Author: rxslugger

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

Warriors fall to the Clippers 121-116 in OT

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday night. They were on the short end of the score as the Clippers beat them 121-116 in overtime. This Clipper team, coached by Doc Rivers, does not resemble the Clippers of past seasons. Guard Chris Paul was traded to Houston before the start of the season last year. Blake Griffin was sent to Detroit halfway through the 2017-18 season, and center DeAndre Jordan is now with Dallas.

The revamped Clipper lineup now features Marcin Gortat at center. Gortat came to LA when the Clippers sent guard Austin Rivers to Washington. Forwards Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris have led the Clippers in scoring. Gallinari is averaging 19.4 point-per-game, and Harris ‘ average is slightly better with 20.4 PPG. Patrick Beverley and Shai Gilfeous-Alexander hold down the guard positions. Montrezel Harrell and Lou Williams are the key players coming off the bench for LA.

The Warriors fell behind early in the first quarter and the only time they didn’t trail in the entire game was when they tied the score at 28 with 2:21 left in the first quarter. The Clippers regained the lead and led by four, 34-30, after the first 12 minutes of action.

The second quarter was more of the same. The Clippers maintained the lead and every time the Warriors closed the gap, the Clippers responded with a bucket. The Warriors trailed by two 57-53 with 3:32 to play in the first half. LA increased the lead to 60-55, but the Warriors cut the lead to one 62-61 on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer. LA responded with a bucket and finished the first half ahead 64-61.

Durant was the only Warrior in double figures in the first half. He finished the half with 21 points. Klay Thompson was second with seven. Thompson went cold and was 3-for-11 in the half. Quinn Cook had 4, Kevon Looney 6, and Andre Iguodala 7.

The Clippers had four starters in double-digits. Gortat had 10, Gallinari 12, Harris, 11, Gilgeous-Alexander 10, and Harrell had 9 coming off the bench.

Thompson hit a bucket to start the third quarter, and the Warriors trailed by one. The Clippers went on a 6-0 run and led 70-63. The Warriors could not get anything going as LA continued to outplay them on both ends of the court. The Warriors, who had just three turnovers in the first half, turned the ball over eight times. There was no spark in their play. With 1:26 left, Kevin Durant had to sit down as he committed his fifth foul. Things looked bad as there was no one to pick up the slack on offense and the defense could not stop the Clippers. The Clippers led 90-81 after three quarters.

LA continued to take the game to the Warriors. They led by 13, 103-90, as the game was winding down. Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr inserted Durant back into the game and the Warriors, behind Thompson and Durant, went on a 16-5 run to tie the game at 106 as time ran out and the game went to overtime.

The Warriors went ahead 109-106 when Andre Iguodala knocked down a three. With 3:53 to play, the referees called a foul on Durant, and he was done for the night. Thompson hit a three to put the Warriors up 111-108. The Clippers came back and tied the game. The Warriors tied it again at 113. The Warriors’ nemesis, Lou Williams, made a two-point shot, but was fouled on the play. Williams made the free throw. The Clips increased the lead to 116-113, but Thompson connected on another three to tie it at 116. The Warriors did not score again. Williams scored the last five points of the night, and the Clippers won 121-116.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry did not play Monday night. However, Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston returned to action.

With the loss, the Warriors are now 11-3 for the year, and the Clippers are now 8-5. The new-look Clippers beat both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Warriors in overtime.

Kevin Durant had a monster night for Golden State in a losing effort. He knocked down 33 points, recorded 11 rebounds, and had 9 assists.

Klay Thompson scored 31. Thompson had seven in the first half and got hot late in the game to score 24 in the second half.

Andre Iguodala was the only other Warrior in double figures with 14.

The Clippers had four starters in double-digits: Gortat had 12, Gallinari 14, Harris 17, Gilgeous-Alexander 18, Montrezel Harrell, who came to LA from Houston in the trade for Chris Paul, had a big night with 23 point and 8 rebounds. Lou Williams kicked in with 25. Williams had 11 from the floor and was 14 for 14 from the 3-point line.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm PT.

