Author: rxslugger

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

Warriors play another thriller, but lose 131-128 to the Raptors in OT

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors met the Eastern Division leaders, the Toronto Raptors, in Toronto Thursday evening. The Raptors entered the game with the best record in the NBA 18-4. The Raptors made a trade with the San Antonio Spurs after the 2017-2018 season ended to acquire Kawhi Leonard in exchange for Demar DeRozan. Leonard played in just nine games last season due to injury. Leonard was not happy in San Antonio and appears to have found a comfortable home in Toronto. The Warriors’ Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Alfonzo McKinnie were not available. Curry has missed the last eleven games due to a groin strain but will return to action Saturday night when the Warriors meet the Detroit Pistons.

The Warriors, behind the exceptional play of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, won their last three games. They came from behind to win thrillers over Sacramento and Orlando. They played another thriller against Toronto as they came back from an 18-point deficit to tie the game in regulation. Unfortunately, the Raptors prevailed in the five-minute overtime period to down the Warriors 131-128.

The Raptors thoroughly outplayed the Warriors in the first quarter. Toronto went on a 13-0 run to take an early 14-point lead 20-6. The Warriors offense woke up, and they started to make baskets. They trailed 24-14 when Toronto went on another 8-0 run to lead 32-14. The Warriors closed the gap a smidge but finished the period down by 13points 39-25. Toronto was 14-for-18 from the floor in the first eight minutes and eighteen seconds of action. They also made six three-point shots in ten attempts. The Warriors shot 58% from the floor while Toronto shot an astounding 72.2%

Toronto held the lead for the entire second quarter. Golden State trailed by seventeen at one point in the period, but they continued to fight. They were able to finish the first half down by nine 67-58. They outscored the Raptors 38-29 in the quarter.

The Warriors tried to get back in the game in the third quarter. They trailed by seven 69-62 when Toronto went on a 10-0 run to lead 79-62. It appeared that Toronto was going to cruise to an easy win. Durant, Thompson, and company had other thoughts. The Warriors continued to fight. They needed to make stops, and they did as they clawed their way back to trail 96-88 after three periods of play. The Raptors led by Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam thwarted the Warriors at every turn. Kevin Durant was not on the floor to start the fourth quarter. The Warriors, behind Klay Thompson and Jonas Jerebko, went on a 9-0 run and closed to within two 103-101. Toronto responded to take a ten-point lead 114-104. KD was back on the floor, and the Warriors went on another 8-0 run to make it 114-112. The Raptors increased the lead to 119-113, but Durant came through with two three-pointers to tie the game at 119 as time ran out.

The Warriors did not play well in overtime. They committed five turnovers as the Raptors outscored them 12-9 to win by a final of 131-128.

Game notes and stats. Kevin Durant had his third consecutive game scoring forty or more points. It was the first time in his career that he had achieved this feat. KD ended the night with 51 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. It was the sixth time in his career that he scored fifty or more in a game. Klay Thompson had 23, and Jonas Jerebko knocked down 20. No other Warrior was in double figures. Kawhi Leonard led Toronto with 37. Serge Ibaka had 20, and Pascal Siakam recorded 26. The Raptors had three other players in double figures.

The Warriors drop to 15-7 and are 5-6 with Steph Curry out of the lineup. The Raptors improve to 19-4.

The Warriors travel to Detroit to face the Pistons Saturday nigh

A’s announce plans for a new stadium

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Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s held a press conference today to announce their plans for a new ballpark to be located at Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. A’s fans have been waiting a long time for the announcement, and they are hoping that this project will come to fruition. Fremont, San Jose, and Laney College all rejected the A’s proposal for a new stadium. The A’s think they have their ducks in a row this time. When the plan for the stadium at Laney fell through last year, A’s officials had egg all over their collective faces. They promised to make an announcement by the end of 2018 and today they made good on the promise.

The A’s plan to build a privately-financed 34,000 seat stadium. Seats will be closer to home plate, and a lot of the extra foul territory will o longer exist. It will be a better deal for the fans as it will more intimate. It will be better for the hitters as foul balls will no longer be caught for outs. It may not be better for pitchers as the hitters will now get extra opportunities to hit. Not to worry fans, the park won’t be ready until 2023. The A’s will need more parking, for sure. They are planning to build an aerial gondola that can transport 6000 people to the park. They will need additional shuttles from the Bart stations in West Oakland and 12th street downtown.

