Author: rxslugger

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

Warriors outlast the Wizards to win their ninth in a row, 126-118

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their ninth game in a row and their eighth straight on the road as they defeated the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena Thursday night in Washington. The Warriors are now 34-14 for the season. The Wizards gave the Warriors a tussle even though they are missing three important players. John Wall, Dwight Howard, and Markieff Morris were not available due to injury. The Wizards still fought the Warriors until late in the game, but Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and company were too much for the Wizards as the Warriors prevailed 126-118.

The Wizards stayed in the game as they made 15 three-point shots in forty-two tries. The Warriors connected seven times in 20 attempts, but they, with DeMarcus Cousins clogging up the middle, were able to score 70 points in the paint. Cousins, in 24 minutes of action, scored 17 points along with six boards and three assists. Cousins also connected on a 3-pointer.

The first quarter was quite competitive as the Wizards were able to lead 22-17. The Warriors, however, went on a 20-6 run to finish the quarter leading 37-28. The Wizards won the second quarter 31-30, but they could only cut one-point off the Warrior advantage. The first half ended with Golden State ahead 67-59. The Warriors were led by Steph Curry’s 21 points. Kevin Durant had 12, and DeMarcus Cousins was third with nine. The Wizards were led by former Houston Rocket Trevor Ariza’s 14 points. Bradley Beal had 13, and Tomas Satoransky, who is from the Czech Republic, added 13.

The Warriors played another terrific third quarter. Curry, Durant, and Klay Thomas upped the lead to 12 at the end of three periods of play. The Wizards tried to hang with the Warriors but the closest they came in the third quarter was trailing 71-67. The Warriors appeared to be in command but 12 minutes remained to be played.

The Wizards went on an 11-2 run to start the fourth quarter With the score 106-103, Cousins scored to put the Warriors ahead 108-103. The Wizards’ Chasson Randle, who starred for the Stanford Cardinal during his college days, connected on a three to close the gap to two 108-16. The Warriors’ bench, led by Shaun Livingston. Andre Iguodala and Alfonzo McKinnie went on a 9-0 run to make it a 117-106 score. Curry and Durant entered the game, and the Warriors went ahead 126-111. The Wizards scored the last seven points of the game, but it was too little, too late. The Warriors win 126-118

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ Steph Curry led the team with 38 points. It was the 19th time this season that Steph has scored 30 or more points in a game. Curry was 14 for 24 from the floor and made but two threes in 8 tries. Kevin Durant had 21, Draymond Green 7 to go with 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Klay Thompson scored just 9. Cousins finished with 17. The Warriors’ bench was led by Andre Iguodala’s 11 points. McKinnie and Kevon Looney each had 8 and Shaun Livingston added 7.

Trevor Ariza led the Wizards with 27 points. Beal had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Satoransky also had a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.

The Warriors shot 56.8% from the floor and held the Wizards to 46.3%. The Warriors recorded 34 assists, and it was the 20th game of the year with 30 or more assists. They outrebounded the Wizards 5-36. On defense, the Warriors had five steals and 6 blocks.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Saturday at the TD Garden. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

The Celtics, under coach Brad Stevens, have fought the Warriors tooth and nail. The Celtics have a formidable lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Hayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier.

Warriors roll over the Lakers 130-111 in Los Angeles

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors had little trouble blowing out the Lakers 131-111 Monday night at the Staples Center. The Lakers, without LeBron James, who is recovering from a groin injury and Lonzo Ball, out 4 to 6 weeks with a grade 3 ankle sprain, were no match for the Warriors.  The Warriors have been playing well and are looking like the Warriors of the past four seasons as they are starting to blow out opponents. They also avenged a loss to the Lakers on Christmas day in Oakland. The Warriors won their eighth in a row and tenth in the last 11 games. The Lakers lost for the fourth time in the last six games.