Durant leads the Warriors over the Nets 116-100

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors, missing three key players, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Shaun Livingston, bounced back from a humiliating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night to defeat the visiting Brooklyn Nets 116-100. The Nets, under coach Kenny Atkinson, arrived in town with a 6-6 record and they beat the Denver Nuggets in the Mile-High City last night. The Nets, with players that are not well known to Warriors fans, had a starting lineup with four players averaging 12 to 20 points a game. Guard Chris LeVert leads the Nets with a 20.3 points-per-game average. D’Angelo Russell, the former LA Laker, averages 16. Joe Harris is at 13.2 point-per-game, and Jarrett Allen enters the game slightly under 12 points a game.

Warriors’ backup point guard, Quinn Cook, started his first game of the year in place of the injured Steph. Curry. Also, head coach Steve Kerr needed either Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant to pick up for the injured Draymond Green. Green, a force on defense as well as one on offense, missed his second game in a row due to a toe injury. Durant responded to the challenge as he finished the night with a double-double. Durant knocked down 28 points and recorded 11 assists and had five rebounds. Klay Thompson poured in 24 and Cook kicked in with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Brooklyn took the lead early in the first quarter. The Warriors led 5-4, but Brooklyn grabbed the lead and was ahead 18-13. At this point, the Warrior offense started to rev up. The Warriors closed the gap to 20-19. They regained the lead 22-20 but the Nets came back, and the game was tied twice once at 22 and the second time at 24. Jordan Bell made two key buckets to give the advantage to Golden State 30-24, and The Warriors finished the quarter 36-30.

The Warriors were able to increase the lead to 12 at the end of the first half. The Warriors could not shake the Nets as they tied the game at 44. The Warriors then went on a 21-9 run to finish the first half ahead 65-53. Durant and Cook led the Warriors with 19 each. Klay Thompson had 10, and Jonas Jerebko added 6. Joe Harris led the Nets with 19. D’Angelo Russell added 12 and Spencer Dinwiddie, coming off the bench, had 8. The Warriors defense held the Nets to 43.2% from the floor while the Warriors were 65.8%.

The Warriors, as they have done so many times, dominated the third quarter. The offense put 29 points on the board, and the defense held the Nets to 21. The Warriors finished the third quarter with a twenty-point advantage 94-74. The Warriors were in command 111-90 when Kerr removed his regulars and let the bench warmers, and three players called up from the G-League to finish the game.  The Warriors win 116-100.

Game notes and stats- The Warriors big three of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Quinn Cook scored eighty of the Warriors 116 points. KD had 28, Cook 25, and Klay had 24. Damian Jones and Jonas Jerebko each had 8. Jordan Bell and Andre Iguodala kicked in with five apiece and Alfonzo McKinnie, who played well on defense, scored four.

The Nets’ Joe Harris led his team with 24. D’Angelo Russell was held scoreless in the second, and he finished with 12. Dinwiddie had 14 and Shabazz Napier, also coming off the bench, had 14. The Warriors defense stifled Jarrett Allen and Chris LeVert. Allen ended the night with six and LeVert was held to just 4.

The Warriors improved to 11-2, and the Nets Dropped to 6-7. The Warriors travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers Monday night at the Staples Center. The Warriors return home to face the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.

 

Bucks blowout the Warriors 134-111 at Oracle Arena

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors were without the services of Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston Thursday night when they hosted the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks, coached by Mike Budenholzer, stopped the Warriors and snapped Golden State’s eight-game winning streak as they pounded the Warriors 131-111.

The Bucks’ defense stifled two of the Warriors leading scorers, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Neither one of the Warriors’ stars could get into any kind of a rhythm. Steph tallied just 10 points in the game and left late in the third quarter with a left adductor strain. Durant struggles all night as the Bucks doubled and triple-teamed him. Durant finished with seventeen.

The Warriors held their own with Milwaukee for most of the first quarter. The Warriors were leading 23-19 until the Bucks went on an 11-1 run to take a 30-24 advantage. The Warriors never regained the lead. The Bucks finished the quarter leading 32-29.

