Author: rxslugger

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

Mavericks rout the Warriors 133-103

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The Dallas Mavericks guard Trey Burke (3) tries to shut down Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry (30) from bringing the ball up court on Tue Apr 27, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (@dallasmavs photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The visiting Dallas Mavericks (34-27), hoping to rebound from a loss to the Sacramento Kings Monday night, routed the Golden State Warriors (31-31) 133-103. The final score did not indicate how poorly the Warriors played. The Mavericks game plan was to find a way to stop Stephen Curry from beating them. Their plan worked. The Warriors played one of their worst first 24 minutes of play in team history.

The game was close for the first 3:20. Curry connected on a three to put the Warriors ahead 12-11 with 8:40 left in the first quarter. That was the last time the Warriors would be in the lead. They did not score another point in the first period. Dallas went on a 25-0 run to finish the quarter with a 24-point lead 36-12. 

Dallas started the second quarter with a three. The Warriors finally made a basket. Dallas’ defense smothered the Warriors offense. Dallas outscored them 26-17 to finish the first half with a commanding lead 62-29. The game was over for all intents and purposes, even with 24 minutes left to play.

Dallas’ all-world forward Luka Doncic poured in 23 points in the third quarter to finish the night with 39 points. He made shots from all angles. He was Merlin the magician Tuesday night. Curry tallied 15 to finish with 27. Dallas led by 39 points 103-64.

It’s a shame that the NBA doesn’t have a mercy rule. There was no way to overcome a 39-point deficit with 12 minutes left. Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pulled their stars from the game. The reserves from both teams played the last 12 minutes. The Warriors bench outscored the Dallas bench by nine. The Mavericks won 133-103.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 31-31 for the year. The Warriors have ten games left on the schedule. They play the next four games on the road and finish the season with six at the Chase Center. Dallas improved to 34-27. Dallas took two of the three games played against the Warriors this season.

The Warrior stats from the first half show how poorly they played/ Curry was the only player in double figures with 12. Andrew Wiggins was second with seven. No other Warrior had more than three points. They shot 28% from the floor. They were three-for-nineteen from downtown. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 16. 

Curry led the Warriors with 27. He was 9-for-18 from the floor and knocked down five threes in nine tries. Mychal Mulder finished with a career-high 26 points. Mulder was 10-for-16 from the floor, and he connected on six threes in 11 attempts. Wiggins had 15, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 10, and Jordan Poole 10. Luka Doncic had 39 for Dallas. Dorian Finney-Smith 13, Tim Hardaway, Jr. 13, Nicolo Melli 13, Jalen Brunson 12, and Maxi Kleber 10. 

The Warriors begin a four-game road trip Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The second game is against the Oklahoma City Thunder, then two against the Pelicans in New Orleans. Thursday night’s game starts at 5 pm.

Murphy’s blast powers A’s to a win over Rays 2-1

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The Oakland A’s picked up their 14th win in 15 games over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay on Mon Apr 26, 2021 (@Athletics photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s opened the four-game series with the Tampa Bays Monday night at Tropicana Field. The game featured a matchup of two left-handed pitchers. The A’s had Sean Manaea on the Hill looking for his third win of the year. The Rays sent 41-year-old lefty Rich Hill to the mound. Hill, who pitched for Oakland in 2016, is a master of the curveball.

He throws from different arm angles, and the A’s knew he would be one tough customer. The Orioles snapped the A’s thirteen-game winning streak Sunday in Baltimore. Oakland was hoping to get back on the winning track with a win. 

The Rays put a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Rays’ right fielder Randy Arozarena led off the frame with a single. The next hitter, Yandy Diaz, lined a rocket off Sean Manaea’s right leg. Manaea was able to pick up the ball and fire to first to get the out. Arazarena made it to second. He stole third and scored on Austin Meadows’ sacrifice fly to center field. The Rays lead 1-0.

The A’s defense saved a run in the bottom of the third. With two out and a man on second, Stephen Piscotty made a diving catch on Manuel Margot’s fly ball to right. 

Rich Hill had his way with the A’s hitters. He had his curveball working its magic. The A’s had one hit in the first three innings, and Hill had struck out five A’s. In the fourth, he retired the first two hitters. The next hitter, Matt Chapman, worked Hill for a walk. Sean Murphy, who struck out in the second inning, blasted a flyball to left that barely made it over the fence to put the A’s ahead 2-1.

Neither team would score. Manaea lasted five innings. He threw 100 pitches in five innings of work. The A’s used Yusmeiro Petit in the sixth and seventh. Jake Diekman pitched the eighth, and Lou Trivino closed out the game for Oakland.

Game Notes and Stats: In the top of the seventh, the A’s manager Bob Melvin was tossed from the game. With two outs and a man on first, Tony Kemp hit a popup that landed in between three Rays’ fielders. Tropicana Field’s covering for the dome contributed to the ball dropping in safely.

