Author: rxslugger

Retired pharmacist who now has a career as a sports writer and broadcaster

Bucks coast to 128-111 victory over Warriors

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Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green shoots past Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez during the first half at Fiserv Arena in Milwaukee on Tue Dec 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors got off to a rocky start on their six-game road trip. They had to face the Milwaukee Bucks, owners of the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks, NBA champions in the 2020-2021 season, had a height advantage over the small-ball Warriors for the 128-111 win.

The Bucks started seven-foot Brook Lopez and 6’11 Giannis Antetokounmpo in the forecourt. The tallest player in the Warrior lineup was Kevin Looney. Looney is 6’9 and plays hard, but the taller players in the Buck lineup caused problems for the Warriors all night. 

The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins missed his fourth consecutive game with an adductor strain in his groin. The Warriors started Jordan Poole in his place. The Warriors scored the first seven points of the game. The Warriors were leading 11-7 when Milwaukee went on a 20-5 run to go ahead 27-16. The Warriors never came close to regaining the lead. The Bucks finished the first quarter leading 38-27.

The Bucks’ defense bottled up the Warriors offense in the second quarter. The Warriors only saving grace was the large number of threes they made. They made 11 but could not score in the paint. Milwaukee made three threes in the first half. They led at the end of the first half 64-52.

The Warriors could not stop Giannis when he drove to the basket. The Bucks’ Bobby Portis, Jr., coming off the bench, knocked down 14 points. Milwaukee shot 57% from the floor. The Warriors measly 38.5%

The Bucks continued to play well in the second half. The Warriors could not pierce the Bucks’ defense. Milwaukee increased the lead at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors won the fourth quarter 34-33, but it was not enough.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors are now 14-14 for the year. The Bucks are 20-7. Only Boston has a better record. The Celtics beat the Lakers in LA Tuesday night to improve to 22-7.

The Bucks held Stephen Curry to 20 points. Curry made three threes. Jonathan Kuminga was second with 19 points. Kuminga also had three threes. Poole had 18, and Klay Thompson had 14. Jonathan Lamb had eight, and Patrick Baldwin, recalled from Santa Cruz, knocked down two threes

Giannis, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, and Portis, Jr. were the Milwaukee players in double figures. The Bucks outrebounded the Warriors 62-42. The Bucks had 48 points in the paint and held the Warriors to 30.

One of the game’s oddities was that the Warriors went to the free throw line just once in the first half. They made just one of the free throws. The Bucks had 13 and made 11. Things evened out a bit in the second half. 

The Warriors didn’t help their cause, as they committed 18 turnovers. The Warriors were tagged for six technical fouls. The Bucks had four. Ten technical fouls indicate a lot of dissatisfaction with the calls made by the referees.

The Warriors play the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night in Indianapolis. The road trip then goes to Toronto, Philadelphia, New York, and Brooklyn. 

Warriors play well on both ends of court beat Celtics 123-107

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Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Dec 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (14-13) still smarting from losing to the Jazz on Wednesday, had to face the Boston Celtics Saturday night at the Chase Center. The Celtics entered the game with the best record in the Eastern Conference, 21-6. Boston also had the best road record in the NBA, 10-3.

The Warriors beat the Celtics three straight times in the NBA Finals last June to win their seventh NBA crown. The Celtics came to town with a single obsession. Beat the Warriors. Boston led the NBA in scoring and has one of the best on defense.

Two questions had to be answered Saturday evening. Could the Warriors take down the Celtics? Could Boston show the Warriors they are aiming to play the Warriors again in the finals?

The Warriors answered one of the questions. Even though they are in 11th place in the Western Conference, the Warriors can beat any team when they play well on both ends of the court. The Warriors showed their champion DNA as they beat the Celtics 123-107.

The Warriors’ Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry scored 66 points in the game. The Warriors are 14-0 when Curry and Thompson each scored more than 30 points Saturday night. The Warriors took the lead for good early in the first quarter. Jordan Poole knocked down a three to put the Warriors ahead 15-13.

Boston never regained the lead. The Warriors won the first quarter 33-25. Curry, Thompson, and Poole continued to make buckets to pace the Warriors to a five-point halftime advantage,68-63.