In the second quarter, Milwaukee’s defense took over as they outscored the Warriors by ten 32-22 to finish the first half with a thirteen-point lead 64-51. Buck’s guard Eric Bledsoe was hot as he scored twelve points. Pat Connaughton, coming off the bench tallied 13. Kris Middleton had 10, and Giannis Antetokounmpo knocked down 19 and had 7 boards and 3 assists.

The Bucks continued the onslaught in the third quarter as they put the game out of reach. They outscored the Warriors and won the quarter 41-28. Curry, as mentioned above, left the game with a groin strain. Warriors’ head coach inserted his bench player for the fourth quarter, Warriors’ guard, Quinn Cook, put 15 points on the board in the quarter but they could not overcome the huge deficit they faced.

Game Notes and stats.

With the win, Milwaukee improved to 9–2 and the Warriors dropped to 10-2.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 24. KD 17, Jones 12, and Steph had 10.

Milwaukee was led by Eric Bledsoe with a season-high 26 points. Milwaukee’s other guard, Malcolm Brogden, had 20. Kris Middleton finished with 17, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24.

Milwaukee outrebounded the Warriors 46-36. The Had more assists 33-31. The had more steals and blocks, and they committed 12 turnovers. The Warriors turned the ball over 18 times.

The Warriors host the Brooklyn Nets at Oracle Arena Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 5:30 pm.

Warriors win their eighth in a row 117-101 over the Grizzlies

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors won their eighth game in a row and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 117-101 Monday night at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies, who lost a tough game Sunday night to Phoenix, played an excellent first half. They did not let the Warriors get into any kind of rhythm in the first twenty-four minutes of play. The Grizzlies played well on defense and kept Steph Curry well in check. Grizzlies’ coach J.B.Bickerstaff seemed to have an answer for everything the Warriors tried to do. The Warriors fell behind early in the first period and were not able to get the lead. The first period ended with Memphis in the lead 31-29.

It was more of the same in the second period. Klay Thompson scored the first basket in the quarter to tie the game at 31. Memphis responded and regained the advantage. The Warriors tied the game at 45, but Memphis went ahead by six 53-47. Steph then made a four-point play. The Warriors tied the game again at 55, but Memphis refused to wilt and led 58-55. Klay Thompson connected on a three-pointer, and the first half ended with the score even at 58. The story of the first half was the Memphis bench. Dillon Brooks, Wayne Seldin, Shelvin Mack, and Marshon Brooks outscored the Warriors bench 30-10. Memphis’ starters Marc Gasol had 6, and Michael Conley added 7. The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson with 18, Kevin Durant 16, and Steph Curry 10.

Everything changed in the third quarter. As the Warriors have done so many times in the past, the offense came to life as they outscored the Grizzlies 34-15. The Warriors defensive leader, Draymond Green, did not play as he suffered a foot injury and was sent to the locker room. Damian Jones picked up his fifth personal foul early in the quarter, and he sat out the rest of the game. Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Bell, and Alfonzo McKinnie to stop the Memphis offense and di they ever do the job. Not only did they excel on defense, but they also helped the Warriors go on a 27-8 run to finish the scoring in the period. Kevon Looney made four key baskets. Alfonzo McKinnie hit a key three-pointer, and Klay and Steph also played well. The Warriors led 92-73 after three-quarters of action.

Kerr had Klay Thompson on the floor with Quinn Cook, Jereko, Bell, and Looney. Cook made four 3-point shots, and the Warriors coasted to their tenth win of the year.

Game Notes and Stats. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 27 points. Kevin Durant recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Steph finished with 19. McKinnie had 14, Cook,13, Looney 9, and Jerebko 7.

Jaren Jackson, Jr had 15, Marc Gasol 8, Garrett Temple 13, and Michael Conley 9. Dillon Brooks had 18 coming off the bench.

The Warriors improve to 10-1 and Memphis falls to 5-4.

Shaun Livingston did not play as he is recovering from a foot injury. Andre Iguodala had the night off. Draymond Green did not play in the second half and was diagnosed with a contusion on his foot.

