Author: rxslugger

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

Suns easily handle Warriors 120-98; W’s different team without Curry in the line up

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The Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul plays keep away from the Golden State Warriors Nico Mannion during the second half on Thu Mar 4, 2021 in Phoenix (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix Thursday night. The Warriors were hoping to rebound from the tough loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night. It was not going to be an easy task as the Suns had won 15 of the last 18 games and own a record of 23-11.

There was another problem that the Warriors had to overcome. The team did not play Kelly Oubre, Jr. Thursday night. He missed the game in Portland and was not ready to go Thursday. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr gave his two veteran stars, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the night off.

The move was controversial as Thursday nights’ game was the last before the All-Star break. The team doesn’t play for a week. Curry is going to Atlanta to play. So, without three starters, the only regular in the starting lineup was Andrew Wiggins.

Damion Lee and Nico Mannion were the starting guard, Juan Toscano-Anderson was the other forward, and James Wiseman replaced Kevon Looney at the center position. Kerr wanted the young players to get more playing time. Phoenix used all their regulars, and they sent the Warriors down to defeat 120-98.

The Warriors played well until late in the first quarter. The Warriors trailed 24-23 when Phoenix went on a 10-nothing run to finish the first 12 minutes leading 34-23. Phoenix continued to punish the Warriors in the early going of the second period.

They outscored the Warriors 10-4 to lead 44-27. The Suns were on their way to a win. From this point until late in the fourth quarter, the Warrior youngsters held their own with the Suns. Jordan Poole, who had gone down to the G-League to get playing time, lit up the court when he entered the game.

Jordan knocked down 13 points and made two threes in 16 minutes of action. The Warriors finished the first half trailing 62-51. Andrew Wiggins helped out with 11 points. Devin Booker led the Suns with ten.

The Suns outscored the Warriors 58-47 in the second half to easily win 120-98. The Warriors had to be pleased with Jordan Poole’s performance. The second-year guard from the University of Michigan had a career-high 26 points. He was ten-for sixteen from the floor, and he knocked down five threes. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 19-18 for the year. Phoenix improved to 24-11.

Andrew Wiggins was second on the team with 16. James Wiseman had 11 points and ten rebounds. He was on the court for 34 minutes. Rookie guard Nico Mannion had nine points as he connected on three threes. Juan Toscano-Anderson had nine. The Warriors shot 43.7% from the floor, and they made 12 threes in 35 tries. The Suns outrebounded them 59-46. The Suns’ defense forced 17 turnovers.

The Suns had seven players in double-figures. Booker had 16, Cameron Payne 17, Abdel Nader, Jae Crowder 14, Dario Saric 13, Deandre Ayton 11, and ten boards. Chris Paul had ten.

James Wiseman and Mychal Mulder were named to the NBA’s Rising Stars team.  Curry will be playing in his seventh All-Star game. He has been a starter every time he has appeared in the NBA Classic. Curry will also compete in the three-point shootout. 

The Warriors resume play next Thursday night in Los Angeles when they face the Clippers. They return home to face the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Lakers crush Warriors 117-91; LeBron leads all scorers with 19

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The final score says it all as Golden State loses to the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Lakers LeBron James top all the games scorer with 19 points on Sun Feb 28, 2021 (@ Warriors image) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Los Angeles Lakers pounded the Warriors 117-91 Sunday night at the Staples Center in LA. The Warriors led for the first 12 seconds of the game. Leading 4-3, the Lakers went on an 11-0 run to go ahead 15-3.

The Laker offense was clicking on all cylinders while their defense stopped the Warrior offense cold. LA continued to put points on the board while the Warrior offense floundered. The Lakers had their highest-scoring first quarter of the year with 41 points. The Warriors scored 21 to trail by 20 after the first 12 minutes. 

The Lakers continued to punish the Warriors in the second quarter. They finished the first half with a season-high 73 points. They increased their lead to 29 points, 73-44. The game was over for all intents and purposes, even with 24 minutes left to play.

To make matters worse, The Warriors start forward, Draymond Green, sprained his ankle and had to leave the game. He did not return, and it is not known how severe the injury is. 

