sjearthquakes.com photo: San Jose Earthquakes Chris Wondolowski who scored in the 59th minute to help force a draw was the game hero on Sunday in Houston
Chris Wondolowski’s second half goal was good enough to force a 1-1 draw for the San Jose Earthquakes on the road against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday night.
Down 1-0 in the 59th minute, Wondolowski found room in front off a cross from Cordell Cato, and he deflected it in to even the match. It was the captain’s 118th career goal and also marked an important milestone — Wondolowski has now scored against all 21 MLS teams he’s played against. His career actually started with the Dynamo before joining the Earthquakes.
“It’s kind of cool,” Wondolowski said on the accomplishment. “It is special. Houston has always had a special place in my heart and I really spent some great years here. It took a little while but it’s a great feeling.”
He almost had two goals on the night, but his chance from close range late in the first half was denied by Dynamo goalie Joe Willis. Instead, it was Houston which struck first in stoppage time, courtesy of Alex. The Brazilian forward zig-zagged his way around the Quakes’ defense and beat David Bingham to put the Dynamo ahead 1-0.
Opportunities were abound for both teams late to take a 2-1 lead, but the goaltenders stood tall. Simon Dawkins’ try from the left of the box was pushed aside by Willis in the 70th minute. Bingham came up huge in the 90th minute, stopping a free-kick attempt from Cristián Maidana that was headed by Andrew Wenger in on goal.
“We had some real good looks in the second half,” Quakes’ head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “Obviously they were taking control in the last little bit and we were kind of running on fumes there but that goal gave us some real good confidence. We had some real good looks to put up 2-1.”
San Jose outshot Houston 15-13, with shots on target even at three apiece, though the Dynamo controlled nearly 60 percent of the possession.
This is the Earthquakes’ ninth tie of the season, and they remain winless on the road at 0-5-6. They are still eighth in the West, and will face New York City FC at Avaya Stadium next on Friday.
Chris Wondolowski missed a potential game-winning goal in the MLS All-Star game on Thursday (Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
By: Eric He
SAN JOSE — In the spirit of All-Star games in the United States, the MLS version is perhaps treated the least like an All-Star game.
Indeed, the 2-1 score at Avaya Stadium on Thursday night was filled with the spirit of competition as Arsenal FC took down the MLS All-Stars. Though billed as a “friendly” with both teams subbing at will, there was no slacking on defense , attempts at trickeration or lackadaisical efforts — just the best of MLS trying to beat a premier European club.
They came up three minutes and one goal short. In the 87th minute, Arsenal’s Chuba Akpom tapped home the game-winner off a centering feed by Nacho Monreal.
“We train with each other day so I knew what Nacho (Monreal) was going to do,” Akpom said. “I knew what he was looking at. I just tried my best to anticipate where he was going to go and thankfully I found a bit of space and it was there.”
The goal came at the expense of San Jose Earthquakes’ goaltender Ryan Bingham, who played the second half.
Another Quake, Chris Wondolowski, checked in in the 73rd minute along with Clint Dempsey with the game tied 1-1, and had a glorious opportunity to give the MLS All-Stars a late lead, but his right-footed shot from in close sailed just high.
“I got too steep on (the ball) and tried to come across my body and get the goalkeeper, but I wasn’t able to get on top of it,” Wondolowski said. “That’s part of the game.”
Both teams traded chances late, and it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before someone broke the tie — and it was.
While his team didn’t get the win, MLS All-Stars head coach Dominic Kinnear — also the Earthquakes’ head coach — was thrilled to soak in the atmosphere along with two of his players.
“Really happy, being local as I am. Really fun to represent the MLS in this fashion in an area that I know ever so well,” Kinnear said. “And for (Wondolowski) and (Bingham) to get a chance – for Chris, his story just seems to be getting better and better and I think David’s inclusion to the team was well deserved.”
Arsenal took an early lead on a penalty kick goal by Joel Campbell, who drew the call after a run into the box and he was interfered with by Laurent Ciman. Campbell buried the shot just past the dive of goaltender Andre Blake.
MLS had a great chance early on as Andrea Pirlo delivered a great ball on a long pass right onto the foot of Giovani dos Santos, but dos Santos was denied by Arsenal goaltender Peter Cech.