The Warriors meet the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night. The Bucks are off to a great start and have the same record as the Warriors 10-1 The game will be at Oracle Arena and will start at 7:30pm.

 

Warriors down the Timberwolves 116-99 for seventh win in a row

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-99 at Oracle Arena Friday night. The two teams played a very close game for three quarters, but the Warriors’ defense, led by Draymond Green, shut the Timberwolves’ offense down in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

The Warriors got off to a good start early in the first quarter. They had the lead 19-8 with a little over four minutes played. The Warriors, behind, Kevin Durant, led 29-18 with about four minutes left in the period. The T-Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, and Josh Okogie finished the period on a 7-2 run to close the gap as they trailed the Warriors 36-32.

The two teams played a nip-and-tuck second quarter. The T-Wolves played superb defense, and they kept coming after the Warriors. They went on a 12-2 run to take the lead for the first time 44-42. Klay Thompson hit a 3, and the Warriors were ahead once more 47-46. The lead seesawed back and forth until late in the quarter. Steph Curry hit a 3-pointer, and the Warriors led 59-53. The T-Wolves fought back, and the first half ended with the Warriors up by three 61-58. Kevin Durant led the Warrior offense with 20. Thompson had 10 and Curry kicked in with 14. Jonas Jerebko tallied 7.

Taj Gibson had 10 for the T-Wolves. Andrew Wiggins added 7, Jimmy Butler 13, Karl-Anthony Town 10, and Josh Okogie had 12. The T-Wolves committed just 1 turnover in the first half. The Warriors had 7 turnovers.

In the third quarter, things did not go well for Golden State. Minnesota was able to control the tempo, and they did not commit any turnovers in the period. The Warriors seemed to be out of rhythm as the T-Wolves outscored them 29-22 to finish the quarter leading 87-83. The fans at Oracle were taken out of the game as the Warriors appeared to be going down to defeat.

However, teams have to play four quarters. The Warriors, behind Draymond Green’s superlative defensive play, shut down the T-Wolves’ offense in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson hit two 3-pointers to propel the Warriors into the lead 91-89. The Warriors went on a 12-2 run to go up by six, 97-91, with 6:41 left to play. The Warriors showed the T-Wolves what an elite defense looked like as Green shut down Karl-Anthony Towns. Durant, Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and Alfonzo McKinnie all hounded the T-Wolves’ offense as they held them to just 12 points and the Warriors tallied 33 to win 116-99.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 33 points. He also pulled down 13 boards.

Green almost had a triple-double. He scored 9 points, had 9 boards and recorded 11 assists. His defensive play in the fourth quarter was the catalyst for the win over Minnesota.

Curry had 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Jonas Jerebko had 7, and Alfonzo McKinnie, coming off the bench, had 8 points and 8 rebounds. He made two 3-point shots in 2 attempts and his 3-pointer in the fourth quarter helped seal the T-Wolves’ fate.

Andrew Wiggins led the T-Wolves with 22. Jimmy Butler had 21. Towns was held to just 3 points in the second half and 13 for the night. The big guy pulled down 11 rebounds. Okogie finished with 15, and Taj Gibson had 12.

The Warriors shot 48.9% from the floor and made 13 3s in 34 attempts. The T-Wolves also made 13 threes, but they took 45 shots to do it. The Warriors recorded 31 assists. The T-Wolves made 4 turnovers in the fourth quarter as the Warriors’ defense stifled their attack. The Warriors finished the night with 16.

The Warriors improved to 9-1 for the season, and Minnesota falls to 4-5.

Up Next: The Warriors have the weekend off as they resume play against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena on Monday night. Game time is at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors win sixth in a row after 131-121 defeat of the Pelicans

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who returned home to Oracle Arena after a successful 3-game road trip, defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 131-121 on Wednesday night. It wasn’t easy as the Pelicans entered the game as the highest scoring team in the NBA. The Warriors, who were backed by Steph Curry’s 37 points, failed to crumble. They moved the ball well and recorded 40 assists in a winning effort. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green also played well. Green was a force on defense, and the Warriors were able to hold the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis to just 17 points.

