Durant has historic night, but Warriors were routed by Clippers 125-106

Photo credit: @bycycle

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors closed out a brief, two-game homestand with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, whom they last faced on January 6 and blew out by a score of 121-105 at Staples Center.

The Warriors entered the game with a five-game win streak, while the Clippers were hoping to extend their win streak to two games. The Clippers previously escaped with a 108-107 win over the Atlanta Hawks on January 8.

Prior to the tipoff, the Harlem Globetrotters hung out with the Warriors before they played this weekend.

Zaza Pachulia opened the scoring with a two-point field goal attempt to give the Warriors an early lead. Pachulia later finished a break off the lob from Kevin Durant, who also showed fans why he deserves their votes for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

Andre Iguodala hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 29 apiece with two minutes left in the first quarter. Both teams battled it out, but the Warriors were on top 35-32 at the end of the first.

The Warriors were down by two (42-40), but Durant came to the rescue with a three and a foul with 6:39 left in the second quarter. Golden State led Los Angeles by one (43-42).

The Warriors sparked a nice little run and Omri Casspi closed out the second with back-to-back buckets. Golden State carried a 62-58 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Here are the Warriors’ halftime stats:

It was obvious that Durant had himself a night with 25 points along with a career milestone and the game was nowhere near over. However, the Warriors needed great shots out of their offense if they wanted to secure a win against the Clippers. Golden State went into the fourth quarter in deep trouble, trailing the Clippers by seven (97-90) at the end of the third quarter.

Durant continued to shine as he accumulated more points in the fourth with 40, which was 10 less than Lou Williams’ 50 points for the Clippers, but nonetheless, a milestone to celebrate. The Warriors’ five-game win streak was snapped by the Clippers, who routed the home team by a score of 125-106.

Here are the Warriors’ final stats:

Notes
Warriors’ starting lineup: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Young and Shaun Livingston.

Warriors’ injury update: Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) and Klay Thompson (rest) are out. Kevin Durant (right calf strain), Draymond Green (right knee soreness) and Andre Iguodala (left knee & hip soreness) are available to play.

Durant had his seventh 30-point game of the season with 30 points on 10-of-12 from the field (and a perfect 4-of-4 from the three-point range).

Durant is the second youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points (behind only LeBron James) and is the first player to score his 20,000th career point as a Warrior.

Warriors owner and CEO Joe Lacob turned 62 today.

Clippers’ starting lineup: Jawun Evans, Lou Williams, CJ Williams, Wesley Johnson and DeAndre Jordan.

Up Next
The Warriors take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at 7 pm CT.

Curry scores game-high 32 points, Warriors rout Nuggets 124-114

Photo credit: @NBA

By: Ana Kieu

After a three-game road trip, the Golden State Warriors returned home to the Oracle Arena and welcomed the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

In the last matchup between the two teams, Denver embarrassed Golden State with a 96-81 win in Oakland on December 23, 2017.

Tonight, the Warriors were looking to extend their win streak to five games, while the Nuggets were hoping to rebound from a loss to the Sacramento Kings on January 6, 2018.

The Warriors’ starting lineup consisted of Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. Golden State pretty much had tonight’s game against Denver from start to finish.

The Warriors made some noteworthy plays in the first quarter. Like this one, embedded in the tweet below.

Jordan Bell got up for the denial late in the first. Then, Bell headed to the line to close out the first. The Warriors were up 37-28 at the end of the first.

Excellent ball movement led to a Thompson three with 5:13 left in the second quarter. Curry and Green also joined the party of threes. The Warriors carried a 64-57 lead to the locker room at the half.

Here are the Warriors’ halftime stats:

The Warriors began the second half on a Curry three that was followed by a couple of Thompson jumpers. Those shots alone were most likely worth votes for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

Curry continued to make it rain with threes and the Warriors led the Nuggets 93-81 at the end of the third quarter.

The Warriors’ hustle remained unmatched in the fourth quarter. Curry had 30 points in 32 points.

The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 124-114. With the win, Golden State improved to 33-8.

Here are the Warriors’ final stats:

Notes
Steph Curry was named Western Conference Player of the Week.

First 10,000 fans in the doors received a Klay Thompson bobblehead.

Kevin Durant donated $3 million to his alma mater UT Austin. 

