Andre Iguodala is the latest to heap praise on Paul George, stating that he is the second-most skilled player in the NBA behind Kevin Durant, according to his interview on the Point Forward podcast. While both players are undeniably talented, the comparison between them is not so straightforward. Durant has had the better career so far, with two championships, two Finals MVPs, and 13 All-Star and 10 All-NBA selections. George, on the other hand, has yet to make it to an NBA Finals, but has shown his scoring prowess with an average of 20.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals throughout his career.

However, injuries and LeBron James' dominance in the Eastern Conference have hindered George's chances of winning a championship. Even with his recent knee sprain, he remains a skilled player and a key component of the Clippers' success in the playoffs. A championship win for George would solidify his legacy as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and would also justify the greatness of his teammates, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard.

The St. Louis Cardinals didn't include Paul Goldschmidt in their starting lineup for Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. While the reason for his absence wasn't explicitly stated, Tyler O'Neill was named in his place in left field. The rest may have been part of a larger plan to rotate players since the Cardinals are off to a fantastic start this season. Even without Goldschmidt during the game, the Cardinals managed a victory on Monday night against the Diamondbacks with a score of 3-1. Goldschmidt had an impressive start to the season and was hitting .322 with 10 runs, 8 RBIs, and a .910 OPS through 73 plate appearances in the first few weeks of the season. The Cardinals are expected to provide more details on Goldschmidt's absence in the coming days.

Sacramento Kings fans had a lot to cheer about after their team outlasted the Golden State Warriors 126-123 in Game 1 of the series. De'Aaron Fox was the star of the game, scoring a historic 38 points and eclipsing the production of Steph Curry who finished with 30 points. During the closing moments of the game, a Kings fan was spotted taunting Curry, yelling “40 on your f--king head!” in reference to Fox’s 38 points. While the fan taunts may not have impacted the outcome of the game, Warriors fans are hopeful that Curry and his teammates will rise to the occasion in Game 2. Along with the series' expected competitiveness, there was a moment between Curry and a young fan that makes for smiles. During warmups for Game 2, Curry stopped to give a low-five to a young fan wearing his jersey, but the fan failed to notice and kept walking. Maybe Curry will get more luck when the series moves back to San Francisco.

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is set to make NBA history. Currently, with 4,212 assists to his name, Green is slated to surpass Hall of Famer Charles Barkley with just four more assists during Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Although Green hasn’t put up massive numbers, he is one of the best all-around players in the league, which includes being an elite passer and defender. His assists numbers have been consistent as in 64 out of 69 games this season, he has dished out 4+ assists. Given Green's playmaking abilities and the Warriors' strong offensive presence, the feat seems almost certain. Warriors are set to enter the playoffs as the No. 6 playoff seed in the Western Conference after a unique regular season. Despite some weaknesses, Green believes the defending league champions should be favored for the West Finals. In the past eight seasons, the Warriors have won the NBA Championship in four times and have been to the NBA Finals six times.

The whereabouts of a key player on the NBA's most marquee and best-covered team, Golden State Warriors, remained mostly a secret for nearly two months until Andrew Wiggins' return last week. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported the reason for Wiggins' absence was his father had a serious medical situation. Multiple reporters and editors involved in Wiggins coverage described the reporting experience as bizarre, as they debated how to pursue the story, but also one that threatened to upend the Warriors' season as it dragged on. Warriors communications director Raymond Ridder said he was surprised that no national reporters had come up with more details but said he never asked any beat writers not to look into it.

The coverage of Wiggins' absence brought up issues such as what is newsworthy, how much privacy athletes are entitled to, and how journalists and news organizations that cover them balance that with the main tenets of their jobs: reporting news. During Wiggins' return news conference, neither he nor Myers mentioned Wiggins' father and no reporters asked about him. The Warriors confirmed Charania's report. Myers thanked the media for respecting the personal life of someone in a public job, which is a pretty rare thing in the business.

Goldman Sachs has reported losses of nearly $500 million from its attempt to expand into consumer loans and savings products for the underprivileged market. The Wall Street bank started the consumer banking arm, named Marcus, and made efforts to expand under its current CEO, David M. Solomon. The company has sold some of those loans and retreated from others, making it clear they are unsuccessful in the business, which is yet to recover its losses. Financial analysts predict margins will improve for the rest of the firm as Goldman continues to focus on lending to larger clients. The bank announced a $3.2 billion profit in the first quarter and pledged to adjust its cost base. The firm's shares were down by 3% after the earnings were announced. Despite these losses in the consumer sector, The Goldman Sachs Group declared a quarterly dividend of $2.50 per share on an annualized basis at the beginning of March to shareholders.

