Kings Win A Third On the Road Beating Washington 132-118

Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) passes the ball as Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) and guard De’Aaron Fox (5) defend during the first half the Capital One Center in DC on Sat Mar 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (43-27) are 2-0 on their latest road trip dismissing the Brooklyn Nets 101-96 and the Chicago Bulls (117-114). Saturday evening they took on the Washington Wizards (32-39) in the third game of this trip and came away with another road win 132-118. The Kings have had a terrific stretch in these latest games on the road and were looking for win number three in tonight’s game.

The Kings did fall behind in the opening quarter trailing with five minutes left 23-13. Despite that Sacramento turned this game around and led after the first twelve minutes 37-33. The Kings had 6 three pointers in the first quarter and Terrance Davis was driving the offense with some brilliant play.

The second quarter was highlighted by some great King defense. With 4:05 left in the half, the Kings had taken a ten point lead 61-51. The Wizards continued to play catch up but had cut the Kings lead to three points with 2:50 left in the half. Sacramento led after two quarters 71-60.

Domantas Sabonis led the offense with 18 points after two quarters. The Kings had hit twelve baskets from beyond the arc in the half and Terence Davis was 4 of 5 from downtown. The Kings really settled down after a slow start in this game. They only had two turnovers in the half and were 62.2% from the field and 66.7% from downtown.

The Kings continued to extend their lead in the third quarter and with 4:50 left in the quarter had a 92-79 lead. After three quarters the Kings led 104- 92. Sabonis continued to tear up the court offensively and defensively as did Terence Davis off the bench.

With 7:35 left in the game the Kings continued to dictate play leading 118-99. As the final quarter began to wind down the Kings displayed the defensive excellence that we have seen all season. The Kings were eyeing a franchise record as they went into the final 5:30 of the game. They had already hit 21 three’s; the record being 23. They did not break that record coming up just short with 22 three’s but recorded they’re 43rd win of the season.

Domantas Sabonis finished with 30 points and 9 rebounds and some excellence off the bench from Terence Davis (21 points) and Malik Monk (17 points). The Kings only had 9 turnovers. They won this game without starter Kevin Huerter which shows the depth and confidence that this team has right now. They have now won 7 road games in a row.

Monday night the Kings take on the Utah Jazz in another road game, their fourth, before returning home Tuesday to take on the Celtics. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Warriors win a shootout by downing the Washington Wizards 135-126

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots against Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Feb 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (29-28) snapped a two-game losing streak Monday night by beating the Washington Wizards (26-30) 135-126. The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins had his best game since returning from a groin injury. Klay Thompson was hot in the first half. Kevon Looney had a double-double.

The Warriors’ bench all helped get the win for Golden State. Donte DiVincenzo, Ty Jerome, JaMychal Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody were excellent at putting points on the board.

The Warriors attacked the rim all night. As a result, the disparity at the foul line disappeared. 

The game could have started better for the Warriors. The Wizards came out firing. Kristaps Porzingis, the seven-foot-three giant from Latvia, scored 16 points in the first quarter. Bradley Beal added ten as the Wizards shot 74% from the floor and led the Warriors 39-29 at the end of the quarter.

Draymond Green and Jordan Poole had to sit on the bench in the second quarter as they each committed three fouls. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called on DiVincenzo, Moody, JaMychal Green, and Moody to get momentum going. The players did what Kerr wanted.

The Wizards led by 15 early in the second quarter. Thompson found his stroke as he could connect on three-point shots. The Warriors went on a 10-1 run to trail by one, 59-58. The Wizards regained the lead momentarily. Thompson made another three, and Jerome’s bucket put the Warriors ahead 63-62.

The Warriors kept rolling, finishing the first half leading 71-66. They outscored the Wizards by 15 points in the second period. Thompson had 20, Wiggins and DiVincenzo each had 11. Porzingis led the Wizards with 18. Beal knocked down 16, and Kendrick Nunn, coming off the bench, had 11. Both teams were hot. The Wizards shot 66% from the floor, the Warriors 59.6% 

The Warriors kept the momentum going in the third period. JaMychal Green made three threes in the period. The Warriors continued to drive to the basket, picking up fouls along the way. The Warriors increased the lead to 18 late in the third quarter,106-88. However, they allowed the Wizards to score the last five points of the period to trail.