With the game tied at 18, the Warriors went on a 7-0 run to go up 25-18. The Warriors finished the first quarter leading 29-24. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 11 points. The Warriors increased the lead to 10 at the end of the first half 65-55. Thompson finished the first 24 minutes of play with 21 points. He was 9-for-11 from the floor, and he made all three of his 3-point shots. Durant had 10, Curry 8, and DeMarcus Cousins 7. Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 13. Kyle Kuzma had 11, Michael Beasley 8, and Ivaca Zunac 8.

The Warriors broke open the game in the third quarter. They outscored the Lakers 45-25. Thompson connected on 7 three-point shots and set an NBA record by making his first ten 3-point shots in a row. He missed on his 11th try. Thompson left the game near the end of the third quarter, and he did not play in the fourth period. The Warriors finished the third quarter with a 30-point lead 110-80. Durant, Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green sat out the fourth quarter. Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr left Cousins in the game to get some more playing time, and he finished the night with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. He saw 21 minutes of action before exiting about halfway through the final quarter. The Lakers’ bench outscored the Warriors 31-20, but it was not enough to overcome a 30-point deficit.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 33-14. The Lakers drop to 25-23. Klay finished with 44 points. He was 17-20 from the floor and made 10 three-point shots in 11 tries. KD had 20, Steph Curry a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists. The Warriors’ bench players also contributed to the win. Jonas Jerebko had 9, Alonzo McKinnie 8, Kevon Looney 8, and Andre Iguodala 6.

Ivaca Zubac led the Lakers with 18. Ingram had 17, Kyle Kuzma 16, Michael Beasley,15. JaVale McGee, who played and won two championship rings with the Warriors, contributed 10 points in a losing effort for the Lakers.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Washington, DC to face the Wizards Thursday night. Game time will be at 5 pm. The Wizards are 20-26 so far this season.

Warriors come back to win, send Pelicans down 147-140

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Wow, what a game! The Golden State Warriors, having played last night in Denver and returned home to the Bay Area in the wee hours of the morning, defeated the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night at Oracle Arena by a score of 147-140. It was not easy as the Pelicans played one of their best games of the year. They scored 140 points and had five players in double-digits. They led for most of the game, but the Warriors came to life late in the third quarter and took the lead 110 -109 when Andre Iguodala hit a shot at the buzzer and made a free throw as he was fouled on the play.

The Pelicans, not known for three-point shooting, rained down ten 3-pointers in the first half. They won the first quarter 39-31. With the score 21-14 in favor of Golden State, the Pelicans went on a 17-5 run to lead 31-26. They finished the quarter, leading 39-31. The Pelicans increased the lead to sixteen, 61-45. The Warriors then went on a 17-4 run to close the gap to 65-62. The Pelicans responded and went ahead by eight 70-62. The first half ended with New Orleans in the lead 71-66.

Nikola Mirotic led the Pelicans with 21 points coming off the bench. He made four three and the Warriors had no answer for him. Anthony Davis had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jrue Holiday had 11. The Warriors’ Big Three of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson finished with 15, 12, and 17, respectively. Shaun Livingston, coming off the bench scored 11. The Pelicans made ten 3s, and the Warriors made 11. Steph Curry committed his two fouls early in the first quarter and missed over sat on the bench for most of the period. He committed his third foul early in the second quarter and sat until late in the period.

The Pelicans looked as if they were in command, and were going to win the game as the Warriors could not get the offense going. The Warriors came to life late in the period when they went on a 25-8 run in the last 3 minutes and 43 seconds left in the period. They had not led since early in the first quarter. The Warriors, behind Curry’s 23 points in the quarter and Iguodala’s steal and bucket, as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter with the Warriors in the lead 110-109. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 44-38 in the quarter.

The Warriors continued to play well on offense, and their defense was able to stop the Pelican attack. The Pelicans went up by three 118-115, but Iguodala hit a 3 to tie the game. The teams tied again at 120. New Orleans went ahead 124-123. It would be their last lead of the night. Shaun Livingston made a bucket, and that was followed by Kevon Looney’s basket to make it 127-124. Draymond Green made a three to give the Dubs the lead 132-126. Looney and Curry mad buckets to put the Warriors ahead by eight, 134-126, with 2:28 left to play. Mirotoc connected on his sixth 3 of the night, but Green countered with his fourth 3-pointer. The Warriors’ defense made the stops, and the Warriors finished with their sixth win a row by a score of 147-140.