Sage Rhino Capital LLC has acquired a stake worth $545,000 in Goldman Sachs BDC Inc, showing faith in the firm's investment potential. Goldman Sachs BDC Inc invests in middle-market companies in a range of industries including software, health technology information technology, commercial services, and textiles sectors. It targets investments ranging from $25m to $75m and aims to offer assistance through financing starting from senior secured debt and equity. Though the industry and legal aspects of investing pose challenges, hedge funds have modified their holdings of GSBD, indicating a promising investment landscape amidst market volatility. The firm’s price-to-earnings ratio is 26.06, while the quick ratio and current ratio are both 1.10. With a market capitalization of around $1.50bn, GSBD's share price was valued at $13.70 in Friday's trading session (April 15).

Golden State Warriors' forward, Jonathan Kuminga, had an off night in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Sacramento Kings. In just 10 minutes on the floor, he scored eight points, turned the ball over twice, fouled twice, and failed to pull down a single rebound. In contrast, over the two months leading up to the playoffs where he saw increased minutes, Kuminga proved himself capable. Now, the question is whether or not the versatile combo forward can turn his performance around in Game 2.

Aside from Kuminga's underwhelming performance, the Warriors' primary issue in Game 1 was rebounding. Golden State matched Sacramento's rebounding in the first half but fell behind in the second half, enabling the Kings to mount a comeback victory. Kuminga acknowledged his mistakes and took responsibility for his lack of rebounding, and with coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the team also emphasizing the need for improvement on the glass, Kuminga has an opportunity to redeem himself and contribute to a win in Game 2.

Donte DiVincenzo will come off the bench for the Golden State Warriors in Monday's game 2 against the Sacramento Kings as Andrew Wiggins returns to the starting lineup. This season, DiVincenzo has been a key player for the Warriors with impressive averages of 8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.9 triples and 1.2 steals per contest on 45.4 percent shooting in 22.3 minutes per night. Despite primarily being utilized by the team as a reserve player, his career year letting it fly started with him going back to his college roots at Villanova. An assistant coach at Villanova helped DiVincenzo with drills that have greatly improved his shot. The drills emphasized base and lower body, with his objective being to reset himself from the ground up. DiVincenzo’s success is also attributed to a simple tip from one of the game’s most accurate shooters ever. With his impressive shooting skills, DiVincenzo has become an elite shooter, thus giving the Warriors yet another sharpshooter to fear.

Mike Brown, head coach of the Sacramento Kings, has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association's 2023 Coach of the Year. The award is voted on by the NBA's 30 head coaches, and it goes to the coach who has made the greatest positive impact on his team. Brown is expected to also win the NBA's Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by the media and will be announced during the playoffs. This is Brown's first season with the Kings, and under his leadership, the team went 48-34, finished third in the Western Conference, and made the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Brown has overseen one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history, taking a franchise that had been a doormat for years and turning it into a team that plays with high energy and confidence. The Kings have been one of the most potent offensive teams in NBA history, scoring a league-best 118.6 points per 100 possessions in the regular season.

De'Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell were instrumental in helping the Sacramento Kings take a 114-106 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their Western Conference playoff series on Monday. With their win, the Kings now have a 2-0 lead over the defending champions. Fox scored 24 points while Mitchell guarded Golden State's prolific scorer Stephen Curry, who only managed to score 15 points in three quarters. Although Curry led all scorers with 28 points, he was limited to only 3 of 13 3-point attempts. Mitchell also scored 14 points while displaying his versatility as a defensive player who could make scorers work for every inch. The Kings' success in Game 2 centered on its offense, particularly its scorers charging the Warriors rim multiple times. Domantas Sabonis delivered 24 points and nine rebounds, while Fox and Harrison Barnes added 36 points in the paint for their team. The series now heads to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday.

Golden State Warriors guard, Klay Thompson, is reportedly seeking a max extension contract that could cost the team over $500 million. The team is already facing a budget crunch due to several other lucrative contracts, including Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, kicking in. Thompson, who has one year left on his current $189 million deal, has been instrumental in the Warriors' success this season, averaging 21.9 points per game over 68 games. However, with the risk of overspending, the team's future remains uncertain. The Warriors have remained loyal to Thompson through his recent post-injury struggles, and he has played a vital role in helping the team make the playoffs following Stephen Curry's injury. Despite this, some insiders are questioning whether the team should risk overspending on his contract extension. With the team already facing a payroll and luxury tax of over $500 million, there is much debate around the future of the Warriors team.

