find a way to contain Lillard. If they couldn’t, the Warriors would lose the game. It looked that way as the Blazers pounded the Warriors in the first quarter.

The Blazers outscored the Warriors 41-27. The Blazers made five threes to get things rolling. The Warriors found their defense in the second quarter. They held the Blazers to 24 points. The Warrior offense was out of sync in the quarter as they tallied 21 points. The stadium was quiet as Portland blew the Warriors away in the first half by a score of 65-48. The Warriors trailed by 23 at one point in the second quarter. A late rally cut the deficit to 17.

The Warriors made 11 turnovers in the first half. The Blazers took advantage and put 16 points on the board due to the turnovers. The Blazers made 13 free throws. The Warriors made seven. Lillard finished the first half with 19. Jerami Grant had 14 for the Blazers. 

The Warriors had a lot to think about during the halftime intermission. Steve Kerr had to adjust his game plan, hoping to get his team back on track. The Answer was-attack the basket. The team that came out to play the second half looked entirely different. The Warriors drove to the basket.

The Warriors found the Blazers’ defense to be quite porous. The Warriors, led by Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson, propelled the team to the lead 89-82 at the end of the third period. Thompson and Poole each tallied 12 points each. The Warriors defense held the Blazers to 17 points in the quarter while the offense scored 39. The Warriors held Lillard to four points in the period. 

The Warriors kept the pressure going in the fourth quarter. They continued to score points in the paint. All five of the Warrior starters were in double figures. The Warriors went from being down by 23 points to win the game by 18. It was an amazing turnaround. The Warriors won the second half 75-40 and the game.

Game Notes: The Warriors won their third straight to improve to 32-30. The Blazers fell to 29-32. The Warriors’ home record now stands at 25-7

Jordan Poole led the Warriors with 29 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Poole made three threes. Thompson, who had seven points in the first half, tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Thompson also made three threes. The Blazers double-teamed Thompson all night, but Thompson, as he has done so many times in his career, kept on shooting.

He knew he would find the range, and he did in the second half. Donte DiVincenzo had another outstanding game. DiVincenzo made five threes and finished with 21 points. Kevon Looney added 14 points and seven boards. Looney, as usual, was in the right spot, and his buckets helped the Warriors win the game.

Draymond Green is back after missing two games with a knee contusion and almost had a triple-double. Green knocked down 12 points, had nine rebounds, and eight assists. Jonathan Kuminga, coming off the bench, added 16 points and three rebounds.

The Blazers dominated the first half. The Warriors dominated the second half. Damian Lillard finished with 25. Lillard was held to six points in the second half. The Warrior defense kept the ball out of Lillard’s hands in the final 24 minutes of the game. Jerami Grant had 24 for the Blazers.

Most of Grant’s points came at the free-throw line. Matisse Thybulle made five threes in six tries. He finished with 15. Shaedon Sharpe had 13, and Cam Reddish had ten.

The Blazers shot 50 % from the floor in the first half and 43% for the game. The Warriors defense stopped them cold in the second half. The Warriors were 54% from the floor. Each team made 12 threes. 

The Warriors challenged the Blazers’ defense in the second half. The Warriors scored an amazing 66 points in the paint. 

The Warriors meet the LA Clippers Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings on back to back nights battle Clippers tonight in Southland

Portland Trail Blazers guard Keon Johnson drives to the basket past Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (33-25) were sloppy with the ball on offense, and the defense was nonexistent. It makes it even worse that Portland Trailblazers (28-31) didn’t have a single starter in the game. They were all resting due to the plane ride delays and injuries in spite of all of that the Kings mastered a pretty sizable win 133-116 at Golden 1 Center Thursday night.

#2 In the second quarter, the Kings played much more competitively. They sharpened up the defensive side of the ball a little bit.

#3 In the third quarter, the Kings and Blazers both scored 34 points. It was an uneventful quarter in which neither team played any defense. The Kings offense stayed hot after a sizzling second quarter.

#4 In the fourth quarter, the Kings efficiently handled the Blazers. The Kings outscored the Blazers 33-25 in the final quarter to defeat them. It was a solid win for the Kings. 