Game Notes and Stats: After the big win in Denver Tuesday night, it looked like the Warriors were not in sync early in the game. The Pelicans finished the night with five players in double figures, and they made 19 three-point shots and scored 140 points and still lost. The Warriors found their mojo late in the third quarter and showed the Pelicans why they are the reigning NBA champions. Steph Curry had another out of this world performance as he finished with 41 points and made nine threes in 17 attempts. Kevin Durant had a double-double with 30 points and 15 rebounds, Durant made five threes Wednesday night. Klay Thompson had 19, and he made four threes. Draymond Green probably had his best game of the year. Green, who had not been scoring much this season, tallied 17 points. He had six rebounds and 14 assists for another double-double. He had to guard the Pelicans’ two big men Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic. Mirotic scored 21 in the first half but was held to just eight in the second. Kevon Looney also played well. Looney had seven significant points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala each had 13 points for Golden State.

Golden State made 24 three-point shots to tie a franchise record. The Pelicans made 19 threes. Each time shot 48% from the floor. The Warriors outrebounded the Pelicans 57-49, and Kevon Looney was a force on the offensive boards as the Warriors outrebounded the Pelicans 10-7 in that department.

The Warriors improve to 31-14 while the Pelicans drop to 21-24.

Up Next: The Warriors embark on a five-game road trip starting Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center in LA. The game will feature the debut of DeMarcus Cousins as a Warrior. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Warriors blow out the Nuggets 142-111 in Denver

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their fifth game in a row as they dominated the Denver Nuggets as they won the game 142-111 at the Pepsi Center Tuesday evening. With the win, the Warriors took over the first seed in the Western Conference by just 1/2 game over the Nuggets. The Warriors set two records in the first quarter of the game as they scored 51 points. It was the first time in NBA history that a team scored that many points. The Warriors also set a franchise record as they made 10 3-point shots in the quarter. The Warriors wanted to make a statement Tuesday night, and they did just that as they dominated the Nuggets from start to finish.

The Warriors came out firing to start the game. Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant rained down threes on the Nuggets. The Nuggets didn’t play poorly as they scored 38 points, but they finished the quarter trailing 51-38. The Warriors increased the lead to 19 at the end of the first half. They lead 79-60. The Nuggets made a 17-9 run to close the gap to 72-60, but the Warriors scored the last seven points to finish with the 19-point advantage. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 20. Thompson had 18, and Curry ended with 14. All three connected four times on 3-pointers. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 21. Nicola Jokic had 9, and Paul Millsap added 8 for Denver.

The Warrior onslaught continued in the third quarter. They outscored the Nuggets 33-23 to increase the lead to 29. Curry, near the end of the quarter, scored 11 points. He made three treys and one bucket to give the Warriors the lead 112-83. Curry and Durant sat out the fourth quarter. Thompson came out of the game with &:26 left to play. The Warriors bench finished the game as the Warriors won 142-111.

Game Notes and Stats; The Warriors won their fifth game in a row and improved to 30-14. The Nuggets dropped to 29-14. The 51 points in the first quarter were the fifth time in the 73rd year of the team’s existence that they scored more than 50 points in a quarter. Klay Thompson had four dunks in the game for the first time in his career, and Kevon Looney had a career-high 12 rebounds.

Draymond Green’s line was 4 points, six boards, and 13 assists. He was plus 41 when he was in the game. Kevin Durant finished with 27 points, four rebounds, and six assists. He connected on five 3-point shots. Thompson had 31 and he, too, made five threes. Curry finished with 31, and he made eight threes. He was plus-25 when he was on the floor. Quinn Cook, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Jonas Jerebko all made significant contributions coming off the bench.

Scoring leaders for Denver were Malik Beasley with 22, Jamal Murray 21 (none in the second half), Jokic with 17, Will Barton 11, and Mason Plumlee 9.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm. The Warriors then play The Los Angeles Clippers Friday night in Los Angeles. DeMarcus Cousins will be making his debut as a Golden State Warrior. It will be his first basketball game since he suffered an Achilles tendon injury last January.