Bay Area rapper, E-40, was ejected from Game 1 of the Warriors-Kings Western Conference playoff series on Saturday night as he claims due to racial bias. E-40 was reportedly standing excessively, blocking the view of attendees behind him, and was repeatedly yelled at by a woman to sit down, leading to a verbal back-and-forth between E-40 and her. Kings security then escorted E-40 from his ringside seat near the Golden State bench in the fourth quarter. E-40 noted in a statement that the incident was yet another reminder of racial bias, and he hopes that those involved are held accountable. The Kings are investigating the situation, and the Warriors have tweeted their support for E-40. The platinum-selling East Bay rapper has been a loyal supporter of the Warriors for years, and several players have shown their solidarity with him. Klay Thompson revealed that E-40 has been their biggest supporter for years, and he hopes that the situation gets sorted out because the rapper deserved to be there.

The Golden State Warriors played against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night in a pivotal late-season matchup. While the Kings have already clinched their playoff spot and are likely to finish as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, the game was critical for the defending champions. The only way for the Warriors to avoid the play-in tournament is by winning both their final two games. They currently sit in sixth place in the West and need to finish in the top six to avoid the tournament. Warriors coach Steve Kerr emphasized the importance of not letting their guard down and the necessity of winning both their final games. The Kings rested their top three scorers, which some believe could indicate that they are not taking the game seriously. Nevertheless, both teams have a chance of meeting again in the first round of the playoffs, which would be the first time for both to make the playoffs in the same season. The game ended with the Warriors winning 120-108, putting them in a stronger position to make the playoffs without the play-in tournament.

It has been over 70 years since the Sacramento Kings (then known as the Rochester Royals) won the NBA Championship in 1951. However, according to guard Chimezie Metu, the Kings are not just aiming for a postseason appearance but are targeting the championship crown. Despite being in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Kings are approaching the NBA playoffs with a winning mindset, as they take on the Golden State Warriors next. Head coach Mike Brown's relentless style is also fueling the team's championship aspirations. In Brown's words, "let's be like everyone else and win a championship." The third-seeded Kings have several strong players, including a potential two-time Coach of the Year award winner in Brown, Clutch Player of the Year frontrunner De'Aaron Fox, All-Star Domantas Sabonis, and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk. Can the Kings finally end their long-awaited NBA Championship drought?

The Sacramento Kings are finally back in the playoffs after a 17-year absence, led by a talented young core and veteran Harrison Barnes. However, Barnes' championship pedigree with the Golden State Warriors may come into play as they face off against his former team. Barnes played a key role in Golden State's championship run in 2015 and was a member of the record-breaking 73-win team in 2016. Despite being a veteran leader on the Kings, his experience with the Warriors could give them an edge. Barnes recently suffered a minor ankle injury, but he is expected to play in Game 1 against the Warriors. With the Kings' high-scoring offense and the Warriors' inconsistent regular season, this series could be much closer than many expect. Furthermore, Mike Brown, former assistant coach for the Warriors, is now the coach of the year for the Kings, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the series. Will the young Kings be able to silence the doubters and upset the defending champions, or will Barnes' inside knowledge of the Warriors give them an advantage?

Golden State Warriors' guard Gary Payton II will not be playing in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings due to an illness, according to the NBA’s official injury report. Payton II was listed as “questionable” ahead of Thursday's game, but he didn’t attend the Warriors' pregame shootaround session due to his illness. The 30-year-old guard was acquired by Golden State at the trade deadline recently as a short-term solution when the team focused on the playoffs. Payton II showed his defensive skills in the two games he had played against the Kings, where he was the only Warriors’ player who could keep pace with Sacramento point guard De'Aaron Fox, who had been pivotal to Kings' progress. Golden State is already down to a 2-0 series deficit and instead will depend on guard Andrew Wiggins, who has been listed as “available,” to step up, as well as their other players, as they look to avoid elimination. Guard Jordan Poole, who has been struggling with ankle sprain, will also be playing. Draymond Green, the Warriors’ defensive player, remains out due to a one-game suspension, along with Payton II, with concerns regarding the team’s defensive capabilities against the fast-paced Kings.

Despite missing the Kings' regular-season finale due to knee soreness, Davion Mitchell is not listed on the Kings' injury report ahead of Saturday's Game 1 matchup with the Warriors. According to sources, Mitchell is good to go for their first playoff game and, barring any setbacks, will be available to provide much-needed depth at point guard behind De'Aaron Fox. Mitchell, who has had an impressive rookie season, has proven to be a valuable asset for the Kings, and many fans are hoping that he will play to his full potential during the playoffs.

It remains to be seen how he will factor into the Kings' strategy for the series, but the fact that Mitchell has been cleared to play is a major relief for the team and fans alike. With their fate in the playoffs on the line, the Kings will need all hands on deck to take on the talented Warriors team, who have been dominant in the Western Conference this season.