Category: Golden State Warriors

Warriors’ “The Town” jerseys didn’t bring good luck, Nuggets beat Warriors 96-81 to end 11-game win streak

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors’ 11-game win streak came to an end as the Denver Nuggets cruised to a 96-81 win at Oracle Arena Saturday night.

The Warriors tipped off a little earlier than usual against the Nuggets in Oakland. Golden State was hoping to extend their win streak to 12 games while Denver was simply looking to win two games in a row.

The Warriors’ Twitter account wished everyone a Happy Festivus Seinfeld style before the tipoff. Omri Casspi, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, Jordan Bell, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant put in work in the first half.

Yet, the Warriors trailed by two (22-20) at the end of the first quarter and fell behind even further by 12 (53-41) at the end of the second quarter.

At the half, Durant led all scorers with 13 points and three rebounds. Thompson scored six points and two steals. Bell had six points and six rebounds. Patrick McCaw had five points. Iguodala had six assists. Casspi had four points and three rebounds. Green had just three points and four assists.

The Warriors outshot the Nuggets 21-20, but trailed the Nuggets 73-62 at the end of the third quarter. Green was a reliable man on the court and so were Bell, Durant, Iguodala and even Nick Young, who hit a three-pointer late in the quarter.

Thompson knocked down a corner three-pointer with 7:54 left in the fourth quarter.

JaVale McGee made some buckets late in the quarter. The Warriors tried their best, but the Nuggets embarrassed the home team 96-81 on their home court.

At the end, Durant led all scorers with 18 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Thompson scored 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Green had 10 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Bell had seven points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. McCaw had seven points, two rebounds and two steals. Casspi had just five points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Kevon Looney (gluteal strain) is available to play. Shaun Livingston (sore right knee) and Zaza Pachulia (left shoulder soreness) are out.

Nuggets’ injury update: Emmanuel Mudiay (right ankle sprain) and Paul Millsap (left wrist ligament injury) are out.

Up Next
The Warriors host the Cavs in an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day at 12 pm PT.

The Nuggets return home to host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, December 26 at 7 pm MT.

Draymond Green returns, Warriors rout Lakers 113-106 for 11th straight win

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Photo credit: @mercnews

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — Draymond Green returned to the court, NBC Sports Bay Area provided the fans their Authentic Fan cheer cards, and the Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time this week. The Warriors beat the Lakers 113-106 at Oracle Arena on Friday night.

The Warriors were ready to shoot some hoops on a Friday night. The Golden State starting lineup consisted of Green, Kevin Durant, Jordan Bell, Klay Thompson and Patrick McCaw. Meanwhile, the Lakers put some pressure on the Warriors. The Los Angeles starting lineup featured Andrew Bogut (former Warrior), Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma.

The first quarter flew by, but Durant stepped back and drained a three-pointer with 3:17 left on the game clock.

The Warriors led the Lakers 27-24 at the end of the first quarter.

Durant continued to make it rain in the second quarter, and the Warriors carried a 61-44 lead over the Lakers to the locker room at halftime.

At the half, Durant led all Warriors with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Thompson scored 11 points. Bell had 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Green had five points, eight rebounds and three assists. West had six points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Omri Casspi had six points. Young had five points.

With a huge block, Durant put an end to the Lakers’ 8-0 run in the third quarter.

The Warriors led the Lakers 84-72 after three quarters.

Caldwell-Pope hit a three-pointer to make it a two-point game (88-86) with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter. Yet, the Warriors were still in charge of the game as they were up 99-97 with 3:12 remaining. Jordan Clarkson missed a three-point shot and the Lakers had a team rebound to close out the game.

The Warriors beat the Lakers 113-106 at home.

In the end, Durant led all scorers with 33 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and four blocks. Bell scored 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Thompson had 16 points and two blocks. Green had 13 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. McCaw had five points and three rebounds. Casspi had 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks. West had eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Young had just eight points and two rebounds.

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Andre Iguodala (flu-like symptoms) is available to play. Zaza Pachulia (left shoulder soreness) & Shaun Livingston (sore right knee) are out.

Before the Lakers got rolling tonight, DeMarcus Hollins and South Bay (12-6) took on Canton at 4 pm PT.

Up Next
The Warriors host the Nuggets on Saturday, December 23 at 5:30 pm PT.

The Lakers host the Trail Blazers on Saturday, December 23 at 6:30 pm PT.

Lakers retire Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys, Warriors pick up 116-114 overtime win

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Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant watches as both of his jersey’s are retired during a halftime ceremony at an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors edged the Los Angeles Lakers 116-116 in overtime at Staples Center Monday night.

For the Golden State, Patrick McCaw (rookie) made his second start of the season. McCaw scored a season-high 16 points to go with career-highs of seven assists and four steals in his first start on November 27 vs. Kings.

Nick Young closed out the first quarter in style with a three-pointer with just 11 seconds left on the clock. The Golden State led the Lakers 32-24 at the end of the first.

The Lakers brought some momentum into the second quarter, but the Golden State held onto a mere 57-53 lead at the half. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Omri Casspi scored 10 points, six rebounds and two assists. Klay Thompson had eight points and five rebounds. JaVale McGee had six points. Young had eight points.

As expected, Thompson was being his usual self and made some jumpers to start the second half. Andre Iguodala found Kevon Looney for the dunk with 3:50 left in the third quarter. Golden State led the Lakers by just one point (83-82) at the end of the third.