#5 The Sacramento Kings take on the Los Angeles Clippers tonight at 730 PM PST at Crypto.com Arena in the Southland.

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

Fox rains baskets on Trailblazers in Kings 133-116 win at Golden One

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) reacts after scoring a basket against Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little (10) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on Thu Feb 23, 2023 (USA Today photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (33-25)were back in town on Thursday night after the All-Star break. The Kings last played against the Phoenix Suns on the road on Saturday, the 14th. The Kings did not play well in the valley of the sun as they lost to the Suns 120-109.

The Kings sent four players to the All-Star festivities. De’Aaron Fox and Domas Sabonis as reserves, Keegan Murray in the rising stars game, and Kevin Huerter in the three-point contest. On Thursday, the Kings looked to get the unofficial second half underway as the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off was set for 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings downed the Trail Blazers (28-31) by the final of 133-116.

In the first quarter, the Kings played terribly. It was one of the worst quarters of the year for the Kings. They were outscored 37-26, but that didn’t tell the whole story. The Kings were sloppy with the ball on offense, and the defense was nonexistent. It makes it even worse that Portland didn’t have a single starter in the game. They were all resting due to the plane ride delays and injuries.

In the second quarter, the Kings played much more competitively. They sharpened up the defensive side of the ball a little bit. However, the defense was still bad. The improvement came on the offensive end as the shots started to fall more for the Kings. In the second quarter, the Kings outscored the Blazers 37-20 to take the lead into the second half. D Fox led the way with 11 points in the first half. Nassir Little led the way for the Blazers with 12 points in the first half.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Blazers both scored 34 points. It was an uneventful quarter in which neither team played any defense. The Kings offense stayed hot after a sizzling second quarter. You have to give the Blazers second unit credit in the game. With the lack of most of the starters, the Blazers held their own. The Kings looked to close out Portland in the final quarter. The score after three was Kings up 100-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings efficiently handled the Blazers. The Kings outscored the Blazers 33-25 in the final quarter to defeat them. It was a solid win for the Kings. Some would even say a great win for the Kings. In times of old, the Kings would lose this game.

The 2021 and 2022 Sacramento lose this game. However, after starting the game poorly, the Kings managed to come back and defeat the short-handed Portland team. The Kings did what good teams are supposed to do. Leading the way for the Kings was All-Star Fox, who scored 31 points.

The performance by Fox is not to be overshadowed by the 18-point triple-double by Sabonis. It was an excellent win for the Kings, who did nothing at the deadline and hope for a playoff birth. Let the race to the postseason begin.

Up Next: The Sacramento Kings will fly to LA to take on the Clippers on Friday night at 730 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: LeBron all time NBA scoring leader coming to Chase Saturday; Ex-Warrior Durant traded to Suns

Former Los Angeles Laker Kareem Abdul Jabbar (left) passes the record setting basketball for most points in NBA history and the torch to the Lakers LeBron James (right) at Cypto.com Arena in Los Angeles in second half action against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tue Feb 7, 2023. LeBron and the Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors Sat Feb 11, 2023 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry:

#1 The Portland Trail Blazers (27-28) Damian Lillard led the way with a triple double and 33 points he was a tough one to defend and the Blazers came away with a 125-122 victory over the Golden State Warriors (28-27) in Portland on Wednesday night.

#2 Lillard also had 11 assists and ten rebounds, it was also Lillard’s second career triple double. Lillard said he didn’t shoot the ball well but it was his aggressiveness and his attack mode that helped defeat Golden State.

#3 The Warriors Jordan Poole finished on top of all other Warrior scorers with 38 points, Jerry talk about Poole’s contribution to the Warriors offense.

#4 Without guard Stephen Curry in the line up and out with a knee injury Klay Thompson scored 31 points, Thompson scored seven three pointers on his 33rd birthday and stepped it up for the club although they fell short in the end.

#5 Jerry, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are at the Chase Center this Saturday night for a 5:30 pm tip. LeBron set the NBA all time record with 38,388 points surpassing former Laker great Kareem Abdul Jabbar last Tuesday night. LeBron should get a nice ovation for the accomplishment from the Golden State crowd on Saturday.

