Warriors find a way to take down the red-hot Jazz 115-108

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The game between the Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz Tuesday night at Oracle Arena had the feel of a playoff game. Both teams came into the contest red hot. The Jazz had were 12-3 entering the game, and the Warriors were 15-1. The Warriors, who started slowly against Phoenix and Miami, were determined to get off to a good start against the Jazz. Both teams struggled to put points on the board in the early going. Both squads played excellent defense until late in the quarter. The Warriors finished the first 12 minutes with a 25-14 advantage. With the score 11-5, Klay Thompson left the game with an injured left hand. He went to the locker room and came back with his middle finger and ring finger taped together. Thompson suffered a sprained ring finger and was able to continue.

The Jazz won the second quarter 30-22 to finish the first half trailing the W’s 47-44. The Jazz’ Jae Crowder, who tormented the Dubs, when he was with Boston, made two threes to keep Utah in the game. As mentioned above, both teams viewed the contest like a playoff game, and neither team could get much offense going. The Warriors made just four threes in twenty attempts. The Jazz was slightly better as they connected five times in eleven tries. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry led the W’s with eleven each. Klay had six, and Andre Iguodala helped out with two three-point buckets. Leading scorers for the Jazz were Rudy Gobert, Roye O’Neale, and Jae Crowder with 8 each. Donovan Mitchell had 7.

Utah, feeling the shift in momentum, took it to the Warriors in the third period. The Warriors did score 34 in the period, but Utah scored 40. They grabbed their first lead of the game since they started the game 2-0. They led 67-66. The W’s fought back, but Utah was able to build a five-point advantage 78-73. The Warriors trailed 79-78 after Durant made a basket and free throw. Utah didn’t wilt and finished the quarter leading 84-81. The Jazz upped the lead to seven 91-84. It was at this point that the Warriors went on a 22-6 run to go ahead 108-97. The Warriors, who were one for fifteen on threes to start the game, started to hit them. Draymond Green started the run with a basket. Andre Iguodala followed with a steal and a dunk. Klay hit a three. Later in the spurt, Steph Curry made two threes in a row. The Warriors were able to maintain the lead, and they won another thriller 115-108.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the W’s are 16-1 in their last 17 games and are now 41-15 for the year. Utah drops down to 32-25.  The Jazz, coached by Quin Snyder, may be the team that no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Leading scorers for the W’s were Kevin Durant with 27, Steph 24, and Klay 22. Klay didn’t play as many minutes as usual and was fresh when he started the fourth quarter. He tallied eight points that helped the Dubs stay close. He passed Dale Ellis with his 1720th three-pointer.  Iguodala had 13 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and made three 3s in 3 tries. DeMarcus Cousins had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Cousins, Kevon Looney, and Draymond Green kept Rudy Gobert in check all night long. The big Frenchman finished with 13. Donovan Mitchell found his game in the second half and led the Jazz with 25. He made three threes in eight attempts. Ricky Rubio had 16. Joe Ingles finished with five. Stopping Ingles had been a problem for the Dubs as the Jazz had beaten them five times in the last 7 games. Ingles was not able to damage from beyond the three-point arc Tuesday night.

The Warriors travel to Portland to pay the Blazers Wednesday night. Game time is at 7:30 pm. This will be the last game for the Warriors before All-Star weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson will represent the Warriors.

Warriors win another thriller as they come back to defeat the Heat 120-118

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- It appeared to be deja vu all over as the Warriors, as they did in Phoenix Friday night, got off to a slow start and trailed the visiting Heat until late in the third quarter. The Warriors could do nothing right in the early going, and the Heat did everything right as the visitors raced out to an early 34-24 lead after twelve minutes of play. The Heat have two players on their roster that have killed the W’s in the past. They are the big center Hassan Whiteside and guard Dion Waiters. It seems these two mark the calendar as to when they will be playing Golden State and salivate knowing they do well against the World Champions.  The Warriors outscored the Heat 30-25 n the second quarter and finished the half trailing 59-54.