Everyone who follows the NBA knows 13-point deficits can be overcome in the fourth quarter. The Warriors lost their last two games by failing to produce in crunch time. They did not want to lose again by letting a team overcome a double-digit deficit.

The Wizards cut the deficit to nine by scoring the first four points of the fourth quarter. Kevon Looney made a bucket to stop the run. The Wizards picked up where they left off and made it a 108-101 game. The fans were starting to get nervous. The Warriors regained their composure. Looney, Wiggins, Poole, and Thompson played like the champions that they are. The Warriors increased the lead to 12.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 29-28. The Wizards fall to 26-30. 

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Wiggins led the team with 29 points. Wiggins made three threes. Thompson had 27 points, and he made four threes. Poole had 14 and three threes. Looney finished with a double-double, 13 points, and 13 rebounds. Looney played 31 minutes Monday night.

DiVincenzo had 17 points. DiVincenzo made five threes. JaMychal Green knocked down 4. JaMychal made four threes in four attempts. Jerome added nine, and he recorded seven assists.

The Warriors shot 58% from the floor. They made 20 threes in 40 tries. They outrebounded the Wizards 40-36 and recorded 40 assists on 52 made baskets. The Warriors ran the court well. They found the open man and made the shots needed to win.

After the game, Steve Kerr said, “this was Andew Eiggins’s best game since he’s been back.” Kerr also remarked this about Wiggins,” he got us a lot of key buckets.” Kerr also praised JaMychal Green, DiVincenzo, Jerome, and Moody.

The Wizards’ Porzinga led his team with 34. Beal added 33. The only other Wizard players in double figures were Nunn with 13 and Delon Wright with 11.

The Warriors are off to Los Angeles to play the Clippers Tuesday night. The game will star at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors hope to snap two game skid tonight against Wizards at Chase

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) during the first half at Chase Center San Francisco Sun Feb 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

On Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The new-look Los Angles Lakers (26-31), playing without LeBron James, who was out with a sore foot, won the game in crunch time to down the Golden State Warriors (28-28), 109-103.

#2 The Lakers acquired guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota on Thursday. The Lakers also added Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura to their lineup. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry is out with a knee injury, and the team will re-evaluate his status after the All-Star break. 

#3 The Warriors were hoping to atone for their loss in crunch time to the Portland Trailblazers Wednesday night.

#4  The Lakers scored to lead 107-101.Donte Di Vincenzo made a two-pointer to trail 107-103. The Warriors needed a miracle to win the game, and the miracle didn’t happen.

#5 The Warriors host the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Monday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

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

Warriors Beat Wizards In Nation’s Capitol 127-118

Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) goes up for a rebound against Golden State Warriors forward Anthony Lamb (40) and guard Ty Jerome (10) during the first half at the Capital One Center in Washington DC on Mon Jan 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Beat Wizards In Nation’s Capitol 127-118

By Barbara Mason

Monday afternoon the Golden State Warriors (22-22) took on the Washington Wizards (18-26) at Capital One Arena in Washington DC. The fact that the Warriors struggled on the road is no secret and opposing teams have been taking full advantage.

After losing against the Bulls Sunday in an absolutely lackluster game, the Warriors got a win Monday 127-118 defeating the Wizards. Stephen Curry has a great history in Washington and the team got a repeat of that history in a collective effort.

The Warriors had a far different start to this game compared to the game in Chicago. Curry had 17 points in the opening quarter. They did a far better job defensively and only had two turnovers in the first quarter. They led after the first 12 minutes 35-33.

Curry had an outstanding first quarter and in the second quarter Jordan Poole stepped up to the plate shooting for 23 points. He finished the half with 26 points and Curry had 21. The Warriors had four turnovers in the second quarter and won the quarter 34-31 leading at halftime 69-64. The Warriors needed to continue protecting the ball and limit the fouls in the second half.