The Warriors could not cut into the deficit in the third quarter. LA led by 30, 99-69 after three periods of play. Both teams pulled their starters, and the reserves finished the game. The Lakers won 117-91.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 19-16 for the year. The Lakers have the second-best record, 24-11, in the Western Conference.

The Warriors had three players in double figures. The Lakers held Stephen Curry to 16 points. Curry made two threes to break the Warrior team record for consecutive games with a three. He shared the record with Klay Thompson with 94.

Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 18 points. Most of his points came in the fourth quarter when the Laker bench players were on the floor. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 14. Andrew Wiggins was held to three points. The Warriors shot 40.7% from the floor.

They made eight threes in 34 tries. They shot 19 free throws and made thirteen. The Lakers had 38 free throws and connected on 26. The Lakers outrebounded the Warriors 70-44. The Lakers stole the ball 14 times. They blocked six Warrior shots and forced 20 Warrior turnovers. 

LeBron James paced the Laker attacked with 19 points in 24 minutes of playing time. Five other Lakers were in double figures. Marjieff Morris had 13, Dennis Schroder 19, Anthony Caruso 13, Taken Horton-Cooper 11, and Kyle Kuzma had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Former Warrior, Damion Jones, signed a ten-day contract with LA, scored eight points. He played well and had the Warriors’ front office wondering why they let him go.

The Warriors have to turn the page and forget Sunday night’s debacle and get ready to face the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night. The game starts at 7 pm.

Warriors sprint past Hornets 130-121; Curry leads all scorers with 29

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The Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, center, is defended by Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry left, Kelly Oubre Jr  (in front of Biyombo), and Adrew Wiggins (behind Biyombo) on Fri Feb 26, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Charlotte Hornets at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday night. The Hornets beat the Warriors last Saturday night 102-100 in Charlotte. Draymond Green helped the Hornets when the referees hit him with a double technical.

The Hornets took advantage of Green’s mistake to steal a win. Green apologized to the team for his error. He played his best game of the year Friday night. He was determined to get the Warriors their first three-game winning streak of the season, and he led the team to a win 130-121.

Green had his first triple-double of the year and the 25th of his career. He knocked down 11 points, snared 12 rebounds, and had a career-high 19 assists. The Warriors are 24-1 when Green has a triple-double. 

The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney, and James Wiseman last Saturday in Charlotte. There was no question that the Warriors were a different team. The Warriors played well on both ends of the court. The offense was clicking as they 38 assists on 48 made field goals. They shot 60.8% from the floor. The Warriors’ only negative was the 23 turnovers that led to 30 Charlotte points.

The Warriors won the first quarter 36-28. Kelly Oubre, Jr. put 15 points on the board. The Warriors had 13 assists on the first 14 buckets. Things did not go well to start the second quarter. The Warriors’ second unit was ice cold.

They put just three points on the board in the first seven minutes of the quarter. With five minutes left, Steph Curry and Draymond Green re-entered the game. Charlotte had gone on a 15-3 run to lead 43-39.

The Warriors stormed back with a 15-2 run to lead 54-45. Oubre and Curry kept scoring, and the Warriors finished the first half ahead 66-51. The Warriors scored 27 points in the last five minutes of the second quarter.

The Warriors continued to play well in the third quarter. They outscored the Hornets 37-33 to finish the quarter leading 103-84. The Warriors had a balanced attack as all five starters and two players off the bench were in double figures.

19 point leads with 12 minutes left in the game are difficult to overcome. The Hornets were hoping their three-point shooters would come through for them and that they could climb back into the game.

The second unit played well in the fourth quarter. Wiggins, Oubre, and Eric Paschall made buckets to keep the Warriors ahead 119-101. Charlotte did not quit. They started raining down threes and cut the deficit to ten 119-109. The Warriors didn’t help themselves as they continued to turn the ball over and give the Hornets life. The Warriors were able to hold on, and they won 130-121.

Game Notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors are 19-15 for the season. Charlotte is 15-17. 

 Curry tied the Warrior team record by making his first three-pointer. It was his 95th consecutive game with a three to tie his teammate Klay Thompson for the record.