The Warriors were ahead 65-54 when Boston went on a 7-0 run. Curry connected on a three to right the ship. Thompson finished the half with 24 points. Curry had 17, and Poole 13. Jonathan Kuminga was the only bench player to score in the first half. He added four points.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, didn’t blow the Celtics out of the arena Saturday night. They did play well as they won the quarter 27-20 to finish the period leading Boston 95-83. Curry scored the first five points for the Warriors in the quarter.

Boston kept fighting back, but the Warriors defense held the Celtics to 20 points. In the fourth quarter leading 97-85, Kuminga made three straight buckets to propel The Warriors to a 15-point lead 103-86. Boston responded with an 11-2 run to close the gap to eight, 105-97. Jaylen Brown was keeping Boston in the game.

The Warriors had put the clamps on Boston’s other superstar, Jayson Tatum. The Warriors defense held Boston to 24 points in the final stanza to win 123-107.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors win improved their record to 14-13. Golden State is now 12-2 at the Chase Center this year, and the Warriors are 11-6 in their last 17 games. Boston’s record falls to 21-7

Thompson’s line was 34 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Thonpson was 14-for-26 from the floor. He made four threes. Curry’s line was 32 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Curry shot 12-for-21 from the floor, and he made six threes. Poole had 20, Draymond Green 11, and Kuminga finished with 14. 

The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins missed his third straight game with a groin strain.

The Warriors shot 51% from the floor. They made 13 threes as a team. They held Boston to 43% from the floor. The Celtics leading the league in making three-point shots made 12. Brown led Boston with 31 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Brown made three threes. Tatum finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds. He made two three in nine attempts. Coming off the bench, Malcolm Brogdon had 16, and Blake Griffin and Marcus Smart had 13. 

The Warriors start a six-game road trip Tuesday night when they face the Milwaukee Bucks. They then play the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets before returning home. So far, the Warriors are 2-11 on the road this season. They must figure out how to win on the road. Warrior head coach Steve Kerr has his work cut out for him.

The game in Milwaukee starts at 4:30 pm.

Jazz snatched victory from Warriors win a thriller 124-123

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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, rear, fouls Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga during the second half in Salt Lake City on Wed Dec 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors missed three starters Wednesday night when they faced the Utah Jazz at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Stephen Curry was out with an ankle injury. Draymond Green could not play with a hip problem, and Andrew Wiggins has a groin injury.

The Jazz thought they could coast to an easy win. The revamped Warrior lineup gave the Jazz fits. Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Donte DiVincenzo all played well and their effort almost, but not quite, got them a win. The Jazz found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as they found a way and were able to send their fans home happy with a thrilling 124-123 victory. 

The Warriors won the first half 69-66. Jordan Poole led the team with 21 points in the first 24 minutes. Klay Thompson had 11, and Kuminga added nine. The Warriors and Jazz played a very entertaining first half. Neither team could pull away.

The Warriors led most of the way, but Utah came right back. Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley, and Collin Sexton led the way for Utah. The teams raced up and down the court. The Warriors head coach had Ty Jerome and JaMychal Green in the starting lineup.

Green scored seven points in the first quarter to help the Warriors finish the period leading 35-30. The Jazz outscored the Warriors 36-34 in the second period. The Warriors second unit did not fold as the Jazz attacked the basket. Kuminga, Thompson, Anthony Lamb, and Poole played well. At the end of the half, the Warriors led by three, 69-66.

The third quarter belonged to the Jazz. Utah focused on shutting down Poole. The Jazz outscored the Warriors by 12, 34-22. The Jazz made seven threes to put them in the driver’s seat. The Warriors missed several layups. Golden State could not get the threes to fall. Utah finished the third quarter leading 100-91. 

The Jazz increased the lead to ten, 110-100, early in the fourth quarter. The Warriors’ Poole hit a three and a two-pointer to close the gap to 111-109. Moody connected on a three to make it a one-point game 113-112. The momentum had shifted to the Warriors. Utah scored the next four points, but Moody sunk another three to creep within two, 117-115.

Poole made a bucket to tie the game. Kuminga’s bucket gave the Warriors the lead 119-117 with 36 seconds left. Jordan Clarkson was driving to the basket to tie the score. Kuminga blocked his shot and grabbed the rebound. Clarkson whacked Jonathan in the face.