Elvis Andrus, running on the play, appeared to have slid in safely at home. The home plate umpire called him out. The A’s asked for a review. The replay showed that Andrus’s hand slid across the plate before Ray’s catcher, Mike Zunino, applied the tag. The review crew in New York did not overturn the call. Melvin was incensed and let the umpires know they were wrong. They sent Melvin to the clubhouse. 

Manaea’s line was five innings of work, four hits, and one run allowed. His record improved to 3-1. Lou Trivino earned his third save in three opportunities. Rich Hill was the hard-luck loser. He went six innings and allowed two runs and two hits. His only mistake was the gopher ball that he served up to Murphy.

Rich Hill hit Mark Canha with a pitch in the third inning. It was the 59th time that a pitch has hit Canha in his time with the A’s. He and Sal Banda are tied for first in Oakland A’s history in that department.

With the win, the A’s are 15-8 for the season. The Rays, defending American League champions, are 11-12.

The A’s and Rays play game two of the series Tuesday night. Righty Frankie Montas (2-1) will go for Oakland. The Rays will counter with righty Michael Wacha (1-1). The game will start at 4:05 pm.

Warriors win nail-biter nip Kings 117-113;Curry dazzles with 37 pts

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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was all smiles as he finished on top in scoring with 37 points against the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 25, 2021 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (31-39) hosted the Sacramento Kings (24-36) at the Chase Center Sunday night. The Warriors were hoping to exact revenge for their loss to Sacramento on March 25th. Stephen Curry was not in the lineup due to an injury that night. The Kings’ De’ Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Tyrese Haliburton had their way the Warriors that night as they ran the Warriors off the court with a resounding 141-119 win.

Fox paced the Kings with 44 points. On Sunday night, Fox was not in the Kings’ lineup. The Warriors were missing two stalwarts, Daminon Lee and Kent Bazemore. The two Warrior players were out due to the NBA’s Covid-19 protocols. Mychal Mulder was in the lineup in place of Bazemore. The Warriors got their revenge as they beat the Kings 117-113 on Sunday night.

The game was a barnburner for all 48 minutes. The largest lead any team had was seven points. The first half was full of action as both teams raced up and down the court as the lead changed hands several times. Former Warrior, Harrison Barnes, tormented his old mates as he knocked down four threes in the first quarter to pace the Kings to a 39-32 lead after the first 12 minutes of play/ Curry had 11 for Golden State. Gary Payton II played his only five minutes of the game in the first quarter, and he helped by hitting two threes and finishing with seven points.

The Warriors outscored the Kings 31-26 in the second quarter. Kelly Oubre, Jr., coming off the bench, continued to excel. The Warriors were able to take the lead 57-56 when Andrew Wiggins connected on a three. The Kings didn’t wilt.

They fought back and were able to regain the lead to have the advantage, 65-63 at the end of the first half. Curry paced the Warrior offense with 23. Curry knocked down five threes in the first half. Oubre had 12, Wiggins seven. The Kings’ sharpshooter from 3-point range, Buddy Hield, led Sacramento with 19. Harrison Barnes had 16, and Richaun Holmes eight. The Warrior bench outscored the Kings’ bench 25-14.

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court in the third period. The Warriors’ Curry and Mychal Mulder each connected on two threes. The Warriors owned their biggest lead of the night, 89-83. Sacramento continued to fight back. The quarter ended with the Warriors holding a slim two-point advantage 94-92. Both teams knew the final 12 minutes of play would determine the outcome. The only question to be answered was which team wanted it more.

The Kings scored the first four points of the fourth quarter from the foul line. They led 96-94. Sacramento kept the lead until Draymond Green tied the game at 107-107. Sacramento went ahead 109-107. Kelly Oubre was fouled making a bucket. Oubre completed the three-point play to put the Warriors ahead 110-109.

Sacramento answered with a bucket to lead 111-110. Oubre scored again to make it 112-111 with 1:37 left. The Warriors increased the lead to three 114-111 when Green knocked down a deuce. The Kings came back with a bucket of their own to close within one 114-113.

The Warriors dodged a bullet when they turned the ball over to Buddy Hield in the Sacramento end of the court. Hield lost the ball out of bounds with 13 seconds left. The Kings had a foul to give. The Kings fouled Curry with 11.7 seconds left to play.

They fouled Curry again with 9.2 seconds left. Curry missed the first free throw. He made the second to give the Warriors a two-point advantage 115-113. If Sacramento made a three, they would win. A two-point basket would tie the game. The Kings inbounded the ball to Harrison Barnes. Barnes was open for a three, but his shot was off the mark. Curry grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws to win it for the Warriors 117-113.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 31-30 for the year. Golden State has won eight of the last 11 games. The Kings are 24-36.