As expected Kristaps Portzingis presented the greatest challenge in this game. He finished the first half with 25 points.

The third quarter was a bit of a let-down for Golden State. The shots from downtown were not dropping going 13 of 36. They had three turnovers and after three quarters this game was tied at 93.

The Warriors made up a seven point deficit to lead 112-108 with four minutes left in the game. The Warriors had contained Portzingis who had five points in the second half with 2:24 left on the clock.

It was the Washington bench that was keeping them in the game. With under two minutes left in the game the Warriors led 123-114 and Curry was approaching 40 plus points. In the final minutes Curry hit a three followed by Poole who shot a three and the Warriors were rolling.

The Wizards played a very good game and had this game in hand through three plus quarters before Draymond Green got his squad going and there was no looking back.

This was the Warriors fifth road win and they really needed this game. Curry finished with 41 points and Poole had 32. The team had a very efficient game with only 12 turnovers a far cry from Sunday’s game total of 23 turnovers.

Next up for the Warriors will be a matchup with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

King drop second game on homestand to Wizards 125-111 Friday

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert, second from left, drives to the basket past Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Dec 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (17-14) were back in action on Friday night. The Kings last played on Wednesday night as they took on LeBron James and the LA Lakers at home. The Kings handled the Lakers with ease and looked to continue the trend on Friday. The Kings were set to take on the visiting Washington Wizards (13-21) at 7PM on Friday night. The Kings dropped the contest by the final of 125-111.

In the first quarter, the Kings started slow. The Kings offense got off to a sluggish start in the first quarter. They did manage to score 27 points in the first quarter. However, the Wizards scored 28 points with Bradley Beal leading the way with nine. Domas Sabonis led the way for the Kings with eight points.

In the second quarter, it was even worse for the Kings. The Kings offense couldn’t catch a break and the Wizards were running in the open court on offense. The Kings appeared lifeless on this Friday night and the Golden One Center crowd was audibly unhappy.

The Kings were outscored by a massive 40-23 in the second quarter to fall into a 18 point deficit headed into halftime. The Wizards could do no wrong on the offensive end shooting near 60% in the first half. The Kings would need a massive rally in the second half to come back 68-50.

In the third quarter, it was a much more even game. However, that is not what the Kings needed. In desperate need for a big quarter the Kings only managed to hang tight against the Wizards. The Kings scored 33 points in the third compared to the Wizards 34. The massive second quarter for the Wizards was holding strong for them up through the third. The Kings would head into the final quarter down 102-83. Would the Kings pull off a stunning comeback in the fourth?

In the fourth quarter, the Kings weren’t able to rally back. The Wizards continued to put the pressure on the Kings in the fourth quarter so squander any chance the Kings had at a comeback. The Kings managed to out score the Wizards 28-23 in the fourth but it was too little too late.

The Wizards had built such an insurmountable lead in the second quarter that they rolled to the victory 125-111. It was a disappointing loss for the Kings in front of a great Golden 1 Center crowd. Kyle Kuzma led all scorers with 32 points in the game to lead the Wizards to victory.

On the other hand, Domantas Sabonis had a triple double for the Kings and De’Aaron Fox finished with 26 points. It was a disappointing loss for the Kings, akin to the recent loss to Charlotte. However, the Kings will look to turn the page after Christmas.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host a struggling Wizards team tonight at Golden One

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant (31) during the first quarter at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Dec 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (17-13) did not welcome Lebron “King” James and the Los Angeles Lakers (13-18) into their kingdom and threw them into the moat surrounding Golden 1 Center 134-120.

#2 The Lakers actually had the advantage after the first 12 minutes of play, 26-25 in a quarter that had ten lead changes and five ties.

#3 The Kings managed to take the lead at the midway point of the contest with veteran forward and champion, Harrison Barnes led the charge with 14 points and totaled 20 for the game. At the half, 66-58 Kings.

