Author: rxslugger

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

Warriors’ late rally downs the Magic 111-105

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors returned home to face the Orlando Magic on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors were still without the services of James Wiseman and Kevon Looney. The Magic, coached by Steve Clifford, had also been hit hard by the injury jinx. Star forward Aaron Gordon suffered a high-grade ankle sprain on February 1st against the Toronto Raptors. He will be out for four to six weeks. Evan Fournier, who averages 17 points a game, was not available. Markell Fultz, averaging 14 points a game, did not dress for Thursday’s game. 

The Warriors knew that they could not take the Magic lightly. While the Warriors fans might not be familiar with the Magic roster, they came to play. It appeared the Warriors were going to breeze to an easy win. They won the first quarter 29-19. Steph Curry dazzled the Magic as he connected on four threes. The Warriors attempted 18 threes, the most attempts in one quarter in franchise history.

The Magic players had other thoughts. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his second unit to start the second quarter. The Magic went on an 18-6 run to take the lead 37-35. They held the Warriors scoreless for over four minutes. The Magic defense held the Warriors to two baskets in 12 tries. Curry returned with about six minutes left in the first half. Curry kept the Dubs close as he connected on two threes to make it a one-point deficit 48-47. The Magic responded by scoring the last seven points of the period to lead 55-47. They thoroughly outplayed the Dubs as the Magic outscored them 36-18 to erase the Warriors’ 10-point advantage and finish with an eight-point lead.

Steve Kerr knew that the Warriors had to get off to a good start in the third quarter. They could not continue to play the way they did in the second period. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre knocked down a three. Steph added another three and a two-point bucket to take the Warriors on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 58. It was nip and tuck the rest of the way in the third quarter. The Magic, behind Nikola Vucevic, James Ennis, and Terrence Ross, kept Orlando either in the lead or just a couple of points behind the Warriors. Curry paced the Warriors with 15 points in the third period. Draymond Green made a couple of crucial buckets to keep the Warriors in the game. With the game tied at 80, Steph made a deep two, and Draymond came through with a bucket to put the Warriors ahead 84-80 at the end of the third quarter. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With the second unit on the floor, the Magic went on an 11-0 run to lead 91-86. Kerr inserted Curry and Green back into the game with slightly more than eight minutes left to play. The Warriors shut down the Magic offense for four minutes and 26 seconds. The Warriors went on a 16-0 run to lead 102-91. Curry made two threes, and Andrew Wiggins and Juan Toscano-Anderson helped out with buckets. The Warriors increased the lead to thirteen 107-94 with 1:56 left. The Magic would not go away. They continued to fight. The Magic got closer 109-105, but Curry put the game out of reach with two free throws. The Warriors won 111-105.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 14-12 for the season. The Magic’s record is 9-17.

Warrior highlights: Steph Curry tallied 40 points. He made 10 threes in 19 tries. He was 14-for-26 from the floor. He had eight rebounds and five assists. Draymond Green finished the night with eight points, six rebounds, and 11 assists. It was the fourth straight game that Green recorded 10 or more assists. Andrew Wiggins had another outstanding game. Wiggins had 21 points, seven boards, three assists, and he made two threes. Kelly Oubre, Jr. played well on both ends of the court. Oubre had a double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. He connected on three threes. Mychal Mulder, coming off the bench, made three threes to finish with 11. The rest of the Warrior bench scored just five points.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46.6% from the floor and made 20 threes in 50 tries. 

The Magic’s leading scorer was Nikola Vucevic with 25 points. The big man from Serbia pulled down 13 boards, had five assists, and made three threes. Dwayne Bacon had 20, James Ennis had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Terrence Ross, coming off the bench, kicked in with 20 for Orlando.

Up Next: The Warriors welcome the Brooklyn Nets to the Chase Center Saturday night. Former Warrior Kevin Durant will face his former mates for the first time at the Chase Center. Durant and the Nets beat the Warriors in the first game of the 2020-2021 season in Brooklyn. The Warriors will be looking to even the score. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Warriors bounce back beat Spurs 114-91; Curry top scorer with 32 points

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) drives for a score past the San Antonio Spurs Keldon Johnson (left) and Rudy Gay (right). Curry led the Warriors in scoring with 32 on Tue Feb 9, 2021 in San Antonio (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Just one day after losing a tough one to the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors got their act together to beat the Spurs 114-91.