Both teams played an uptempo game in the first quarter. The lead changed hands several times, but the Warriors were able to end the period with a 6-point lead 43-37.  In the second period, the Pelicans trailed 49-40 when they went on an 11-0 run to regain the lead. The Warriors woke up and went on a 14-6 run to lead 64-56. The Pelicans regrouped and scored the next 7 points to trail by one 64-63. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green scored the next 3 buckets, and the Warriors finished the first half leading 70-63.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, outscored the Pelicans 37-29 to take a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Curry led the charge, and he had help from the Warriors’ bench players Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, and Alfonzo McKinnie. The quarter ended with Golden State leading 107-92.

The Pelicans refused to quit. Davis led the Pelicans’ charge. Curry, Durant, Thompson, and Green were determined to not let the Pelicans overtake them. They met every challenge and did not wilt down the stretch. The Pelicans did win the quarter as they outscored the Warriors 29-24 but the 15-point deficit was too much to overcome. The Warriors won 131-121.

Game Notes: Steph Curry led the Warriors with 37 points. It was his sixth 30-point game of the season. Durant had 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Draymond Green almost had a triple-double as he recorded 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists. Green was clearly the player of the game for the Warriors. Klay Thompson finished with 18. The Warriors bench tallied 30 points. Jonas Jerebko had 10, Andre Iguodala 9, and Jordan Bell, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Kevon Looney added 11. Shaun Livingston did not play as he is recovering from a foot injury.

The Pelicans were led by Jrue Holiday’s 28 points. Nikola Mirotic knocked down 26 and snagged 12 rebounds in a losing effort. E’Twaun Moore pitched in with 21.

The Warriors are now 8-1 for the season, and the Pelicans drop to 4-3.

The Warriors held a moment of silence for Giants legend Willie McCovey, who passed away at the age of 80 on Wednesday.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had this to say about Big Mac: “For me, Willie McCovey represents a major figure from my childhood…Hearing Vin Scully talking about Willie McCovey and the Dodger/Giant rivalry. I’m well aware of how beloved Willie was here in the Bay Area and by the Giants family. We extend our condolences to Willie’s family and to the Giants family. Everybody here with the Warriors is thinking about them tonight.”

Up Next: The Warriors resume play Friday night at Oracle Arena when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 pm PT.

Jimmy Butler is expected to play. Butler has requested for the Timberwolves to trade him, but the team has not finalized a deal yet.

Klay Thompson drops 52 to lead the Warriors to a 149-124 blowout of the Bulls

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Photo credit: @NBCSWarriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Klay Thompson, who was mired in a shooting slump at the start of the season, had quite a performance as the Golden State Warriors routed the Chicago Bulls 149-124 at the United Center on Monday night.

Thompson scored 22 points in the first quarter and 36 total ion the first half as he tied an NBA record, making 10 3-point shots. The Warriors scored 92 points in the first half as Thompson, Thompson’s Splash Brother Steph Curry, Kevin Durant led the onslaught. The 92 points scored in the half was the second-most in NBA history. The Phoenix Suns own the record when they put 107 points on the board in a game in 1990.

The Warriors led 44-28 after the first period, and they outscored the shorthanded Bulls 48-22 in the second period to finish the first half leading 92-50.

Thompson played in the third quarter, and he made four more 3-pointers to set a new NBA record. The old record for 3-pointers in a game was 13, and that was held by Curry. Thompson put 16 more points on the board and was done for the night with five minutes left in the third period. Thompson’s totals for the night was 52 points, 14 3-pointers in just 27 minutes of action. That was quite a performance for Thompson. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted his bench players to finish the game and the Big Four watched the game from the bench.

The Bulls made the score a bit more respectable as they won the second half 73-57, but the game was over after the first 24 minutes.

Game Notes: Steph Curry tallied 23. Kevin Durant had 14 points and 8 assists. Alfonzo McKinnie had a double-double for Golden State. He put 19 points on the board and pulled down 10 rebounds. Backup Guard Quinn Cook had 16, and Jonas Jerebko added 10.