The A’s are embarking on a 120-day action plan. 1) They are gathering additional feedback. 2) They will begin the environmental review process at Howard Terminal. 3) They will negotiate an agreement with the Port of Oakland. 4) They will develop a framework with public officials regarding development plans for the Oakland Coliseum site. 5) They will create a framework for economic and community benefits agreement.

The A’s plan to develop the Coliseum into a general community center. They will keep Oracle Arena intact and will use it for concerts and other events. They plan new affordable housing as well as offices, retail, restaurants, and other public spaces to help revitalize the neighborhood. The A’s have offered to buy the Coliseum Complex from the city and county, but have not yet received an answer.

It is an ambitious plan for the future for both the A’s and the city of Oakland. Everyone involved is hoping the ballpark will be built.

Warriors come from behind to win another thriller, 116-110, over the Magic

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Warriors won another thriller Monday night against the rapidly, improving Orlando Magic Monday night at Oracle Arena by a score of 116-110. The Magic beat the Lakers in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon and had to play Monday night again. The Magic have turned their program around this season under head coach Steve Clifford. Orlando had struggled the last few years, but they have beaten some pretty good teams so far this year. They have knocked off Boston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and the Lakers twice so far. They entered the game with a record of 10-10. The Warriors were without Steph Curry for the 10th straight game. Draymond Green was thought to be available, but he did not play. Alfonzo McKinnie also did not play.

The Warriors’ Klay Thompson started the game with a three-pointer. The Magic countered with a bucket to make it 3-2 early in the first quarter. The Magic opened up a 9-point lead 16-7 before the Warriors went on a 9-2 run to close the gap to 18-16. Orlando led 25-18, but the Warriors finished the quarter with an 8-0 run to lead 26-25 after 12 minutes of play.

The second period was another story. Orlando outplayed the Warriors the entire second period. They made 3-point shots. They played defense and won the second quarter 33-14 to finish the first half leading by 17 64-47. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 20, and Klay Thompson had 10. Damion Lee was the only Warrior with more than two points. Six players, Kevon Looney, Jordan Bell, Damian Jones, Quinn Cook, Shaun Livingston, and Andre Iguodala each had two points in the first half. The Magic’s big center Nikola Vukcevic knocked down 17 and Terrence Ross, coming off the bench, had 16. Evan Fournier had 9, and D.J.Augustin pitched in with 8.

The Warriors had to go back to the drawing board during the halftime intermission. Head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out a way to get his players to start scoring and be able to stop the hot Orlando team on offense. It was not going to be easy as Orlando, having won a close game in Los Angeles on Sunday, did not wilt. They answered everything the Warriors threw at them. The Warriors increased the intensity on defense, and they started to chip away at the 18-point deficit. Kevin Durant was on fire as he scored 16 points in the third quarter. He also showed the Magic how good he could play defense as he blocked a shot with about five minutes left in the quarter and the momentum started to shift to the Warriors. They outscored the Magic 32-19 and finished the quarter trailing by just four points 83-79. The fans at Oracle Arena were on their feet as the Warriors clawed their way back into the contest.

With Durant resting on the bench, Klay Thompson took over the offense. Klay made two three-pointers in a row to get within three 88-85. The Magic fought back and increased the lead to seven. They could not get closer than three as the Magic led 100-97. Kevon Looney came through with a big bucket, and Klay hit another three to give the Warriors the advantage 102-100. The Magic fought back and tied the game at 107 with one minute and forty-four seconds left to play. Durant made a layup and Orlando fouled him on the play. He converted the free throw, and The Warriors led again 110-107. Orland countered with a bucket. Durant made a three-pointer to make 113- 109. The Warriors fouled Nikola Vucevic but he missed a free throw and all the Warriors needed to win was one-point. Shaun Livingston made the free throw to put the game out of reach, and the Warriors added two more points to win 116-110. The Warriors won the second half 69-46 to win by six. What a game. The fans went home very happy and many of them had to have sore throats as they were cheering very loudly.