The Warriors finished the road trip with a 2-2 record. They also snapped a two-game losing streak. The Warriors fell behind early in the first quarter. San Antonio led 19-13 as the Spurs defense was working.

Steph Curry kept the Warriors close with a couple of two-point buckets. Damion Lee drained a three to give the Warriors the lead 26-24. The Spurs came back to tie the game at 26. Curry put the Warriors ahead again to finish the quarter leading 28-26. Curry had 12 points to pace the Warriors.

The Spurs won the second quarter 24-22, and the first half ended with the teams tied at 50. Curry and Damion Lee led the Warrior attack with 16 and 11 points, respectively. DeMar DeRozan had ten for the Spurs.

The Warriors were playing well on defense. They held the Spurs to 38.4% from the floor. The Spurs were 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. The Warriors were nine-for-15 from the charity stripe.

The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wanted his team to get the offense percolating early in the third quarter. The Warriors complied. They went on a 26-8 run to go ahead 76-58. They had the Spurs on their heels. They led by 20, 83-63.

The Spurs defense kept the Warriors off the board for the last two minutes and 15 seconds of the quarter. The Spurs trailed 86-70 with 12 minutes left in the game.

Kerr had the Warriors second unit on the floor to start the fourth quarter. Kerr was hoping he could keep Curry and Draymond Green on the bench until there were less than five minutes in the game. The second unit came through. Wiggins and Oubre were excellent on the defensive end of the court. The Spurs could not catch up. The Warriors won the second half 64-41 to win by 23 points 114-91.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors, with the win, are 13-12 for the year. The Spurs are 14-11. 

 Curry paced the Warriors with 32 points. Curry was 11-for 20 from the floor, and he was four-for-10 from downtown. The Warriors had five other players in double figures. Eric Paschall had 15, Andrew Wiggins, 14, Juan Toscano-Anderson, who had two points Monday night, knocked down 11, and pulled down eight rebounds. Kelly Oubre, Jr. finished the night with a double-double.

Oubre had 12 points and ten boards. Damion Lee had 11, and Kent Bazemore added ten. The Warriors shot 46.2% from the floor and were 17-for-40 from three-point range. The Warriors outrebounded the Spurs 58-53. The Warriors defense had eight steals, four blocks, and forced 14 turnovers. 

The Warriors committed 20 turnovers Monday night. They made coach Kerr very happy as they turned the ball over only ten times Tuesday night. 

Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 17 points. Trey Lyles had 15, Patty Mills and Keldon Johnson each had 13, and DeMar DeRozan finished with 12. The Warriors held the Spurs to 37.7% from the floor. 

The Warriors return home to face the Orlando Magic Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Mavericks outlast Warriors win 134-132; Doncic has big night 42 points for Mavs

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The Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic (77) goes for the score past Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) in the first half action on Sat Feb 6, 2021 in Dallas (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Dallas Mavericks rebounded from their worst loss of the season Thursday night to beat the Golden State Warriors 134-132 Saturday night. The teams played another highly entertaining game as they raced up and down the court.

The Mavericks Luka Doncic tied a career-high with 42 points. The Warriors Steph Curry continued to shine as he knocked down 11 threes on his way to 57 points for the night. It was the eighth time in his storied NBA career that he scored more than 50 points in a game.

The Warriors scored more than 30 points in each of the four quarters. The Mavs also scored more than 30 in the first three quarters. The Warriors held them to 28 in the fourth.

Dallas got off to a blazing start in the first quarter. They raced out to an early 18-2 lead. The Warriors were unfazed. They fought back and were able to finish the first quarter trailing 35-31.

The Mavericks continued to put points on the board in the second quarter. They won the quarter 37-33 to finish the first half leading 72-64. Luka Doncic paced the Dallas offense, while Curry was the scoring leader for Golden State.

The Warriors won the third quarter by three points to trail by five 106-101. The Warriors tied the game at 88 when Juan Toscano-Anderson made a dunk. The Warriors regained the lead 101-100. Tim Hardaway, Jr. scored the last six points of the quarter. He was fouled making a three-pointer. He sank all three free throws. He then connected on a three to give Dallas the lead 106-101.

The Mavericks continued to maintain the lead. They increased the advantage to ten 118-108. The Warriors refused to give up. They chipped away at the Mavericks lead. They came to within a point when Curry drained a three to make it 131-130 with 28 seconds left. The Mavericks Maxi Kleber connected on a three with 5.6 seconds remaining to ice the win for Dallas. Curry made a bucket, but they could not overcome the four-point lead. Dallas wins 134-132.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors record is now 12-11 for the year. Dallas improved to 10-14.