#4 The fourth was just a formality, as the Kings held on to win by 14, despite being outscored by six at the hands of the Lakers.

#5 The Kings host the Washington Wizards who have lost nine of their last ten games. The Kings who are in sixth place and have won six of their last ten games. How do you see this game after the 7:00pm tip tonight.

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

Warriors Bid Sayonara To Tokyo Winning Game Two 104-95

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry sign autographs for fans in Tokyo during the Tokyo pre season series on Sat Oct 1, 2022 before their game with the Washington Wizards (@warriors photo)

Warriors Bid Sayonara To Tokyo Winning Game Two 104-95

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (2-0) took on the Washington Wizards (0-2) in the second game of their two game series amidst a sell-out enthusiastic crowd. As in game one the applause for the Golden State Warrior lineup was thunderous.

Draymond Green addressed the crowd before the game. “On behalf of myself, my team mates our coaching staff we just to thank you all for an incredible experience,” he said. “Being in Tokyo for these last five days has been absolutely amazing. I look forward to living here one day. Thank ya’ll, we love y’all.” News flash??? but that is what the man said.

This game was a close one going into halftime. The Wizards held a slim lead 56-54. Washington won the third quarter 29-20 to extend their lead 85-74. The fourth quarter was all Warriors stuffing the Wizards 30-10. The final was 104-95 in favor of Golden State.

After a quiet game one Golden State guard Stephen Curry finished this game with 17 points and five rebounds. Warriors Moses Moody and Patrick Baldwin Jr. both scored twelve points off the bench.

The Wizards had four starters in double digits; Kristaps Porzingis finished with 18 points, Will Barton with 12, and Rui Hachimura and Monte Morris both with 11.

There are a multitude of things to clean up for both teams and that’s why we have a pre-season. After 17 turnovers in game one for Golden State that will surely be one of them.

So back to the states for the Warriors gearing up for a game with the Los Angeles Lakers on October 9 at Chase. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Warriors Kickoff Pre-Season In Tokyo Beating Wizards 96-87

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (left) and the Washington Wizards Rui Hachimura (right) are presented before their game in Tokyo on Thu Sep 29, 2022 (@Warriors photo)

 

Warriors Kickoff Pre-Season In Tokyo Beating Wizards 96-87

By Barbara Mason

The NBA preseason got underway a world away last night in Japan. The World Champion Warriors took on the Washington Wizards in a two game series.

Friday night a sellout crowd in Tokyo got to see not only the defending champion Golden State Warriors but they also got to see Japan native Rui Hachimura who is a starter for the Wizards. He understandably got a huge round of applause from the crowd when introduce along with the Wizard starters.

It has been awhile. In fact, the last time a preseason series was played was back in 2019, that game a contest between the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors.

Fans got to enjoy the play of not only the starters but the bench as well. None of the Warriors played more than 20 minutes in this game and going into the third quarter both teams were digging deep into their benches.

The Warrior’s James Wiseman, after missing all of last season, played 24 minutes and had the high score with 20 points, He hit on eight of 11 shots and had nine rebounds on his return. It could not have gone better for Wiseman after so much missed time. The high score for the Wizards was Hachimura with 13 points and nine rebounds. Wiseman and Hachimura were the only players to finish in double digits.

It’s early and it’s the preseason and so there were the expected early turnovers and erratic passes. Both teams shot under 33% in the first half and by game’s end they finished under 37%. Despite the less than stellar shooting, the crowd enjoyed a game that they will remember for a long long time. They got to see some of the world’s greatest players and they showed their appreciation with thunderous applause throughout the game.

Klay Thompson did not play in this game and Jordan Poole started in his place. The team continues to be cautious with Thompson since his return last January after suffering a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles which sidelined him 2 1/2 season. He will not play in this series.

The second game of this series will be played on Saturday with tipoff at 10:00 PM on NBA TV.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors drop fifth game out of six; Also Barbara’s favorite moment from the Oscar Awards

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) goes for two against the Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith (4) at the Capital One Arena in Washington on Sun Mar 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara is it pretty evident with no Stephen Curry the Golden State Warriors (48-27) have lost their way?

