Author: rxslugger

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

David Stern, who helped transform the NBA, dies at age 77.

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jewishtelegraphicagency.com file photo: David Stern poses for photos with the media in undated photo

By Jerry Feitelberg

David Stern, who led the NBA from February 1st, 1984 to February 1st, 2014, passed away on New Year’s Day after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage three weeks earlier. Stern, who was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, worked at his father’s deli in New York City as a young man. He learned the value of hard work there. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his law degree from Columbia.

Stern went to work for the prestigious law firm of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz, and Mendelsohn, which happened to represent the NBA. He joined the NBA in 1978 as general counsel under then-commissioner Larry O’Brien. From 1979 to 1981, the NBA Finals, in those dark days, were shown on tape delay. They were broadcast at 11:30 pm Eastern Time.

Stern helped negotiate a drug testing policy in 1983. The NBA was the first major sports league to do so. He also had the league adopt a salary cap aimed at helping small-market franchises stay alive.

When Stern took over in 1984, teams were struggling to stay alive. Stern also benefitted from having star players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. Stern had a domineering personality. He also had vision and instinct to lift the league from the dark days to the new levels of prosperity and popularity. The NBA is now enormously popular here in the United States and all over the world. The games are now televised in more than 200 countries and in 40 languages. Also, this will be the sixth year in a row that the NBA will have at least 100 international players.

In his time as commissioner, Stern grew the NBA to a 5 billion-dollar a year enterprise. TV revenue increased 40-fold. The league added 7 new teams to create a 30-team league. Stern started the Women’s NBA League in 1997, and the NBA developmental league, now known as the G-League in 2001.

These examples will illustrate the changes that occurred. In 1985, Jerry Reinsdorf bought the Chicago Bulls for 16 million dollars. In 2014, Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for two billion. Charles Barkley had this to say about David Stern: “I think people see all the money in sports and think that it was always like that,” Barkley said this recently on the program “Inside the N.B.A.” “When I got to the N.B.A. in 1984, which was Commissioner’s first year, the average salary was $250,000. It’s almost $9 million now. And he is largely responsible for that.” Some players are now making as much as 40 million dollars a year.”

Davi Stern leaves quite a legacy. His family, and his NBA family, can be very proud of the accomplishments of this man. Rest in peace.

Short-handed Warriors lose in overtime to Spurs 117-113

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, playing without D’Angelo Russell and Willie Cauley-Stein, forced the San Antonio Spurs into overtime. The Spurs won the overtime period 17-13 to defeat the W’s 117-113.

The Warriors used their 16th different starting lineup Tuesday night to take on San Antonio. The Warriors and Spurs are both having subpar seasons. The Warriors, as they have done in the last five games, played typical Warrior basketball. They moved the ball well as the recorded 31 assists. They had 5 steals and 6 blocks on defense. Coach Steve Kerr had to pleased with their effort. “We’re having a productive season; we’re just not having a winning season,” Kerr said. “I’ve enjoyed coaching this team, I just told them that. I enjoy coming in every day and working with these guys because they play hard, they play for each other, and they care about that game. So, I’m not too concerned about the record.”

The Warriors, as they did Saturday against Dallas, started well. They won the first period 32-25. The Spurs bounced back in the second quarter to outscore the W’s by five to finish the first half trailing 55-53.

The Warriors scored just 45 points in the second half. The Spurs were two points better, and the game ended in a tie. The game was up for grabs. The Spurs’ Dejounte Murray knocked down seven points in the 5-minute overtime to lead the Spurs to the win.

Game Notes and Stats. D’Angelo Russell, who suffered a right shoulder contusion on Saturday when he slammed into Luka Doncic’s hip, was not available and will be evaluated on Wednesday. Willie Cauley-Stein missed the game with an undisclosed illness. Willie will also be assessed on Wednesday.

Alec Burks led the team with 28 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Burks made 4 threes in 5 attempts. Glenn Robinson 3rd had 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and connected on 3 threes. Damion Lee continued to play well. He had 20 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists. Draymond Green had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also had 9 assists.

DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 24. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15, Patty Mills 18, DeJounte Murray 15, and Bryn Forbes 14.

The Warriors dropped their second in a row and are now 9-26 for the season. The Spurs improved to 14-18. It was the first time since 1996 that the Spurs finished the year (2019) with a record below .500.

The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night in Minneapolis. The game will start at 5 pm PT.

 

Dallas Mavericks behind Luca Doncic, snap Warriors four-game winning streak 141-121

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By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Dallas Mavericks’ superstar, Luka Doncic, led the Mavs over the Warriors by a score of 141-121. The Warriors were hoping to pull off another upset Saturday night. The Mavs are the highest-scoring team in the NBA, and they lived up to their reputation.

The first two periods of the game were highly entertaining. Both teams were hitting three-point shots. In the first quarter alone, the Mavs made ten, and the W’s tied a franchise record with nine. The nineteen threes in the first quarter set an NBA record. D’Angelo Russell led the Warriors with 18 points, and he connected on four threes. Damion Lee hit three threes for nine points. The first period ended with the score tied 41-41.

The pace did not subside in the second quarter. The Warriors outscored the Mavs 33-31 to finish the first half leading 74-72. Russell led the W’s with 30 points. Lee and Marquese Chriss also had 9. Luka Doncic finished the first half with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and five threes in six tries. Tim Hardaway, Jr. had 13, Seth Curry (Steph’s brother, 14, and big Ktristaps Porzingis had 9. The W’s shot 60.4% from the floor. Dallas shot 54.3%.

The second half was a different story. The Mavs continued their onslaught. They continued to make threes. The Warriors could not get their offense going. Things went south for the W’s when D’Angelo Russell ran into Luka Doncic’s hip and fell to the floor. Russell did not move for a few minutes. The paramedics brought out a stretcher, but Russell was able to get to his feet and was taken to the locker room to be examined. It was not known if Russell had suffered either a head or neck injury. The air came out of the W’s balloon. The Mavs went on to expand the lead to 117-98. The W’s defense was not able to stop the Mavs’ offense. They outscored the W’s 45-24 to put the game away. DeeLow returned to the bench late in the third quarter. He suffered a right shoulder contusion.

Russell started the fourth quarter but was not a factor. The W’s could not overcome the 19-point deficit. The Mavs won going away 141-121.

Game Notes and Stats. The Warriors dressed just 10 players for the game. Kevon Looney, Eric Paschall, and Omari Spellman were not available to play. Alen Smailagic, the 19-year old player from Serbia, played 20 minutes and kicked in with 5 points.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Russell led the team with 35 points, 4 rebounds, and six assists. He made nine threes. Damion Lee had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Alec Burks and Marquese Chriss each had 16. Draymond Green made two threes and finished with 10 for the night.

The Mavs also had five players in double figures. Doncic had a triple-double with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists. He made 5 threes. Tim Hardaway, Jr (son of the former Warrior Tim Hardaway, finished with 25 points. Seth Curry had 14. Dwight Powell, who played his college ball at Stanford, had 12. Porzingis had 18 points, 7 boards, and the big man from Russia connected on 4 threes in nine tries.

After the game, W’s head coach Steve Kerr said this about Russell returning to the game and that the injury was not as bad as first thought: “It was the best news of the evening.” He also said that the team, with four wins in five games: “really had a good homestand.”

The Warriors travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs Tuesday night.

Warriors rally in fourth quarter for win 105-96 over Suns; Their fourth in a row

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sfgate.com photo: Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry playing the capacity of unofficial assistant coach gives the younger players tips and advice in the Warriors victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Chase Center in San Francisco

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors won their fourth in a row coming back from a 12-point deficit at the end of three quarters beat the Phoenix Suns 105-96.

The Suns and the W’s were nip and tuck in the first period. The Warriors only lead came when rookie Alen Smailagic, making his NBA debut, made his second basket of the night to give the W’s a short-lived lead 23-22. The Suns outscored the W’s 7-2 to finish the quarter with a 29-25 advantage.