Last Thursday, the Warriors had seven players in double-figures. Saturday night was a different story as only four players were able to score double-digits. Curry led the team with 57 points, two rebounds, and five assists.

He was 19 for 31 from the floor, and he connected on eleven threes in 19 tries. Andrew Wiggins continued his excellent play on both ends of the court. Wiggins finished the night with 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Kelly Oubre, Jr., who had a career-high 40 points last Thursday, returned to earth as he recorded 14 points, five rebounds, and one assist.

Kelly was five for 16 from the floor, and he knocked down two threes. Draymond Green was outstanding as a playmaker and a force on defense. Green recorded 15 assists for the second game in a row.

He pulled down six boards, had six steals, and blocked four shots. He scored 11 points Thursday night. It was a different story Saturday night. He took just three shots, good for two points.

He also turned the ball over seven times. Juan Toscano-Anderson had a tough night on offense, too. The young man from East Oakland scored sixteen and fourteen points in the last two games. He did pull down ten rebounds but took just one shot, which tied the game at 88.

Kent Bazemore, coming off the bench, had his best game as a Warrior. He was seven for 11 from the floor and connected on two threes. He finished the night with 20 points. 

Luka Doncic led Dallas with 42 points. The other four Maverick starters all finished in double figures. Maxi Kleber had 16, Kristaps Porzingis 18, Dorian Finney-Smith 10, Josh Richardson 17. Mavericks reserves Timmy Hardaway, Jr had 11, and Dwight Powell 8.

The Warriors meet the San Antonio Spurs Monday and Tuesday nights in San Antonio. Tip off for both games at 5:30 pm.

Warriors romp in win over Mavericks 147-116; Oubre Jr is lights out with 40 pts

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The Golden State Warriors Kelly Oubre Jr connects a three point shot against the Dallas Mavericks on Thu Feb 4, 2021 in Dallas (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg 

The Golden State Warriors opened a four-game road trip in Dallas Thursday night. The Warriors had nine players available after the team announced that Eric Paschall could not play due to his knee injury. The Warriors did not have a player taller than six-foot-seven inches.

The Maverick’s lineup featured Kristaps Porzingis at seven-feet-three inches tall, two players at 6-10, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell. Luka Doncic was taller than any Warrior on the floor.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out how his team could compete with the bigger Maverick team. He inserted Juan Toscano-Anderson at the center position. He knew his team would have to find a way to outrun the Mavericks and find a way to win. The Warriors, all nine of them, played the game as planned. They outran, outhustled, outshot, and blew away the bigger Mavericks to win 147-116.

It was a fast and furious first half of basketball. Steph Curry and Kelly Oubre paced the Warrior attack in the first quarter. Curry had 13, and Kelly eight. The team connected on six threes to lead 36-34.

The Mavericks won the second quarter 42-38 to finish the first half with a narrow two-point lead 76-74.  Oubre led the Warriors with 22 points. It was the most points ever scored by Oubre in any half of basketball in his career. Curry was second with 20.

The Warriors connected on eleven three in 25 tries. The Mavericks Luka Doncic recorded 23 points and connected on three threes. Porzingis had eight, Tim Hardaway, Jr, had 14 points and knocked down four threes. Jalen Brunson, coming off the bench, had 17 points, and he, too, had three threes.

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors. They ran the court, found the open man, and made shots. Oubre continued to excel on both ends of the court.  Curry worked his magic to put points on the board.

The Mavericks kept pace with the Warriors as they trailed 95-93. The Warriors put together a 15-2 run near the end of the quarter to lead 110-95. The Warriors outscored Dallas 36-20 to finish the quarter leading by fourteen 110-96.

The Warriors, as usual, started the fourth quarter with Curry and Draymond Green on the bench. The second unit, led by Oubre and Andrew Wiggins, continued the Warrior onslaught. Backup guards Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder knocked down several threes. They outscored the Mavs 37-20 to win 147-116.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 12-10 for the year. The Mavs are 1-7 in their last eight games and are 9-14 for the year. 

Oubre had his best game of the year as a Warrior. He finished with a career-high 40 points. Oubre had eight rebounds, two assists and was 14 for 21 from the floor. He connected on seven threes in ten tries.