Game notes and stats- Kevin Durant finished the night with a season-high 49 points. Klay Thompson finished with 29. Klay made five 3-point shots in the fourth quarter and six total for the night. No other Warrior scored in double-figures. Quinn Cook was third in scoring with eight and that included two treys. While they didn’t score a lot, Kevon Looney, Jordan Bell, Andre Iguodala, Jonas Jerebko, and Damian Jones all performed well on defense as they held the Magic to just 46 points in the second half.

Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Terrence Ross finished with 28, and he made four threes. Jonathan Simmons, Jonathan Isaac, and Mo Bomba, not known for shooting threes, knocked down 7 in 8 attempts.

The Warriors improve to 15-7, and the MAgic falls to 10-11. The Warriors begin the most extended road trip of the season starting Thursday night in Toronto. Game time will be at 5 pm. They then go to Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, and finish the trip in Milwaukee.

Warriors win a thriller for a 117-116 victory over the Kings

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings played a very close and thrilling game that went down to the final five seconds before Klay Thompson made the go-ahead bucket to win 117-116 at Oracle Arena on Saturday night.

The Kings, under coach Dave Joerger, are no longer the laughing stock of the Western Conference. The Kings entered the game with a record of 10-8. Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, DeAaron Fox, and Marvin Bagley III are the nucleus of the Sacramento offense. The Warriors, still without Steph Curry and Draymond Green, knew that it would not be easy to beat Sacramento, and it wasn’t.

Both teams played a very competitive first period. Sacramento won the quarter 29-28. The Warriors’ Kevin Durant committed five turnovers in the first period. Nonetheless, The Warriors were down by just one point before the start of the second quarter.

The Kings continued to play well in the period. They finished the first half with a four-point lea 64-60. The Warriors ended the quarter with an 8-2 run.

In the third quarter, the Warriors took command and outscored the Kings 35-29 to hold a 2-point lead at the end of three-quarters of play. The fourth quarter would be a fight to the finish. The Kings won the quarter 23-22 and lost by a single point 117-116.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant had a double-double with 44 points, and 11 rebounds. He also recorded seven assists.

Klay Thompson had his second night in a row with over 30 points. He finished with 31 and his bucket with 5 seconds left in the game won it for the Warriors.

“I don’t know if I got fouled, but who cares I got the putback,” Thompson said. “You’ll take a game-winner any way you can get it I don’t care how ugly it is.”

Warriors’ center Damian Jones played well Saturday night. He knocked down 13 points and had 6 rebounds.

Up Next: The Warriors host the Orlando Magic on Monday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors rout the Trail Blazers 125-97 to snap a four-game losing streak

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors needed something to get them on track to snap a four-game losing streak. The last time the Warriors lost four in a row was in the 2012-13 season when Mark Jackson coached them. The Warriors’ offense had been sluggish the previous four games, and they were without two All-Stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Steph Curry did not have a good day after Thanksgiving. On his way into Oakland, Curry’s car was involved in an accident as the car in front of him spun out and stuck his vehicle in the front. Curry was then hit by a second car in the rear. Thankfully, Curry was not injured in the accident and was in attendance to watch his team rout the Portland Trail Blazers 125-97 at Oracle Arena on Friday night.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson paced the Warriors’ offense with 32 and 31 points, respectively. The Warriors’ defense held the dynamic Portland backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to 42 points. The Warriors looked like team the team that had won three championships in the last four years. They ran, they played defense, and they made three-point shots to sent the Blazers down to defeat. They found their mojo in the second quarter and kept it going all the way through the game.

The Warriors fell behind early once more. The Warriors came close to grabbing the lead, but Portland held them off, and they finished the first half with the lead 27-24. The Warriors vaunted defense finally got untracked in the second quarter as the held the Blazers to just 27 points while the offense put 35 points on the board to finish the first half with the lead 59-44. Durant scored 19 points in the first 24 minutes of play. He rebounded, he passed off to teammates that were open for shots, and he blocked shots. Thompson had 14, Quinn Cook 6, Jonas Jerebko 6, and Damion Lee 5.

Portland played better in the third quarter as they tallied 29. The Warriors answered the challenge as they scored 33 to finish the quarter with a 19-point lead 93-73. Thompson and Durant showed the Blazers the reason that they are perennial All-Stars as they led the way for Golden State.