The Warriors made the necessary adjustments at halftime and scorched the Heat 36-23 in the third quarter. The W’s led 90-82 and the Big Three of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry led the team in scoring. The W’s started the fourth quarter with an 8-point lead but any team in the NBA can easily make up that deficit, and that is what the Heat did. The Warriors had a slim one-point lead 115-114, but the W’s turned the ball over twice in a row. Josh Richardson and Dwayne Wade had back-to-back steals, and that gave the Heat the lead 118-115. Kevin Durant connected on a three to tie the game. Durant recorded 11 straight points down the stretch for the Warriors. He missed a three-pointer that would have put the W’s in the lead. However, DeMarcus Cousins was able to snag the rebound. Cousins was fouled on the play, and he was able to make both free throws with just 5.4 seconds left to play. The Heat tried but failed to score, and the Warriors won the game.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors are now 15-1 in their 16 games and improved to 40-15 for the year. Miami drops to 25-29. Kevin Durant led the W’s with 39 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists. Draymond Green put 5 points on the board, but he corraled 7 rebounds and dished out 14 assists. Klay Thompson had 29, and he connected on six 3s. Curry added 25, and he made five 3s. The Warrior bench added just 15 points. Cousins had 7 points but his two free throws late in the fourth quarter won it for the Warriors. “I was really happy that he was out there at the end of the game,” coach Steve Kerr said of Cousins, playing his 10th game for Golden State. “It’s good experiences for him because he hasn’t been out there much since he’s come back to close games.”

Josh Richardson led the Heat Heat with 37. He made eight three-pointers. Dion Water had 24, and he made six three. Justisce Winslow had 24 including 4 threes, Hassan Whiteside finished the night with a double-double. He had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Dwayne Wade, who may have made his last visit to Oracle Arena as a player, ended the night with 10 points. The Warriors gave a nice tribute to Wade as they showed highlights of his career on the big screen and the fans gave him a nice round of applause.

Andre Iguodala was not able to play Sunday night as he tweaked hi left hamstring Friday night against the Suns in Phoenix. The Warriors resume play Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

 

 

 

Warriors struggle, but manage to beat the Suns 117-107

by Jerry Feitelberg

It was the kind of game that the Warriors make their fans crazy. They were playing the lowly Phoenix Suns in Phoenix Friday night. Everyone thought the Warriors would walk right over the Suns as they had the best scorer, Devon Booker, unavailable. T.J.Warren and De’Anthony Melton did not play either. Someone forget to tell the Suns that they could not compete against the World Champions. The Warriors had their hands full with the Suns and finally put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter as they won 117-107.

The Suns took it the Warriors in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors were making shots, and committing turnovers and shooting poorly. The Suns led 26-9 before Kevin Durant helped lead the W’s comeback. The Warriors finished the quarter trailing 31-26. In the second quarter, the Warriors outscored the Suns 34-22 and finished the first half with a seven-point lead 60-53.

The Suns entered the third quarter knowing that the Warriors usually have their way against their opponent. The Warriors were outscored 32-22 and Phoenix finished the third period leading 85-82. Steph Curry was having a tough night. He was 2 for 12 and was 1 for 8 in three-point attempts. Warrior fans were hoping Steph would snap out of his slump and he did just that in the fourth quarter. Steph was 4 for 5 from the floor, and he made two-three pointers in three attempts. The Warriors went on a 13-0 to start the quarter. The Suns cut the lead to 101-98. Steph came back with a three, and the Warriors were on their way to another victory.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors are now 39-15 for the season. The Suns fall to 11-46. Draymond Green was ejected from the game after he picked up his second technical foul between the third and fourth quarters.

Klay Thompson led the W’s with 25 points. Durant had 21, Steph 20, DeMarcus Cousins 18, and Draymond Green 13. The Warriors’ bench added 20 points. The Suns had four players in double figures: Kelly Oubre, Jr. knocked down 25, and the number one pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton tallied 23. Josh Jackson and Mikal Bridges each had 19.

“They totally outplayed us all night,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “The only reason we won is because we have a lot more talent, obviously.”

The Warriors shot 50.6% from the floor and held Phoenix to 38.6 %. The Warriors recorded 30 assists and were able to move the ball well. On Defense, the W’s had 5 steals and 9 blocks.

The W’s return home to Oracle Arena to face the Miami Heat Sunday. Game time is at 5:30 pm.