The Warriors had seven of the nine available players in double-figures. Curry finished the night with 28 points, three rebounds, six assists, and he made four threes. Andrew Wiggins had 18. Juan Toscano-Anderson tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists to go along with two threes.

 Green had his best game of the year. Green also had a double-double. He knocked down eleven points, had six boards and fifteen assists. Damion Lee made four three to finish with 17. Mychal Mulder connected on two three and ended the night with 12.

The Warriors shot 57.3% from the floor. They made 22 threes in 43 tries. They outrebounded the bigger Mavs 54-45, and they recorded 37 assists on 51 buckets. They ran the court, made threes, and played well on defense as they held the Mavericks to 40 points in the second half. 

Luka Doncis led the Mavs with 27 points. The Warriors held him to four points in the second half. Porzingis finished with 25. The big Russian made five threes. Tim Hardaway, Jr had 19, and Jalen Brunson knocked down 18.

The Warriors will play the Mavericks again Saturday night at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. Game tip will start at 5:30 pm.

Celtics hold on to down Warriors 111-107; Tatum leads Celts with 27

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The Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (left) goes for the layup to the surprised look of the Golden State Warriors guard Kelly Oubre Jr (12) on Tue Feb 2, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors tipped off against the Boston Celtics Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors knew that getting a win against Boston was not going to be easy. Rookie James Wiseman injured his left wrist in the game against Detroit Saturday night and is expected to be out ten days.

Things got worse for the Warriors when Kevon Looney left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. The Warriors had to play small ball. Eric Paschall and Juan Toscano-Anderson had the task of finding ways to slow down the bigger Celtic team.

The Warriors scrapped and clawed to stay close to Boston. They led 93-91 in the fourth quarter until the Celtics went on a 15-3 run to lead by ten 106-96. The Warriors, as hard as they tried, could not catch the Celtics. Boston won the game 111-107.

The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter. Steph Curry led the way with 17 points. The Warriors won the quarter 35-24. 

The Celtics bounced back early in the second quarter against the Warriors second unit. They went on a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to one 38-37. Kelly Oubre, Jr. made a bucket to put the Warriors ahead 40-37. The Celtics went ahead 41-40. Neither team could pull away, and they finished the first half tied 52-52. Curry knocked down 22, and Oubre had 11. Jayson Tatum with 14 and Kemba Walker 12 led the Boston attack. 

The teams continued to battle it out in the third quarter. With Kevon Looney out, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted Juan Toscano-Anderson into the lineup. The young man from East Oakland responded with his best game of the year.

Toscano-Anderson knocked down three threes and finished the night with 16 points. The Celtics increased the lead to eight 74-66. Kent Bazemore hit a three, and Toscano-Anderson made a three-point play to make it a two-point game 74-72. Curry connected on a three to tie the game at 83. The Celtics finished the third quarter leading 86-85. Both teams knew that they had a chance to win the game.

As mentioned above, with the Warriors leading 93-91, Boston went on a 15-3 run to lead by 106-96. Curry and Andrew Wiggins did all they could to get the win, but they ran out of time. The Celtics won 111-107.

Game Notes and stats: With the loss, The Warriors are 11-10 for the year. Boston is 11-8.

Curry led the Warriors with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. He was 12-21 from the floor, and he made seven threes in 15 tries. Wiggins had 15, Oubre, 12, Toscano-Anderson, 16, Kent Bazemore, 10. The Warriors shot 45.8% from the floor and made 15 threes in 38 tries. With the big men out of the game, the Celtics had the edge in rebounding. They pulled down 62 boards. The Warriors had 42. 

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27. Kemba Walker had 19, Jaylen Brown 18 points and ten rebounds. Grant Williams had 15, and Tristan Thompson 13. 

The Warriors play their next four games in Texas. They play the Dallas Mavericks on February 4th at 4:30 pm and again on February 6th at 5:30 pm. They meet The San Antonio Spurs on February 8th and 9th. 

Warriors bounce back to rout the Pistons 118-91

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Behind Steph Curry’s hot shooting, the Golden State Warriors routed the Detroit Pistons 118-91 at the Chase Center Saturday night. The Warriors, smarting from a dismal performance Thursday night in Phoenix, found their motion game as they had little trouble handing the Pistons a defeat. 