Tempers flared. Both players were given a technical foul. Referee Mark Davis hit Clarkson with a flagrant two-foul. Clarkson was ejected from the game. Kuminga was awarded two free three, and the Warriors retained possession. Kuminga made one free three. Poole was fouled, and he missed one.

The Warriors led 123-119 with 13.3 seconds left to play. The Jazz scored a bucket to make it 123-122 with 6.7 seconds left. All the Warriors had to do was get the ball inbounded and run out the clock. The Jazz probably would foul and hope to get the last shot. What could go wrong?

The Warriors had trouble getting the ball into play. They called a timeout to go over what to do. The plan was to get the ball into Poole’s hands. The Warriors did get the ball to him, but Utah was all over him and stole the ball. The Jazz scored the winning layup as time expired. All the Warriors could do was wonder what went wrong. They will have a tough flight home. The Jazz won the game 124-123.

Game Notes and stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 13-13. The Jazz improved to 15-12

There were many positives in the game. Kuminga played his best game of the year. Kuminga had a season-high 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Kuminga played very well on defense, too. Poole led the club with 36 points, four boards, and eight assists. Thompson tallied 22 points and had four threes. DiVincenzo had seven points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Those numbers are very similar to what Draymond Green would do. 

The Warriors shot 46% from the floor. They made 14 threes. They almost won in an arena that has been a house of horrors for them over the years. 

The Jazz had seven players in double figures. Jodan Clarkson led the Jazz with 22. Simone Fontecchio had 18, Malik Beasley 18, Collin Sexton 17, Kelly Olynyk 15, Mickeil Alexander-Walker 11, and Walker Kessler had ten points and 12 rebounds. Kessler is 7’1, and Kelly Olynyk is 6’11. 

The Warriors host the Boston Celtics at the Chase Center Saturday night. Last year, the Warriors beat the Celtics in the Finals to become NBA Champions. The Celtics will be hoping to gain revenge by beating the Warriors on their homecourt Saturday night.

Kings skate past Sharks 5-2; Fourth loss in last five games for SJ

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San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer can’t stop the puck as it sails glove side for one of five Los Angeles Kings goals at SAP Center in San Jose on Fri Nov 25, 2022 on California Golden Seals throwback sweater night (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks (7-13-3) hosted the Los Angeles Kings (12-19-2) Friday night at the SAP Arena in San Jose. The Kings, coached by Todd McLellan, skated past his former team and won the game 5-2.

The Kings scored the first goal of the night with 8:55 played. The Kings Jaret Anderson-Dolan beat goaltender Sharks James Reimer for the tally. Anderson-Dolan’s snapshot got by Reimer on the short side of the net. Blake Lizotte and Drew Doughty assisted. The Sharks evened the score when Kevin LaBanc put the puck over Kings’ goalie Jonathan Quick.

It was LaBanc’s fourth goal of the year. Tomo Meier and Tomas Hertl assisted. With 3:53 left in the period, Radim Simex was sent to the penalty box for tripping. The Sharks almost killed the penalty, but Phillip Danault scored the Kings’ second goal of the game. Assists went to Viktor Arvidsson and Sean Durzi. The Kings lead 2-1 after the first period.

The Kings dominated play for most of the second period. With 4:39 played, Arvidsson’s wrist shot got through Reimer’s pads and trickled into the goal for the tally. Kevin Fiala and Sean Durzi recorded assists. The Kings lead 3-1. Things were not going well for the Sharks until late in the period.

The Sharks’ power play, with 4:41 left, was killed by the Kings. It appeared the Kings would go to the locker room leading by two. However, as the fans know, things can change in the blink of an eye. Sharks’ forward Alexander Barabanov intercepted a Kings’ pass in front of the net. Barabanov’s wrist shot beat Quick for the Sharks’ second goal. LA leads 3-2 after two periods of play.

The Kings scored twice in the third period to win the game. With 2:51 played, Rasmus Kupari’s shot broke through Reimer’s pads for the score. Reimer appeared to block the shot, but the puck somehow squirted through Reimer’s legs. The Sharks could not get anything going in the third period.