#2 The Washington Wizards who defeated the Warriors on Sunday 123-115 had lost four of their last eight games playing .500. a team that were the underdogs but the way the Warriors have been playing it’s a safe bet not to go near this one.

#3 The Wizards who got an eight point win over the Warriors held close leads for most of the game and hung on to defeat Golden State. The Wizards got scoring help from Corey Kispert 25 points, Kristaps Porzingis 23 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who had 22 points.

#4 Warriors leading scorers Jordan Poole led with 26 points, Klay Thompson 25, Andrew Wiggins with 24, maybe they should give Draymond Green the ball more often he finished seven.

#5 Don’t get fresh with the Fresh Prince: Barbara getting off the Warriors subject you had a chance to watch the Oscar Awards tonight the highlight was when comedian Chris Rock got slapped in the face in front of a live audience on live TV by Comedian Will Smith after Rock made a joke about the Fresh Prince’s wife Jada Smith being GI Jane 2. It was a hard slap delivered by Smith right on the face of Rock who was stunned. What was more stunning is Smith dropping the F bomb telling Rock “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—–g mouth” not once but twice.

Join Barbara for the Golden State Warriors podcast Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Again, No Second Half Surge For Warriors; Wizards 123 Warriors 115

Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors at the Capital One Center in Washington DC on Sun Mar 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

Again, No Second Half Surge For Warriors; Wizards 123 Warriors 115

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Warriors (48-27) took on the Washington Wizards (32-42) at Capital Arena. They would play the game with the same lineup as their game against the Atlanta Hawks Friday night in a losing effort 121-110.

The Warriors had a great offensive game in the first half of that matchup but the defense was lacking and would have to be cleaned up. The Warriors couldn’t keep up dropping their second straight game to the Wizards 123-115.

The Warriors have fallen 3.5 games behind the second place Memphis Grizzlies but are 3.0 games ahead of the fourth place Utah Jazz in the Western Conference. There have been numerous scenarios of just who the Warriors could meet in the first round of the playoffs.

I believe that if you plan to win a championship it doesn’t matter who you play. You have to be equipped to beat every team in the playoffs. You have to be able to beat the best of the best.

The Wizards had a nice first quarter leading mid-way through the game 14-7. The Warriors had some open looks in the quarter but were not able to put points on the board. Their defense looked good and they needed their offense to start clicking.

Despite being outplayed in the opening quarter and shooting only 33% the Warriors were still in this game. The Wizards led 28-24 going into the second quarter and Golden State had to find their offense.

The Warriors fell behind 48-37 mid-way through the second quarter. They had to start stringing some stops together and take away the momentum that the Wizards were playing with.

Washington was confident offensively building a 51-37 lead and the Warriors needed to shut down their rhythm and make a run before the half. After trailing by 18 the Warriors made up some ground at the half. The Wizards led 59-51.

The third quarter was equally as frustrating for Golden State. Every time they got a little momentum going they would either fail to score or turn the ball over. The Warriors were 7 of 25 on three’s through three quarters. Washington continued to lead 92-81.

The fourth quarter went from bad to worse when Draymond Green was hit with a technical foul four minutes into the quarter. The Wizards were having their best three point shooting game of the season. The Warriors could not take the Wizards out of this game giving the Wizards their 30th second win of the season 123-115. For the Warriors it was simply no offense – no win.

Outscored by 24 points from behind the three point line the Warriors struggled from the get go. They did get some offensive work from Jordan Poole with 26, Klay Thompson 25 and Andrew Wiggins with 23.

Draymond Green had a tough game struggling with too many turnovers seven points, six assists and only five rebounds. It was the shots from downtown that failed Golden State. It was an ugly loss for the Warriors and Golden State had lost another game that they had no business losing.

The Warriors will finish this disappointing road trip tomorrow taking on the second place Memphis Grizzlies. This will be a very challenging game especially if they play the way that they played against the Wizards. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.