The Warriors’ offense continued to percolate in the fourth quarter as they outscored Portland 33-24 to finish the game 125-97. Quinn Cook knocked down a couple of threes to ice the win for Golden State.

Game Notes and Stats: It was the second time ever that Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant scored over 30 points in the game. The Warriors’ defense held McCollum and Lillard to 42 points.

The Blazers’ big center Jusuf Nurkic added 22. Al-Farouq Aminu had 12, and Meyers Leonard had eight off the bench.

Quinn Cook kicked in with 19, and he made five threes. The Warriors’ bench came to life as they tallied 37 and helped the Warriors blow out the Blazers.

With the win, The Warriors improved to 13-7 while Portland dropped to 12-7.

Up Next: The Warriors play the rapidly improving Sacramento Kings Saturday night at Oracle Arena. The Kings are 10-8 so far this year. The game will start at 5:30 pm PT.

Thunder rout the Warriors 123-95 to hand them fourth straight loss

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was an ugly night at Oracle Arena as the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Warriors 123-95 to send the Warriors down for the fourth straight game. It was the first time in the Steve Kerr era that the Warriors have lost four in a row. The last time that happened was in the 2012-13 season when Mark Jackson coached the Warriors.

The Warriors’ Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Alfonzo McKinnie were not available, and the team missed them immensely. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson played well, but the rest of the team, except for two-way player Damion Lee, did not help the club in scoring.

The Thunders’ Steve Adams controlled the boards at both ends of the court. The Thunder pulled down 61 boards compared to the Warriors’ 42. The Thunder had 18 offensive rebounds, and they seemed to get second and third chance opportunities to score. They took 23 more shots than the Warriors, and they made 13 3-point shots while the Warriors made just seven.

The Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, still working his way back into shape, had a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. The Thunder had five players in double figures, and Dennis Schroder, acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks, had a season-high 32 points, and he made five three for the first time in his career.

The Warriors fell behind early again as they had done in the last three games in Texas. The Thunder finished with a five-point advantage 23-18 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Warriors could not get the offense going, and they failed to make a three-point shot in the period.

In the second quarter, the Warriors regained the lead 31-29. They seemed to be on track to get the offense rolling until the Thunder went on an 8-0 run to make it 37-31. The Thunder took 14 more shots than the Warriors in the first half and scored 13 points off turnovers. The Thunder were dominating in all facets of the game, and they led 60-46 at the end of two periods of action. Durant and Thompson paced the team with 14 points each. None of the other starters had more than 4, and Damion Lee, coming off the bench, had 5. Steve Adams led the Thunder with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Paul George added 13, and Schroder had 16.

The Warriors outscored the Thunder 33-27 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to eight 89-79. Klay Thompson started to get hot but had to come out as he picked up his fourth personal foul about midway through the quarter. Damion Lee and Kevin Durant were the offense in the quarter. Quinn Cook made a three to help the Warrior close the gap, but it was clear that they would have to find somehow a way to stop the Thunder offense as well as improve their attack.

The Warriors scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to make it a 4-point game 89-85. That was close as the Warriors would get as the Thunder went on a 14-0 run. They were ahead by 18 when the Warriors broke the spell, but the damage was done, and there was no way they were going to win. The Thunder outscored them 36-16 in the final period to win 123-95.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ record for the season is now 12-7.

The Thunder, starting the season 0-4, are now 11-6 for the year.

Kevin Durant finished the night with a double-double: 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Klay Thompson was 10-for-23 from the floor. He made three 3-pointers in 8 attempts and finished with 27 points.

Damion Lee was the only other Warrior in double figures with 13. The eight other Warrior players contributed just 28 points in the losing effort.

The Thunder had five players in double-figures. Schroder had 32, Paul George 25, Jerami Grant 14, Adams 20, and Westbrook 11. Grant and Adams both had a double-double-night.

The Thunder had two players leave the game with an injury. Terrance Ferguson left the game in the first half and did not return to action. Hamidou Diallo suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter and left the court on a stretcher. There was no information available at the end of the game as to the extent of the injury.

Up Next: The Warriors are off on Thanksgiving day. They return to action Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PT.

They then play the Sacramento Kings Saturday at 5:30 pm PT. Steph Curry will not be available. There is a possibility that Draymond Green will return to action.