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

Portland Finishes Strong Beating Warriors 125-122

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, right, shoots a 3-pointer over Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant during the first half in Portland on Wed Feb 8, 2023 (AP News photo)

Portland Finishes Strong Beating Warriors 125-122

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors (28-27) traveled up to Portland to take on Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers (27-28) in a tough matchup. Lillard led with 33 points paving the way for a Blazers 125-122 win in Portland on Wednesday night.

The Trail Blazers had a strong start winning the opening quarter 34-27. Portland was not connecting from downtown and the Warriors started hitting them in the second quarter. Golden State finished off the second winning it 40-29 and had shot 12 from beyond the arc. They led at the half 67-63.

Klay Thompson finished the first half with 20 points followed by Jordan Poole with 15. Donte Divincenzo had 12 points off the bench and was three of five from downtown, The Warriors got down early but fought back . Both teams shot at 51% The Warriors were doing a great job protecting the ball with five turnovers in the first half.

Coming down the stretch in the third quarter this was a tight game. Portland won the quarter 32-28 and after three quarters the score was tied at 95. Lillard had 29 and Thompson had 28 through the first three quarters. The Warriors were fighting hard to win this road game on Thompson’s birthday.

The Warriors would try to make a push in the fourth quarter with Lillard on the bench to start the final 12 minutes. The Trail Blazers began inching ahead and led 103-97 in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. Lillard came back in the game and the fireworks began.

The Warriors took a brief lead 114-110 and at 4:56 this game was tied again at 114. Both Thompson and Draymond Green were on the bench just waiting for the final push. The Warriors made some poor decisions in the final two minutes and along with turnovers and missed shots Portland took a 123-114 lead.

Poole finished with the high score of 38 points with Thompson shooting for 31. The Warriors did a great job shooting the ball but gave up too many second chance points. Golden State took care of the ball with 11 turnovers but as the Warriors have seen before too many fouls. Despite having the worst bench in the league Portland outscored the Warriors bench 40-26.

The Warriors will be back at Chase Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Warriors In A Gritty Win Over Portland 118-112

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) gestures after 3-point basket during the first half  at Chase Center San Francisco on Fri Dec 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors In A Gritty Win Over Portland 118-112

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (19-18) took on the Portland Trail Blazers (18-17) at Chase looking for their fourth straight win in a row at home. They have been playing lights out despite being short-handed.

Jordan Poole has been spectacular along with Klay Thompson, and Donte Devincenzo has made some amazing strides. The Warriors have beaten some very good teams in the past four games and they meet another one tonight. As the Warriors battled this one out for a 118-112 win over the Blazers.

The Warriors had a brilliant first quarter taking an early 9-0 lead and with under three minutes left in the opening quarter had stretched out that lead to 18, 33-15. Jordan Poole and Thompson had a great quarter giving their team a 41-25 lead after the first 12 minutes. It was an explosive start for the Warriors to open the game this way.

It was just a matter of time before the Trail Blazers turned their slow start around. They erased an 18 point Warrior lead and at the half Golden State was leading by four points 60-56. The Warriors played some sloppy basketball in the final minutes of the half letting Portland take the momentum away from them. The Trail Blazers won the second quarter 31-19.

Poole had 22 points in the first half, his seventh game shooting for 20 or more in a half. Thompson had 15 points and Ty Jerome had nine off the bench including a last second 47 foot shot to end the first quarter.

Portland’s Damien Lilliard got off to a slow start but more than made up for it shooting for 19 points. It was just a matter fo time before he got going and the Warriors would have to contain him in the second half.

Early in the third quarter Portland took their first lead of the game 64-63. It was short-lived when Thompson answered with a triple. This game would start to trade leads but the momentum had clearly turned around in favor of Portland. The Warriors defense had to step it up. They were allowing far too many offensive rebounds.

Second chance points was the difference in this game and it was clearly in favor of Portland. The Trail Blazers continued to accumulate offensive rebounds. They led after three quarters 96-88 winning the quarter 40-28. The Warriors would have to stage a comeback if they wanted to keep they’re winning streak intact.