Curry finished the night with 26 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. He was two for seven from downtown. Kelly Oubre, Jr. led the Warriors with 27 points. He had six boards, three assists, and connected on three threes. Andrew Wiggins had 17, James Wiseman 16 points in 16 minutes of action, Kevon Looney and Damion Lee ten each. 

It was the Warriors’ 14th game with 30 or more assists. They shot 60.8% from the floor. They made 11 threes. On defense, they stole the ball ten times and blocked three Hornet shots. The defense forced 20 Hornet turnovers. 

The Hornets’ leading scorer was Malik Monk. Monk, coming off the bench, scored 25. He knocked down five three. Terry Rozier, who scored 36 last Saturday against the Warriors, had 24 on Friday night. He made three threes.

Rookie point guard LaMelo Ball had 22 points, seven boards, and six assists. He, too, made three threes. Gordon Hayward had 12, Miles Bridges ten, P.J Washington had a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds. As a team, the Hornets knocked down 17 threes. 

The Warriors meet the Lakers in Los Angeles Sunday night at the Staples Center. The game starts at 5 pm. The team continues on the road to face the Portland Trail Blazers on March 3rd and the Phoenix Suns on March 4th. 

 

Warriors win another close game beat Pacers 111-107; Curry leads Golden State with 24

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The Indiana Pacers Justin Holiday (8) and the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30)  chase down the basketball in the second half of Wed Feb 24, 2021’s NBA contest in Indianapolis (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors gained a measure of revenge Wednesday night as they beat the Indiana Pacers 111-107. The Pacers beat the Warriors 104-95 on January 12th at the Chase Center.

The Warriors finished the road trip with two wins and two losses. They could have won all four, but a couple of fourth-quarter meltdowns in the games against Orlando and Charlotte kept it from happening. The Warriors return home to face the Charlotte Hornets Friday night at the Chase Center. If the Warriors win, it will be their first three-game winning streak of the year.

The teams matched up well. Neither team could pull away. For the Warriors, it was the fourth close game in a row. The Warriors won the first quarter 25-22. Indiana won the second 36-31 to finish the first half leading by two 58-56.

Defense was the name of the game in the second half. The Warriors held the Pacers to 22 points to finish the third quarter with a narrow 84-80 lead. The Pacers tied the game at 91. The Warriors could not extend the lead to more than five points the rest of the way.

The Pacers came within a point 99-98. Stephen Curry and Kelly Oubre each made a basket to put the Warriors ahead 105-98. The Warriors had reached the foul limit early in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers stayed in the game by going to the free-throw line. Indiana made it 107-105. The Pacers fouled Curry and he made both free throws. Draymond Green finished the scoring for the Warriors with two more free throws to make it 111-105. The Pacers made a last ditch attempt trying to score from the field with just seven seconds left. The Dubs win 111-107

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the Warriors are 18-15 for the year. The Pacers are 15-15. It was the Pacers’ first game after missing a week of play due to Covid-19 protocols.

The Warriors had six players in double-figures.  Curry led the Warriors with 24 points. Curry made one three in 11 tries. For Curry, it was the 94th consecutive game with at least one three-pointer.

Curry had eight rebounds and eight assists. Draymond Green barely missed a triple-double. He needed one more rebound. His line was 12 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. He had three steals, and one blocked shot. Andrew Wiggins had 15, Kelly Oubre, Jr., 17,, Eric Paschall 13, and James Wiseman 11. Wiseman fouled out early in the fourth quarter. As a team, The Warriors shot 47% from the floor.

They had a dreadful night shooting threes. They were five for 26 from downtown. They outrebounded the Pacers 50-47. They Made 27 assists on 39 made field goals. The team stole the ball ten times, blocked four Pacer shots, forcing 19 Pacer turnovers. The Warriors cashed in with 18 points off the turnovers.

Domantas Sabonis had a double-double with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Sabonis scored was held to five points in the second half. Chalk that one up for the Warrior defense. Malcolm Brogdon had 24, Doug McDermott 15, Myles Turner 14, T.J. McConnell, and Jeremy Lamb each had nine.