Warriors lose again, fall to Spurs 104-92

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors lost their third game in a row and fourth in the last five games when they were beaten by the San Antonio Spurs 104-92 in San Antonio.

The Warriors were again without the services of Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Alfonzo McKinnie, who has been a valuable reserve for the Warriors, did not suit up either. DeMarcus Cousins, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, is still not ready to play. The Warriors need him to help get the offense back into high gear. The Warriors are also missing the presence of JaVale McGee and David West. McGee signed a contract with the Los Angels Lakers. He provided instant offense when head coach Steve Kerr inserted him into the game for the Warriors. So far, neither Damian Jones or Kevon Looney has been able to replicate what McGee did. That is not to say that they are not contributing, but it seems the electricity is missing. David West, who usually started the second and fourth quarter, has retired. West was a force on the floor and he, too, is missed.

The Warriors, who had won three of the last five games played in San Antonio, looked like the team that had lost 33 straight games in San Antonio before Steve Kerr became the head coach. The Warriors fell behind early in the first quarter. They stayed close and even tied the game at 21. The Spurs then went on a 10-2 run and led the Warriors by six, 33-27, at the end of the quarter.

The Warriors stayed close and actually took the lead 38-37 on a bucket by Klay Thompson. The teams changed leads a couple times later in the quarter. The Warriors led 46-45, but the Spurs went on an 11-2 run to finish the first half 56-48. Kevin Durant had 11 for the half. He had a tough time hitting his shots from the floor as he was 2-for-10. Klay finished with 13, and Quinn Cook had 6.

The Warriors shot just 40% from the floor and were 1-for 12 from 3-point range. The Spurs shot 44% from the floor and made 7 3-point shots in 18 attempts. LaMarcus Aldridge had 10 points and 11 boards. Rudy Gay knocked down 15. He had four 3-pointers in the half. Marco Belinelli, the former Warrior, made 2 3-pointers and had 8 total in the half.

The Warriors’ offense went to sleep to start the third quarter. Neither Durant nor Thompson could make a three-point shot. The Warriors scored just 6 points for the first five-plus minutes in the period. They fell behind by 18 74-56 before the offense woke up. The Warriors finished the third quarter on a 9-0 run to close the gap to 7 78-71. Quinn cook made two threes to help the Warriors close the gap.

The Warriors, in the fourth quarter, continued to play good defense. They played with a lot of energy as they came all the way back and trailed the Spurs 91-90 after Klay hit a three. The Spurs, at this point, shit the Warriors offense down. They scored six points to lead 97-90. Kevon Looney made a hard-earned basket to make it 97-92. The Warriors failed to score, and San Antonio scored the last seven points of the night to win 104-92.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors drop to 12-6, and San Antonio improved to 8-7. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He was 8-for-25 from the floor and 1-for-8 from three-point range. Klay Thompson tallied 25, and he was 3-for -11 attempting 3s. Quinn Cook had 16 points and 8 rebounds. He made one three in four attempts.

LaMarcus Aldridge had a double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds. Rudy Gay had 19, DeMar DeRozan 20. Belinelli finished with 12, and Bryn Forbes had 10.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Oklahoma Thunder Wednesday night at 7:30 pm inside Oracle Arena.

The Portland Trailblazers, with Damian Lillard and C.J.McCollum, visit the Oracle on Friday night at 7:30 pm.

Warriors play better, but lose to the Mavericks 112-109

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, hoping to rebound after playing a poor game in Houston Thursday night, played a Saturday thriller at the American Airlines Center against the rapidly improving Dallas Mavericks. The game was in doubt until the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Dallas made the plays, and their defense stopped the Warriors’ offense down the stretch to come away with the win 112-109.

The Warriors’ offense came to life after a dismal showing in Houston. There were a lot of bright spots for Steve Kerr’s team. The Warriors were without the services of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Alfonzo McKinnie Saturday. Kerr started Kevon Looney in place of Damian Jones at center. Jonas Jerebko played in Green’s spot, and Andre Iguodala started at guard. Jerebko played very well. He scored just five points, but he was a force on the boards all night long. Jonas pulled down 10 boards and had 4 assists. The Warrior bench players Damian Lee, Quinn Cook, and Shaun Livingston made major contributions. Cook had 15, Lee had 13, and Livingston had 12.