They went on a power play with 5:38 left. The Kings’ penalty killers did their job. The Sharks pulled Reimer with more than three minutes left to play. The six-on-five Sharks attack failed when Anze Kopitar put the puck into an empty net to give the Kings a 5-2 advantage.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Sharks are 7-13-3. San Jose has won only one game at home so far this year. Reimer, at home, is 0-8-3. The Sharks remain in seventh place in the Pacific Conference. The Kings improved to 12-9-2 to remain in third place in the Pacific Conference. They trail the Seattle Kraken by one point for second place.

The Kings had a goal waved off early in the first period. Adrian Kempe put the puck past Reimer 42 seconds into the game. Shark’s coach Dan Quinn challenged the call. After a review, the call was overturned as the Kings were offside.

The Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks at the SAP Arena on Sun Nov 27th. With a faceoff at 5 pm.

17,950 fans watched the Sharks lose for the 13th time this year.

Warriors roll over Clippers 124-107

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson gets the fans in a frenzy after scoring against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Nov 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors returned home to host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center Wednesday night. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wanted his team to improve in three facets of the game. He wanted the Warriors to cut down on fouling, stop turning over the ball, and play better defense.

Without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers were hoping their second-best defense in the NBA would find a way to slow down the Warrior offense. The Wariors played better defense and cut down on the number of turnovers but committed 26 fouls, allowing the Clippers to take 27 free throws. The Clippers made 18. The Warriors responded as they moved the ball well and found the open man to propel them to a 124-107 victory.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors offense in the first quarter. Thompson played well. Thompson had 15 points and made two threes. Stephen Curry had seven. The Warriors won the quarter 32-29. In the second quarter, the second unit increased the lead to 50-42. When Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green returned, the Warriors went on an 18-4 run to finish the first half leading 66-47. Wiggins and Thompson each had 15 in the half. Curry had 11. None of the Clipper starters were in double figures.

The Clippers knew they had to outplay the Warriors in the third period if they hoped to get back in the game. They cut the lead to nine, 87-79, but Curry knocked down two three to help the Warriors increase the lead to 16, 98-82, at the end of three periods.

Wiggins hot the hot hand. Wiggins paced the Warriors in the fourth quarter. The big three, Curry, Thompson, and Wiggins, made three-pointers to give the Warriors a commanding 29-point advantage of 119-90.Kerr pulled his starters from the game. The Clippers continued to fight hard, but they could not overcome the Warriors’ lead. Kerr inserted his bench warmers to finish the game’s last four minutes. The Warriors win 124-107.

Game Notes and stats: The Warriors won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Their record is 9-10. The Warriors have won seven straight at home. Los Angeles falls to 11-8.

Wiggins was the offensive force for Golden State with points, four rebounds, and two assists. Wiggins made six threes. Curry had 22 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. Thompson had 18, Green had nine points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists. The Warriors shot 49.5% from the floor. They made 19 threes. 

Marcus Morris led LA with 19. Terance Mann had 17, Amir Coffey had 13, Reggie Jackson 11, and John Wall nine. Norman Powell, coming off the bench, knocked down 17. The Clippers shot 44.8% from the floor and made 11 threes. 

The Warriors host the Utah Jazz at the Chase Center Friday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Sharks play well dominate Senators 5-1

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Ottawa Senators center Mark Kastelic (47) punches San Jose Sharks defenseman Nick Cicek during the second period at SAP Center in San Jose on Mon Nov 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Monday night’s game between the San Jose Sharks (7-11-3) and the Ottawa Senators (6-11-1), was a matchup of two teams struggling to get something going this season. The Senators entered the game with a record of six wins, ten losses, and one tie, good for 12 points. They found themselves in last place in the Atlantic conference. The Sharks’ record before Monday’s game was six wins, 11 losses, and three ties. The Sharks’ 15 points landed them in seventh place in the Pacific conference.

Sharks’ coach Dan Quinn was not happy with his team’s performance last Saturday night when they lost 2-1 to the visiting New York Rangers. Quinn wanted his team to be more physical Monday night. Quinn was hoping the Sharks could find a way to win, as they had won just once at home in 11 games. They didn’t do well in the first period, but they dominated the next two periods to get the win. The Sharks made Quinn’s wish come true as they played one of their best games to beat the Senators 5-1.

The Senators dominated play in the first period. They had 13 shots on goal, and the Sharks had three—however, shots on goal don’t count. The Sharks’ Noah Gregor had a breakaway, but the shot hit the bar on the top of the goal and went into the corner.

