Author: Eric He

Barracuda fall in overtime in Ontario

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By: Eric He

photo credit: San Jose Barracuda; SJ Barracuda defeated in Ontario 12-13-15

The San Jose Barracuda could not hang on to a 1-0 third period lead on Sunday night, falling 2-1 in overtime to the Ontario Reign on the road.

They nearly escaped with a thin victory, but with the net empty for the Reign late in the third period, a deflection by Justin Auger on a shot from the point found the back to the net to tie the game at 1-1. Kevin Gravel won the game for Ontario in overtime, scoring on a tight angle on the rush.

The Barracuda’s lone goal came late in the first period courtesy of Trevor Parkes, who deflected a shot by Mark Cundari into the net.

San Jose outshot Ontario 24-20, with both teams finishing 0-for-2 on the power play. Peter Budaj stopped 19 of 20 shots for the Reign, who pulled off a dramatic home win.

The division-leading Reign advance to 15-4-2-0 while the Barracuda drop to 9-9-1-3. Next up for San Jose will be a Friday night tilt against the Gulls.

Warriors’ streak ended in Milwaukee by Bucks

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By: Eric He

photo credit: AP Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry hangs head after loss to Milwaukee

It took 25 games, but the Golden State Warriors finally suffered their first loss, a 108-95 defeat on the road to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

The Warriors trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth, but the Bucks opened on a 11-2 run to take a 12-point lead with under seven minutes to play, taking advantage of the Warriors’ bench lineup.

Golden State was never able to recover from the deficit, despite Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green re-entering the game midway through the fourth.

A dunk by Michael Carter-Williams sealed the deal on the Warriors’ first loss.

The Warriors entered the night 24-0, hoping to become the first team in history to sweep a seven-game road trip. But their record-breaking start to the season was stopped short by an energetic Milwaukee squad.

Curry led the way with 28 points, while Green had 24 points. Greg Monroe led the Bucks with 28 points as well.

The Warriors started the third quarter on a 15-3 run, which ended with a dunk by Brandon Rush that cut the advantage to 7-69. A couple of layups by Jabari Parker pushed the lead back up to eight, and the Warriors trailed 80-77 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks began the game on a spurt and led 14-5 early on after a couple of jumpers by O.J. Mayo. The Warriors ended the quarter on a 10-0 run to draw within 30-28 after one.

But the Warriors were outscored by nine in the second quarter. After they took a 33-30 lead, the Bucks went on a 12-2 run to take a seven-point advantage. The Warriors struggled from the floor as the Bucks poured it on. A three by Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Bucks ahead 56-42 late in the second.

Milwaukee took a 59-48 lead into halftime.

Warriors hang on against Pacers to reach 23-0

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By: Eric He

Some thought the Golden State Warriors’ undefeated start to a season would be stopped by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

But the Warriors put big numbers on the board in a 131-123 win over the Pacers on the road to advance to 23-0 and continue their record-breaking campaign.

Klay Thompson erupted for a season-high 39 points, making 10 three-pointers. Stephen Curry added 29 points as the Warriors controlled the game from the start.

A 79-point first half set the tone for a high-paced affair, featuring 29 first-half points from Thompson. Shaun Livingston and the bench played well to start the second, with Livingston’s jumper putting the Warriors up 62-42.

The Pacers went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 62-51, but Thompson answered with 12 points on four three-pointers to end the quarter as the Warriors responded with a 17-7 spurt. Thompson went 8-of-10 from beyond-the-arc in the first half alone and the Warriors led 79-60 at halftime.

Golden State began the half with three straight lobs to Andrew Bogut and went on an 11-3 run midway through the quarter, with Thompson bottoming a shot to give them 100 points at the 3:56 mark of the third. Curry added a setback jumper to end the quarter, which put the Warriors up 111-83 heading into the fourth.

With the bench playing the fourth, the Pacers made a little run, cutting the lead to 11 with four minutes to play. That forced Luke Walton to put Curry and Thompson back in. Chase Budinger’s layup made it a 127-120 game with under a minute to play, but Curry answered with a layup on the other end to put the game away.

The Warriors scored 44 points in the first quarter, and overcame a slow start with the help of a 19-0 run after being down 21-15 midway through. Thompson had 17 points in the quarter, including a three that gave the Warriors a 23-21 lead. Curry’s three-pointer with under two minutes to play put the Warriors ahead 37-21.

The Warriors led 44-28 after the first quarter and tied their season record for most points in the quarter.

Warriors Advance to 21-0 with Win Over Raptors

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By: Eric He

The Golden State Warriors hung on for a 112-109 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday evening for their 21st consecutive victory to start the season.

Stephen Curry poured in 44 points, while Klay Thompson added 26.