Warriors’ injury report: Kevin Durant (right calf strain) is out. Omri Casspi (hip contusion), Stephen Curry (left knee soreness), Draymond Green (right knee soreness), Andre Iguodala (left knee & hip soreness) & Shaun Livingston (hip tightness) are available to play.

Up Next 
The Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at 7:30 pm PT.

Clippers lose Griffin and game to Warriors 121-105, Curry scores season-high 45 points

~ Photo credit: @warriors

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ LOS ANGELES–The Stephen Curry show led the Golden State Warriors to a 121-105 rout over the Los Angeles Clippers as Curry scored 45 points in three quarters at the Staples Center Saturday.

Though the Warriors had a bit of a slow and poor shooting start, Curry scored 17, 12 and 16, respectively. He also had a career-high 15 free throws along with his seven three’s on 11-of-21 shooting, as Golden State’s lead stretched as high as 30.

Regarding feeling pretty good, Curry replied, “Yeah, just trying to start off the game right. It’s obviously weird playing a 12:30 game…you got to find a little bit of energy and something to build momentum…obviously unfortunate to see Blake (Griffin) go out. I hope he’s alright.”  

Los Angeles was within three after the first quarter, but Blake Griffin never returned to the game, after suffering a concussion with 2:11 left in the first. He received an elbow to the forehead from JaVale McGee, which knocked him down and one could see his right hand shaking. Luckily, he was able to get up later with help. For the already depleted Clippers, it was their second blow in a row as Milos Teodosic did not play after leaving the last game.  

The Warriors ended with a 3-0 road trip as part of a four-game win streak, averaging 121 points a game. It was their 12th win versus Los Angeles and 10th straight road win. The Clippers fell just shy of garnering 106 points their last nine games.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr commented, saying the game “was mainly about Steph tonight.”

The leading scorers on Golden State after Curry were McGee and Nick Young with 11 apiece and David West and Klay Thompson with 10 apiece. On a poor shooting night for Thompson, 4-of-16, Thompson doubled his five points in the first half in the third. Draymond Green almost had a double-double with nine points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Andre Iguodala had seven assists too.

Lou Williams led the Clippers with 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting, rivaling Curry in the first with 13 points in the opening quarter. Next after Williams was DeAndre Jordan with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, Tyrone Wallace (his first NBA game) with 13 points, Jawun Evans with 12 points and seven assists and Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell with nine points apiece, Harrell also with 10 rebounds.  

The Warriors did not get their second bucket of the game until 8:06 left in the first, when Curry was fouled and scored a pair of free throws. That led to a turnover by Griffin and resulting Green dunk shot.  Curry made his first three with 6:55 to go, giving Golden State their first lead until the second with under five minutes to go.

Later Curry drove to the basket before passing out for an assist and got the ball back outside the three point line. He put his arms up and drew the foul to make three free throws.

It then became the Warriors and threes led by Curry versus Williams, as Golden State built a 10-point lead. Williams scored three straight baskets, but Green and Curry combined for three three’s with Curry making a second chance three as well.

Los Angeles went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter, with William scoring the last five points with a three to make it 28-31. Curry tried to replicate on the other end but missed at the buzzer.

The field goal percentage at the end of the quarter was Warriors (33.3%) and Clippers (47.6%).

With the majority of the second period close, the max lead at six and within one four times, Sam Dekker tied the game at 50 apiece at 3:30. This held until Iguodala made the first of two free throws 31 seconds later and Golden State never looked back.

It was the Warriors’ turn to end the quarter as they went on a 12-5 run. Curry made his first three of the second with 2:14 left. With 1:06 left, Thompson hit his first three, then Curry had the last six points from the line and runs to the basket twice, until Williams scored with .2 seconds left. Golden State ended with a nine-point lead, 64-55.

The shooting percentage leads reversed after the third quarter, with the Warriors shooting 52.2% and Los Angeles shooting 33.3%.

Golden State went on an 11-4 run, started by Curry’s first three, another three by Thompson and culminating with three free throws from Curry with 5:49 left to go for an 18-point lead.

The Warriors’ lead reached its 30-point high with under a minute left after a 22-6 run. That was sparked by a three from Curry and also included a pair of three’s from Young.   