Curry’s line for the night was 37 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. It was the 30th game this season that Curry had posted thirty or more points. Kelly Oubre finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Wiggins had 13, Mychal Mulder, 11, and Juan Toscano-Anderson, 10. Kevon Looney had eight points and eight rebounds.

Green had another double-double. Green scored eight points, pulled down 14 boards, and recorded 13 assists. As a team, the Warriors shot 485 from the floor. They made fourteen threes in 36 tries. They outrebounded the Kings 58-45. They continued to move the ball well as they recorded 30 assists on 46 made field goals.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 25 points. Hield made six threes in a losing cause. Rookie Tyrese Haliburton finished with 24. Harrison Barnes had 23, Richaun Holmes 11. 

The Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center Tuesday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Warriors beat Nuggets 118-97; Crowd is heard for first time in 409 days at Chase

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The Golden State Warriors had the throw down working for them in their win over the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Apr 23, 2021 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (30-30) returned home to face the Denver Nuggets (38-21) at the Chase Center. For the first time in 409 days, fans were in the seats to watch their beloved Warriors play. About 2000 fans were in the stadium. The Warriors did not disappoint them as they raced their way to a hard-fought victory 118-97.

The last time the teams met on April 12th, the Warriors stunned the Nuggets 116-107. The Nuggets lost one of their stars, Jamal Murray, to an ACL knee injury. The Nuggets were looking to exact revenge and pick up a win Friday night. The injury jinx hit the Nuggets again early in the first quarter. Will Barton had to leave the game with a hamstring injury. P J Dozier replaced him in the lineup.

The Nuggets, coached by former Warrior assistant coach, Mike Malone, had won 20 of their last 25 games. They were 11-2 since acquiring Aaron Gordon at the trade deadline from the Orlando Magic. One of the losses was to the Warriors.

The Warriors were 3-2 on the recent five-game road trip, and they were 6-3 in their last nine games. Stephen Curry set an NBA record for a 33-year-old player with 30 or more points in 11 consecutive games. The Warriors also had to figure out to contain Nikola Jokic. Jokic is in the running to become this season’s MVP. Curry is also a candidate for that honor.

The teams played a very entertaining and competitive first quarter. As mentioned early, Will Barton left with a hamstring injury. The Warriors got a scare when Curry appeared to have injured his right ankle. Curry could not run as well. He went to the bench, and the trainers attended to his injury. The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Mychal Mulder paced the Warrior offense. The Warriors finished the first quarter leading 30-24

Curry started the second quarter. The Warriors extended the lead to 41-28. Curry made a couple of baskets to help the Warriors get ahead. Denver then went on a 12-2 run to make it a three-point game 43-40. The Warriors held off Denver to finish the first half leading 54-50.

Andrew Wiggins led the team with 14 points. had Curry seven. Mychal Mulder had nine. Kelly Oubre and Jordan Poole, coming off the bench, each had ten. Aaron Gordon led Denver with ten, Michael Porter, Jr. had nine, Jokic eight, Dozier seven, and Facundo Campazzo, from Argentina, also had seven.

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors. As they have done so many times in the past, they played well on both ends of the court. They had great ball movement outscored Denver 32-24 to finisher the third quarter with a twelve-point lead 86-74.

Curry did not seem to be bothered by his ankle, and he looked like the Curry of old. The Warriors had their foot on the gas pedal, and they finished the third period with a 19-9 run. Golden State was in control of the game. Curry was hot in the fourth quarter. He scored 25 points in the second half to finish with 32. Denver could not get anything going. The Warriors outscored them 32-23 to win by 21 118-97.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 30-30 for the year. They have won seven of the last ten games. Curry scored 30 or more points for the 29th time this year. Draymond Green had a double-double with 12 rebounds, and he tied his career-high with 19 assists. The Warriors had 40 assists on 45 made field goals. There was no question that they had no trouble breaking down Denver’s defenses as they recorded those 40 assists.

Kelly Oubre, Jr. had another great game on both ends of the court. Oubre tallied 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He knocked down three threes. Andrew Wiggins had 19 points, seven boards, and two assists. Wiggins connected on three threes. Jordan Poole had 15, and Mychal Mulder 14. The Warriors shot 53.6% from the floor. They connected on fifteen threes. The Warriors outrebounded Denver 58-44. 

The Warriors had no answer for Michael Porter, Jr. Porter, who is six feet ten inches tall, led Denver with 26 points and five rebounds. He was seven-for-14 from downtown. The Warriors held Jokic to 19 points. Jokic had six rebounds and six assists. Aaron Gordon finished with 17.

The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings Sunday night at the Chase Center. The Kings beat the Warriors at the Golden One arena in Sacramento on March 25th. The Warriors will be hoping to avenge that loss. The game will start at 7 pm.