Warriors blow out the depleted Spurs 141-102

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, returning to action after having three days off, blew out the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night 141-102 at Oracle Arena. The Spurs gave their two leading scorers LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan the night off. Another star Spur player, DeJounte Murray was out with a knee injury and not available. Nonetheless, any Greg Popovich San Antonio Spur team cannot be taken lightly, and for the first 22 minutes of the first half the Spurs gave the Warriors quite a tussle.

The first quarter was quite competitive as both teams were making shots. The Warriors attack was led by Kevin Durant’s 15 points. The Warriors finished the quarter with a slim two-point advantage 33-31. In the second quarter, the Warriors made some adjustments. Head coach Steve Kerr had the Warriors play better on defense, and the Warriors had DeMarcus Cousins position himself closer to the basket. The Spurs’ defensive strategy was to run Steph Curry and Klay Thompson off the three-point line. The Warriors started the second quarter with a 9-0 run. The Spurs fought back and trailed by three points 53-50, but the Warriors went on a 13-2 run to close out the first half leading 64-52. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 17, Klay Thompson 16, and Steph Curry had 9. DeMarcus Cousins had 5, and Andre Iguodala added 8. Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 13.

The Warriors blew open the game in the third quarter. They outscored the Sours 49-31 in the period. The Warriors, at one point in the quarter, were 17 for 18 from the floor. They had 16 assists on 17 made baskets, and that was a record for assists in a quarter. They led 115-83 heading into the fourth quarter.

Steve Kerr had all of his five starters sitting on the bench. Quinn Cook, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney, and Shaun Livingston were on the floor for the Warriors. The bench outscored the Spurs 26-19 in the quarter, and the Warriors won by a final of 141-102.

Game Notes- The Warriors improved to 38-15 and are in first place in the Western Conference. The win was the 13th in the last 14 games. San Antonio drops to 32-24.

It was the 14th 40-point quarter of the season for Golden State. The W’s had 50 fast break points. They outrebounded the Spurs 52-30, and they recorded 42 assists on 55 made baskets. The Warriors shot 58% from the floor and held San Antonio to 43.2% On defense, the Warriors had 14 steals and 5 blocks.

Klay Thompson led the team with 26. Kevin Durant had 23, Steph Curry 19, DeMarcus Cousins 15, Andre Iguodala 11, and Kevon Looney 10.

Paddy Mills, who played his college ball at St. Mary’s in Orinda, paced the Spurs with 16. Rudy Gay scored two points in the second half and finished with 15. Dante Cunningham had 11, and Bryn Forbes had 10.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Phoenix Suns Friday night in Phoenix. Game time will be at 6 pm. The Warriors then face the Miami Heat at Oracle Arena on Sunday at 5:30 pm.

Stanford’s KZ Okpala leads the Cardinal to a 84-81 win over the Cal Bears

Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal tipped off against the Cal Bears Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion. The Bears have been struggling all season long and the Cardinal entered the game with a mediocre record of 10-10. As followers of both schools know, records do not count when the two teams meet in any type of athletic competition. The Bears, 0-8 in Pac-12 play, wanted desperately to beat the Cardinal. Conversely, The Cardinal did not want to be the first Pac-12 team to be beaten by the Bears.

The teams went at it tooth and nail in the first 20 minutes of action. The lead changed hands several times and the game was tied at least three times in the first half. The Bears led 29-24 when Justice Sueing made a bucket and was fouled on the play. He then made the free throw. The Cardinal’s Cormac Ryan hit a three and Lukas Kisunas followed with his first basket of the night to tie the score at 29. The teams tied again at 31 and 35 each. Cal’s Matt Bradley knocked down a three to make it 38-35. Stanford made a basket and the first half finished with the Bears ahead 38-37. Okpala led the Cardinal with 11 points. Oscar da Silva and Daejon Davis each had 5. Sueing led the Bears with 10. Big Connor Vanover, who is 7 feet 3 inches tall contributed 8. Paris Austin had 6.

It was more of the same in the second half. Neither team would give an inch. If one team went on a small run, the other team fought back to either tie the game or take the lead. Stanford led early, but Cal came back to tie. The Bears tied at 58. The Bears led 66-51 but Stanford kept coming back and the Cardinal, led by KZ Okapala’s 30 points, was able to hold off the Bears as the won 84-81.