The MLS All-Stars evened the game right before halftime in stoppage time of the first half as Didier Drogba took advantage of three point blank opportunities off a turnover to beat his former teammate in Cech. Though his first two chances were denied by Cech and then an Arsenal defender, Drogba slid his third try into the back of the net.
While playing for Chelsea with Cech, Drogba scored 13 goals in 15 appearances against Arsenal.
“I will have fun with (Cech) because I scored, but he already killed me, he said, ‘This time I gave you the goal.’” Drogba joked.
Out of the half, MLS had a prime opportunity to jump ahead, as Sebastian Giovnico’s bid from the box came hard at Cech, who dove to fight it off.
And Arsenal was able to fend off a talented and focused MLS group, once that impressed their manager, Arsene Wegner.
“The MLS team was exceptional,” he said. “Exceptionally strong. Look at the results for the MLS All-Star Games made in the recent years. In the last four years, they won three times. When I looked at the players on the team sheet I thought that could be a very difficult game for us, and it was.”
To wit: shots in the game were even, 15 apiece. Possession went to Arsenal, but just by a slim 52-48 margin. Kinnear lauded the talent of the MLS roster, joking to his players that “if you ever run into trouble, just pass it to a guy who’s won a Champions League or a World Cup or a World Footballer of the Year, and you’ll be in good shape.”
“The sky’s the limit really,” Kinnear said on the state of MLS. “I think you’re seeing not only the emergence of young players, but the names and the talent that are coming over here.”
For Wondolowski, the experience of suiting up in his home stadium for a primetime match such as an All-Star game was memorable.
“It still gives me goose bumps,” he said. “It’s amazing to be a part of that. I love these fans and I think it’s a mutual love and respect. I enjoyed it.”
sjearthquakes.com photo by Quakes team president David Kaval: San Jose Earthquakes in Real Salt Lake on Friday
The San Jose Earthquakes couldn’t hang on to a one-goal lead as their match against Real Salt Lake on Friday night ended in a 1-1 draw.
Chris Wondolowski scored in the ninth minute to give the Quakes an early lead, but Luke Mulholland equalized in the 64th minute. Both teams had chances in the final third of the match to break the tie, thought neither was able to convert.
Real Salt Lake outshot San Jose 14-12 and held the majority of possession. Mulholland’s goal was a thing of beauty, as he converted off a clever lob pass by Javier Morales.
The goal answered Wondolowski’s strike from close range, finding the loose ball off a corner kick and converting past the goalkeeper.
Shea Salinas banged a shot off the crossbar in the 80th minute, as the Quakes’ best chance to re-take the lead came up inches high. Goaltender David Bingham and the Quakes’ defense stood their ground to salvage a draw.
San Jose is still without a road win this year and remains outside the playoff picture in the West at 26 points. Next up, the Quakes take on Houston on the road on July 31.
Kendall Graveman pitched seven strong innings in Monday’s win over the Astros (Lance Iversen / USA Today Sports)
By: Eric He
OAKLAND — Kendall Graveman’s year didn’t start out as planned. He lost six of his first eight starts and had an ERA well above 5.00. But in Monday night’s 7-4 win over the Astros, Graveman continued to flip the script on his 2016 season.
Graveman allowed three runs — two earned — in seven innings, throwing 112 pitches. He struck out five and walked just one as the A’s claimed the first game of a three-game set at the Coliseum. The 25-year-old righty has now won each of his last three starts, and the A’s have been victorious the last seven times he’s toed the rubber.
Manager Bob Melvin needed every one of Gravemen’s pitches, with the bullpen short on arms.
“We knew going out there we needed him to give us innings, pitches and keep the lead like we got for him early on,” Melvin said. “Significant outing for him today – it really was.”
Graveman said the key to his success was his sinker working at full force.
“Confidence in the sinker,” he said. “Confidence means that I’m locating it better. That’s been the biggest thing right now. It’s a little bit more velocity and it still has good movement. That’s been able to get me deep in ball games, early outs and get double plays when I needed to.”
A two-out rally in the fourth gave the A’s busted the game open and forced Astros starter Mike Fiers from the game. Trailing by a run, the A’s put a five spot on the board to take control. Yonder Alonso started the scoring with a two-run single up the middle.