Preview of A’s vs. Orioles in Baltimore; Three game series opens Friday

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The Oakland A’s Ramon Lureano (22) swings for a base hit in the bottom of the tenth inning on Wed Apr 21, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Minnesota Twins (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s head East to start a six-game road trip. The A’s will play three against the Baltimore Oriole’s and finish the trip against the Tampa Bay Rays. The A’s currently reside in the American League Western Division with a 12-7 record. The A’s started the season 1-7 but have won 11 in a row. No team in Major League history has ever started the season with an 0-6 record and then had an 11-game winning streak at any time during the same season.

The Orioles have been a franchise in the American League since 1903. They were known as the St.Louis Browns for 51 seasons. Their last year in St. Louis was 1953. The Browns were doormats in the AL for many, many years. Their only appearance in the World Series came in 1944 during World War II.

They lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Browns featured a one-armed centerfielder, Pete Gray. Bill Veeck owned the team, and he sold it to people who promptly moved the team to Baltimore and named them the Orioles. Since 1954, the Orioles have won three World Series.

They swept the LA Dodgers in 1966 to win their first crown. The Orioles right-fielder was Frank Robinson. The Cincinnati Reds traded Robinson to the O’s as they thought Robinson was an old 30-year-old player. All Robinson did that year was win the AL MVP>They beat the Big Red Machine in 1970. Third baseman Brooks Robinson put on a defensive show in that series that people still remember 51 years later.

The Orioles won their last championship in 1983, downing the Philadelphia Phillies. Shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. led his team that season. Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, and Cal Ripken, Jr. are all Baseball’s Hall of Fame members.

Things have not gone well for the Orioles in recent years. Their last appearance in a World Series was in 1983, 38 years ago. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2016. The Toronto Blue Jays met them in the Wild Card game. The Jays sent the O’s home.

The A’s have not played the Orioles since the 2019 season. There are many new faces on the team. The Orioles traded their superstar third baseman, Manny Machado, to the Dodgers in 2018 as Manny was going to be a free agent at the end of the season. Manny signed with the San Diego Padres in 2019.

Buck Showalter was gone as the Orioles manager. Brandon Hyde replaced him and was tasked with bringing the club back to respectability. Hyde replaced Showalter before the start of the 2019 season. Showalter was the last manager to take the O’s to the playoffs.

The Orioles finished last in 2017 with a record of 75-87. In Showalter’s last year as manager, Baltimore fell to the bottom of the barrel posting a record of 47-115. In Hyde’s first year, Baltimore finished last again. They improved to 54-108.

They had a new young player, Trey Mancini, to lead them out of the wilderness. Fate wasn’t kind to Mancini. Trey had to miss the 2020 season due to cancer treatment. Mancini has recovered, and he will see playing time this weekend. The Orioles finished fourth in the AL East last year with a record of 25-35.

Oakland A’s fans don’t know too much about the Orioles’ roster. They have some new players and some oldies, too. As mentioned above, Baltimore wants to move up in the Eastern Division. They shocked the baseball world by sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway Park by winning all three games. However, they have faltered since then to enter the game against Oakland with a record of 8-10.

The A’s will send lefty Cole Irvin to the mound to start Friday night. Irvin will be making his fourth start as an Oakland Athletic. He did not fare well in his first two outings. In his last game against the Detroit Tigers, Irvin pitched six shutout innings. His overall record ia 1-2 with an ERA of 4.60.

Baltimore will counter with righty Jorge Lopez. Lopez will also be making his fourth start of the season. Lopez was hammered in his first two starts. He pitched well against Texas to earn the win. For the season, Lopez is 1-2 with an ERA of 8.56.

Chris Bassitt will go for Oakland on Saturday. The Orioles have not announced their starter for the Saturday game. Righty Matt Harvey may get the call. Other pitchers that could start are lefties John Means and Bruce Zimmerman.

The A’s enter the series scoring an average of 4.74 runs per game. The A’s have players up and down the lineup that can send the baseball into the stratosphere. Their big first baseman, Matt Olson, has been scorching hot. Olson had three home runs in the last two games of the series with the Minnesota Twins.

Olson has hit six homers and has 15 RBIs so far this year. Mark, Canha, Ramon Laureano, Stephen Piscotty, Jed Lowrie, Sean Murphy, and Seth Brown have all hit home runs to help the A’s to the current 11-game winning streak.

The A’s starting rotation has done the job since the 1-7 start. The team ERA is 4.71, ranking 26th in MLB. The reason for the high ERA was the poor start in the first games of the year. The A’s beat the Twins Wednesday in a wild one 13-12. Before the Wednesday game, the A’s pitching staff recorded four shutouts in five games. A’s starters Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas, and Jesus Luzardo have all done well recently.