The Mavs won their fourth in a row. Dallas has been in a rebuild mode for a couple of seasons, and the players they added to the team have added to their success. The Mavs’ feature Luka Doncic, who is a 19-year-old rookie. Doncic came into the game averaging 19 points a game. He showed the Warriors that he knows how to play the game and he finished the night leading Dallas with 24 points. The Mavs signed Deandre Jordan as a free agent. Jordan played for the LA Clippers and wanted out of LA. He has improved his free throw shooting and was a force under the boards. Former Warrior, Harrison Barnes, who is in his third year in Dallas, torched his ex-teammates for 23 points.

Dallas won the first quarter 26-22. The Warriors fell behind early and trailed 18-10 before making a run on offense. Kevin Durant was the offensive force in the quarter.

The Warriors, with Lee, Cook, and Livingston coming off the bench, outscored the Mavs 37-31 in the second quarter to finish the first half with the lead 59-57. Durant led the scorers with 18. Thompson had 13, while Lee had 11 in 10 minutes of action, and Livingston had 8. Barnes had 15 to lead the Mavs. Luca Doncic added 14 and Jordan had 8.

The Warriors finished the third quarter with a four-point lead 86-82. Quinn Cook made two 3-point shots to spark the offense, The Warriors increased the lead to 8 90-82 early in the fourth quarter. With the score 92-85, the Mavs went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead. Both teams refused to wilt. The Warriors led 106-105 when Dallas hit a two-pointer to lead 107-106 with 1:42 left to play. Andre Iguodala made a clutch basket to put the Warriors ahead 108-107. Dallas scored the next five points and led 112-108 with six seconds left. Durant was fouled. The Warriors needed Durant to make the first free throw, which he did. The Warriors only hope was for Durant to miss the free throw, grab the rebound, and make a three to tie the game. Durant missed the free throw, but Doncic grabbed the rebound and Dallas celebrated the 112-109 win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors have lost three of the last four games played and are 12-5 for the year. Dallas won its fourth in a row, and the team is now 7-8.

Durant finished with 32 and Thompson had 22. Both starts missed 3-pointers down the stretch.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Warriors play an ugly game, lose to the Rockets 107-86

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started a three-game trip in Texas with a thud. The Warriors, without the services of Steph Curry for the next five games, could not get their offense going and they lost to the Houston Rockets 107-86 at the Toyota Center on Thursday night.

The Rockets, who lost to the Warriors last season in the Western Conference Finals, had circled the date they would play them in the new season. The Rockets have not looked like the team that had the best record in the NBA last season. The Warriors played a sound game on defense, but their offense went into the deep freeze. The Warriors’ Big Three of Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson were expected to provide the firepower the Warriors needed if they were to win. The Rockets’ defense double-teamed Kevin Durant all night long. Neither Draymond or Klay could pick up the slack. The Warriors made just four 3-point shots while the Rockets connected 16 times.

The Warriors grabbed an early 8-1 lead in the first quarter. They led 15-8 until Houston went on an 8-0 run to take the lead 16-15. The Rockets took the lead for good when they hit a three to take a 19-17 advantage. The Rockets finished the quarter leading 25-19. The Warriors and Rockets each scored 22 points in the second period and the Rockets still led by six at the end of the first half 47-41. Durant led the Warriors with 13. Thompson and Jonas Jerebko each had six. James Harden led the Rockets with 15. Clint Capela had 6, Chris Paul 8, and Eric Gordon added 10.

The Warriors held the Rockets to 36% from the floor, but the Rockets took seven more shots than the Warriors.

The Warriors could not get the offense going in the second half. They were not running the fast break. They were not making three-point shots. They were completely out of sync. They turned the ball over. The Rockets outscored them 29-22 in the third quarter and led 76-63. The way the Warriors were playing did not indicate that they could overcome a 13-point deficit.

Thompson started the fourth quarter with a bucket. The Rockets went on a 21-0 run to put the game out of reach. The Warriors’ head coach Steve  Kerr inserted his bench players, and the Big Three watched the finish of the game from the bench. The Rockets cruised to an easy 107-86 win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors had an opportunity to win the game had they had an offense. The Rockets were averaging just 101 points on offense so far this year. Their defense had allowed 102 points per game. The Warriors did not do it, and their record dropped to 12-4. Houston improved to 7-7.