Ryan Healy followed that up with a run-scoring double. After a walk to Coco Crisp, Fiers was replaced by Michael Feliz, who didn’t fare much better. Feliz walked the next three batters — two of which came with the bases loaded — to force in two more funs. By the time the long inning mercifully came to an end, the A’s led 6-2.
Melvin was happy to see his hitters be patient and force the opposing pitchers to throw strikes.
“When you see a guy come in and he has trouble finding the strike zone, you’re a little more patient trying to get a ball that you can handle,” he said. “Once he starts throwing multiple balls in a row, you’re going to make him throw the ball over the plate. It’s good to see we were patient.”
Khris Davis, who homered in the seventh to give the A’s a 7-3 lead, agreed.
“Just making them throw strikes is important, and not chasing,” Davis said. “When we chase, usually good things don’t happen. Those walks just turn the lineup over and get us more opportunities to get runs in.”
Up by four runs, Ryan Dull allowed a run in the eighth, but struck out Carlos Gomez to end the inning with the A’s up by three, and Ryan Madsen recorded the save in the ninth.
The Astros struck first in the second inning when Jose Valbuena led off the inning with a triple on a hit — that just missed the outstretched dive of Coco Crisp — and scored on a sacrifice fly by Colby Rasmus.
But the A’s evened the score the next inning. Alonso ripped a doubled to left center, scoring Marcus Semien all the way from first.
Alonso finished 2-for-4 on the night with 3 RBI.
“He’s swinging great,” Melvin said. “When you see him using the whole field, driving the ball to left center field, that means he’s tracking the ball really well. He’s in a really good place right now.”
Houston reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth inning on a questionable play. With runners on first and second and two out, Carlos Gomez hit a weak ground ball to third. But third baseman Ryan Healy’s path to the ball was delayed as Carlos Correa was running to third — Healy’s throw to first bounced off the glove of Alonso and rolled away, allowing Correa to keep going and score to put the Astros on top 2-1.
It was one of the few blemishes on the night, as the A’s bats showed up and Graveman held down the fort on the mound. In his second season with the A’s, Graveman feels like he has improved steadily this year.
“I feel like I’ve gotten stronger as the season’s gone on,” he said. “I’ve hit the weight room. I’ve kept my legs under me. That’s been a positive. Last year, I don’t know if I could say that.”
His quality stretch is also drawing admiration from teammates, who don’t have to stand out there on the field for long when he’s on the mound.
“He’s looking great,” Davis said. “It’s fun to play defense behind him when he’s throwing strikes. I’m enjoying it out there.”
The Earthquakes dropped their first home match all year on Friday against FC Dallas (Kelley L Cox / USA Today Sports)
By: Eric He
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Earthquakes’ winless streak reached seven matches on Friday night with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of FC Dallas at Avaya Stadium.
The away team scored the match’s lone goal in the 51st minute off the foot of Maximiliano Urruti, who delivered a bicycle-kick strike to put FC Dallas ahead six minutes into the second half.
The Quakes had their chances in the match, outshooting Dallas 12-7, but were unable to capitalize and find the equalizer. A ball put in the net in the 68th minute was waved off due to goaltender interference. Matias Perez Garcia’s long-range shot in the 70th minute skipped all the way through, but went wide.
“When we were down 1-0, our whole focus was to get that equalizer until the final whistle because we thought we were going to get [it],” midfielder Anibal Godoy said, via a translator. “We’ve done it over the last couple of games, especially at home. But it didn’t work out for us.”
A quality chance for Simon Dawkins 12 minutes later from the left was turned aside by FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz. And Perez Garcia’s poor ball handling despite having room at midfield in the 89th minute was all she wrote for the Quakes, who have been shutout in back-to-back matches.
“Right now we’re just not scoring enough goals,” head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “We’re playing from behind. It’s easier said than done to go out there and get the first goal. It’s a frustrating period for us right now. We’re a little bit disappointed in ourselves.”
The first half featured plenty of action but no goals. Urruti, the forward who had the bulk of the opportunities for FC Dallas, nearly put his club ahead in the 19th minute when he broke in alone, but Quakes’ goaltender David Bingham deflected it just enough to glance off the crossbar.
San Jose was inches away as well. A free kick by Godoy in the 32nd minute clanked off the post. Ten minutes later, Shea Salinas received a cross at point-blank range but his attempt was denied by Seitz. A header by Quincy Amarikwa on the ensuing corner kick sailed just high.