Curry leads the Warriors to a 119-114 win over the Mavericks in Dallas

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played another close game with the Dallas Mavericks Sunday evening in Dallas. It was the third game of the season between the two teams, and it was a thriller. The teams had split the two previous meetings, and this was the final meeting of the regular season. The Mavericks are an improved team with the addition of former LA Clipper DeAndre Jordan and the nineteen-year-old sensation Luca Doncic. The Warriors lost to the Mavericks in Dallas earlier in the season when they did not have Steph Curry and Draymond Green available. The Warriors gained a measure of revenge as they defeated the Mavericks 119-114 in a game that was determined in the final seconds of play.

The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter and grabbed an early 16-10 lead. Curry and Kevin Durant scored all the Warrior points up to that point in the game. The Warriors had opportunities to score but could not cash in. The Mavs were able to go on a 12-0 run to go ahead 22-16. The Mavs finished the quarter leading 29-25.

The Warriors won the second quarter37-25 to finish the first half with a 62-54 advantage. Steph Curry was on fire as he tallied 24 points and connected on five threes in 8 attempts. Durant added 17. Klay Thompson was held to 4 points. Luca Doncic led the Mavs with 12. Jordan had 6, Wesley Matthews 8, former Stanford star Dwight Powell had 8, and Jalen Brunson finished the half with 8.

Dallas controlled the boards in the first quarter, but things changed when Steve Kerr inserted Jonas Jerebko and Alonzo McKinnie into the game in the second quarter. Both players help the Dubs get rebounds at both ends of the court, and they were a big help in getting the Warriors back into the lead.

The Warriors offense got some help from Klay Thompson. Alonzo McKinnie, Andre Iguodala, and Steph Curry. They held Dallas to 40% from the floor, but Dallas spent a lot more time at the free throw line. They were 10 for 11 from the charity stripe while the Dubs had but two free throws in the period. The Warriors finished the period leading 92-88

As the fans of the NBA know, most games are decided in the fourth quarter. The game between these two teams was no exception. The Warriors were clinging to a scant four-point advantage as they started the fourth and final stanza. Dallas kept creeping closer. However, Curry and Thompson connected on three-point shots to keep the Warriors ahead. Dallas tied the game at 103. They went up by five 110-105 with 4:25 left to play. It was still anyone’s game. Steph hit a three, and the Warriors now trailed 110-108. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes was fouled by Draymond Green while attempting a three-point shot. Green was also charged with a flagrant foul. Barnes made all three free throws and Dallas retained possession. The Warriors caught a break when Andre Iguodala managed to steal the ball. Durant followed with a bucket to make it 113-110. Klay followed with a basket. The score was 113-112 with 2:21 left. Dallas made a free throw to go up 114-112. They would not score again. Curry tied it a 114. He then hit a three to put the Warriors in the lead 117-114 with 42.2 seconds left to play. Dallas had the ball and needed a three to tie the game in regulation. Harrison Barnes, with 5.6 seconds left on the clock, fumbled the ball and lost it out of bounds. The Mavs fouled Steph, and he made both free throws to ice the win for Golden State. Final score 119-114.

Game notes and stas\ts. The Warriors, with the win, improved to 29-14. The Mavericks, who were 16-4 at home before the game, drop to 20-23 overall and 16-5 at home.

Curry had a tremendous performance with 48 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Curry made 11 threes in 19 attempts. He had 13 points in the fourth quarter. Durant had 28, 7 board, and 5 assists. He was a force on both ends of the court. Klay Thompson finished with 16. Klay had 9 points in the fourth quarter that helped the Dubs to the win. McKinnie finished with 10.

The Macs were led by Luca Doncic. He knocked down 26 points and had 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He also made 5 threes. Harrison Barnes had 22, Jordan 13 points and 14 boards, and Brunson had 12.