The A’s Mike Fiers will be available shortly. Fiers won 15 games last season. The A’s will have to figure out who Fiers will replace. The A’s bullpen has done well, too. A’s manager Bob Melvin has used righty Lou Trivino and lefty Jake Diekman as the closer.

The Orioles will probably put these guys on the field Friday night. Trey Mancini will be at first base. Rio Ruiz will be at second, Freddy Galvis at shortstop, and Maikel Franco, the former Philadelphia Phillie, will be at third. DJ Stewart will be in left field, Cedric Mullins in center, and Austin Hays in right. Paul Severino will handle the catching chores for the Orioles.

The Las Vegas oddsmakers probably would favor the A’s to win the series. The magic of baseball, as players well know, you never know what’s going to happen. Even the lowest of teams can upset the applecart of the favored team. Jorge Lopez could pitch his best game of the year. The A’s could send him to an early shower. No one knows. That’s the beauty of baseball. That’s why they play the games.

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wizards find way to come back in fourth quarter beat Warriors 118-114

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry embraces with Washington Wizards Bradley Beal (right) following their game in Washington on Wed Apr 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (29-30) ended their five-game road trip in Washington Wednesday night. The Warriors were hoping to avenge a tough 110-107 loss to the Wizards (25-33) at the Chase Center on April 6th. In that game, the Wizards won when Bradley Beal completed a four-point play to give Washington the win.

On Wednesday, it was a similar ending. The Warriors fought back from an early 19-point deficit to play well in the second and third quarters. They led by ten late in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards kept attacking the rim—the Warriors kept committing fouls, and the Wizards won the game from the free-throw line. The final score was 118-114 in favor of Washington.

The Wizards found a way to contain Stephen Curry. In the first quarter, two Wizard players were hounding Steph. They forced Curry to commit four turnovers. The Wizards led by 19 at one point in the quarter. The Warriors’ five starters could not get anything going. Kelly Oubre, Jr., playing on the second unit, gave the Warriors offense a jolt, but it wasn’t enough as they finished the quarter trailing 38-20.

With Curry and Draymond Green on the bench, The second unit’s Jordan Poole, Kelly Oubre, and Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors on a 24-28 run to tie the game at 44. Washington’s defense stiffened, and the Wizards finished the first half leading 60-58. Kelly Oubre led the offense with 18. Kent Bazemore and Andrew Wiggins each had 10. Curry had four.

The Warriors second unit paced the Warriors’ offense in the third quarter. Jordan Poole, Oubre, and Bazemore helped propel the Warriors into the lead 93-86 after three periods of action. Unfortunately, they were not able to put the game in the win column.

They led by eight 101-93. The Wizards kept attacking, and the Warriors kept fouling. The Wizards crept within a single point 106-105 with 2:44 left to play. The big Latvian, Davis Bertrans, knocked down a three to put Washington ahead 110-108. The Warriors tied it at 110. Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal each made a two-point bucket to give Washington the advantage 114-110.

Curry made a basket to make it 114-112. Bertrans connected again. Curry answered with another deuce. The Warriors trailed by two, but time was running out. They fouled Bertrans, and he made both free throws to ice the win for the Wizards.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors finished the five-game road trip with a record of 3-2. The Warriors knew that they could have won all five games or at least four of the five. That didn’t happen, and their season record stands at 29-30 with thirteen games left in the season. The Warriors have the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. The Wizards, winners of six straight and eight of their last nine, are 25-33 for the year.

Curry did not lead the team in scoring. The Wizards snapped his streak of 11 consecutive games with 30 or more points. Curry finished with 18 points. He was seven-for-25 from the floor, and he made two threes in 14 attempts. It was a season-worst for Curry.

Kelly Oubre led the team with 24 points, nine rebounds, and an assist. Jordan Poole had 22 points and three boards. Poole had a season-high six threes. Kent Bazemore ended with nineteen points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Wiggins had 14, Kevon Looney six points and eight boards, Greem eight points, four rebounds, and eight assists. The team shot 39.6% from the floor, and they made 15 threes in 45 attempts. 

The Warriors committed 23 fouls. Those fouls led to 32 points for Washington. The Wizards outscored the Warriors by 13 from the free-throw line 32-19. Those points made the difference in the game.

Bradley Beal led the Wizards’ offense with 29 points. Davis Bertrans and Daniel Gafford each had 19. Gafford had a double-double as he pulled down ten boards. Raul Neto had 18. Russell Westbrook finished with another triple-double. Westbrook tallied 14 points, pulled down 20 boards, and had ten assists. 

The Wizards’ 20-year-old forward from Israel, Deni Avdiya injured his ankle with 40 seconds left in the first half. Avdija left the court in a wheelchair. The seriousness of the injury is not yet known.