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court. Kelly Oubre, Jr., had one of his better games as a Warrior. Oubre knocked down 18 points, six rebounds, and made two threes. Andrew Wiggins continued to show that he fits in well with the Warriors. Wiggins has been a model of consistency for the Warriors this year. Andrew finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and connected on three threes in six tries. Steph Curry was the spark that led the Warriors to a win. Curry showed the Pistons and the NBA his greatness. Curry had quite a night with 28 points, five boards, and seven assists. He was 8 for 14 from the floor, and he made six threes in eight attempts.

The Warriors won all four quarters of the game. They won the first quarter 29-17. They finished the first half with a 19-point advantage 64-45. The Warriors continued to pour it on in the third quarter to lead 94-68. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr kept Curry on the bench for the final 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors won 118-91.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 11-9 for the year. They have won three of the last four games. The Pistons fell to 5-15.

Rookie James Wiseman just missed a double-double. Wiseman, coming off the bench, kicked in with 11 points and nine rebounds. In 20 minutes on the court, Jordan Poole tallied 20 points and was 3 for 6 from behind the three-point arc. Poole and rookie guard are heading to the Orlando bubble to play for the Warriors’ G-League team Santa Cruz. Both young men need more playing time to keep their skills sharp.

The Warriors shot 52.2% from the floor. They made 17 threes in 36 tries. As mentioned above, they moved the ball well as they recorded 34 assists. They also outrebounded the Pistons 53-49.

The Warriors’ next seven games are not going to be easy. They meet the Boston Celtics at the Chase Center Tuesday night. They travel to Texas for two with the Dallas Mavericks, and two with the San Antonio Spurs. They return home to face the improved Orlando Magic team, the Brooklyn Nets, with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. 

Up Next: The Warriors’ game with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night will start at 7 pm PT.

A’s PA announcer Dick Callahan will be missed we were lucky to work with him

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Dick Callahan who was the Oakland A’s and formerly the Golden State Warriors PA announcer passed away on Fri Jan 29, 2021. Dick also owned his own Insurance company. (file photo from sfgate.com)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s announced via Twitter the news that beloved Public Address announcer, Dick Callahan, had passed away. Dick was 80 years old.

Dick was a special guy. He was a kind, pleasant man. He was always enjoyable to everyone around him. I usually saw him every when I was at the Coliseum to report on the A’s games. On occasion, I was fortunate, along with the A’s Spanish language broadcaster, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, to have dinner with Dick in the Media Lounge. He always was cheerful, and he had the famous Irish twinkle in his eye.

Dick went to Scranton Prep High in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He came to California and made his home in the East Bay. Dick had a successful insurance business, too. He was a graduate of St. Mary’s University and started his public address career with the Gaels in 1975.

He later became the public address announcer for the Golden State Warriors. People remember Dick for his signature “shooting-two” when a Warrior player had to take two free throws. Dick called games for the University of California, too. He also worked at the University of the Pacific, Santa Clara University, and the University of San Francisco.

Dick had the unenviable task of succeeding Roy Steele as the announcer for the Oakland A’s. Steele, affectionately known as the “Voice of God,” held the job from 1968 to 2005. Not only did Dick not fail, but he was also known as the “Voice of God.” One evening, I told Dick that he had a great speaking voice. Dick replied the microphone aided his voice. I told him that was not true and we had a nice laugh together.

Dick now joins people like Roy Steele, John Ramsey of the LA Dodgers, Bob Sheppard of the New York Yankees, and Sherm Feller of the Boston Red Sox in the Pantheon of great Public address announcers.

Dick called over 1000 games for the A’s and over 2700 games in his career. His three favorite games were Dallas Braden’s perfect game on Mother’s day in 2010. Sean Manaea’s no-hitter against Boston in 2018, and Mike Fiers no-no on May 7th, 2019. Fiers’ gem was the 1000th game called by Dick.

My favorite story with Dick happened several years ago. One night, after finishing my report, as I was leaving the park, a fan came up to me and asked me for an autograph. I was taken aback. I had no idea why anyone would want my autograph. I asked the fan why. He answered: why you’re Dick Callahan.” I smiled and told him that I wasn’t. The next night I told Dick the story. Dick smiled and said: “you should have signed it:” We both laughed.

Dick took the 2020 Oakland A’s season off as a precaution due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Amelia Schimmel took Dick’s place as PA announcer for 2020 and said in a San Francisco Chronicle interview at the time “Nothing replaces him, obviously, Dick did give me pointers, and he’s such a good person. He called and said, ‘You did a fantastic job.’ I know how hard it is for him not to come in this season and he was so sweet about it. He said, ‘Your voice sounded great on the broadcast.’ I think he’s trying to let me know he approves and that support is really, really appreciated.” said Schimmel. 