The Warriors shot 46% from the floor and held the Mavs to 41.8% The Warriors made nineteen three and the Mavs connected 16 times. The Mavs had 17 more free throws than the Warriors They had 29 compared to 12 for Golden State. The Maves outrebounded the Dubs 51-49, but the Warriors had 9 steals and 8 blocked shots.

The Warriors are 8-1 on the road since December 3rd. They travel to Denver to face the Nuggets Tuesday night. Game time is at 6pm.

 

Warriors roll over the Bulls 146-109

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, for the second game in a row, routed their opponent, the Chicago Bulls Friday night at Oracle Arena, The Warriors got off to a fast start behind three 3-point shots by Klay Thompson to take an early 9-0 lead. The Warriors never looked back as they overwhelmed the Bulls by a score of 146-109.

The Warriors outscored the Bulls 43-17 in the first quarter. The Warriors moved the ball well all night. They found the open man and knocked down 3s. They played defense as the limited the Bulls to 17 points in the first 12 minutes of action. They even had a bit of luck when Jonas Jerebko sank a 3-pointer from behind the half-court line as time expired in the quarter. The Bulls played better in the second quarter, but still trailed by 21 at the end of the first half 76-55. Thompson led the Dubs with 24. Klay made six 3s in 8 attempts. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry each had 13. Zach Lavine led the Bulls with 24, and he made three 3s.

The Warriors did not let up in the third quarter. The Warriors’ big three of Durant, Thompson, and Curry continued to punish the Bulls. The Warriors put the game out of reach as they outscored the Bulls 40-21 in the third quarter. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr removed all the starters with about two minutes left in the period. The Warriors led by 40 points, 116-76

Warriors’ bench players Jordan Bell, Marcus Derrickson, Jonas Jerebko, and Quinn Cook played the entire fourth quarter. The second unit played well as they were able to put up points on the board and the Warriors won by a final score of 146-109.

Game Notes and Stats: Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30 points. He made seven 3-pointers. Curry had 28 with five 3s, and Kevin Durant had 22. It was the ninth time this season that the Big Three had more than 20-plus points in a game. Quinn Cook had 15, Jordan Bell had 13, Marcus Derrickson had 10, and Jerebko had 8.

The Bulls were led by Zach LaVine’s 29 points. Bobby Portis had 16 points, Antonio Blakeney had 12 points and Ryan Arcidiacono had 10 points. The Bulls’ Lauri Markkanen, who is seven-foot tall, finished the night with 8 points.

The Warriors improved to 28-14, while Chicago dropped to 10-32.

The Warriors announced that DeMarcus Cousins, who is recovering from an Achilles heel rupture suffered last January, will return to action against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 18th in Los Angeles.

Up Next: The Warriors hit the road to play the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Sunday. Game time is at 4:00 pm.

Warriors throttle the Knicks 122-95

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced the lowly New York Knicks at Oracle Arena Tuesday night and routed them 122-95. The Knicks, who are coached by Dave Fizdale, were competitive for the first 18 to 20 minutes of the first half. The Knicks, who are in rebuild mode, entered the game as one of the worst shooting clubs in the NBA. They trailed the Warriors 31-25 at the end of the first quarter. They grabbed a 49-48 lead, but they could not stop the Warriors as the Warriors went on a 13-0 run to finish the first half, leading 61-49. Klay Thompson led the Warrior attack with 17 points, Steph Curry had 14, and Kevin Durant added 11. The Knicks were led by Tim Hardaway, Jr’s 11 points. Hardaway was hurt with 1:07 left to play in the half, and he was not able to return.

The Warriors blew out the Knicks in the third quarter. They outscored them 33-18 to finish the quarter with a 94-68 lead. Thompson was on fire as he was the player with the hot hand. Thompson stayed hot, and when he connected on a three to make the score 111-83. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr took him out. Thompson finished with 43. Kerr also removed all the starters, and the bench players coasted to a 122-95 victory.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 27-14. Steph Curry missed 11 games to a injury, and Draymond Green also missed 14 due to a toe injury.

Green scored just two points, but he did have a double-double with 11 boards and 10 assists. Curry also had a double-double. He knocked down 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 14 assists. Kevin Durant finished with 24 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists. The Warriors’ bench contributed 41 points.