The Warriors trailed 85-84 early in the fourth as the bench let a slim lead slip. Thompson and Curry hit consecutive threes and Shaun Livingston connected on a layup to give the Warriors a 92-87 lead midway through the fourth.

But the Raptors responded with a burst of their own and Lowry’s sneaky layup inside regained the lead for Toronto again with under five minutes to play. Down 98-95, Curry dropped in a tough triple to tie the game at 98-98. He made another three to give the Warriors a 102-100 lead at the 2:30 mark.

The Warriors went without a field goal for the rest of the game, but didn’t need to because they connected on their foul shots after Draymond Green was fouled. Curry sealed it with five seconds to play on a pair of free throws to put the Warriors ahead 102-99, and the Raptors turned it over on the ensuing possession.

Up by 10 at halftime, the Warriors were outscored by the Raptors 30-24 in the third quarter. Kyle Lowry had 13 points in the quarter and his three cut the lead in half at the nine-minute mark. The Warriors stayed afloat and maintained the lead with Festus Ezeli chipping in. Curry’s floater off glass put the Warriors ahead 83-79 heading into the fourth quarter.

Lowry scored 41 points for the Raptors, a career-high.

The Warriors trailed 5-0 early, but that would be the extent of their struggles. Curry knocked in his first four shots — all three-pointers — as he and Thompson scored 11 straight points to give the Warriors a 21-10 lead. That marked a 16-0 run for the Warriors in the first quarter which ended with them up 32-21.

But they let the Raptors into the game in the second quarter as Toronto capitalized on second chance points, grabbing rebounds off misses. The Raptors went on an 11-2 run to start the second, capped off by a three from DeMar DeRozan to cut the Warriors lead to 36-32.

The Warriors’ bench unit struggled in the second and the Raptors took a 43-42 lead halfway into the quarter. But still, the starters reentered and took control. Thompson, who had 19 in the half, hit a three to give the Warriors a 56-47 advantage. Another three by Thompson to end the half send the Warriors into the locker room with a 10-point lead at 59-49.

Warriors Remain Unbeaten with Rout of Kings

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By: Eric He

The Golden State Warriors’ perfect start continued on Saturday night with an 120-101 win over the Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena to advance to 18-0.

Stephen Curry led the way with 19 points. Brandon Rush, who started in place of the injured Harrison Barnes, had a feel-good night with 16 points. Draymond Green finished with 13 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds for his second straight triple-double.

The Warriors led by 10 at halftime, but broke it wide open in the third quarter thanks to a surprising burst by Rush. His dunk followed by a three gave the Warriors a 61-46 lead. That keyed an 11-2 run by the Warriors, capped off by back-to-back threes by Rush, who had 14 points in the quarter.

Golden State outscored Sacramento by 11 in the quarter to take a 92-71 lead into the fourth quarter, which consisted of a lengthy amount of garbage time.

Their performance in the latter half of the game was a far cry from their start, which saw them fall behind 14-6. But Curry scored 17 of his 19 points in the first quarter to keep the Warriors afloat. Curry’s three with under a minute to play in the first pulled the Warriors within one, and Festus Ezeli’s basket before the buzzer gave the Warriors a 30-29 advantage after one.

The lead soon expanded in the second. The Warriors began the quarter on an 11-0 run, with six points coming from Marreese Speights. The Kings responded with eight straight to get back within three, but in a quarter full of runs, the Warriors poured in an 8-0 run of their own to go up by 11 again.

The Warriors led 56-46 at halftime.

Warriors Dominate Suns, Advance to 17-0

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By: Eric He

The Golden State Warriors just can’t stop and won’t stop winning.

With a 135-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on the road on Friday night, the Warriors extended their NBA-best win streak to start a season to 17 games, advancing to 17-0.

Stephen Curry, who didn’t even play the fourth quarter, poured in 41 points, hitting nine three-pointers. Draymond Green recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Leandro Barbosa added 21 points, the first time he’s gone over 20 points in a Warriors uniform.

The result of this game was never in doubt from the beginning. The Warriors jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Curry made five three-pointers in the first quarter alone, finishing with 19 points and six assists in just the one quarter.

Along with a season-high 44 first quarter points, Golden State made an NBA-record 15 three-pointers in the first half to take a 75-57 lead at halftime.

The Suns cut the Warriors’ lead to as little as 10 at 67-57 in the second, but the Warriors ended the half with an 8-0 run to take control. The Warriors broke the century mark with two minutes to spare in the third quarter, taking a 100-77 lead on a pair of Shaun Livingston free throws.

The Warriors finished off the fourth quarter and a convincing win on the road to continue their improbable start, with 135 points a team high on the season.

Next up will be the Kings at home on Saturday on the back-end of a back-to-back.

Barracuda finish road trip with 3-1 win over Checkers

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By: Eric He

photo credit by the San Jose Barracuda

The San Jose Barracuda wrapped up a seven-game road trip with a 3-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday night.