Devin Booker continued to lead the Suns in scoring. The Suns outscored the W’s 22-18 in the second quarter. The Warrior offense just could not get going. The W’s went cold for over three minutes late in the quarter. The Warriors defense forced 13 Phoenix turnovers, but the W’s could not take advantage. The Suns finished the first half leading 51-43.

The Suns shot 52.5% from the floor. The Warriors shot a miserable 35.4%. Booker led the Suns with 17. Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, and Ricky Rubio all had nine each. The only warrior in double figures was D’Angelo Russell, who had 11.

The Warriors continued to flounder in the third quarter. Alec Burks could not get anything going. Damion Lee and D’Angelo Russell were the only players putting points on the board. Alec Burks was cold all night long. He just couldn’t nake a bucket. The Suns finished the third period with a 12-point advantage 78-66.

In the long history of the NBA, many teams have come from behind to win. The fans in the stands did not have that feeling at the start of play for the last 12 minutes of the game. The Suns led 86-76 with 7 1/2 minutes left to play. The Warrior went on an 11-3 run to tie the game at 89. Alec Burks came to life with two baskets.

Russell made a three-pointer, and Will Cauley-Stein came through with a bucket and free throw to help tie the game. The momentum was clearly with the Warriors. The W’s added six more points to finish the now 19-3 run. The W’s led 95-89. Damion Lee, Alec Burks, Draymond Green, and Russell all scored to finish with the win 105-96.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors won their fourth in a row and are now 9-24 for the year. The Suns lost their eighth in a row, and they fell to 11-20.

The Warriors had four players in double figures. Russell led the team with 31 points. He connected on four threes in eleven tries. Damion Lee played well on both ends of the court. Lee knocked down 16 points to go along with 8 boards. Draymond added 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Draymond made two three-point shots in the fourth quarter to help the W’s comeback effort. Burks finished with 13.

The W’s 19-year-old rookie from Serbia, Alen Smailagic, played five minutes in the first quarter and made scored four points.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 34. The Warriors put the clamps on him in the final period. He was not a factor at all. Saric had 11, Rubio 11, Frank Kaminsky 10, Aron Baynes 9.

The Warriors moved the ball well and committed just 10 turnovers. The Suns, however, turned the ball over 27 times, and that led to 28 Warrior points. After the game, Warrior Head Coach Steve Kerr said: “We were solid defensively.” He also said this about the team’s fourth-quarter rally: “We now believe we can win down the stretch.”

The Warriors play Saturday night again against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks beat the W’s by 48 points in the first meeting of the teams earlier in the season. The game will be played at the Chase Center Saturday night. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

 

Warriors find good tidings under their tree shock Rockets 116-104

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espn.com photo: The Golden State Warriors Damon Lee (1) goes airborne to take a shot against the Houston Rockets Clint Capela (15) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Dec 25th

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Warriors met and defeated the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day by a score of 116-104. The game was on national television, and if the network executives had their way, they would have pulled it from the schedule.

The Warriors, who have been scuffling all season, won their third game in a row. On December 15th, the W’s were blown out by the Sacramento Kings. The W’s head coach Steve Kerr must have said something to the team as they have played well in their last four games. They gave Portland a tussle but lost.

They then beat New Orleans, Minnesota, and, now, the Rockets. It was a team effort. They played well on both ends of the court. They held the Rockets’ scoring machine, James Harden, to 24 points. They did not foul Harden either. Harden, the master of drawing fouls, had just one free throw, and he missed it.

The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter. They had an early 13-7 lead. The Rockets went ahead 16-15 about midway through the quarter. The Warriors were able to keep pace with the Rockets and finished the first period trailing by a point 29-28.

The Rockets appeared to have found their rhythm in the second quarter. Harden made 5 threes in seven tries to finish the first half with 19  points. Russell Westbrook added 18, and the Rockets led 68-64. The W’s Damion Lee led the W’s scoring with 17. D’Angelo Russell had 14, and Glenn Robinson added 10.