Durant led the Warriors with 20 points. Kevon Looney was second with 12, Quinn Cook had 11, and Thompson finished with 10. Most of Cook’s points came in garbage time.

Harden led the Rockets with 27. Eric Gordon had 17, Clint Capela, 10, and Chris Paul 10.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night in Dallas. Game time will be at 5 pm PT.

Warriors take down the Hawks 110-103

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors returned home to face the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors, still missing Steph Curry, had to face the young Hawks team minus their All-Star forward Draymond Green. Green and Kevin Durant had a verbal confrontation last night late in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The dispute spilled over into the clubhouse and was still not resolved on the flight home. The Warriors’ management suspended Green without pay for one game. The reason given was that Green had “committed conduct detrimental to the team.” The Warriors had to come back from the loss to LA and regroup. They did not play well in the first half, but played Warrior basketball in the second half to outlast the Hawks 110-103.

The Hawks, who are in rebuild mode, hired Lloyd Pierce as their coach after Mike Budenholzer resigned. Budenholzer had the worst year of his career with Atlanta last season and moved on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. Pierce inherited a young team with players that are not yet well-known in the league. The Hawks do have on their roster two former Warrior players: Kent Bazemore, and Jeremy Lin. Another familiar name is the 41-year-old veteran, Vince Carter. The Hawks feature rookie Trae Young, who came into the game averaging 18 points per game. Taurean Prince and Alex Len are two names that are not well known in Oakland, but both players performed well against the Warriors Tuesday night.

The Hawks frustrated the Warrior offense in the first quarter as they held the Warriors to just 20 points. They outscored the Warriors by three to lead 23-20, and the fans in the stands were starting to squirm as the Warriors’ offense sputtered through most of the game Monday night in Los Angeles. The two teams scored 29 points in the second quarter, and the first half ended with Atlanta ahead 52-49. The Hawks held the Warriors to just 39.5% shooting from the floor. Durant led the offense with 15. Klay Thompson, who scored 7 in the first half against LA, was held to 9 points Tuesday night. Jonas Jerebko hit two three-point shots and finished the half with 8. Quinn Cook had 7, and Jordan Bell added 6. Atlanta was led by Carter and Prince. Each player had 11. Alex Len had 8, Bazemore 7, and Deandre Bembry kicked in with 8.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr must have told the team to get their act together and play Warrior basketball during the halftime intermission.  The third quarter started with Atlanta increasing the lead to five 54-49. With Atlanta, ahead 58-55, the Warrior offense came to life as they went on a 17-2 run to grab a 10-point lead 70-60. The Hawks refused to bend, and they were to end the third quarter trailing by six 82-76. The Hawks still had a chance to upset the Warriors.

The Warriors were determined not to lose. The offense was sparked by Thompson, Durant, Cook, Jonas Jerebko, and Andre Iguodala. The Warriors expanded the lead to 14 101-87, but had to hold on for dear life as Atlanta kept coming back. The Hawks cut the deficit to five 106-101 with 1 minute and 41 seconds left to play. Durant scored the next 4 points, and the Warriors held off the Hawks 110-103

Game Notes and Stats:  With the win, the Warriors improve to 12-3, while the Hawks’ record drops to 3-11.

Kevin Durant paced the Warriors with 29 points, 6 boards, and 3 assists. Jonas Jerebko had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, which was a career-high. Jerebko knocked down four 3-point shots. Klay Thompson finished with 24. Quinn Cook had 18.

The Atlanta attack was led by Taurean Prince’s 22 points. Alex Len had 14, Bazemore 18, Bembry 13, Carter 11, and Jeremy Lin 10. The Hawks’ outstanding rookie, Trae Young, was held to just 4 points.

The Warriors finished the night shooting 42.9% from the floor. They made 12 three-point shots in 27 attempts.

Up Next: The Warriors head to Texas for 3 games in 4 nights. They start the trip with against the Houston Rockets Thursday at 5:00 pm PT. They’ll then play Dallas on Saturday at 5:30 pm PT and the San Antonio Spurs Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.