The Warriors face the Charlotte Hornets at the Chase Center Friday night. The Warriors want to get even for the loss to Charlotte last Saturday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Warriors hold onto beat Knicks 114-106; Curry leads Golden State with 37

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) drives around the New York Knicks Nerlens Noel (3) at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tue Feb 23, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Having lost two close games in Orlando and Charlotte, the Warriors survived a woeful fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 114-106. The Warriors stopped a two-game losing streak to improve to 17-15 for the season.

The win avenged a loss they suffered to the Knicks at the Chase Center last month. In that game, the Knicks defense stopped the Warriors’ offense cold. Revenge was sweet but getting to the finish line Tuesday was not easy.

The Warriors had James Wiseman and Kevon Looney back in the lineup Tuesday night. Wiseman missed 11 games with a sprained wrist. Looney missed about three weeks due to an ankle injury. With the two big men in the lineup, the Warriors outscored the Knicks 36-31 in the first quarter.

The Knicks vaunted defense held the Warriors to 19 points in the second period. New York outscored the Warriors 28-19 to finish the first half leading 59-55. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 11. Kent Bazemore, coming off the bench, connected on three threes. Elfrid Payton and Derrick Rose led the Knick attack with 12 points each. Julius Randle, who will be going to the All-Star game in March, had eleven.

The Warriors went on an 8-0 run to start the third quarter to lead 63-39. Curry led the Warriors in the quarter with 15 points. Kelly Oubre, Jr., Andrew Wiggins, and James Wiseman all made vital baskets to keep Golden State in the lead. The Warriors finished the third quarter ahead 94-85. They appeared to be on the road to victory.

As has been his custom, Steve Kerr started his second unit for the game’s final 12 minutes. They had one problem to overcome-the Knicks defense. New York stopped the Warrior offense cold.

Had the Knicks’ offense showed up, the Warriors would have lost their third game in a row. The Warriors put one point on the board in the first four minutes of the quarter. The tally after six minutes and 28 seconds was three points.

New York’s offense was slightly better. They scored seven. The Knicks tied the game at 97.  Curry took over the Warrior offense. He made a three to put the Warriors ahead 100-97. The Warriors never trailed.

New York kept coming back, but the Warriors didn’t falter. They led 105-102 with 1:12 left. Kelly Oubre made two buckets to give Golden State a six-point lead 109-103. The Knicks fouled Curry and had a technical foul called on them. Steph made all three free throws. The Knicks knocked down a three. Curry made two more free throws to ice the win 114-106.

Game Notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors are 17-15 for the season. The Knicks are 15-17.

The Warriors’ Draymond Green apologized to the team for his actions that cost the Warriors a win in Charlotte. Green played well Tuesday night. His line was seven points, nine rebounds, and twelve assists.

He kept his temper under control, and that helped the Warriors to victory.  Curry scored 37 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists. Curry was nine for 22 from the floor. He was seven-for 14 from downtown.

Kelly Oubre had 19 points and eight rebounds. Andrews Wiggins finished with 16 points and five boards. James Wiseman tallied 14. Kent Bazemore had 9. Eric Paschall 8. The Warriors shot 45% from the floor.

They connected on 13 threes. The Warriors beat the Knicks’defense by recording 30 assists and 40 made field goals. The Warriors defense had nine steals, eight blocked shots, and they forced 13 Knick turnovers. The Warriors scored 13 points off the Knick turnovers. The Knicks outrebounded the Warriors 67-47.

Julius Randle paced the Knicks with 25 points and ten rebounds. Elfrid Payton had 20, Derrick Rose, 16. Taj Gibson, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel each had eight.

Fans were allowed back into Madison Square Garden for the game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said there was a different vibe in the games the Warriors had played in front of fans.

“Even just having a couple thousand fans makes a difference,” he said. “It just feels more normal, more real. The crowd noise actually shows up at the exact right time and not canned laughter like in a sitcom.

The Warriors play the Indiana Pacers Wednesday. The game will start at 4:30 pm.