Willie Cauley-Stein scored the first bucket of the third quarter to cut the Warrior deficit to 68-66. The Rockets increased the lead to seven 75-68. The Warriors, behind Draymond Green and Damion Lee, tied the game at 78. The Rockets connected on a three to regain the lead. With the score 83-80, the Warriors went on a 12-4 run to finish the third quarter leading 92-87

The Warriors entered the fourth quarter, knowing they had to stop Harden And Westbrook. Harden loves to drive and pick up fouls. The W’s had not fouled him in the first three-quarters of play. Harden hit a three to put Houston back in the lead 97-96.

Harden was fouled on the play, and he missed the free throw. The W’s would not foul him again. The Warriors then went on a 17-2 run. Draymond Green and Glenn Robinson each made two 3-point shots. The Warriors defense stopped the Rockets attack cold. The W’s increased the lead to 115-99. The Rockets ran out of time, and the Warriors, with the fans on their feet, won the game.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, The W’s improved to 8-24. The Rockets, leading the Southwest Division of the Western Conference, fell to 21-10.

The Warriors starters all finished in double figures Three players, Russell, Lee, and Green scored 20 or more points. Two players Lee and Green, had a double-double. Damion Lee led the team with 22 points and 15 rebounds, Draymond had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists.

D’Angelo Russell knocked down 20, Willie Cauley-Stein 10, and Glenn Robinson had 18. Robinson made two three-point shots in the fourth quarter to help seal the Rockets’ doom/ Alec Burks, Jacob Evans, and Marquise Chriss, coming off the bench, had 8,8, and 6.

The Rockets were led by Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Each superstar had a double-double. Westbrook’s line was 30n points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Harden’s numbers were 24 points, 6 boards, and 11 assists. Harden made six threes in 10 tries. Danue House, Jr. had 18, Clint Capela 10, and P.J.Tucker 7. The Rockets’ bench added 15 points.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor, and their defense held the Rockets to 37%. The Rockets made 16 three in 51 tries. The Warriors had nine.

The Warriors outrebounded the Rockets 54-49. The W’s defense stole the ball 7 times to go along with 8 blocked shots.

The Warriors resume play Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are 11-19 for the year. The Suns blew out the W’s earlier in the season. Steve Kerr’s troops have played well in the last four games, and Kerr will be hoping the team will continue to improve.

The game will be at the Chase Center and will start at 7:30 pm. The W’s then play again on Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are in second place in the Southwest Division with a record of 19-10. The game will also be at the Chase Center and will start at 5:30 pm PT.

Warriors win again defeat Minnesota Timberwolves 113-104

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By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors won their second game in a row Monday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-104. It was the first time this season that the Warriors have won two straight. The Timberwolves, who started the season 10-8, extended their losing streak to 11 games. Minnesota was without the services of the best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, due to an injury.

Both teams played a lousy first quarter. The score was tied 22-22 at the end of 12 minutes. The Warriors shot 28% from the floor while the Timberwolves were slightly better at 33%. Neither team played well.

The Timberwolves grabbed an early lead to start the second quarter. The Warriors were able to even the score at 31 and again at 35. It was at this point in the period when the Warriors got their act together to go on a 20-3 run to lead 55-38. The W’s finished the first half with 14-point lead 57-43. D’Angelo Russell led the team with 13, Alex Burks had 10, and Willie Cauley-Stein kicked in with 10, too. Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague led the T-Wolves attack with 12 and 10.

The Warriors extended the lead to 21 early in the third quarter. They were leading 80-58 when Minnesota went on an 11-2 run to cut the lead to fifteen. Alec Burks made a two-point bucket, and the W’s finished the third quarter with a comfortable 84-67 advantage.

As basketball fans know, teams have to play for all 48 minutes if they hope to win. Even though a team has a big lead, they have to be careful to not let the other side get back into the game. The Warriors had lost several games as they let down in the final period. Minnesota gave them a tussle as the W’s started to make mistakes, and that let Minnesota get within six points. The Timberwolves went on a 16-5 run to make it 89-83. The Warriors made 8 turnovers in the quarter. The T-Wolves cashed in. The Warriors met the challenge as Russell, Burks, and Damion Lee all connected on threes to thwart the T-Wolves. The W’s built the lead back to 10 and held on to win 113-104.