After the game, Curry had this to say: “It was a great run,” Curry said after the game. “It was something that hadn’t been done before. It was going to end at some point. Now you got to start another one. So it’s just a matter of the next-play mentality.

Just try to get rejuvenated when we go home — to do it home, road, some big games, put a streak together, it was a special ride for sure. And never really get too hyped up on individual streaks or accolades like that. There were some historical names that I was able to pass. And doing something at this age was pretty special.”

The Warriors return to action Friday night when they host the Denver Nuggets. There will be fans in the stands for the first time this season. The Warriors will have the fans be tested for Covid-19.

The game will start at 7 pm.

Curry’s 49 point big night helps Warriors upset 76ers 107-96

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Oh Brother! The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against brother and Philadelphia 76ers Seth Curry (31) at Wells Fargo Bank Arena in Philadelphia on Mon Apr 19, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors’ (29-29) Stephen Curry had another brilliant performance with 49 points Monday night as the Warriors stunned the Philadelphia 76ers (39-18) 107-96. The Sixers owned the best record in the Eastern Conference before the start of the game.

The Sixers are also the best squad in the NBA as they hold opponents to 108 points a game. The Sixers’ best defensive player, Ben Simmons, was not on the court Monday night. Forward Tobia Harris was not in the Sixer lineup, either.

The Warriors went with a small-ball lineup. The Warriors may not be the best defensive team in the NBA, but they know how to defend. The Sixers were looking to sweep the series as they beat the Warriors 108-98 at the Chase Center on March 23rd. Curry missed that game with a tailbone injury.

Curry, who scored 47 Saturday night in Boston, played as if his hair was on fire. Curry had his sixth game of the year with ten three-pointers. Curry tied Kobe Bryant’s NBA record of a player 33 years or older scoring 30 or more points in ten consecutive games.

Curry broke the record Monday night. Curry owns the record for most games, making ten threes with 21. It was quite a night for Curry. Warrior fans at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia were chanting MVP, MVP. Steve Kerr had this to say about Curry’s performance “There’s something beautiful about it. It really is an art,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “What he’s doing is amazing to watch. Nobody in the history of this game has ever done what he’s doing right now.”

The teams played a very tight, competitive, exciting ball game. The Sixers scored the first 12 points in the first quarter. Curry knocked down a couple of threes and finished the first 12 minutes of the game with 11 points. The teams were tied 24-24 at the end of the period.

The Warriors second unit opened up a six-point lead 39-33. The Sixers tied it at 43. The Warriors hand their hands full, trying to contain the Sixers’ big man, Joel Embiid. The Sixers were 20-2 when Embiid tallies ten or more points on free throws. The big guy uses his body to draw fouls, and the smaller Kevon Looney and Draymond Green each committed three.

The teams left the court for the halftime break tied at 55 apiece. Curry paced the Warrior attack with 20. He connected on four three in eight tries. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, had 12, Andrew Wiggins eight. Kelly Oubre, making his first appearance since missing six games with a wrist injury, had six.

In the third quarter, defense was the name of the game for each team. The Warriors outscored the Sixers 20-15. Each team had to fight to get points on the game. Neither team, except for the Sixers’ early 12-0 lead in the first quarter, could pull away.

The Warriors knew that they had to stop Embiid if they wanted to win. As usual, Steve Kerr inserted his second unit to start the fourth quarter. Green and Curry would return with about six minutes and 30 seconds left in the game. Green had four fouls on him, and he had to be careful as Embiid was going to the rim every time he got his hands on the ball.

The Second unit held its own until the Sixers went on a 12-2 run to lead 84-83. Steph was back on the floor. Curry made a three to tie the game at 86. The Sixers fought back and led 90-86. Curry made another three. The Warriors led 93-92.

Curry made another three, and Green knocked down a two-pointer to put the Warriors ahead 98-92. The Warriors’ defense put the clamps on the Sixers’ offense. The Sixers scored four points in the last three minutes and forty-two seconds of the game.

Curry made another three to make it 101-92. With the score 101-95, Curry made a sensational step-back three to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat 104-95. Curry added three more free throws to lead the Warriors to victory 107-96.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 29-29 for the year. They have won three of the four games played on the five-game road trip. The Sixers are 39-18.

Curry finished the night with 49 points, three rebounds, and five assists. He was 14-for28 from the floor, and he connected on ten threes in 17 tries. Andrew Wiggins had a double-double with 16 points and ten boards. Damion Lee had 12 points, six rebounds, and an assist.

Lee was five-for-six from the floor. He made two threes in two tries. Kevon Looney had five pints and a career-high 15 rebounds. Green’s line was eight points, six rebounds, and six assists. Kelly Oubre had nine, and Jordan Poole six.