The A’s organization has lost several longtime employees over the past three years. Dick joins people like Harold Miller, Chester Yarrow, Roy Steele, Gary Hughes( baseball scout) in our memories. We will miss you immensely, Dick. Rest in Peace, my friend.

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

Warriors’ offense flounders in Phoenix, Suns win easily 114-93

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Hoping to earn their first three-game winning streak this season, the Golden State Warriors failed to generate enough offense to beat the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors trailed Phoenix by five at the half 52-47. The Warriors usually play better in the second half, but not Thursday night, as the Suns won both the third and fourth quarters to win 114-93.

The Warriors’ Kelly Oubre, Jr, James Wiseman, and Damion Lee all performed well against Minnesota Wednesday night. Their performances on Thursday was the exact opposite. Oubre finished with four points. He was 1-for-11 from the floor and did not make a three in five tries. Wiseman, who scored 25 against Minnesota, had five points and was 2-for-9 from the field.

Damion Lee did not score. He had 17 against Minnesota. The Warriors had three players in double figures. Steph Curry 27, Andrew Wiggins 16, and Eric Pascall 12. Seven Suns’ player had more than 10 points in the game.

The Suns were playing the last game of a four-game homestand. The visiting teams won all three very closely contested games. The Suns lost one in overtime, one in double-overtime, and one in regulation. They needed to beat the Warriors. They were without the star backcourt ace, Devin Booker, out with a hamstring injury. Dario Saric was not available due to COVID-19 protocol. The Suns found a way to win. They got off to a good start and were able to break down the Warriors’ defense as they outscored Golden State 36-29. 

The Warriors slowed down the Phoenix offense in the second quarter. They held the Suns to 16 points. Typically, the Warriors would have grabbed the lead. Thursday was not a typical night. The Warriors knocked down 18 to finish the first half trailing by five, 52-47. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins led the team with 13 and 12, respectively. Brad Wanamaker was third in scoring with six. 

Early in the third quarter, the Warriors closed to within one, 58-57. Phoenix went on an 11-0 run to make it 69-57. The Warriors could not generate any offense. They were toast. The Suns outscored them 33-24 to lead 85-71 after three quarters of play.

In the fourth quarter, Eric Paschall started making some baskets to keep the Warriors close. The Suns responded with an 11-2 run to lead 100-81. With five minutes left in the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his bench players to finish the game. The Suns won 114-93.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 10-9 for the year. The Suns are now 9-8. 

The Warriors shot 38.9% from the floor. They made 11 threes in 38 tries. Phoenix shot 46.6% from the floor, and they made 11 threes in 32 attempts. 

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

Warriors grind out a 123-111 win over the Timberwolves

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-111 Wednesday night at the Chase Center.

The Warriors had their hands full with a young Minnesota team. Their point guard, D’Angelo Russell, and their best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, were not in the lineup. Russell is recovering from a quadriceps injury, and Towns has to sit out due to the NBA protocol for the coronavirus.

Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders was ready to play defense Wednesday night. The Warriors, no strangers to playing great defense, had to work hard to finish the first quarter with a meager two-point advantage 23-21. Warriors forward, Kelly Oubre Jr., had to go to the bench as he picked two fouls in the first minute of the game. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr picked Kent Bazemore to replace Oubre. Bazemore responded by scoring seven of the Warriors’ first nine points. 

Oubre returned to start the second quarter. He knocked down 16 points to lead the Warriors to a 58-51 lead at the end of the first half. Oubre had the highest-scoring quarter of his career. He was also a force on defense. He had two steals and a blocked shot. The Warriors needed Oubre’s offensive performance as Steph Curry was ice cold in the first half. Curry had two points on 1-for-9 shooting.

Warriors star rookie, James Wiseman, kicked in with 14 points. Wiseman was 3-for-3 shooting 3-pointers. Andrew Wiggins had 8.

Timberwolves rookie phenom, Anthony Edwards, showed the Warriors and the NBA why he was the number one pick in the NBA Draft this year. He finished with 15 points and connected on three 3s.