“This game we had a lot of chances,” Salinas said. “We hit the post. We had a bunch of other times where we were in on goal and it just wasn’t falling our way.”
The two teams went into halftime scoreless, but it didn’t take long for FC Dallas to seize control out of the break.
“We knew they were good in the counterattack and lost the ball in the middle of the field in the counterattack and they scored on us,” Salinas said on Urruti’s goal, which was set up on the rush by a long centering feed that was knocked down, deflected off Quakes’ defender Victor Bernardez, and right to Urruti, who timed his bicycle kick perfectly.
San Jose out-possessed FC Dallas, 54.2 percent to 45.8, and had eight corner kicks to FC Dallas’ five. But it wasn’t enough to get on the scoresheet.
“It’s getting that goal,” Kinnear said. “We’re lacking goals right now. To win games we need to score.”
This is the Quakes’ first loss in Avaya Stadium in 2016; the last defeat came in September of last year. It came at a bad time too, with the team looking to break out of a stale stretch of winless matches and stay afloat in the playoff picture. The Quakes remain at 22 points and eighth in the Western Conference; with a win, they would have been tied for fifth.
“We’re missing opportunities here,” Kinnear said. “Other teams have something to say about it, but we’re good enough to take these opportunities presented for us and put pressure on other teams.”
He added: “Things aren’t falling for us right now but that doesn’t mean we give up; we work harder.”
Next up, San Jose takes on Toronto FC a week from Saturday at home.
OAKLAND–Kevin Durant received a grand Golden State welcome on Thursday afternoon at the Warriors’ practice facility in Oakland as he took the stage as a member of the Golden State Warriors for the first time.
“I know there’s going to be ups and downs,” he said, with General Manager Bob Myers on his left and head coach Steve Kerr on his right. “I know we’re expected to be perfect but that’s not realistic. I’m super excited. I’m pumped to get started.”
Durant agreed to sign with the Warriors on Monday in one of the biggest free agency decisions in NBA history. The 27-year-old spent the first nine years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he won the MVP award in 2014. He is a four-time scoring champion, seven-time All-Star and is averaging 27.4 points in his career.
The Washington D.C. native said the Warriors’ recruiting efforts — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala were in the meeting along with Kerr and Myers — helped persuade him to head to Oakland.
“I just felt like this group of guys, coming in to see me, everything felt real,” Durant said. “They were a huge family walking in. Everybody was excited. The conversation was real and it was a good fit.”
He continued: “When I met these guys, I felt as comfortable as I’ve ever felt. It was organic, it was authentic, it was real, and it was feelings I couldn’t ignore.”
Durant expressed remorse for the angst his decision caused in Oklahoma City.
“We live in this comic book world where you’re either a hero or a villain,” Durant said. “I can’t control that.”
Durant’s contract with the Warriors will be for two years and worth $54 million. If all goes according to plan, he will be in a Golden State jersey long after that contract is up.
“I don’t want to go through that again, so I plan on being here,” Durant said. “I’m committed.”
Rich Hill was solid in his return to the mound for the A’s on Saturday night, but his efforts were for naught as the A’s were beaten 4-2 in 10 innings by the Pirates at the Coliseum.
Pittsburgh scored twice in the top of the 10th, with the game-winning hit courtesy of David Freese, who singled to left to score Erik Kratz and give the Pirates a 3-2 lead. Gregory Polanco added an insurance run with an RBI single of his own.
Hill pitched six innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out six. John Axford, Ryan Dull and Ryan Madson each pitched a scoreless inning in relief, but Daniel Coulombe took the loss after struggling in the 10th frame.
The A’s struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie and an RBI hit by Josh Reddick. But the Pirates responded immediately in the next half inning. With two outs, Starling Marte singled in their first run, and Josh Harrison doubled in the tying run.
The game would remain tied until the extra-inning heroics by the Pirates.
The A’s fall to 35-46 and have lost three in a row, including the first two games of this series. They will try to salvage a game tomorrow afternoon at the Coliseum.
Dillon Overton allowed eight earned runs in a loss to the Giants on Thursday. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
By: Eric He
OAKLAND – The A’s were denied a sweep in the Bay Bridge Series in convincing fashion, as the Giants rocked Dillon Overton in his second career start to salvage a game by the final of 12-6 on Thursday night.