Here’s how the game ended. he Bears’ Matt Bradley drove the baseline for an apparent tying bucket. The Cardinal’s big Josh Sharma appeared to have fouled Bradley on the play. After a review, the call was reversed and the ball given to the Cardinal. Had Bradley been awarded the free throws, he could have tied the game. The Cardinal had the ball and ran out the clock to win the game 84-81.

Game Notes: The loss was the Bears tenth in a row and matches the longest streak in school history. The Bears are 5-16 for the season and 0-9 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal’s record is now 11-10 and they are 4-5 in the Pac-12.

Okpala had a career-high of 30 points to lead Stanford. Bryce Wills had 16, Daejon Davis 14, Oscar Da Silva 7 Cormac Ryan, 7. Justice Sueing paced the Bears with 23. Paris Austin had 15, Matt Bradley 13, and Connor Vanover 15.

While this is the third year in a row that the Cardinal is having a so-so season, there is a reason to have hope that the future will be brighter for Stanford as 11 of the 15 players on the squad are either freshman or sophomores. That should bode well for Cardinal coach Jerrod Haase.

Up Next: The Cardinal return to action Thursday night when they face the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Ore.

Thompson returns, leads the Warriors to a 115-101 win over the Lakers

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- Klay Thompson scored 28 points Saturday night to lead the Warriors to a 115-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were without the services of LeBron James. James returned to action after missing 17 games due to a groin strain suffered on Christmas Day in a game against the Warriors. James played 40 minutes in the overtime win over the Clippers Thursday night and woke up very sore. Lakers’ coach Luke Walton gave him the night off.

The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter. They had an early 14-point lead 22-8, but the Lakers got their offense going to make in 22-14. The Warriors shot a  blistering 64% in the quarter and held the Lakers to 35%. However, they did not blow the Lakers away. They held a nine-point lead 33-24 at the end of the first twelve minutes of action. The Lakers won the second quarter 34-30 to finish the half trailing 63-58. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 23. The other half of the Splash Brothers, Steph Curry, could not make a shot. He made just two free throws, and that was it.

The Lakers continued to double-team Curry and Kevin Durant in the third quarter. Lakers’ coach Luke Walton’s strategy was to not let Steph or KD get any open looks and force the other Warriors to beat them. The theory worked as the Lakers opened the third period with a 22-68run to take the lead 81-71. The Warriors behind the play of DeMarcus Cousins, Kevon Looney, and Andre Iguodala chipped away at the Laker lead until late in the third period when Iguodala nailed a three to give the Warriors a two-point advantage 88-86 after three-quarters of play.

Steph Curry, who was held to just two points and had missed all of his shots, came to life in the fourth quarter. He knocked down twelve points and the Warriors outscored the Lakers 27-15 to seal the win.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors needed help from DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala to pick up the lack of production from Steph Curry.  Cousins responded with a double-double. He Scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds. Iguodala kicked in with 17 and he connected on three 3-point shots in four attempts. Klay Thompson finished with 28 and Kevin Durant had 21 points and 11 assists for another double-double. The Warriors recorded 31 assists on 41 field goals. They were moving the ball well.

The Lakers had six players in double figures. Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 20. Kyle Kuzman had 13, Rajon Rondo 10, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope 12, Ivaca Zubac 10, and Lance Stephenson, 10. Former Warrior JaVale McGee was presented with his 2018 championship ring prior to the start of the game.  McGee received a nice ovation from the Warrior fans. The Lakers are 6-12 when LeBron James is not in the lineup.

The Warriors return to action on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

 

76ers snap the Warriors’ 11-game winning streak with 113-104 win

Photo credit: @NBA

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who returnedhome after winning all five games on the road, had to face the young and talented Philadelphia 76ers Thursday night at Oracle Arena.

The game marked the home debut of DeMarcus Cousins, and the sellout crowd was hoping that the Warriors would win their 12th game in a row. Cousins had 22 points Monday night in the win over the Indiana Pacers, and it appeared that he fitted in well with the team. Cousins’ presence in the lineup gives the Warriors something they have needed for a long time, and that is a big man that can clog the lanes, rebound, pass, and shoot. Cousins was also able to provide screens for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

The 76ers, with the third best record in the NBA East and led by their two big men, Joel Embiid at center and Ben Simmons at forward, were too much for the Warriors as they sent the Warriors down to defeat 113-104.