The Sharks found a way to get the puck back to Gregor. Gregor’s wrist shot beat Ottawa’s veteran goalie, Cam Talbot, for the tally. Gregor’s shot went over Talbot’s left shoulder. The time of goal happened with 13:38 left in the period. It was Gregor’s first goal of the year. Luke Kunin and Matt Benning assisted. The Senators evened the score with 6:46 left. Tim Stutzle beat Kaapo Kahkonen for the tally. Brady Tkachuk recorded the assist. Stutzle recorded his seventh goal of the season.

The Sharks went on a power play late in the period. The Senators were able to kill the penalty. The referees called Kevin LaBanc for tripping with 1:52 left in the period. The Senators failed to score but have eight seconds left when the second period starts. The score is tied 1-1.

The Sharks thoroughly outskated the Senators in the second period. The Sharks scored three times to end the second stanza leading 4-1. San Jose had 19 shots on goal and held the Senators to eight. Timo Meier tallied with just 1:!8 played. Meier’s scored two seconds after Talbot blocked his last shot. Eric Karlsson found Meier to Talbot’s right. Meier had the smallest of cracks on the left side of the goal. His wrist shot found the opening to put the Sharks ahead 2-1.

San Jose scored their third of the night 3:35 later. Matt Nieto tipped Matt Bennings’ wrister from the point for the score. Nieto’s goal was his fourth of the season. Benning and Alexander Barabanov assisted. The Senators’ coach, D.J. Smith, replaced Cam Talbot in goal with Alex Forsberg.

Talbot allowed three goals on seven shots. With 5:59 left in the period, the Senators’ Travis Hamonic went to the penalty box for two minutes for tripping. The Sharks capitalized with just six seconds left on the power play. Tomas Hertl tipped in his fifth goal of the year to make it 4-1. Logan Couture and Eric Karlsson assisted on the goal. Sharks’ coach Dan Quinn saw his team play one of the best periods of play this season.

Ottawa knew they had to get some goals to get back in the game. The Sharks’ defense, along with Khakonen, had other thoughts. The Sharks held the Senators scoreless over the last 20 minutes of the game. With about three minutes left, the Senators pulled their goalie. They controlled the play, but the defense and the Sharks’ goalie did not fold. With 58 seconds left, Logan Couture sent the puck the length of the ice into the Senators’ goal to make it 5-1. The game was over.

Game Notes: The Sharks had Kaapo Kahkonen make his sixth start of the year. Kahkonen’s record was one win, four losses, and one tie before tonight’s win. Kahkonen was a force in goal as he made 37 saves. Eric Karlsson, the Sharks’ outstanding defenseman, assisted on two goals. Karlsson tallied 19 points this month and has 30 for the season. He trails the NHL scoring leader, Conor McDavid, by five points. 

Gregor, Timo Meier, Matt Nieto, Tomas Hertl, and Logan Couture scored for San Jose. Couture also had an assist.

Tim Stutzle scored Ottawa’s only goal. Brady Tkachuk assisted. Brady Tkachuk’s father is a former NHL great, Keith Tkachuk.

The Sharks scored one for three on the power play. The Sharks killed both of Ottawa’s power plays.

There was a fight in the second period between the Sharks’ Nick Cicek and Ottawa’s Mark Kastellic. Kastellic’s shoulder hit Cicek in the head. Tempers flared, and after a relatively short battle, both players were penalized five minutes for fighting.

The Sharks are on their way to Seattle to face the Kraken Wednesday night. San Jose returns home to play the Los Angeles Kings Friday night at the SAP center.

Warriors get back in the win column down Knicks 111-101

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) completes the three pointer and runs up the court with teammate Klay Thompson (30) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Nov 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors hosted the New York Knicks at the Chase Center Friday night. The Knicks came into town with a record of 8-7. New York beat the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets on the road in their last two games. Despite a 50-point performance by Warrior guard Stephen Curry in Phoenix, the Warriors found themselves with a record of 6-9.

The Warriors have yet to win a game on the road. They play well at home but are 0-8 away from the Chase Center. The Warriors’ head coach wanted his team to return to what the Warriors have been doing for the past eight years.

Sure, Curry carried the load in the loss to Phoenix. However, the Warriors have succeeded when all the players are involved in the scoring. The Warrior players know that it doesn’t matter who scores the most points. The team loves to spread the ball around and find the open man when things are going well.