When asked if it would be fair to say every time Steph shot a three, it seemed to spark Golden State’s runs, Kerr replied, “I would say it was fair. It’s fair to say that. When he gets going like that, he sparks the whole building.”

Clippers’ coach Doc Rivers message to the team was, “Golden State are the world champions. We have 90 points of offense sitting in street clothes. I thought their offensive assault affected us…You back up to no one ever…If they’re better, let them be better, but make them be better.”

With Curry on the bench, the fourth quarter was the best and worst for Los Angeles and the Warriors points-wise, 29-18.

Game notes: On playing all 13 of his players, Kerr expressed, “it just felt like one of those games you play everybody, old school, like YMCA with the kids. Everybody has to play, and it was a good day for that.”

Due to Los Angeles’ need for guard help, Wallace was signed, while Jamil Wilson was waived January 5th.

Recent injuries from the past for both teams continued with Kevin Durant out again for Golden State.

Green got his 11th technical for arguing a non-call on the play after Griffin’s injury.

Up next: The Warriors head back home for two games now to play the Denver Nuggets Monday at 7:30pm and then the Clippers again.

Draymond Green gets triple-double, Warriors rout Rockets 124-114

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors traveled from North Texas to South Texas to take on the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center Thursday night. The Warriors, who are No. 1 in the Western Conference, competed against the Rockets, who are No. 2. As you should already know, the Rockets fired away last year with a 14-game win streak that was eventually snapped by Kyle Kuzma and the Los Angeles Lakers.

A familiar face made the first free throw of the game and for a good reason. The Rockets’ new “First Shot” ceremony gives a featured celebrity or a local public figure a chance to earn $5,000 for the charity of his or her choice. Tonight’s lucky guest was Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.

Both teams had their game faces on for an action-packed Western Conference matchup. The Warriors took an early 7-2 lead on Klay Thompson’s three at the 10:06 mark of the first quarter.

But let’s not forget that Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon was on fire, leading all scorers with 13 points in the first. The Rockets’ Twitter proceeded to remind fans to vote for Gordon for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

Nick Young hit a three with four seconds left on the clock, but the Warriors trailed the Rockets by four (37-33) at the end of the first. A four-point deficit is a deficient number, but there was still lots of basketball left.

Both teams continued to battle it out in the second quarter. Before the media timeout, the Warriors led the Rockets by one (59-58) with 4:27 left in the second. After the timeout, the Warriors went on a nice 10-2 run in a span of 1:10, but continued to trail the Rockets by one (63-62) at the half.

Here are the Warriors’ stats at the half:

Steph Curry got things going in the second half as he finished a layup at the rim to pull the Warriors within one (65-64) at the 11:04 mark of the third quarter. Zaza Pachulia provided the assist on Curry’s layup.

The score was tied at 68 with 7:33 left in the third. Draymond Green made a pair of free throws to put the Warriors up 70-68, but the Golden State lead was short-lived, as Gerard Green hit a three to put the Rockets back on top 71-70.

The score was tied up again at 74 with 5:40 left in the third. Many people were expecting Curry to put on a shooting show–which he did–but the Rockets’ Gerard Green hit just as many threes in an attempt to redeem himself.

Curry then hit a three. Green missed his three at the buzzer. The Warriors were up by three (93-90) at the end of the third.

Draymond Green was doing his thing on the court. Most notably, David West made a sweet pass to set up Green’s dunk at the 10:30 mark of the fourth quarter. West also made some dunks of his own.

Curry continued to make quality shots late in the half. In addition, Draymond Green notched a triple-double with an assist.

The Warriors beat the Rockets 124-114 for their third straight win.

Here are the Warriors’ final stats:

Notes
Warriors’ starting lineup: Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.

Warriors’ injury report: Kevin Durant (right calf strain) is out. Omri Casspi (mid back strain) is questionable.

Rockets’ starting lineup: Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and Chris Paul.

The Reliant Energy Power Player of December is Rockets’ Capela Clint, who averaged 14.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and shot 70.7% during the month.

Up Next 
The Warriors take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, January 6 at 12:30 pm PT.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Are opposing teams close to decoding Warriors?; Kings still snake bitten on home floor; Tiger four short of major record; plus more

Photo credit: @jacknicklaus

On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

1 The Warriors who lost to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and just got by the Mavericks on Wednesday. We ask Tony if opposing teams are decoding the Warriors and can they finally break through in figuring out how this team keeps winning each night?