The Knicks’ 19-year old rookie tallied 12 points. The Knicks’ leading scorer was Mario Hezonja with 19. Their big center, Enod Kanter, had a double-double with 12 points, and 16 rebounds.

The Warrior defense held the Knicks to 39.6% shooting from the floor. The Warriors outrebounded them 49-39, and the Warriors had 9 steals and 10 blocked shots.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the lowly Chicago Bulls Friday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Warriors come out on top against Kings 127-123

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, still smarting from a one-point loss to the Houston Rockets last Thursday night, traveled to Sacramento to face the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center Saturday evening.

The Kings, under coach Dave Joerger, are no longer the sad sack Kings. Joerger has worked wonders with his young team. They entered the game with a record of 19-19, and they had split the two games played against the Warriors so far this season. The Kings play an uptempo game and love to make three-point shots. The Warriors knew that they would have their hands full with the Kings and that what exactly what transpired during the game. The two teams set an NBA record with 41 three-point shots made in a game. The Warriors made 21, and the Kings made 20. The Warriors prevailed 127-123 as they figured out a way to play defense in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors, with the score tied at 22 in the first quarter, went on a 15-0 run to lead 37-22. The Kings woke up, but the Warriors still finished the quarter leading 43-29. The Kings outscored the Warriors 40-27 in the second quarter and trailed by one 70-69 at the end of the first half. Both teams were making three-point shots. The Warriors connected 12 times, and the Kings made 11. Steph Curry knocked down four three-pointers. Klay Thompson and Quinn Cook each had three. The Kings’ Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovich each had three. Klay Thompson had 17, Kevin Durant 13, and Quinn Cook added 10. Bogdanovic finished the first half with 15, Justin Jackson 12, and Nemanja Bjelica 10.

The Kings continued their torrid shooting in the third period. They outscored Golden State 34-26 to end the period with a seven-point advantage 101-96.  The Kings’ Buddy Hield made five threes in the period, and his total for the game was eight, which was a career-high for him. The Warriors continued to commit turnovers while the Kings did not at this point in the game.

The Warriors had their work cut out for them if they wanted to win. They had to play defense, and someone had to step up and lead the offense. The Warriors showed the Kings why they are the reigning NBA champs as they held the prolific Kings offense to just 20 points in the fourth quarter. Curry showed the Kings why he was awarded two NBA MVP awards as he scored 20 of the teams 31 points in the final 12 minutes to lead the Warriors to victory.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors improved to 26-14 while Sacramento dropped to 19-20. Curry led the Warriors with 42 points, and he connected on 10 3-point shots. Durant had 29 point, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists. He made three threes, too. Klay Thompson had 20 and three threes. Quinn Cook had 10. Draymond Green finished with 12 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists.

The Kings’ Buddy Hield finished with 32. He made eight threes, but the Warriors throttled him in the fourth quarter as he failed to make a three in the final stanza. Justin Jackson, coming off the bench for Sacramento, ended the night with 28 points. He knocked down five threes. Bogdanovic had 17, Willie Cauley-Stein 14 points and 13 rebounds. Nemanja Bjelica had 12 for Sacramento.

The two teams set an NBA record for threes made in a game. The Warriors were 21 for 47 while the Kings were 20 for 36. The Warriors’ defense had 5 steals and 8 blocks. The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times. The Kings committed just one turnover in the first half, but the Warrior defense caused them to commit 7 turnovers in the last 24 minutes of play.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the New York Knicks Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Warriors lose OT thriller to Rockets 135-134

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The defending champion Golden State Warriors hosted the rampaging Houston Rockets Thursday night at Oracle Arena. The game was a tale of two halves. The Warriors won the first half by 17 points, and the Rockets won the second half by 17 points to send the game into overtime. The Rockets won the game with just one second left on the clock when the reigning NBA MVP, James Harden, connected on a 3-point shot to put the Rockets ahead for good 135-134.