Klay Thompson suffered a cut to his forehead that required a couple of stitches. Thompson did not suffer a concussion.

The Bulls were led by Zach LaVine and Antonio Blakely, both of whom tallied 21. 19-year-old Wendell Carter, Jr recorded 18 points in a losing effort. The Bulls were without the services of Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, and Denzel Valentine.

The way the Warriors were playing, their presence would probably not made a difference in the outcome.

Up Next: The Warriors are now 7-1 for the year and return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors come back to outlast the Jazz 124-123 in a thriller in Utah

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors trailed by as many as 16 points, but came back late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Utah Jazz 124-123 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Friday night to win a thriller as time expired.

The Jazz had it all going for them in the first half as they put 81 points on the board. The first quarter was close and Utah led by two 34-32 after the first 12 minutes. Utah owned the second quarter as they outscored Golden State 47-37 and led 81-69 at the end of the first half.

When the Warriors score that many points in the first half, they are usually in command and would be cruising to a win. That was not the case Friday as the Jazz, who were behind the hot shooting of Joe Ingles, poured in 81 points. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to be dismayed by the lack of defense and must have conjured up an effective defensive strategy at halftime.

The Jazz increased the lead to 16 before the Warriors decided to shut down Utah’s offense. They held the Jazz to just 22 points in the third period and cut the deficit to six before starting the fourth quarter. Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson continued to apply defensive pressure on the Jazz. With just under six minutes to go, the Warriors took a one-point lead. The Jazz went up by five with a little over a minute. The Warriors came back and took the lead 123-122 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. The Jazz made a two-pointer with just six seconds left on the clock.

Kerr took a timeout, and the Warriors inbounded the ball from the half-court line. They got the ball to Durant, but he missed the bucket. However, Jonas Jerebko, who played for the Jazz last year, managed to tip the ball in to give the Warriors the lead with just 3/10ths of a second left on the clock. The Jazz failed to score, and the Warriors walked away with a hard-earned win 124-123.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant was the scoring star for Golden State Friday night. He knocked down 39 points and had 9 rebounds and seven assists. Also, he had one steal and two blocked shots on defense.

Steph Curry also had a big night. Curry put 31 points on the board along with four boards and eight assists. He made five 3-point shots in nine attempts.

Draymond Green almost had a double-double. He kicked in with 14 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. He, too, had one steal and two blocked shots on defense.

Klay Thompson had 12.

Jonas Jerebko, who scored the winning bucket, played well as he recorded 10 points, six rebounds, and one assist.

Kevon Looney and Damian Jones each had four, and Shaun Livingston added eight.

The Warriors gave up 81 points in the first half, but held the Jazz to just 42 in the second.

Joe Ingles led the Jazz with 27, which was a career-high for the talented Aussie.

Big man Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Ricky Rubio had 13, Donovan Mitchell had 19, Jae Crowder had 17 and Dante Exum added 13.

The Warriors are 2-0 for the season, while Utah drops to 1-1.

Up Next: The Warriors head to Denver to take on the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night at 5:00 pm PT on NSBA and ALT.

Warriors start season with win over OKC Thunder 108-100

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photo from goldenstateofmind.com: Forward Paul George (13) the OKC Thunder pushes against the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) on opening night at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Tuesday night

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Golden State Warriors, after unfurling their sixth NBA Championship banner and receiving their rings, started their quest for the third championship in a row and fourth in five seasons with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-100 at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night. It was not easy as both the Warriors and Thunder were not in mid-season form. Both teams play looked ragged at times, but the Warriors played defense down the stretch to win the game.

The Warriors did get off to a good start in the first quarter as they outscored the Thunder 31-23. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson looked sharp. Things changed a bit in the second period, but the Warriors outscored the Thunder by two to finish the first half with a 10-point lead, 57-47. Curry finished the half with 19 points, and he made five 3-point shots in six attempts. Durant had 15, and Thompson added 10. Draymond Green made just one bucket good for 2 points, but he showed his defensive prowess with nine rebounds and five assists in the first half. Dennis Schroder, a former Atlanta Hawk, led the Thunder with 12 points. Steve Adams had nine, and Paul George kicked in with six.