The Trail Blazers continued to lead in the fourth quarter. Getting stops against Portland was like pulling teeth. It was painful to watch. The Warriors finally started to make some stops erasing an 11 point Portland lead. Golden State trailed by a single point 110-109 with 2:37 left in the game.

The Warriors went crazy in the final two minutes of the game. The crowd at Chase was thunderous and the Trail Blazers began to make mistakes partially due to the noise.

Portland had a couple of turnovers and with 22 seconds on the clock Divincenzo hit a monster three to take a 118-112 lead. They finished the game on a 16-2 run in an unlikely win keeping their win streak intact. They are now 16-2 at home.

Poole and Thompson shot for over 70 points in this game. Poole had 41 and Thompson with 31 in an amazing effort.

The Warriors will get the weekend off before taking on the Atlanta Hawks at Chase. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings Fall Short In Loss To Clippers 111-109; George lead LA with 40 pts

The Los Angeles Clippers Paul George (13) drives on the Sacramento Kings KZ Okpala (40) at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Sat Oct 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Fall Short In Loss To Clippers 111-109

By Barbara Mason

After sailing through the pre-season the Sacramento Kings (0-2) have stumbled in the early regular season falling to Portland Wednesday night 115-108. Saturday night the Kings took on the Los Angeles Clippers (2-0) who look to be a legitimate contender this season. The Kings ended up dropping their second straight game in a row 111-109 to the Clippers at Golden One Arena in Sacramento. There is so much Clipper talent but as the Kings have seen season after season injuries has so much to do with any team’s success.

The Kings led through much of the first quarter but with 4:45 left in the quarter the Clippers took their first lead of the game. Los Angeles led 29-26 after the first 12 minutes of play.

The Kings outscored the Clippers in the second quarter 29-23. The Kings led at halftime 55-52 with a much improved defensive and offensive effort over Wednesday night. They had four turnovers in the half and were shooting right around 43%. As expected the Kings had their hands full defending Paul George who finished the first two quarters with 19 points, the only Clipper in double digits.

The Kings De’Aaron Fox had 15 points at the half and off the bench Keegan Murray had 10 points.

The Kings had two turnovers in the opening minutes of the third quarter allowing the Clippers to take the lead 60-58 with a long ways to go in this game. Paul George had begun to take over this game with 26 points.

The Kings were struggling from the free throw line shooting around 50%. With three minutes left in the quarter the Clippers had taken a six point lead 79-73, their largest of the game.

After three quarters, the Clippers led 86-80. Los Angeles had outscored the Kings in the quarter 34-25. Missed shots from the line were hurting Sacramento leaving ten points on the board, something that does not want to become a trend this season for Sacramento.

After an unfortunate questionable foul on the Kings the Clippers Reggie Jackson sank three free throws giving the Kings a 89-83 lead. Los Angeles got really fired up taking a ten-point lead and the Kings were simply fading away unable to slow down the Clippers.

With four minutes left in the game the officials took what seemed like an eternity to determine a Mike Brown challenge which was successful. The Kings desperately needed stops if they wanted to make any kind of a move in the final minutes. The Kings were able to get some stops but the offensive effort fell just short.

There were some great moments in this game for the Kings but there were a lot of things to clean up as well. Suffice to say this team has a lot of promise as this season gets underway. De’Aaron Fox had back-to- back 33 plus point games. They also had some great defensive moments. Off the bench Keegan Murray was amazing with 19 points.

The Kings will be back in action Sunday night against a formidable opponent, the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Tipoff is at 5:30.

Kings win third exhibition contest, edging Suns 105-104

Sacramento Kings Guard Terrence Davis (3) drives the ball to the hoop against the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wed Oct 12, 2022 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Sacramento held off a late Phoenix rally to defeat the Suns 105-104 Wednesday in NBA exhibition play at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.

Sam Merrill sank a 25-foot 3-pointer from the left wing on an assist from Keon Ellis with 1:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, putting the Kings up 105-98.