The Warriors shot 45% from the floor. They made 14 threes in 32 attempts. They took 13 fewer shots than the Sixers. The Warriors outscored the Sixers 25-14 from the free-throw line. On defense, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Sixers 58-49. 

Joel Embiid had a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Embiid made eleven points from the charity stripe. The Sixers are now 20-3 when he scores more than 10 points from the free-throw line. Curry’s brother, Seth, tallied 15 points in the first half. The Warriors held him scoreless in the final 24 minutes of the game. Danny Green made four three for 12 points. The Sixers’ backup center, Dwight Howard, did not score. He pulled down ten rebounds. 

The Warriors finish the five-game road trip Wednesday night when they face the Washington Wizards. The game will start at 4 pm.

Curry’s 47 points not enough, Celtics win thriller down the W’s 119-114

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Jayson Tatum (0) of the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) have a post game conversation following Sat Apr 17, 2021 game at the Boston Garden (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Boston Celtics snapped the Golden State Warriors’ four-game winning streak Saturday night by a score of 119-114. The Warriors’ incomparable Stephen Curry made history with his tenth consecutive 30 plus point game. The only other player 33 years old to have done that was Kobe Bryant. Cury tallied 47 points, but it was not enough to put another game in the win column. Boston’s Jayson Tatum put 44 points on the board to lead the Celtics to a thrilling 119-114 win over Golden State.

The Warriors played well for most of the first half. Curry led the Warriors with 14 points in the first quarter. Golden State led by nine 33-24 after the first 12 minutes of action. The Warriors’ small-ball offense continued to shine as they increased the lead to 16, 66-50 late in the second quarter. Boston’s offense woke up and went on a 10-0 run to trail by six 66-60 at the end of the first half. Curry had 22. Andrew Wiggins added 12, and Kent Bazemore knocked down 14. Jayson Tatum was Boston’s leading scorer with 23.

The Celtics continued their run to start the second half. They gained the lead for the first time, 71-68. Curry made a three to tie the game at 71. Boston went on a 7-0 run to go ahead 78-17. From that point until the final few seconds of the game, the teams switched leads several times. The teams were tied at the end of the third quarter 89-89.

In the fourth quarter, Boston led 101-100. Curry made two threes, and Andrew Wiggins also connected on a three to give the Warriors the lead 109-103. The Celtics scored the next eight points. Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart each hit a three to put Boston ahead 111-109 with 1:16 left to play. Kevon Looney made a two-point bucket to tie the game at 111. Tatum made a two-pointer, and Kemba Walker hit a three to give Boston the lead 116-111. Curry answered with a three of his own to make it 116-114 with 18 seconds left. The Warriors fouled Jayson Tatum, and he made both free throws. The Celtics added one more point to win 119-114.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 28-29 for the year. Boston won their sixth in a row and are now 31-26.

Cury had quite a night with 47 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He was 15-for-27 from the floor. He connected on 11 threes in 19 tries from downtown. Wiggins finished with 22. Bazemore 16, Poole 12, and Draymond Green five. Green had ten assists. The Warriors shot 51% from the floor. The Warriors made 17 three in 40 attempts. Boston took 14 more shots than the Warriors. Boston’s defense forced 17 Warriors turnovers that resulted in 23 points for Boston. 

The Warriors meet the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night in Philadelphia. The game will start at 4:30 pm

Warriors second unit leads team to win over Cleveland Cavaliers 119-101

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The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) heads to the hoop against the Cleveland Cavaliers Darius Garland (10) on Thu Apr 15, 2021 at Rocket Mortgage Field House in Cleveland (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors won their fourth straight game Thursday night as they downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-101. The Cavs were determined to stop Stephen Curry from making threes from downtown. Curry was bottled up in the first half. He was held to 13 points and was 0-for-8 from three-point range.

The Cavs raced out to an early 17-6 lead. The Warriors kept fighting back. Juan Toscano-Anderson, coming off the bench, scored eight points in the last four minutes of the first quarter to help bring the Warriors to within three 31-28 at the end of the period. 

With Curry on the bench, the second unit of Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney propelled the Warriors into the lead 51-39. Curry was back in the lineup, and he made three layups to extend the Warriors to an eleven-point advantage 63-52 at the end of the first half.

Wiggins led the team in scoring with 14. Damion Lee had 9, Poole 8, and Looney six. Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 16. Darius Garland had 12, and big six-foot eleven Jarrett Allen had nine. The Warriors held Kevin Love to three points.

The Cavaliers made a run at the Warriors in the third period. The Warriors led by eleven 75-64 when Cleveland went on a 14-4 run to trail by four 79-75. It was at this point in the game when Curry finally was able to make a three. Curry connected on two threes late in the period to get the lead back up to ten 89-79.