The Warriors, who owned the third quarter last season, struggled as the Thunder fought their way back into the game. OKC started the period with a 22-9 run and took the lead 67-66. From that point forward, the lead seesawed between the two teams. The Thunder won the period 32-26, but the Warriors still finished with a four-point lead 83-79. The Warriors could not pull away from the Thunder until late in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by four 95-91 with a little of six minutes left in the game. OKC cut the deficit to two 99-97, but Curry made a layup and got fouled on the play. He made the free throw, and the lead was back to five, 102-97. With time running out, Kevon Looney made a two-point bucket that ignited the crowd. Durant scored to put Golden State up 106-99. However, Durant landed awkwardly on his right shoulder, and the Arena went silent. The big guy rose to his feet and shook off the injury, and the fans let out a huge collective sigh of relief. Durant scored the last bucket of the night, and the Warriors finished the night with their first victory of the season.

Game Notes and Stats: At times, as mentioned above, the play looked sloppy on both sides. The Warriors turned the ball over 20 times, and head coach Steve Kerr was not happy as he wants the team to handle the ball better and keep turnovers to under fifteen. Kerr knows his players are still getting in shape and looked tired, saying: “We didn’t look much like ourselves. It’s not surprising either. We need a couple more weeks.”

Kevin Durant who played well as he knocked down 27 points and had 8 rebounds and six assists said this about the team’s performance.

“I love who we are, game 1 of 82,” Durant said. “Just keep grinding.”

Steph Curry led the team with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. Curry  did not make a 3-pointer in the second half and ended the night with 5 for 9 in that department. Klay Thompson finished with 10. Draymond Green did not score in the second half, but he finished the night with an astounding 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Green admitted that he was tired, but he did not play much in the preseason as he was resting a sore knee. The Warriors big men, Kevon Looney and Damian Jones, played well. Looney scored 10 points and had 10 boards. Jones had a career-high 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 boards.

Paul George caught fire in the second half and finished the night with 27 points for OKC. Steve Adams finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Dennis Schroder added 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Thunder’s leader and All-Star guard Russell Westbrook did not play as he was sidelined with a knee injury.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz Friday night. Game time will be at 7:30 pm PT and will be shown on ESPN.

Lakers down the Warriors 119-105 to finish the preseason

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Photo credit: @Lakers

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE — The Los Angeles Lakers, who were without LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, rallied in the second half to down the Golden State Warriors 119-105 at SAP Center on Friday night.

The Warriors did not play Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala. Steph Curry played the first period for Golden State and was done for the night. Klay Thompson did not play in the second half. Draymond Green, who had not played since September 29th, saw 14 minutes of action and scored just one point.

Curry played most of the first quarter and tallied 16 points, including four three-point shots. He looked as if he was in mid-season form. Thompson finished the night with 21, and he looked ready to go. The Warriors won the first half by 13 (67-54). Damian Jones had a good first half as he knocked down 15 and appears to be the starting center for the Warriors until DeMarcus Cousins is ready to play.

The second half belonged to the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma was on fire as he and Svi Mykhailuk led the Lakers to a comeback win as they outscored the Warriors 61-38. The Warriors used Draymond Green in the third quarter and Shaun Livingston in the fourth quarter. The rest of the players were trying to show the Warriors’ coaching staff that they belonged in the NBA. The Warriors will have to make decisions soon on which players will start the season in Oakland and who will be assigned to the G-League.

Game Notes: The Warriors still have not agreed to a contract with Patrick McCaw. McCaw would be starting his third season with the Warriors, and he could help this year’s edition. There are question marks regarding Damian Jones, Jordan Bell, Jacob Evans, Jonas Jerebko, and Marcus Derrickson.

The Big Four consisting of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green are set. Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, and Quinn Cook will make up the second unit.

Up Next: The Warriors open the season at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm PDT versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Moreover, the Warriors’ championship banner will be unfurled, and the players will receive their championship rings.