Greger Hanson and Trevor Parkes recorded first period goals, a period that the Barracuda dominated. Hanson scored on a rebound, while Parkes connected after a great feed in front by Scott Timmons. That sent San Jose into first intermission with a 2-0 lead.

The Checkers cut the lead in half on a second period goal by Patrick Brown, but that was all they would get.

Nikolay Goldobin provided some insurance with a goal off a deflection midway through the third period to help seal the 3-1 victory.

San Jose outshot Charlotte 26-20 in the period.

Next up, the Barracuda return home for a five-game homestand that starts on Saturday against the Texas Stars.

Barracuda fall 3-1 to Checkers

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By: Eric He

The San Jose Barracuda fell behind early and could not recover from a poor first period in a 3-1 loss to the Charlotte Checkers on the road on Tuesday night.

The Checkers g0t on the board three times in the final six minutes of the first period, two of them on the power play. With just over a minute to play in the period, a deflection by Brock McGinn found the back of the net to give Charlotte a 3-0 lead.

San Jose outshot Charlotte 23-14 through two periods, but could not get on the scoreboard. Finally, Jeremy Langlois connected early in the third period, but the Barracuda were unable to muster another goal to make the game interesting.

Aaron Dell recorded 16 saves, facing 19 shots. The Barracuda only converted on one of their eight power plays, including a couple of early opportunities on the man-advantage.

The Barracuda will remain in Charlotte and play the Checkers again on Wednesday to wrap up their seven-game road trip.

Barracuda fall in shootout to Heat

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By: Eric He

photo credit: SJ Barracuda-Stockton Heat beats SJ Barracuda in AHL action Sat 11-21-15 in Stockton

The San Jose Barracuda dropped their second straight game in the shootout, falling 4-3 to the Stockton Heat on the road on Saturday night.

The Barracuda led 3-2 in the third period, but gave up the tying goal to the Heat’s Emile Poirier, who beat Troy Groesnick from point blank. The goal, scored at the midway point of the third, would go on to force overtime.

A scoreless overtime led to a shootout, where Freddie Hamilton won it for the Heat in the fifth round.

San Jose fell behind 2-0 as Stockton recorded two goals in the first period from Kenny Agostino and Markus Granlund.

But the Barracuda responded. Barclay Goodrow tipped in a shot on the power play in the second period to cut the lead in half, and the Scott Timmons tied it less than three minutes into the third. Three minutes later, a 2-on-1 resulted in John McCarthy finishing with a goal to put San Jose in front.

The Barracuda are now 4-2-0-2 on the road. Up next is a trek across the country to North Carolina where they will take on the Charlotte Checkers on Tuesday.

Warriors Closer to Record with Win Over Bulls

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By: Eric He

The Golden State Warriors remained unbeaten with a 106-94 win over the Chicago Bulls at Oracle Arena on Friday night.

They advance to a perfect 14-0, tying the 1957-1958 Boston Celtics for the best start to a season by a defending champion, and are two more wins away from setting an NBA record for most wins to start a season.

Stephen Curry finished with 27 points. Harrison Barnes added 20 and Klay Thompson had 15.

Up 96-92 with a minute and a half to play, Barnes stroked back-to-back three-pointers, the latter of which gave the Warriors a 102-92 lead and sealed the victory.

The Warriors started the fourth quarter with both Curry and Thompson on the bench, and it allowed the Bulls to climb within two points. They evened the score at 92-92 on a three by Kirk Hinrinch with under six minutes to play, but Curry answered for the Warriors, knocking down a trey in response. Curry had missed a three, but Thompson hustled to grab the rebounds before shoveling it to Curry who stepped into the triple.

A tight first half continued in the second, as the teams remained deadlocked through the third. The Bulls took 70-67 lead on a three by Doug McDermott, but the Warriors responded with a 10-3 run as they held the Bulls to just one field goal in the final four minutes of the quarter. Curry made a jumper with 50 seconds left to give the Warriors a 77-73 lead heading into the fourth.

The Warriors started the game slow, much like Thursday night. The Bulls raced out to a 23-12 lead with an early 9-1 run. Unlike Thursday, the Warriors responded quickly, starting with a three-pointer by Thompson. An 8-2 spurt to finish the quarter capped off by an Andre Iguodala jumper meant the Warriors were only down one at 29-28 after one.

Included in that run was another spectacular play by Curry, who ripped the ball away from Joakim Noah and set up Iguodala for an alley-oop dunk that cut the lead to one.

A back-and-forth second quarter featured strong performances from both benches, save for a 7-0 spurt by the Bulls at the midpoint. A jumper by Mirotic gave the Bulls a 42-40 lead, but the Warriors took the advantage into halftime. Iguodala and Barnes both made threes and Curry connected on a layup to give Golden State a 50-47 lead at the half.