In past seasons, the Warriors have had one of the top defenses in the NBA. This year, the defense has not been good. The Warriors, as a team, have been committing too many fouls. Coach Kerr wanted his team to make adjustments to improve in those three areas.

The Warriors listened, spread the ball, played defense, and beat the Knicks 111-101. What they could have done better was stop fouling. The only reason the score was that close was that the Knicks went to the charity stripe 34 times and made 32. The Warriors made eleven free throws in 20 tries. The 21-point difference allowed New York to stay close.

In the first quarter, Klay Thompson found his shot and knocked down eleven to pace the Warriors to 35-19 first quarter. Curry made two threes in the quarter, and Jordan Poole had five. The Warriors showed they still knew how to play defense as they held the Knicks to 19 points.

The Warriors extended the lead to twenty-two points in the second quarter, 51-33. Andrew Wiggins and JaMychal Green paced the Warriors offense. The Knicks found their offense late in the quarter. With the score 58-36, New York went on a 14-3 run the finish the first half trailing by 11, 61-50. The Knicks went into the locker room with the feeling they could somehow get a win on the Warriors home court.

The Warriors did not run away from the Knicks in the third quarter. Curry, who scored eight points in the first half, tallied ten points in the quarter. The Knicks didn’t wilt. They fought back. The Warriors won the quarter 26-24 to extend the lead to 13, 87-74. New York would have to find a way to stop the Warriors in the final 12 minutes to pull off an upset victory.

The Knicks, trailing 92-74, went on an 8-0 run to close within eight points of tying the game. Thompson, who went cold in the second and third periods, found his stroke and tallied seven points in the fourth. Curry hit a three to put the Warriors up 100-93. Coach Kerr inserted his second unit to finish the game. The Knicks cut the deficit to ten. New York ran out of time.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 7-9. Golden State is 7-1 at home and 0-8 on the road. The Knicks are 8-8.

The Warriors held the knicks to 34% from the floor. New York was nine -for thirty-floor from three-point range. The Warriors did the job on defense. The big takeaway from the game was the number of fouls they committed. It seemed like the Warriors fouled a Knick player on a drive to the basket every time. Yes, the team played with intensity, but they cannot give an opponent 34 free throws if they hope to win a game.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Draymond Green had ten points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. It was a good night for Green. Wiggins and Thompson each scored 20 points. Wiggins had three threes, while Klay showed his All-Star form as he knocked down five threes.

Curry finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and ten assists. Curry had five threes, too. Poole’s line was 13 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Poole recorded three threes. The last player in double figures was JaMychal Green. The Warriors moved Draymond from a forward position to be the backup center to Kevon Looney. JaMycal Seemed to be in the right position at the right time as he tallied 12 points for his team.

The Warriors shot 45% from the floor. They made 18 threes in 50 tries. The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 41 buckets. The assists indicated the team was moving the ball and finding an open player to take the shot. 

The Knicks’ leading scorer was Julius Randle. Randle had 20 points. R.J.Barrett had 18, and Cam Reddish had 11, and Jalen Brunson 13. Coming off the bench, Jericho Sims had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.

The Warriors go on the road to face the Houston Rockets Sunday night. They play the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. 

Warriors rout Spurs 132-95; Golden State makes that 3 wins out of last four

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Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole scores against the San Antonio Spurs at the Chase Center on Mon Nov 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors welcomed the San Antonio Spurs to the Chase Center Monday night. The Spurs, in rebuild mode, came to town with a record of six wins and seven losses. Most of the players on the Spurs’ team are not well known. Head coach Greg Popovich is in the process of remaking his team so they can get back into the playoffs.

The Warriors, smarting from a loss last night to the Sacramento Kings, needed to win at home. The Warriors have had problems on defense this year. They have also committed too many fouls and too many turnovers. The team would rest Klay Thompson, too. Steve Kerr inserted Jordan Poole into the starting lineup, and the move paid off. The Warriors broke the game open in the second quarter and cruised to an easy 132-95 win.

The Warriors got a hot start for the second game in a row. For the second time, they fell behind 20-19 when San Antonio went on a 16-5 run. It would be the only time in the game that San Antonio had the lead. The Warriors, behind Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody, paced the Warriors offense to give them a 33-26 advantage after the first 12 minutes. Poole knocked down 14 points in the quarter.