Green’s blowup allows Hornets to steal a 102-100 win from Warriors

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Photo credit: @SportingGreenSF

By Jerry Feitelberg

Hoping to get back in the win column against the host Charlotte Hornets, the Golden State Warriors saw the chance for a win go down the drain when Draymond Green could not control himself late in the game.

The Warriors led by two, 100-98, with 9.3 seconds left in the game. The Hornets forced a jump ball when they tied up Brad Wanamaker trying to make a drive to the hoop. The taller Hornets had the advantage as the ball went to Gordon Hayward. Green tied up Hayward and was expecting a whistle for another jump ball.

The referees blew the whistle. Not for the jump ball, but for a timeout called by Hornets coach James Borrego. Green went ballistic. The Warriors’ players and coaching staff tried to get him to stop yelling. He didn’t listen. He was whistled for two technical fouls, and also had to leave the game.

The Hornets’ Terry Rozier made both free throws to tie the game, and the Hornets had control of the ball. Rozier hit a jumper from the left corner just as the buzzer sounded to send the Warriors down to defeat, 102-100, at the Spectrum Center.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, “Draymond can’t do that.” Green plays with a ton of passion, and he has a fierce desire to win. He cannot let his temper get the better of him, especially in a close game. 

The Warriors did not have the superstar Steph Curry in the lineup Saturday night. Curry did not feel well during warmups before the game. He was helped off the court. He tested negative for Covid-19.

Mychal Mulder started in place of Curry at guard for the Warriors. The Hornets won the first quarter, 24-15. The Warriors, as they have done a few times this season, started slowly. They picked up the second quarter’s pace as they outscored the Hornets 32-21 to finish the low-scoring first half leading 47-45.

Neither team played well in the third quarter. The Hornets were able to tie the Warriors at the end of the period 69-69. It would be a nail-biter the rest of the way. The Warriors led 100-95 with 53 seconds left. Rozier knocked down a three to make it 100-98. The Hornets, as described above, scored the last four points of the game to win 102-100.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 16-15 for the year. The Hornets improved to 14-15.

Kelly Oubre, Jr. led the Warriors’ attack. Oubre, who has improved his overall game in the last few weeks, had 25 points, six rebounds, was 9-for-19 from the floor, and connected on four threes. Andrew Wiggins had 19, Eric Paschall had 16, while Damion Lee and Brad Wanamaker each had 14. 

Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 35 points, and 20 came in the fourth quarter. Rozier was 8-for-11 from three-point range. P.J. Washington had 15, Gordon Hayward had 13, and Miles Bridges added 10. LaMelo Ball had seven points and seven assists.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to New York City, aka the Big Apple, to face the Knicks Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Warriors will be trying to avenge New York’s loss on January 21st at the Chase Center. The game will be starting at 4:30 pm PT.

Warriors can’t hold off late Magic surge lose 124-120

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The Orlando Magic’s center Nikola Vucevic (right) is fouled by the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry on Fri Feb 19, 2021 in Orlando (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started the four-game road trip on a sour note Friday night as they lost to the Orlando Magic 124-120.

The Warriors, who have had six comeback wins after trailing by more than ten points, followed that script in the first half of the game. The Warriors were hoping to have their first three-game winning streak, too.

The Magic had other thoughts. When the Magic played the Warriors in San Francisco on February 11th, they were without Evan Fournier, Al-Farouq-Aminu, and Mo Bamba. All three players were in the Magic lineup Friday night.

The Warriors’ Draymond Green, who missed Wednesday night’s game, was ready to play Friday night. The Warriors’ formula for winning was making threes and playing team defense. They again had no player over six feet seven inches tall.

They knew they had to find a way to shut down the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic, for the season, averages 24 points and almost 12 rebounds a game. He is also a very dangerous three-point shooter.

In the first quarter, the Warriors fell behind by fifteen 30-15. The Warriors responded by going on a late 16-2 run to trail by one-point 32-31. The Magic regrouped to finish the quarter leading 37-34.

The Warriors stayed close to the Magic for most of the second period. The Warriors stayed close. They never took the lead in the period. Steph Curry made a three to trail 55-51. The Magic went on a 9-0 run to finish the first half leading 64-51.