The two teams played a very competitive first quarter. The Warriors led 21-12 about midway through the period. The 76ers went on a 16-6 run to tie the game at 27. The Warriors got back on track behind two buckets each by Kevon Looney and Kevin Durant. The Warriors led 35-30 after the first 10 minutes of play. Steph Curry knocked down 11 points, and he made three 3-point shots. In the second quarter, the 76ers started the proceedings with an 8-0 run to lead 38-35. The Warriors rallied behind Curry, Durant, and Looney to extend the lead to seven 60-53 at the end of the first half. Curry had 23 points, and he made six threes in eight tries. Alfonzo McKinnie, who was filling in for the ailing Klay Thompson, helped out with 9. Durant had 12, and Looney had 8. Other than Looney, no Warrior coming off the bench, scored a point. Ben Simmons led the 76ers with 15, Embiid had 9 points and 10 rebounds. Former LA Clipper, JJ Redick, had six, and the Warriors held Jimmy Butler scoreless.

The third quarter was a different story. The Warriors, who have done so well so many times in this quarter, were outplayed by the 76ers. The Warriors were ahead 69-59 until Philadelphia went on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 71. The Warriors tied the game at 73, and it was all 76ers after that. The 76ers outscored the Warriors 42-26 in the period and led by nine, 95-86, heading into the fourth quarter. Joel Embiid had 11 points in the period to lead the 76er rampage.

Each team scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. The 76ers were able to bottle up Curry. He was able to make two threes, but the other Warriors couldn’t help him out. Both teams played defense in the last 12 minutes of action. The Warriors tried, but Embiid and company won the battle Thursday night.

Game Notes and Stats: The 76ers are now winners of 7 of their last nine games and improve to 34-18. They trail the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors for the best record in the NBA East. The Warriors fall to 36-15. They still have the best record in the NBA West.

Steph led the Warriors with 41points, and he connected on 10 threes in 18 tries. Durant had 25, Looney 14, and McKinnie 11. DeMarcus Cousins had 7 points, 6 boards, and six assists. Draymond Green finished with 4 points, 8 boards, and 10 assists.

Joel Embiid had his 42nd double-double of the season. He finished with 26 points and 20 rebounds. Ben Simmons had 25. JJ Redick added 15. The 76er bench contributed 31 points while Looney had 14 and the rest of the Warrior bench added just two points.

The Warriors were without the services of Klay Thompson, who was not able to play due to an undisclosed illness. McKinnie filled in for him, and he did well in his first NBA game as a starter.

The stats show how close the game was. Both teams made 41 field goals in 88 attempts good for 46.6% The 76ers made one more three-pointer than the Warriors 12-11. Where the game was won was on the free throw line. The 76ers outscored the Warriors 19-11 from the charity stripe.

The 76ers beat the Warriors for the first time since the 2013 season.

Up Next: The Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

Lakers superstar LeBron James, who did not play when the Warriors, beat the Lakers in LA in game two of the five-game road trip and will be back in action for LA.

Guess who’s coming back to the A’s? Sandy Alderson

Photo credit: nypost.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s announced that former General Manager Sandy Alderson has been hired as a Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations. Sandy first joined the A’s in 1981 as General Counsel. He stayed with the club for seventeen seasons and was instrumental in building the club that won three straight pennants, and one World Series championship. Alderson turned over the reins as GM after the 1997 season and stayed on as President of the club until the end of 1998.

Three days after the 1998 season ended, Sandy left the A’s to become the number three man at MLB. He was an Executive Vice President there from 1998 until 2005. Sandy then became President of the San Diego Padres and held that post until the end of 2009. Sandy became the GM of the New York Mets from 2011 until 2018. He left that post due to health issues.

Sandy was a mentor to Billy Beane and handed him the job as GM when he stepped down from that position after the 1997 season. Beane is now the Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations for the A’s, and David Forst has the job of GM.

Beane had this to say about Sandy rejoining the club: “His mentorship and friendship have been invaluable to me over the course of my career, and I look forward to the expertise and perspective he will add at every level of the organization. David and I couldn’t be more excited to bring him back to Oakland.”