The Warriors won the second quarter 28-19 to finish the first half leading 61-45. Stephen Curry, Poole, Kuminga, Wiggins, and Moody led the way. Curry finished the half with ten points. Poole had 19, Wiggins eight, Kuminga seven, and Moody six. None of the Spurs’ starters were in double figures.

The Warriors put the game out of reach in the third quarter. The Warriors outscored the Spurs 38-23 to end the quarter leading, 99-68. The Warriors were playing their most complete game of the year. The offense was clicking. The Warriors did not foul. They did not turn the ball over, and their defense was excellent. Kerr replaced his starters, and the second unit played the entire fourth quarter. The reserves still outscored the Spurs 33-27 to win 132-95.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 6-8 and have won three of the last four games. The Spurs are now 6-8, too.

Poole had his best game of the year. In 27 minutes of action, Poole scored 36 points and connected on five threes. Anthony Lamb was second on the team, with 17 points. Lamb made five threes. Curry had 16, Kuninga 15, Moody 11, and Wiggins ten. 

The Warriors shot 53% from the floor. They made 23 threes in 45 tries. The team recorded 35 assists. 

San Antonio’s leading scorer was Kelden Johnson, with 15 points. Jeremy Sochan and Keita Bates-Diop each had 12, and Josh Richardson, coming off the bench, had ten. The Spurs shot 36% from the floor and were ten-for-40 from three-point range. The Spurs outrebounded the Warriors 64-48.

The Warriors travel to Phoenix to face the Suns Wednesday night. The Warriors hope to get their first win on the road this year. The game starts at 7 pm.

Kings find a way to beat Warriors in 122-115 win

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The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) laid out and the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sobonis (10) standing battled for the basketball at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings turned the tables on the Warriors Sunday night as they beat the Warriors 122-115. The Kings and Warriors played for the third time this season. The Warriors won the first two and hoped to make it three in a row over Sacramento. The Kings wanted to exact a measure of revenge as they lost by three points last Mondy night in San Francisco. The Kings felt the referees blew a call on the last shot of that game. Had the call been made, the Kings could have tied the game.

On Sunday night, Kings’ coach Mike Brown wanted his team to find a way to bottle up Warrior guard Stephen Curry. Curry scored 47 last Monday night, and Brown wanted his players to make life miserable for Curry. The Kings’ defense held Curry to 27 points in the game. Their strategy was to make the other Warriors beat them. It worked.

In the first quarter, the Warriors, led by Curry’s 13 points, finished with a 13-point lead, 39-26. Things did not go well for the Warriors in the second quarter. Mike Brown inserted his sixth man, Malik Monk, into the game. Monk’s play lit a fuse on the Kings’ offense. Everything went their way. The Warriors did not play well on defense. They turned the ball over too many times. The Kings went on a 21-7 run to take the lead 47-46. Sacramento outscored the Warriors 38-23 to finish the first half with a slim two-point advantage, 64-62.

The Kings knew the Warriors loved the third quarter. Brown’s guys found a way to slow down the Warrior attack. The Warriors scored the first six points in the period. Curry made a four-point play. Draymond Green a deuce. The Warriors led 68-64. Sacramento didn’t wilt. They answered and outscored Golden State by five to lead by seven, 98-91, at the end of three periods.

Sacramento led 107-98 when the Warriors went on a 13-2 run to take the lead 111-109 with 4:19 seconds left. There was a lot of time left in the game to play. The Kings, led by Domantis Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, went on a 9-0 run to lead 119-113 with 2:03 left. The Warriors missed three or four three-point shots down the stretch. Sacramento held on to win 122-115.

Game Notes- The Warriors lost for the seventh time on the road. They have yet to win a game away from home. They are now 5-8. The Kings improved to 6-7.

Curry led the Warriors with 27. Curry made three threes in nine tries. Curry did not score a point in the second quarter. The Kings held him to 14 in the second half. Andrew Wiggins finished with 26. Jordan Poole had 18 for the second straight game. Klay Thompson added 17. The Warriors shot 46% from the floor and made 16 threes in 46 attempts.