The Magic’s big three scorers were Vucevic with 9, Fornier 22, and Terrence Ross 11. The Warriors scoring leaders were Curry with 11 and Kelly Oubre Jr. with 12. The Magic’s height advantage showed as they had 12-second chance points and 12 fast breakpoints. The Warriors had zero in each of those categories.

Things did no go well for Golden State at the start of the third quarter. Orlando increased the lead by 17, 71-54. At this point, Curry, Oubre, and Andrew Wiggins went on a 12-0 run to make it 71-66. Those three players continued the Warrior surge.

The Warriors grabbed the lead for the first time when Curry made a two-point shot to give the Warriors the lead 91-90. The Magic regained the lead 93-91. Draymond Green connected on his second three of the game to give the Warriors the lead 94-93 at the end of three-quarters of action.

The Warriors had momentum going their way to start the final quarter. The Warriors went on a 12-0 run to lead by thirteen 106-93. The Magic had yet to insert Vucevic and Fournier back into the game.

Those two, along with Terrence Ross, kept making baskets to chip away at the Warrior lead. The Magic trailed by one 112-111 with 3:24 left. The Magic pulled ahead 116-114. Terrence Ross knocked down a three to put them ahead 119-114.

The Magic made another bucket to finish a 15-2 run to lead 121-114. Curry made two threes to close within one 121-120 with 19 seconds left in the game. The Magic scored the last three points of the night to win 124-120.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 16-14 for the year. The Magic improved to 12-18. With Evan Fournier in the Magic lineup, the team owns a 9-7 record. Without him, they are 3-11.

The Warriors had their highest-scoring quarter of the year when they put 43 points on the board. Curry had a double-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Curry was 11-for-19 from the floor and made six threes in 16 tries.

Kelly Oubre had 26 points and seven rebounds. Kelly was 10-for-18 from the floor and made three threes. Andrew Wiggins had 16. Danion Lee and Mychal Mulder were the other Warrior players with double-figures. Each scored ten points. The Dubs shot 47.4% from the floor, and they knocked down 19 threes. They had 37 assists on 46 made baskets. 

Nikola Vucevic led the Magic offense with a triple-double. The big man from Serbia had 30 points, 16 boards, and ten assists. He made two threes. Evan Fournier had quite a game. He tallied 28 points, and he connected on five threes.

Terrence Ross, who scored 31 against the s onWarriors the 11th, finished the night with 24 points and four threes. The only other Orlando player in double-figures was Chuma Okeke with 11.

The Orlando defense outrebounded the Warriors 56-52. They recorded seven steals and blocked eight Warrior shots. 

The Warriors travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face the Hornets Saturday night. The game will start at 4 pm.

Warriors come back from 19-point deficit beat Heat in overtime 120-112

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (left) in the second half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Feb 17, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors found a way to come back from a 19point deficit to beat the visiting Miami Heat in overtime 120-112. The Warriors’ Draymond Green did not play as he had soreness in his right ankle. Draymond had recorded 86 assists in his last seven games.

He was the only center to accomplish that feat in 51 years. The Warriors used Juan Toscano-Anderson and Eric Paschall at center. Neither player is taller than six feet six inches in height.

The Heat had the height advantage with Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk. The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knew that his team’s only chance of winning was making three-pointers. It was another fantastic finish for the Warriors. The came back to beat the LA Clippers and the LA Lakers earlier this year. This was another thriller.

Things did not go well for the Warriors for the first three-quarters of the game. The Warriors tied the game at six in the first period. The Heat went on a 14-2 run in the first quarter to lead 33-19. The Heat finished the quarter leading 36-24. The Heat double-teamed Steph Curry all night long. In the first 12 minutes of play, Curry made one three in nine tries.

The Heat won the second quarter 25-22 to finish the first half with a 15-point advantage. Curry had seven points in the half. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 11. Andrew Wiggins and Kent Bazemore each had ten.

Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn were the scoring leaders for Miami. The Heat shot 56% from the floor and connected on eight three. The Warriors shot 41% from the floor and were six for 24 from three-point range. The Heat led 61-46.