2 The Sacramento Kings, who faced a Charlotte Hornets team who beat the Warriors Friday, got laid out 131-111. The Kings continue to struggle at home and now are 12-25 for the season

3 Tiger Woods, who’s had his personal struggles and worries, is making his return January 26th in the Bahamas for a major. Woods, who played well in another tournament last month, is just four short of the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus for majors won.

4 Is the Rooney rule a sham? Tony comments on the Oakland Raiders almost certain hiring of Jon Gruden as they will go through the motions of interviewing a minority coach and then give the job to Gruden.

5  Also, after leaving the Raiders the last time in 2001, the situation is totally different with Gruden coming back in 2018

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Warriors edge Mavericks 125-122 for second straight win

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors kicked off 2018 with a road game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center Wednesday night.

Steph Curry and Kevin Durant appeared to be cool in the first quarter as they made quite a few jumpers and buckets. Curry also proved that he was a good shooter.

The Warriors led the Mavericks 35-26 at the end of the first quarter.

Klay Thompson opened the second quarter with a couple of jumpers. David West headed to the line and jumped back into the game. In addition, Curry beat the quarter buzzer with a three-pointer with just three seconds left in the second.

The Warriors carried a 67-61 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

Here are the halftime stats:

Draymond Green opened the second half with a three. Durant put the Warriors back in front with a three of his own. Not only that, Patrick McCaw beat the buzzer to end the third quarter.

It was a close game at the end of the third quarter as the Warriors barely led the Mavs by two (91-89).

Green hit another three in the fourth quarter. Also, Durant threw down some more dunks.

Thompson gave the Warriors a two-point lead with less than a minute remaining in the fourth, and Golden State went on to edge Dallas 125-123 for their second straight win.

Here are the final stats:

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Draymond Green (sprained left ankle) and Zaza Pachulia (illness) are available to play in tonight’s game.

Warriors’ starting lineup: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.

Kevin Durant has his seventh 20-point and 10-rebound game of the season with 23 points and 10 boards, while Draymond Green has his sixth point/rebound double-double with 18 points and 10 boards.

Dirk Nowitzski became just the 98th player in NBA history to play in 1,000 games when he did so for the Mavs on Jan. 4, 2012 against the Suns.

Up Next
The Warriors head to the Toyota Center to take on the Rockets Thursday night at 7 pm CT.

Curry back, Warriors end 2017 with 141-128 win over Grizzlies

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors concluded their seven-game homestand against the Memphis Grizzlies to Oracle Arena on Saturday night. The Warriors were looking to rebound after losing to the Charlotte Hornets 111-100 the day before. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were simply hoping to extend their win streak to two games.

Before the game, Steph Curry signed some autographs for some Warriors fans in the sweetest way possible–with his daughter Riley on his side. Family time is always nice during NBA games.

The Warriors put their customized Slate Night kicks on display. Golden State then announced their starting lineup: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.

Warriors fans were excited to see Curry back on home court. The Splash Brothers were reunited, but let’s not forget about Thompson’s back-to-back three-pointers with less than 10 minutes left in the first quarter. The Warriors led by two (40-38) after the first.

The Warriors got off to a strong start to begin the second quarter. Shaun Livingston’s step back game was reportedly really strong and David West’s slam put the Warriors up 52-50 with 7:28 left in the first half. West then cleaned up a missed shot.

The Steph Curry show continued and the Warriors carried a 78-67 lead to the locker room at the half. The Warriors were so glad to have Curry back.

Curry remained hot in the third quarter. Jordan Bell also made some noteworthy plays. Moreover, Durant hit a three to give the Warriors a 116-98 lead at the end of the third.

Thompson brought the fire to the fourth quarter. Andre Iguodala also picked up a steal and finished it on the other end of the court. With a late three, Curry notched the most threes in a single NBA game this season.

The Warriors ended 2017 with a 141-128 win over the Grizzlies. Golden State ended their seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record.

Notes: Omri Casspi (sprained right ankle), Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle), Andre Iguodala (left knee soreness) and Klay Thompson (low back tightness) are probable.

Up Next: The Warriors kick off a three-game road trip vs. Mavericks on Wednesday at 5:3 pm PT.