The Cavaliers kept attacking, but they could not gain ground. Juan Toscano-Anderson kept Cleveland from getting closer as he knocked down two threes. With just under six minutes left to play, Curry and Draymond Green came back onto the court. Curry’s magic returned as he made two threes. Andrew Wiggins followed with a three to put the Dubs ahead 112-94. The Cavaliers were toast as the Warriors coasted to victory 119-101.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 28-28 for the season. The Warriors won their season-high fourth game in a row and the fifth in the last six games.

Curry, who missed eight three-point attempts in the first half, knocked down four in five attempts in the second half. He finished the night with 33 points, four rebounds, five assists. He was 12-for-25 from the floor and four-for thirteen from behind the three-point arc.

Andrew Wiggins was solid on both ends of the court. Wiggins put 23 points on the board. He was five-for-eight from downtown. He grabbed six rebounds and had six assists. Juan Toscano-Anderson had his best game as a Warrior. The young man from East Oakland tallied 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and made three threes. Jordan Poole had 14, Damion Lee, 11. Kevon Looney finished with eight points and ten rebounds. Green had ten assists.

As a team, the Warriors shot 51% from the floor. They were 17 for 46 from downtown. They outrebounded the bigger Cavalier team 53-46. They had nine steals, five blocked shots, and forced 13 Cavalier turnovers. 

Collin Sexton led Cleveland with 30 points, Darius Garland had 20, Jarrett Allen 17, and Taureen Prince 12. Kevin Love had five.

After the game, Juan Toscano-Anderson had the quote of the night ” I’m having fun playing among the greats.” 

The Warriors announced rookie James Wiseman had surgery to correct a torn meniscus. Wiseman will miss the rest of the season.

The Warriors face the Celtics in Boston Saturday night. The game will start at 5:30 pm. 

Warriors blow out Thunder 147-109; Curry stays hot with 42 points

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) goes for the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Moses Brown (above Curry) during Wed Apr 14, 2021 game in Oklahoma City (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors started the five-game road trip on the right foot Wednesday night. Stephen Curry had another brilliant performance with 42 points to lead Golden State to an easy 147-109 rout over the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC is not the team it was when they had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on their roster.

Their big center, Steve Adams, was traded. The lineup they put on the floor against the Warriors was full of players with a very short NBA resume. Even so, Golden State would become complacent; the Thunder could upset the Warriors apple cart.

The Warriors did not relinquish the lead after the teams were tied 5-5. The Thunder gave the Warriors a tussle, but Curry, Kent Bazemore, and Jordan Poole connected on threes to propel the Warriors to a 36-32 lead after 12 minutes of play.

The Warriors owned the second quarter. Jordan Poole was hot. He kicked in 11 points to give the Warriors the advantage 49-36. The Warriors outscored the Thunder 39-22 to finish the first half with a 75-54 lead. Curry paced the Warriors with 17 points. He connected on five threes in ten tries.

Poole had 14, and he made three threes. Kevon Looney had nine, Andrew Wiggins eight. Draymond Green had four points and ten assists. The Warriors had great ball movement as they recorded 24 assists on 27 made field goals. They played well on defense as they held the Thunder to 54 points.

As good as they played in the second quarter, the Warriors put fifty points on the board. Curry was on fire. Curry scored 25 points in the period. He connected on six threes. The Warriors led 125-83 after three quarters. Curry did not play in the fourth quarter. In his 29 minutes of playing time, he scored 42 points and made 11 threes. It was the eighth consecutive game that he scored 30 or more points.

Warrior head coach Steve Kerr did not have Curry, Looney, Wiggins, or Green on the court in the fourth quarter. Gary Payton, the second, on a ten-day contract, saw playing time. Payton, the son of Oakland’s own Gary Payton, recorded ten points and made a three.

He excelled on defense with four steals. Juan Toscano-Anderson, Alen Smailagic, Nico Mannion, and Jordan Poole finished up for the Warriors.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 27-28 for the season. They have 17 games left on the schedule. The Warriors have won four of the last five games. OKC is 20-34. The Thunder is 0-8 for April.

The Warriors tied a franchise record with 24 made threes. The 50-point third quarter was the highest-scoring quarter by any team in the NBA this season.

Green had his 28th career double-double. The Warriors are 27-1 in those games. Curry had 42 points, six boards, and eight assists. He was 14-for-20 from the floor and made 11 threes in 16 attempts. The rest of the Warrior starters made significant contributions.

Kent Bazemore, starting in place of the injured Kelly Oubre, kicked in with 15 points. Bazemore made three threes in four tries. Wiggins had 16, Looney nine. Jordan Poole, coming off the bench, finished with 17 points. Poole knocked down three threes from downtown. Payton had ten points, one three, and four steals. 

The Warriors are on their way to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers. The Cavs record is 20-34. The game will start at 5 pm.