Game Notes- The Warriors improved to 7-24 while Minnesota fell to 10-19. The Warriors’ Glenn Robinso III was out of action with a sprained ankle. The W’s recalled guard Ky Bowman from the G-League to take his spot on the roster.

The Warriors had four starters in double figures Monday night. D’Angelo Russell paced the team with 30 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and he connected on 5 threes in 11 tries. Burks was second with 25 points and 8 assists. He made 2 threes. Damion Lee had 14  points, 7 boards, and 3 assists. He knocked down 3 threes. Willey Cauley-Stein had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Draymond Green’s line was 9 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. Eric Paschall rerturned to action and tallied 8 points in 8 minutes of playing time.

The Timberwolves had two starters in double figures. Andrew Wiggins led them with 22. Gorgui Dieng added 11. Bench players Jordan McLaughlin had 19, Jeff Teague 12, and Keita Bates-Diop had 10.

The Warriors meet the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Christmas Day, at the Chase Center. The game will start at 2 pm PT.

Warriors find a way to win as they beat the Pelicans 106-102

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors met the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. Each team came into the game floundering at the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference. The Warriors had lost five in a row and 10 of the last 11. The Pelican snapped a 13-game losing streak Wednesday night and were hoping to get back on the winning track against the Warriors. The Warriors, who played well in the loss to Portland, started well. They built the lead to 20 in the second quarter. The Pelicans dominated the third quarter to lead 81-78. The Warriors came back and were able to hold on and win for the sixth time this year, 106-102.

The Warriors won the first quarter 31-18 Guard Damion Lee led the Warriors with 10 points. The other guard, D’Angelo Russell, kicked in with six. Glenn Robinson added seven.

The Warriors went ahead 44-24 to lead by 20. It was at this point that the Pelicans went on an 18-2 run to make it a 46-42 game. The Warriors regrouped and were able to finish the first half with a 12-point lead 56-44.

The Pelicans dominated the third quarter. The Warriors, over the past five seasons, used to own the third period, but not Friday night. The Pelicans, behind the hot shooting of JJ Redick, outscored the Warriors 37-22 to finish the quarter 81-78. The Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday hit a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give New Orleans the advantage. The Pelicans took advantage of several Warrior turnovers, too. They also controlled the offensive boards and put second-chance points on the board.

The Pelicans increased the lead to six 97-91. It looked as if the Warriors were done. They regrouped and tied the game at 98 when D’Angelo Russell knocked down a three. The Warriors went ahead 100-98. The Pelicans made a bucket to tie the game. Russell hit a deuce to make it 102-100. Draymond Green was fouled, and he made both free throws to make it 104-100. The Pelicans cut it to 104-102. As time was running out, the Pelicans fouled Damion Lee. He made both free throws. The Pelicans were finished. The Warriors won 106-102.

Game Notes: D’Angelo Russell and Damion Lee led the Warriors in scoring. Russell had 25 points, seven assists, and he knocked down four threes. Lee’s totals were 20 points, six boards, and he, too, made four threes. Alec Burks had 17 points and 8 rebounds. Draymond had 10 points, four rebounds, and 8 assists. Glenn Robinson had nine, Willie Cauley-Stein eight, and Marquese Chriss eight.

Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 25 points each. Reddick finished with 14, Lonzo Ball also had 14.

With the win, the Warriors improve to 6-24. The Pelicans fall to 7-23. The Warriors still own the worst record in the NBA. The Pelicans aren’t too far behind in the race to the bottom.

Warriors forward Eric Paschall left the game after the end of the first half with soreness in his right knee.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

Trail Blazers send the Warriors down to their fifth loss in a row 122-112

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on Wednesday night. The Warriors, trying to rebound after a dreadful performance last Sunday night, played well, but not well enough. The Blazers were able to hold off the Warriors down the stretch to win 122-112.

The two teams played a very competitive first quarter. Warriors point guard, D”Angelo Russell, connected on a three to make the score 23-22 in favor of Portland. The Blazers responded by going on a 17-7 run to finish the quarter and led by eleven, 40-27.