Howard, Hornets show Warriors who’s boss with 111-100 win

Charlotte Hornets’ Dwight Howard, right, and Frank Kaminsky (44) celebrate a score against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Charlotte won 111-100. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors welcomed Steph Curry’s hometown team, the Charlotte Hornets, to Oracle Arena on Friday night. The Warriors were eyeing a three-game win streak, while the Hornets simply wanted to avoid a two-game losing skid.

As usual, NBC Sports Bay Area provided Friday’s cheer cards for Authentic Fan Friday. The Warriors also reminded their fans to Dub the Vote for good luck before watching the game. Unfortunately, the Warriors didn’t draw good luck. Oh well. Better luck next time.

Klay Thompson hit a three early in the first quarter. With the three, Thompson hit a three in his 90th consecutive game for the third longest streak all-time.

If that wasn’t good enough, Thompson scored 10 points in the first four minutes of the game. Thompson also continued to make it rain with threes.

Despite Thompson’s success, the Hornets turned good defense into easy offense. Dwight Howard showed off some tremendous footwork and the Hornets closed out the first on a 9-0 run. The Hornets led the Warriors 32-29 at the end of the first.

David West came up with a noteworthy dunk to tie the game at 44 with less than six minutes left in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Howard led the Hornets with 12 points and his team led by four points with 3:54 left in the second. But Jordan Bell (who reportedly has his own fan club) and the Warriors tied the game at 53 at the half.

The Warriors had back-to-back slams to start the second half. Thompson and Shaun Livingston contributed to the Warrior offense. However, Howard scored 23 points in the third quarter. As a result, Howard became the ninth player in NBA history with at least 9,000 career defensive rebounds. The Hornets were up by five (79-74 over the Warriors) at the end of the third.

Kevin Durant hit a couple of threes in the fourth quarter, but the Hornets continued to be on top of the Warriors and held a nine-point lead over the home team with 7:46 left in regulation. Howard passed yet another milestone with a career-high seven assists for the fourth time in his NBA career and first time since Nov. 13, 2013 vs. Philadelphia Sixers.

The Hornets defeated the Warriors by a final score of 111-100. Additionally, Howard became the third player in franchise history to record 25+ points, 12+ rebounds, 7+ assists and 2+ steals in a regular season game since Anthony Mason in 1997 and Gerald Wallace in 2007.

Notes
Warriors’ starting lineup: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, Klay Thompson and Shaun Livingston.

Warriors’ injury update: Andre Iguodala (left knee soreness) is probable. Omri Casspi (sprained right ankle) is out.

Zaza Pachulia partnered with ZTE USA to celebrate the Season of Giving.

Hornets’ injury update: Cody Zeller (left knee meniscus tear) is out.

Up Next
The Warriors welcome the Grizzlies on Saturday at 5:30 pm PT.

The Hornets take on the Clippers on Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Warriors continue homestand with 126-101 blowout win over Jazz

Golden State Warriors forwards Jordan Bell (2), Andre Iguodala (9) and Kevin Durant (35) celebrate during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. The Warriors won 126-101. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors continued their long homestand with a 126-101 blowout win over the Utah Jazz at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Warriors extended their win streak to two games and handed the Jazz their third straight loss.

The Jazz barely outscored the Warriors 24-23 at the end of the first quarter, but Golden State picked up the pace to get past Utah. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant stepped up for Steph Curry (sprained ankle) during the second quarter.

Green sank the three to give the Warriors a 48-47 lead over the Jazz at halftime. During the halftime break, a lucky fan honed his skills to score an autographed basketball, courtesy of MRC Smart Technology Solutions.

The Warriors didn’t waste any time in the second half. Golden State scored an unbelievable 42 points in the third quarter. Thompson, Durant, Green, Shaun Livingston, and Jordan Bell made tonight’s basketball game lit with their dunk shows.

The Warriors led the Jazz 90-69 at the end of the third quarter.

Nick Young made some threes in the fourth quarter. Omri Casspi made an incredible reverse layup. Andre Iguodala then stole the ball and found Casspi, who finished with the layup.

Patrick McCaw joined the party of threes towards the end of the game. JaVale McGee also finished at the rim.

The Warriors overcame a rather sluggish start and blew out the Jazz 126-101 for their second straight win–both at home.