Sabonis almost had a triple-double, 26 points, 22 rebounds, and eight assists. De’Aaron Fox came to life in the second half and finished with 22 points and eight assists. Malik Monk had 12. Rookie Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter knocked down nine threes for the Kings. Murray finished with 21 points. He hit five threes. Huerter had 17, and he made four threes. The Kings were 51% from the floor and 43% from three-point range. They outrebounded the Warriors 54-46.

The Warriors return home to face the San Antonio Spurs Monday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Warriors win nail-biter beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-101

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) gestures after shooting a 3-point basket during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Nov 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Somehow, the Warriors found a way to come back from a seven-point deficit late in the fourth quarter as they down the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-101. The game was a definite nail-biter. There was no question about that whatsoever. Both teams played great defense.

The Cavaliers did their best to keep Golden State guard Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole bottled up for most of the game. The Warriors had to find a way to stop the bigger Cavs’ team from scoring inside the paint. It was a tough task. Yet, the Warriors went on a 17-4 run late in the fourth quarter to win.

The game was nip and tuck for the first 45 minutes. The teams were tied at 25 at the end of the first period. The Cavaliers outscored the Warriors by four in the second stanza to finish the first half leading 52-48.

Curry led the Warriors with 15. Wiggins had nine, Poole 12, Thompson three, and Anthony Lamb seven. Draymond Green did not score, but he had seven rebounds and eight assists. In his first season with the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell led his team with 14. Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Kevon Love each added eight.

The Warriors went up by three, 55-52, early in the third quarter. The Cavaliers went on a 13-0 run to lead 66-55. The Warriors were ice cold. The Warriors started to connect on three-point shots. Wiggins, Curry (2), Poole, and Lamb made threes. The Warriors trailed came with one 75-74. Cleveland answered with a bucket to finish the third quarter leading 77-74.

Both teams knew the fourth quarter would be a fight to the finish. Could the Cavaliers stave off the Warriors? Could the Warriors stop the Cavalier offense? Would Cleveland find a way to keep Curry from beating them? Neither team would give an inch. The Warriors took the lead 82-81 as they rallied from an 81-76 deficit. Poole connected on a three, and Wiggins made a two-point shot to tie the game.

Kevon Looney put the Warriors ahead 83-81. The Cavaliers rallied to lead 89-85. Curry made it 89-87. The Cavs scored the next six points to lead 93-87. The Warriors were unhappy as the Cavaliers Caris LeVert made a three-point shot in that sequence. The referees called Poole for a flagrant foul.

LeVert was awarded two free throws, and Cleveland retained possession of the ball. It could have been a six-point play. LeVert made one free throw. The Cavaliers scored the next basket to lead 95-97. There were less than four minutes left to play. Many of the fans were getting the feeling that the game was slipping away. Keep in mind the Warriors have the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.

Curry worked his magic against the Sacramento Kings last Monday night. Could he do it again? Could Cleveland find a way to stop him? The Answer to the first question was yes. Curry did it again. No, Cleveland could not stop him. Curry and the Warriors went on a 16-3 run to win the game 106-101.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the Warriors are 5-7. The Cavaliers dropped to 8-4.

Curry finished the night with 40 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Curry made six threes. Curry scored over 30 or more points in nine of the 12 games. Wiggins added 20, Green had a double-double with ten rebounds and 13 assists. Poole added five points. Poole knocked down four threes.

Lamb will be getting more playing time in the second unit. Lamb finished with ten points and made two big three-point shots. Thompson had nine. Thompson contributed with a three in the fourth quarter, and his defense on Mitchell helped the Warriors secure the win.

The Warriors held the Cavaliers’ offense to 40% from the floor: the Cavaliers made eight threes, the Warriors 15. The Warriors were 49% from the floor. The one negative was the number of fouls committed. The Cavaliers had 26 free throws and made 19. The Warriors made 11 in 14 tries.

The Cavaliers had five players in double figures. Mitchell led his team with 29 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. Mitchell made three threes. Big Evan Mobley had a double-double with 20 points and 12 boards. LeVert had 11, Jarrett Allen 13, and Darius Garland 15. Kevin Love, coming off the bench, had nine.

The Warriors travel to Sacramento to face the Kings Sunday night at the Golden 1 center. The game will start at 5:30 pm. After Sunday’s game, the Warriors return home to face the San Antonio Spurs Monday night at the Chase Center. Tip off at 7 pm.