The Warriors won the first half 70-53 as they had four players in double-figures. Klay Thompson was hot with 19 to lead the team. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry each had 13 and Kevon Looney scored 12 much to the delight of the Warrior fans and head coach Steve Kerr. The Rockets were led by Clint Capela with 16 and James Harden’s 15.

As the fans know, 17-point leads are not difficult to overcome in the NBA. The Warriors increased the lead to 20, but the Rockets were not fazed. James Harden led the Rocket comeback with 13 points in the third quarter. The Warriors’ lead at the end of three periods of play swindled down to 6 points 98-92.

In the fourth quarter, the Rockets cut the deficit to one point as they trailed 102-101.  The Warriors’ Jonas Jerebko made two free throws, and he hit a three-pointer to put the Dubs ahead 108-13. The Warriors increased the lead to six 119-113, but the Rockets scored the last six points of regulation to tie the contest at 119.

The Rockets grabbed the early lead in OT 121-119. Curry tied the game at 121. Harden hit another three and Houston led 124-121. Durant made two free throws and a bucket to give the Warriors the lead 125-124. Curry made a 3 and the Warriors lead 128-124 with 2:20 left in overtime. Harden and Austin Rivers each connected on a 3-pointer to go ahead 130-128. Durant and Thompson scored a pair of 2-pointers to put Golden State ahead 132-130. The Rockets tied at 132 and Curry made a bucket to put the Warriors ahead 134-132. Time was running out for Houston. They inbounded the ball to Harden and with one second left on the clock, Harden made a 3-pointer to cement the win. The Warriors inbounded the ball to Durant, but his shot hit the rim, and the game was over.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors were led by Steph Curry’s 35 points, including five 3-point shots. Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant each finished with 26. Kevon Looney finished with 12. Draymond Green had 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Houston was led by Harden’s triple-double. He recorded 44 points, 10 boards, and 15 assists. He made 10 3s. It was the ninth game in a row that Harden had scored more than 35 points. The other big force for Houston was Clint Capela. The Warriors did not have an answer for him. Capela knocked down 29 points and pulled down 21 rebounds. Capela was double teamed most of the night, and the Warriors could not contain him. Also, Capela did not commit a foul until late in the fourth quarter. Austin Rivers had 18, and he made four 3s. Gerald Green connected on three 3s and finished with 16 for the night. Danuel House added 17 for the Rockets.

The Warriors shot 52% from the floor and held Houston to 45.5%. The big stat to keep in mind is that the Rockets made 21 3-point shots. The Warriors connected on 14.

The Warriors, with the loss, drop to 25-14 and Houston improved to 22-15.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Sacramento to face the Kings Saturday night at 7:00 pm PT.

Warriors end the year on a winning note as they rout the Suns 132-109

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors finished 2018 as they routed the young and improving Phoenix Suns 132-109. The Warriors won their 17th in a row over the Suns and eighth straight in Phoenix. The Warriors won all four quarters of the game, but it was midway through the second quarter with the second unit on the floor as they caught fire and put the game away. The Warriors finished the first quarter with a four-point lead 31-27. They ended the first half leading by 17, 69-52.

The Warriors refused to let the Suns back in the game. They won the third quarter 39-32 and also the fourth quarter 24-22.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 34 points, 4 rebounds and, nine assists. Kevin Durant helped out with 25. Klay Thompson added 15. Draymond Green had 7 points and 7 assists and was plus-20 when he was on the floor. The Warriors’ bench contributed 46 points Monday night and that effort put a big smile on Steve Kerr’s face.

The big rookie, 7-foot 1-inch Deandre Ayton, from the University of Arizona knocked down 25 points. T.J. Warren added 24, Devon Booker 20, and Kelly Oubre, Jr. 15.

The Warriors, as a team, shot 54.8% from the floor and were 14-for-28 from 3-point range. The Warriors’ defense outrebounded the Suns and the defense had 7 steals and 8 blocked shots during the contest.

The Warriors improved to 25-13 while the Suns drop to 9-29. The Warriors return home to play the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena The Rockets, after a slow start, are now 21-15 and are in first place in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.