The Warriors regrouped and played better in the third quarter. Warriors continued to fail the make threes. He was one for six in the quarter. However, the Warriors started the period with a 13-3 run to close the deficit to five 64-59.

Miami’s two bigs, Abedayo and Olynyk, made a couple of buckets to put Miami ahead 71-62. Miami increased the lead to 13, 79-66. The Warriors continued to play hard. They refused to quit. Bazemore and Oubre each made a three to get the Warriors a little closer. They trailed the Heat by ten 86-76 at the end of the third quarter.

Former Warrior Andre Iguodala started the Heat on the right foot to start the fourth period. Andre knocked down a three to make it 89-76. They went up by 15, 96-81. The Warriors refused to wilt. Brad Wanamaker made a three.

Oubre, Wiggins, and Eric Paschall all made buckets to make it a three-point game 99-96 with 3:37 left to play. Miami made it 103-98 until Curry connected on a three to cut the deficit to two 103-101 with 2:16 left. Miami’s Bam Adebayo made it 105-101. Kent Bazemore made two buckets to tie the game at 105. The Warriors had gone on a 20-6 run to tie the game.

In overtime, Miami scored first to lead 107-15. The Heat would never lead again. Bazemore tied the game at 107. The Warriors went ahead 109-107. Miami made a bucket to tie. Curry, who had been hounded and double-teamed all night, made a three to put the Warriors ahead 112-109.

Wiggins hit a corner three to put Golden State in the driver’s seat 115-109. with 40 seconds left. Miami’s Duncan Robinson made a three to close the gap to 115-112. Curry’s three was the shot that ended Miami’s hope for a win.

The Warriors led 118-112 with 15.9 seconds to play. The Heat turned the ball over. They fouled Warriors, and he made both free throws to ice the win. The Warriors win 120-112.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 16-13 for the year. The Warriors had just 15 wins last year. Miami is now 11-17. 

Warriors highlights:  Curry had 18 points in the second half to finish with 25. He made five threes in 20 tries. He made two threes in the five-minute overtime to secure the win. Four other Warrior players were in double figures.

Kent Bazemore led the Warriors with 26 points. He was 10-for-19 from the floor, and he made four threes. Kelly Oubre, Jr had 23 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. He, too, made four threes.

Andrew Wiggins had a big night with 23 points and eight rebounds. He added four threes. Eric Paschall finished with 11. The Warriors, as a team, shot 45.3% from the floor. They were 18-for-52 from three-point range. The Heat outrebounded the Dubs 56-55. The smaller Warriors worked hard in the second half to outrebound them 35-30.

Miami totals-The Heat had seven players in double-figures. Bam Adebayo had 24, Kendrick Nunn 19, Duncan Robinson 13, Tyler Herro 11, Andre Iguodala 10. Jim Butler had a triple-double. He had 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.

The Warriors on a four-game road trip starting Thursday night in Orlando. The game will start at 4 pm.

Warriors bounce back rout Cavaliers 129-98; Curry makes it look easy top scorer with 36

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) goes for a lay up against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Feb 15, 2021 (AP News photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors bounced back from a beating by the Brooklyn Nets last Saturday night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-88 Monday night at the Chase Center.

The Cavaliers had lost seven in a row and were hoping to snap the streak against the Warriors. The Cavs’ star center Andre Drummond was held out of the game as rumors are swirling that the Cavs are ready to make a trade. Their star forward Kevin Love was not available due to a calf injury. The Warriors were still without the services of James Wiseman and Kevon Looney. 

With Wiseman and Looney out, the Warriors had to find a way to handle the Cavaliers two big seven-foot centers, Jarrett Allen and former Warrior JaVale McGee. The Warriors and the Cavs played a very entertaining 24 minutes of basketball.

The teams were tied at 32 after the first quarter. Steph Curry paced the Warrior attack with 16. The Cavaliers young backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton led the Cleveland offense. The Cavs did not take a lot of three-point shots.

They preferred to attack the rim using the big men to put the ball through the hoop. The Warriors fell behind 46-41. The Warriors got the offense going to go on a 23-8 run to finish the first half to lead by ten 64-54.