After Merrill missed another three with 1:19 left, the Suns responded with a three-pointer Ish Wainright. An offensive foul on Neemias Queta turned the ball over to Phoenix with 36.7 seconds to play. Phoenix used a full time out, and 6.7 seconds later, Timothè Luwawu-Cabarrot made a 26-foot three-pointer, closing the Suns’ deficit to 105-104.

The Suns had another chance to take a lead when Duane Washington Jr. stole the ball from Quinn Cook with 7.7 seconds left. Washington missed a 14-foot jumper along the right baseline as time expired.

De’Aaron Fox was the top scorer for Sacramento with 15 points, followed by Kevin Huerter with 13, Harrison Barnes and Terence Davis with 12 points each and Cook with ten. Domantas Sabonis added nine points and ten rebounds for the Kings.

Washington, a free agent from Ohio State who spent last season with the Indiana Pacers, scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Suns. Also for Phoenix, Jock Landale had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Bismack Biyombo contributed 12 points and 12 boards.

None of the Suns’ projected starters played in the game. The Kings used 15 players.

The Kings are undefeated in three games and wrap up their exhibition slate when they return home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Phoenix finished its exhibition schedule at 1-2.

Warriors, without starters, rout Portland TrailBlazers 131-98

The Golden State Warriors come out the victors in Tue Oct 11, 2022 pre season game at Chase Center against the Portland Trailblazers (photo by @warriors)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played their next-to-last pre-season game Tuesday night against the visiting Portland Trailblazers. The Warriors did not use any of their starters in the game. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, and Andre Iguodala did not dress for the game.

They were on the bench cheering for the guys on the floor. Draymond Green was not in the house. Green is taking some personal time away from the club. Green will return to Thursday’s practice and will be in the line up Friday against the Denver Nuggets for the final pre season game at Chase Center. The Blazers did not play Damion Lillard or Gary Payton II.

The Warriors have seven players that will be seeing most of the playing time this season. The Warriors will have Wiseman in the second unit as a backup to Looney. Jordan Poole will be the leader of the second unit.

Golden State lost several key players and looking for their replacements. The Warriors hope that Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and JaMychal Green will replace Otto Porter Jr, Namenda Bjelica, and Damian Lee in the rotation. Kuninga, Moody, and Green played well Tuesday night as the W’s routed the Blazers 131-98.

Kuminga had ten points, three rebounds, and one assist in 24 minutes of action. Moody knocked down 20 points in 23 minutes of playing time. Mychal Green also had 20. Green pulled down eight rebounds and made four threes in five tries.

He had 20 minutes on the court. Wiseman had 18 points and seven rebounds. The Warriors’ Donte DiVencenzo started the game at the guard position. DiVincenzo scored two points but had four rebounds and six assists.

The Warriors appear to have 11 slots on the roster occupied. The coaching staff will have to make decisions on the four remaining spots. Several players made their case to be included on the roster. Patrick Baldwin, Jr., all six feet nine inches of him, scored six points and had three boards.

Anthony Lamb knocked down eight points in 16 minutes. Ryan Rollins had 12, and Pat Spencer finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Ty Jerome had six points, and Lester Quinones had seven, all in the fourth quarter.

The Blazers had at least three projected starters in the lineup Tuesday night. They had Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nokic, Josh Hart, and Anfernee Simons start the game. Nokic, as usual, was a force in the middle. James Wiseman did a good job holding his own against the big man.

Nokic did score 16. Wiseman, who missed all of last season, appeared to be stronger. His play around the net has improved. His footwork is much better, and he appears ready to elevate his game this year. The scoring leader for Portland was Shaedon Sharp with 17. Grant had nine, Simons 12, Hart three, and Jared Rhoden ten.

As for the game, the Warriors led 35-34 after the first quarter. The Warriors increased the lead to 12 to finish the first half leading 68-56. Golden State blew the game open in the third quarter. They held Portland to 13 points and ended the quarter with an imposing 103-69 advantage. Portland tried to make a comeback in the fourth period, but nothing they did worked. The Warriors win 131-98.

The Warriors play their final pre-season game Friday night at the Chase Center. Their opponent will be the Denver Nuggets. The game will start at 7 pm.