The Blazers led for most of the second quarter. The Warriors kept coming back and cut the deficit to four 55-51. Portland upped the lead to 65-57. It was at this point near the end of the first half when the Warriors made three consecutive three-point shots. Alec Burks made two and Eric Paschall, back in action after missing the last two games, connected for his first three of the game. Paschall’s bucket gave the lead back to Golden State 66-65. But that lead didn’t last long as the Blazers scored the last basket of the half to finish with a one-point lead 67-66. The Warriors, outscored by 11 in the first period, outscored the Blazers by 10 in the second.

The Blazers went on a 7-0 run to start the third quarter. The Warriors did not lose their composure and stayed within striking distance of regaining the lead. They came close trailing by one point 87-86.  Portland did not wilt. They made vital buckets and finished the third quarter with a five-point advantage, 97-92.

The Warriors did not fold. They kept coming back. However, they just could not get a bucket or a three-pointer when they needed one. They were down by two, 100-98. Portland built the lead back to seven, 109-102. Glenn Robinson connected on a three to make it 109-105. That was the best the Warriors could do. Portland held on to win by a final of 122-102.

Game Notes: Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to be pleased with his team’s effort Wednesday. The Warriors played poorly Sunday night at the Chase Center. The team looked much better. They moved the ball well. They made 16 threes in 38 tries. They turned the ball over just seven times. They had 24 assists. The made seven steals and blocked seven. Their only deficiency was at the free-throw line. They were 14 for 23 from the charity stripe. Portland was 25 for 28. The 11-point advantage helped the Blazers win the game.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. D’Angelo Russell led the club with 26 points. Russell made five threes in 12 tries. Glenn Robinson had 17, and he made a career-high five threes. Alec Burks had 16, and he knocked down four threes. Eric Paschall had in 17 minutes of playing time. Marquese Chriss had his third double-double in the last four games. He had 10 points and 10 boards. Willie Cauley-Stein had 12 points and seven boards.

The Blazers were led by their dynamic backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Lillard had quite a night as he knocked down 31 points, had 13 assists, and five rebounds. McCollum finished with 30. Veteran Carmelo Anthony had 17 points and eight rebounds. Blazers center Hassan Whiteside, who loves to torment the Warriors, finished with a double-double. Hassan, who was with the Miami Heat last year, kicked in with 16 points and grabbed 23 rebounds to help the Blazers win.

With the loss, the Warriors maintained the worst record in the NBA 5-24.  The Warriors have lost five in a row and nine of the last 10. The Blazers, who struggled earlier in the season, improved to 12-16.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. The Pelicans are 7-22 for the year, and the Warriors will be trying to get a win at their expense. The game will start at 7:30 pm PST.

Warriors come close, but still lose to the Magic 100-96

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center in Orlando Sunday evening. The Warriors, with nine healthy players, gave the Magic a tussle, but still lost 100-96. The game was not decided until the final 10 seconds. The Magic’s Evan Fournier made a layup to clinch the win for Orlando.

The teams played a very competitive first half. The Magic won the first quarter 26-22. The Warriors won the second 29-25. The first half ended with the score tied at 51. Eric Paschall tallied 14, and Glenn Robinson kicked in with 13 to lead the Warriors. Evan Fournier had 15, and Terrence Ross, coming off the bench, had 12 for Orlando.

The teams continued to play nip and tuck basketball. Neither team could gain any separation from the other. The Magic finished the third quarter with a one-point advantage 72-71. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter. The game was in doubt until Fournier put it away with a layup with 9.3 seconds left in the game. The Magic led by four, and that was curtains for Golden State. Orlando won 100-96.

Game Notes and Stats: All five Warrior starters were in double-figures. Draymond had 11, Eric Paschall 17, Glenn Robinson 19, Will Cauley-Stein had 11 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, and Alec Burks pitched in with 12. Backup point guard Ky Bowman finished with 12. The team shot 39.6% from the floor and connected on six threes in 23 attempts.