Notes
Warriors owner and CEO Joe Lacob was named SF Business Times’ 2017 Executive of the Year.

Up Next
The Warriors host the Hornets on Friday, December 29 at 7:30 pm PT.

The Jazz return home to host the Cavs on Saturday, December 30 at 6 pm MT.

Warriors give fans a Christmas present with 99-92 win over Cavs

Photo credit: @_LegendaryEdits

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — On Christmas day, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers met in a rematch at Oracle Arena. The Warriors beat the Cavs 99-92 in Oakland.

Prior to the much anticipated matchup, the Warriors saw their 11-game win streak snap after the Nuggets embarrassed them with a 96-81 blowout win Saturday. Meanwhile, the Cavs were just looking to extend their win streak to two games. The Cavs edged the Bulls 115-112 at Quicken Loans Arena Thursday.

Both teams played excellent defense to start the first half. There was no score until 10:15 of the first quarter as Jae Crowder hit a three-pointer to put the Cavs on the board 3-0. Jose Calderon added another three to make it 6-0 Cavs with 9:38 left in the first.

The Warriors then started to get back into the game. Draymond Green made a driving floating bank jump shot and one of two free throws. Klay Thompson hit a three. Kevin Durant missed a couple of shots, but later snagged a rebound and made a driving finger roll layup shot. The Warriors pulled within two (12-10) with 7:15 left.

LeBron James hit a three to put the Cavs ahead 15-10 with 6:05 left. Durant then made a jump shot to bring the Warriors within four (16-12), but Kevin Love hit a three to expand the Cavs’ lead to 19-12 with 4:38 left.

James continued to work his magic on the court with a couple of layups. Kyle Korver hit a three with 21.7 seconds left. The Warriors trailed the Cavs 28-24 at the end of the first.

Both teams battled it out in a back-and-forth second quarter. The score was tied at 33 with 6:16 left in the second. Thompson made the game-tying shot–a jump shot.

Again, the score was tied at 39 with 3:57 left. Bell made a cutting dunk shot for two points for the equalizer.

The Warriors missed plenty of shots, but so did the Cavs. Durant helped the Warriors out with a three before Iguodala entered the game in his relief.

Omri Casspi made a pair of two free throws to end the first half. The Warriors led the Cavs 46-44 at halftime.

The score remained close throughout the second half.

Love hit a three to start the third quarter, but the Warriors began to pick up the pace. Love continued to contribute to the Cavs’ offense, but the Warriors gave the Cavs a hard time as Patrick McCaw hit a three and made a driving layup shot before his scoring streak ended and Andre Iguodala entered in his relief.

Casspi and Nick Young relieved Bell and Thompson late in the third. The Warriors made it rain with Durant’s pair of free throws and Casspi’s cutting dunk shot before the Cavs took a timeout.

The Iguodala show was in full effect as Iguodala made a dunk shot and a running finger roll layup shot to give the Warriors a 71-64 lead over the Cavs at the end of the third.

Dwayne Wade made it a one-point game with a three with 8:49 left in the fourth. The Warriors continued to lead 78-77, but Shaun Livingston made a dunk shot before receiving a personal foul from the referees. Durant then substituted for Iguodala.

Love made a pair of free throws, but the Cavs continued to trail the Warriors 85-81 with 5:59 left in regulation. Green, Durant and Bell fired up the Warrior offense, while the Cavs missed some much-needed shots.

James made a floating jump shot to tie the game at 92 with 1:59 left. Durant responded with a three to put the Warriors back on top 95-92 just 26 seconds later.

The Cavs got a lot of fouls in the final two minutes of the game and that seemingly affected their overall performance. Thompson closed out the game with a pair of free throws and the Warriors beat the Cavs 99-92.

Notes
Warriors’ starters:
Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Jordan Bell, Klay Thompson and Patrick McCaw.

Dwayne Wade’s teams have won 10 games on Christmas day–the most in NBA history.

Kevin Love (20) and LeBron James (22) have a combined 42 double-doubles, tied for the most among all NBA teammate duos this season.

Up Next 
The Warriors host the Jazz on Wednesday, December 27 at 7:30 pm PT.

The Cavs take on the Kings on Wednesday, December 27 at 7:00 pm PT.