This will be Sandy’s 18th year with the club. All of those who know him including the media, players, and fans, are happy to see him back in Oakland. We all wish him great success in his new job and, most importantly, wish him good health.

Curry leads the Warriors to a 132-100 rout over the Pacers

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Steph Curry scored 23 points in the first half to lead the Warriors to a 132-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Steph was 9-for-10 from the field and connected on all 5 3-point shots attempted. He connected on a 3 as the buzzer sounded to give the Warriors a commanding 69-48 halftime advantage.

The Warriors led from start to finish. With the score tied at 16, the Warriors went on a 24-6 run to finish the first quarter with a 40-22 lead. The Pacers’ leading scorer, Victor Oladipo, was not available as he injured his knee and underwent a season-ending surgery to correct the problem. His replacement, Tyreke Evans, also was not able to play. The Pacers started Edmond Sumner, who made his first start in the NBA.

The Warriors, behind Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney, continued to expand the lead. They finished the first half 69-48. The Warriors shot 59.6% from the floor. They made 6 3s in 12 attempts and recorded 20 assists in the half as they moved the ball well.

The Pacers played well in the third period. they scored 31 points against the Warriors defense. The Warriors, however, scored 32 and led by 22 heading into the final period of play. In the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins played very well. He made several buckets and the score was 115-90 and 7:46 left to play, Steve Kerr had Curry, and Kevin Durant watching from the bench. Thompson exited with 6:50 left and Cousins departed with 4:50 to play. Kevon Looney, Quinn Cook, Damian Lee, Marcus Derrickson, Jordan Bell, and Shaun Livingston finished the game for the Warriors.

Game Notes and Stats: Draymond Green did not play Monday night as coach Steve Kerr gave him a night off. Jordan Bell started in Green’s forward position and played well. Bell, who has not been as consistent as he was a year ago, recorded 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson each finished with 16. DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high 22 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists in 34 minutes of action. Kevon Looney had a career-high with 15 points to go along with 5 rebounds and two assists. Curry led the Warriors with 26, and he made 6 3s.

The Warriors finished the 12-day, 5-game road trip undefeated. It was the fourth time in Warrior history that the team went undefeated on a road trip of 5 or more games. The Warriors won their 11th game in a row and the 10th road game in a row. The Warriors are now 36-14 for the year while the Pacers drop to 32-17.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

Warriors down the Celtics 115-111 to win their 10th in a row

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their 10th game in a row as they beat the Boston Celtics 115-111 in Boston. The Warriors snapped the Celtics’ five-game winning streak and their 10-game home winning streak. The win was a milestone win for Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr as he won his 300th game. His 300 wins are the fastest ever for a coach in NBA history.

The game was a barn-burner. The lead changed 21 times. Neither team could pull away, and the game was in doubt until the last few seconds of the fourth quarter. The Warriors led 113-111 with 46 seconds left to play. Boston had three attempts to either tie the game or take the lead. Marcus Smart missed a three. Kyrie Irving, from the baseline, fired an airball, and Marcus Morris failed to connect on a three, and the Warriors were able to hold off the Celtics for the win.

The Warriors finished the first quarter with a 29-26 advantage. The Celtics won the second period 33-32 and finished the first half trailing the Warriors by two, 61-59.

The Warriors outscored the Celtics 29-25 in the third quarter to hold the lead 90-84 before heading into the final 12 minutes of play. Boston kept the pressure on the Warriors as they crept closer to the lead. The Warriors did not wilt and were able to hold off the Celtics to win their 10th in a row.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors were led by Kevin Durant’s 33 points, nine boards, and three assists. Steph Curry made six threes and finished with 24 points. Klay Thompson added 21 and DeMarcus Cousins, in his 24 minutes of action, had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and three assists. Draymond Green added 5 to go along with 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Kevon Looney and Shaun Livingston, coming off the bench, each had 8 points.

The Celtics were led by Kyrie Irving’s 32 points. Al Horford had 22, Jayson Tatum 2o, Marcus Smart 12. Bench player Jayson Tatum kicked in with 10.

The Warriors improved to 35-14 while Boston drops to 30-19.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Indianapolis to face the Indiana Pacers Monday night. The Pacers will be without the services of Victor Oladipo, who is out for the season with an injury. Oladipo was leading the Pacers in scoring.