Curry led the offense with 24 points. Draymond Green recorded nine assists as he kept getting the ball to an open Warrior for the score. The Warriors needed the skills of Curry and Green as the Cavaliers outrebounded them 31-19. 

The Warriors won the third quarter 37-30. Curry continued to shine as he scored twelve points in the period to pace the Dubs to a 101-84 lead after three quarters.  Green continued to make assists.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did not use Curry or Green in the fourth quarter. The Warriors second unit played well on both ends of the court as they held the Cavaliers to 14 points while they were able to put 28 on the board. The Warriors win.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 15-13 for the season. Cleveland is now 10-19.

Warrior highlights: Steph Curry has now scored 27 or more points in ten straight games. The Warriors recorded 30 or more assists for the tenth time this year. Draymond Green tied his career-high with 16 assists. 

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Curry led the parade with 36. Andrew Wiggins had 15, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Paschall 14, Juan Toscano-Anderson 13, and Mychal Mulder 12. 

As a team, the Warriors shot 52.3% from the floor. They made 17 threes in 37 tries. Curry was 13 for 19 from the floor, and he knocked down seven three pointers in eleven attempts. Mulder made four threes. The Warriors, as a team, recorded 33 assists on offense. On defense, they had nine steals, ten blocked shots and forced 17 Cleveland turnovers. 

The Cavaliers had four starters in double figures. Two of them, Cedi Osman and Jarrett Allen, finished with a double-double. Osman had 17 points and ten Rebounds. Allen’s line was 13 points and 14 boards.

Darius Garland had 16 points. Collin Sexto, the Cavaliers young star, led the team with 23. Damyean Dotson had ten, and JaVale McGee seven.

The Warriors held the Cavs to 38.9% from the floor and 26.7% from three-point range. 

The Warriors host the Miami Heat Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will tip off at 7 pm.

Nets rout the Warriors 134-117

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors welcomed the Brooklyn Nets to the Chase Center Saturday night. Former Warrior Kevin Durant visited the Bay Area for the first time since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. His former teammates gave him a lovely welcome as they appreciated his efforts as a Warriors member. Durant won two titles and probably would have won a third had he not been injured in the series against Toronto. The Warriors had a nice tribute for Durant before the game.

“Tribute video was cool. I think about those moments daily,” Durant said. “Every single moment that I have had in this league, I think about it and try to analyze it and get better. My time here in Golden State was so much fun. It was such a big learning experience, especially learning basketball in a different philosophy. I’m gonna take that with me for the rest of my life.”

The Nets, in addition to superstars Kyrie Irving and Durant, traded for another outstanding player, James Harden. The Nets, if they stay healthy, should be in contention to make the NBA Finals this season.

The plucky Warriors, winner of two straight games, were still missing two key players. James Wiseman and Kevon Looney were not available Saturday night. The Warriors had to go with a small lineup. They needed to find a way to defend the three Brooklyn superstars and then make shots from downtown. It was too much to hope for as the Nets routed the Warriors 134-117.

The Warriors could not handle Brooklyn’s attack in the first half. The Nets won both quarters and finished the first half leading by 15 points, 66-51. The Warriors attempted 20 three-pointers, but only four went for a bucket.

Brooklyn won the third quarter 42-31 to put the Warriors back on their heels. The Warriors outscored the Nets in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 14-13 for the season. The Nets improved to 16-12.

Steph led the Warriors with 27 points. He was 10 for 17 from the floor, and he connected on two threes in nine tries. Draymond Green injured his knee in the first half, but was able to return later. The Warriors had four other players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre, Jr. each had 17. Eric Paschall had 16, and Kent Bazemore had 11. The team shot 48.9% from the floor. That would usually be good enough to win. However, the Nets shot 53.8% from the floor and made 16 threes. The Warriors were 9 for 34 from behind the three-point arc.

The Nets had six players in double figures. Kyrie Irving led with 23, Kevin Durant had 20, James Harden had 19, Bruce Brown had 18, Joe Harris had 15, and Jeff Green had 14.

The Nets outrebounded the Warriors 51-45. Brooklyn recorded 35 assists on 50 made baskets. James Harden had 16.

Up Next: The Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PT.