Oakland was on a roll coming into the game at the Coliseum. The A’s had won six of seven and notched three straight impressive wins over the Giants, one of the best teams in the baseball.
But their winning ways came to streaking halt as Overton allowed 8 runs in just three innings pitched. A 6-run second inning was his undoing, and it started with a double by Madison Bumgarner — the first pitcher to bat for himself as a designated hitter since 1976 — to center field.
Though the other team was essentially giving up its designated hitter, Overton couldn’t just slide meatballs past Bumgarner.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said when asked if he treated Bumgarner just like another hitter. “He swings the bat like he’s an everyday position player. He swings with passion, he swings with heart. He’s trying to hit a home run every time he gets up there.”
Bumgarner’s hit set up a big inning. Later on, with the bases loaded and nobody out, Brandon Belt hit a ground-rule double to knock in a pair of runs. Buster Posey followed that with a 3-run homer, and for good measure, Brandon Crawford went back-to-back with a big fly to right field.
Overton struggled with commanding his changeup — his specialty pitch — and the Giants jumped all over it.
“His changeup’s his pitch,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Looks like he was just missing with some pitches that inning and got into some bad counts. Wasn’t really able to establish that pitch. He threw it over the plate and they hit them.”
Overton concurred: “When you’re behind in counts, usually I can throw the changeup anytime, anyplace. But tonight I didn’t have a good feel for it. It was hard to throw it in for a strike, and when I did, I left it up.”
The A’s, who led 1-0 heading into the inning after Marcus Semien homered in the first, managed to cut the deficit to four in the seventh inning on a 3-run blast by Yonder Alonso.
In relief of Overton, Andrew Triggs and Daniel Coulombe pitched four scoreless innings, but Fernando Rodriguez walked in two runs in the top of the ninth and Belt singled in two more off Marc Rzepczynski to extend the Giants’ lead to 12-4.
The A’s scored twice in the ninth inning off Giants’ reliever Derek Law to alter the final score.
In his Major League debut last week, Overton beat the Angels throwing 108 pitches and allowing three runs. On Thursday, he got a rough “welcome to the big leagues” by the Giants’ bats.
“This is only my second start up at this level,” Overton said. “Everything was moving pretty fast. Usually, I can do a pretty good job of making adjustments as the game goes on, but tonight, it just didn’t really work out that way.”
Up next, the A’s will finish their brief five-game homestand when the Pirates come to the Coliseum for a three-game set starting Friday.
The Giants, winners of 31 of their last 40 games, are rolling (Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports).
By: Eric He
SAN FRANCISCO – With both the Warriors and Sharks losing in the championship round within a week, Bay Area sports fans are understandably in a bit of a depression.
But they don’t have to look far to find a team more than capable of bringing home a title by the year’s end: the San Francisco Giants.
While pivotal, do-or-die basketball and hockey games were held in Oakland and San Jose over the last couple of months, the Giants have quietly racked up regular season wins in May and June.
On Friday night, with no Warriors or Sharks around and the A’s on the road, the Giants had the Bay Area’s undivided attention, and they reminded everyone that they are still a damn good baseball team.
Sure, they barely hung on with a near-bullpen implosion to beat the lowly Phillies, 5-4, but the Giants are rolling nonetheless.
They are now a season-best 21 games over .500 with 48 wins, tied with the Cubs for most in the majors. The Giants have won 12 of their last 13 games and are comfortably in first place in the division — seven games ahead of the underperforming Dodgers. Since May 11th, the Giants are 31-9 — the best record in all of baseball. In fact, they have never won more than 31 games in a 40-game span — the last time they did that was in 1954, when they were still the New York Giants.
“Honestly, I didn’t know that,” said first baseman Brandon Belt, when asked about that mark. “That’s pretty impressive. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun when you win games. That comes from the top all the way down. Nobody ever feels like we’re ever out of a game. We always feel like we have a shot at coming back.”
In a year of history in Bay Area sports — the Warriors winning 73 games, the Sharks reaching their first-ever Stanley Cup Final — the Giants are having a historical season themselves, flying under the radar.
Now, they’re in the spotlight.
Friday night was just another ho-hum win for the hottest team in the majors. Jake Peavy held the Phillies to two runs in seven innings. He exited the game on the hook for the loss, but by the end of the seventh, he was on track for a resounding win.