Evan Fournier tied a career-high with 32 points. He made six threes in 10 attempts. Terrence Ross had 19, Markell Fultz 14, and Jonathan Isaac added 14. The Magic shot 42.5% from the floor and made 11 threes in 33 attempts.

The Warriors lost for the fifth time in the last six games and are now 4-17 for the year. The Magic improved to 8-11.

Up Next: The Warriors play a back-to-back game Monday night in Atlanta against the Hawks. The game will start at 5 pm PST.

No. 15 Notre Dame crushes Stanford 45-24

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Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Jerry Feitelberg

STANFORD — On a cold, windy, rainy day, the Stanford Cardinal met the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the final game of the 2019 season.

The 15-ranked Irish fell behind early in the game 17-7. The Cardinal dominated in all phases of the game for the first 26 minutes of the game. They led in time of possession. They led in yards passing and yards rushing. It appeared that Stanford quarterback Davis Mills would lead his squad to an upset. Everything changed late in the first half when the Irish blocked a Ryan Sanborn punt. Notre Dame scored, and from that point on until late in the fourth quarter, the dominated the Cardinal. They scored 31 unanswered points to lead 38-17. The Cardinal scored with just 1:54 left in the game. With 41 seconds left to play, the Irish stripped Davis Mills of the ball in the end zone. The Irish recovered for the score to win 45-24.

The Cardinal dominated play until late in the first half. Stanford scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game. They went on a 75-yard drive in 3 minutes and 34 seconds to go-ahead 7-0. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish responded with a touchdown of their own.  The Irish went 80 yards in five plays to tie the game 7-7. The essential play was a 16-yard pass from Ian Book to Micah Jones for the score.

Stanford went on a long 82-yard drive that consumed 8 minutes and 15 seconds, and all they could come up with was a field goal. They had first, and goal from the two-yard line but could not get the ball across the goal line. Ryan Sanborn made the field goal, and the Cardinal led 17-7. Things were looking good for Stanford until late in the first half. The Irish defense forced the Cardinal to kick, and Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey blocked Sanborn’s put. The ball was recovered on the one-yard line. The ball was moved back to the sixth when the Irish were called for a false start. Quarterback Ian Book connected with tight end Tommy Tremble for the score. The Irish now trailed by three 17-14 with 3:01 left to play in the half.

The momentum had shifted to Notre Dame. The Irish forced Stanford to punt again. They got the ball on their own 24-yard line. Notre Dame went 76-yards in just 21 seconds to score their third touchdown of the game and now led the Cardinal 21-17. The key play was a 41-yard throw from Book to Chase Claypool for the score.

In the second half, the Irish dominated. With the ball on the 7-yard line, they went on a 93-yard drive to up the lead to 28-17. The essential play was a 43-yard pass play from Book to Braden Lenzy. The score came on an 8-yard pass from Book to Claypoole for the score. That was the only score in the third quarter. Just before the quarter ended, Stanford forced the Irish to punt from deep in their territory. Michael Wilson fumbled the catch, and Notre Dame recovered. They cashed in to start the fourth quarter with a 42-yard field goal to go ahead 31-17.

The Irish continued to pour it on. The Irish put another 7 points on the board with a 10-play 72-yard drive to lead 38-17. The Cardinal finally scored when Cameron Scarlett scored on a 9-yard run with 1:54 left in the game. The Irish added another touchdown when they stripped Davis Mills of the ball in the end zone and recovered the fumble for the score. The Irish won 45-24.

Game Notes: With the loss, Stanford drops to 4-8 for the year. It was the first losing season for head coach David Shaw. Notre Dame improved to 10-2.

Total yardage for Notre Dame was 455 yards. Ian Book was 17-for-30 good for 255 yards and four touchdowns. They rushed for 190 yards. Stanford produced 394 yards of total offense. Quarterback Davis Mills was 28-for 46 good for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Cardinal rushed for 118 yards.

Attendance at Stanford Stadium was sparse due to the weather. The stadium was about half full with Stanford fans. There was a large contingent of rabid and noisy Notre Dame fans in the north end of the stadium. They went home very happy as their team will be playing in a bowl game again this year.