As they have done so many times over the past six seasons, the Warriors won the third quarter 37-24. As everyone knows, Steph Curry can’t be bottled up all night. Curry started to make buckets. Damion Lee made two 3s, and Andrew Wiggins continued to drive the lanes to help the Warriors break open the game. The Warriors were leading 79-67 when they went on a 13-0 run to lead 90-67. They finished the third quarter with a 20-point advantage 95-75.

The Timberwolves continued to play hard. The Warriors refused to wilt. The Timberwolves cut the lead to 12 points, 112-100. The Warriors responded as they built the lead back to 16 points, 116-100. Steve Kerr pulled Curry off the floor. The Warriors held on to win 121-111. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 10-8 for the season. The Timberwolves are 4-13.

James Wiseman had a career-high 25 points to lead the team in scoring. Kelly Oubre had 20 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in 20 minutes of playing time. Andrew Wiggins continued to play well at both ends of the court. Andrew tallied 19 points and three boards. Steph Curry had 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and he made four three. Curry has made a three-point in 80 consecutive games. Draymond Green’s line was six points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Kevon Looney recorded ten rebounds in 11 minutes. Damion Lee had a season-high 17 points. Lee knocked down four threes.

The Warriors shot 53% from the floor and held the Timberwolves to 42.5%. The Timberwolves made 14 3s, while the Warriors made 15. The Warriors moved the ball well and recorded 32 assists.

One stat that Steve Kerr would not like is the number of turnovers committed. The Warriors turned the ball over 21 times. That number will get Kerr very grumpy.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday night. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

No players selected to be in Baseball’s Hall of Fame this year

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Former Boston Red Sox Curt Schilling who failed election in to the MLB Hall of Fame on Tue Jan 26, 2021 namely because of his controversial political views requested to be taken off next year’s ballot and will try and get in in front of the Veteran Committee in 2022 (MassLive.com file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The eligible members of the BBWAA (baseball writers association of America) did not select any player to the Hall of Fame this year. It was the first time since 1960 that they did not select a player. A player needs 75% of the vote to make it to the Hall. Players have ten years of eligibility. They can gain entrance later if selected by a committee of former players.

There were three players on the ballot that had the best chance of getting selected. They are pitchers Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens. The other player is Barry Bonds. All three are in the ninth year of eligibility.

Schilling received 71% of the vote. He has asked the people at the Hall of Fame to remove him from the ballot next year. He claims that he is willing to take his chances with the players’ committee. The Hall is considering his request. Many people think that Schilling didn’t get the 75% required for entrance due to his political views.

Schilling holds extreme right-wing positions. Many people were shocked that he allegedly made remarks supporting the people who attacked and vandalized the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.

The Hall of Fame vote took place before the attack but might affect the vote later this year. The Hall of Fame is a museum. Many people in the Hall have character less than sterling. The Hall voters have to vote on the players’ performance. Is Schilling worthy enough to be in the Hall? He won 219 games in his career.

Schilling is a three-time World Champion. He won one with the Arizona Diamondbacks and two with the Boston Red Sox. His courage and fortitude on the mound can not be questioned. His performance in game six of the 2004 AL Championship series is legendary. He beat the Yankees to send the series to game seven. The Red Sox won that game and then beat the St Louis Cardinal to win the World Series for the first time in 86 years.

Roger Clemens won over 350 games with the Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros. He won seven Cy Young Awards as the best pitcher in the American League. His numbers should mean induction into the Hall.

The fly in the ointment is the claim that he, allegedly, used performance enhancing drugs. Clemens never failed a drug test. He received about 61 % of the vote last year and about the same this year. His chances of getting in next year are slim. He will have to wait until later.

Barry Bonds was one of the best hitters ever to put on a uniform to play baseball. Bonds won the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award seven times. No other player in Major League history has won it more than three times.

Bonds holds the single-season record for most home runs with 73. He broke Henry Aaron’s record of 755 homers in a career in 2007. He finished his career with 762. Bonds, like Clemens, never failed a drug test. He, too, had to deal with accusations that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

There may be people in the Hall that used steroids to help them hit or pitch. Many voters are not willing to vote for players that “cheated.” Some voters are willing to say that Clemens and Bonds using steroids during those years was not illegal.

Attendance at baseball games dropped after the player’s strike in 1994. The teams’ owners looked the other way when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa sent balls flying out of the parks in 1998. McGwire finished with 70, and Sosa had 66. Clemens and Bonds will have to wait. They have the numbers for entrance. Many people believe they should be included. Only time will tell.

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