“Big league wins are never easy,” Peavy said. “Once again, the boys did what we most always do, and that’s find a way to hold on. Big job by everybody. The concentration level when things aren’t well, to be able to finish the drill was key.”
Trailing 2-1 and getting nothing off Phillies’ starter Zach Eflin, the Giants turned the game around in a hurry against the bullpen. Two hits to lead off the inning, a sac bunt, a walk and then a bases-clearing double by Belt to deep right field sent a sellout crowd at AT&T Park into a frenzy.
What’s comforting about the Giants is that they’ve proven they can win with the same core players, year after year. Madison Bumgarner is still their horse. Buster Posey is still their rock-star catcher. Belt and Brandon Crawford are still studs on the infield. Manager Bruce Bochy is still guiding the ship in firm command.
“They’ve done it so many times, so it’s not like they’re feeling any pressure up there,” Bochy said on the timely hitting.
Indeed, the Giants are batting .316 with runners in scoring position in their last 11 games.
“They’re used to it,” Bochy continued. “You don’t want to have to be the guy, but I think all of them do. They want to be up there, being the guy with men on base, when we need a big hit.”
It doesn’t matter who happens to step up. The Warriors’ mantra is “Strength in Numbers,” and the Giants reflect that as well. The theme of a true “team” has continued to ring true, with unsung heroes stepping up to make important plays — think back to Travis Ishikawa and Michael Morse during the Giants’ 2014 World Series triumph.
With two regulars in Hunter Pence and Matt Duffy on the shelf, the Giants have not missed a beat.
“As we’ve done in the past in those World Series years, we just have a lot of guys step up in their place,” Belt said. “I don’t know if it’s anyone in particular, but just the entire team steps it up a notch. We have some big guys out. We need a total effort from just about everybody. I don’t think there’s one person that has to step and do it. It’s got to be a team thing.”
On Friday, it was third baseman Ramiro Pena, a 30-year-old journeyman playing his first major league games since 2014 with the Giants, shining in the biggest moment. With the Giants hanging on by a thread in the ninth, up by a run with two outs but with the bases loaded, Pena charged a weakly hit ground ball by Tyler Goeddel and threw him out by a hair with a tremendous defensive play to end the game.
“The last play of the game, it’s hard to make a better play with what was at stake and Pena just made a great play there to save us,” said Bochy.
Belt, who leads the team with a .305 batting average and should receive All-Star consideration, doesn’t feel pressured in the least to be the star every night.
“As a player, you want to feel like you’re helping the team win ball games,” he said. “That’s a lot of fun, but at the same time, nobody feels like they have to get the job done because they know the guy behind them will be able to pick them up.”
Now that right there is “Strength in Numbers,” but unlike the Warriors and the hockey team in the South Bay, the Giants may very well finish their historic season with a championship. And since it’s an even year, I wouldn’t bet against them.
AP photo: Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving (2) shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in game one at Oracle Arena on Thursday night of the NBA Finals
Stephen Curry had just 11 points. Klay Thompson finished with a mere 9 points. And yet, the Warriors beat the Cavaliers easily in Game 1, 104-89, behind a fabulous performance by the bench on Thursday night at Oracle Arena to jump ahead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.
The Warriors’ bench scored 45 points, paced by 20 points from Shaun Livingston, 12 from Andre Iguodala and 11 from Leandro Barbosa. Golden State’s bench outscored Cleveland’s 45-9.
After the two teams traded leads in the third quarter, the Warriors brought a six-point lead into the fourth quarter and the bench went off to extend the advantage. Livingston and Barbosa connected on an array of baskets, pushing the lead to 16. with 8:34 to play. It was a 21-4 run with Curry and Thompson on the bench.
Late three-pointers by Curry and Thompson shut down any Cavaliers’ hopes of a comeback.
The Warriors got off to a strong start, looking more comfortable and relaxed than in their series against the Thunder. They led by nine at halftime.
Curry and Thompson’s combined 20 points was their lowest total for the season. Yet, the Warriors’ bench picked up the slack, and the defense limited the Cavaliers to 38.1 percent shooting.
The Splash Brothers will have to get going at some point, but the fact that they underperformed and the Cavaliers were still blown out does not bode well for Cleveland moving forward.
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