Iguodala was all the way up in the fourth quarter. He also went coast to coast with an impressive two-handed jam at the 10:29 mark.

Both teams battled it out until the end of regulation. The contest went into overtime after a 102-102 tie for the second time at the Staples Center this season.

Lonzo Ball played downhill and hit a layup to put the Lakers up by one (113-112) with 1:03 left in overtime. The Lakers were out of timeouts in the final minute of overtime.

Golden State, however, managed to get past the Lakers for a 116-112 overtime victory for their ninth straight win and seventh on the road.

Notes
Thompson had his fourth career double-double with 17 points and a career-high-tying 10 rebounds. This was his second this season.

Golden State assistant coach Bruce Fraser turned 53 today.

Draymond Green held his second annual Christmas giveaway over the weekend, where he hosted roughly 50 kids from Oakland for some holiday fun.

Up Next
The Golden State return to Oracle Arena to host the Grizzlies on Wednesday, December 20 at 7:30 pm PST.

The Lakers take on the Rockets on Wednesday, December 20 at 7:30 pm CST.

Warriors win 10th straight game after defeating the Grizzlies 97-84

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Photo credit: @mercnews

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 97-84 at Oracle Arena Wednesday night.

The Warriors and Grizzlies were ready to battle it out on the court tonight. Fans in attendance received Zaza Pachulia bobbleheads, courtesy of realtor.com. The Golden State starting lineup featured Kevin Durant, Jordan Bell, JaVale McGee, Klay Thompson and Quinn Cook. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies’ starting lineup consisted of Tyreke Evans, Marc Gasol, Andrew Harrison, Dillon Brooks and JaMychal Green.

McGee got Golden State going with a hook early in the first quarter. He continued to make a couple of notable plays. Durant, Thompson and Omri Casspi also made things exciting for Golden State. However, the Golden State trailed the Grizzlies 28-24 at the end of the first quarter.

Thompson scored 25 points in the first half, which was a season-high for any half this year. Last time, Thompson had 23 on Oct. 20 at the New Orleans Pelicans. Thompson’s career half high is 40 points, dating back to Dec. 5, 2016 vs. Indiana Pacers.

The Golden State held a 56-51 lead over the Grizzlies at halftime.

Durant’s shooting wasn’t spectacular in the third quarter, but Nick Young hit a three-pointer to make up for Durant’s rather lackluster performance. The Warriors led the Grizzlies 74-65 at the end of the third quarter.

Patrick McCaw made a putback dunk to push the Warriors ahead 76-68 with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 97-84 at home.

Here are Golden State final stats:


Notes: Warriors injury update: Draymond Green (right shoulder soreness), Andre Iguodala (flu-like symptoms) and Zaza Pachulia (left shoulder soreness) are out for tonight’s game vs. Grizzlies.

Grizzlies’ injury report: Mike Conley (left heel), Wayne Selden Jr. (right quad) and Chandler Parsons are out (rest) for tonight’s game vs. Warriors. Brandon Wright (right groin) is listed as doubtful.

Up Next
Warriors host the Lakers on Friday, December 22 at 7:30 pm PST.

Grizzlies visit the Suns on Thursday, December 21 at 7:00 pm MST.

Headline Sports Podcast with London Marq: Bringing back Warriors will be a small part of what Mayor Lee did for S.F.; Big media push for A’s Coliseum stadium but team wants downtown park

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FILE – In this May 22, 2012 file photo from left, Golden State Warriors owner and CEO Joe Lacob, NBA Commissioner David Stern, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Warriors owner Peter Guber hold up 2017 jerseys following an announcement in San Francisco, that the NBA basketball team wants to build a new arena on the waterfront in San Francisco. Mayor Lee, who oversaw a technology-driven economic boom in San Francisco that brought with it sky-high housing prices despite his lifelong commitment to economic equality, died suddenly early Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, at age 65. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

On the Headline Sports Podcast with London:

Part of the late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee’s legacy will be bringing he Golden State Warriors back to San Francisco. The Warriors left the City back in 1971 for Oakland to become Golden State. Lee worked with the Warriors, UCSF, in helping as a go between the Warriors and UCSF to get the land and the ability to have an arena built at that location after they were rejected at Piers 30-32.

After the Piers 30-32 neighbors said they would put an initiative on the ballot to block construction of a new arena at piers 30-32 Lee got involved in finding a new location for the new basketball arena and found the UCSF location right next to the hospital was land owned by Sales Force who sold the land to the Warriors and Lee worked with UCSF to get their blessing to make it so for a new arena next to the hospital.

London discusses the achievement of Lee and the Warriors new arena. London also discusses the Oakland A’s latest developments on their ongoing search for a new stadium location in downtown Oakland

 

Warriors down Mavericks 112-97 for eighth straight win

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Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) shoots over Dallas Mavericks’ Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors won their eighth straight game after downing the Dallas Mavericks 112-97 at Oracle Arena Thursday night.

This was a rather lopsided matchup as the Warriors entered the game in second place with a seven-game win streak, trailing the first-place Rockets with a gigantic 11-game win streak, while the Mavericks came in as a second-to-last team in hopes of a two-game win streak.

Both the Dubs and Mavs were focused before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff in Oakland.

Mavs point guard J.J. Barea picked up where he left off. Barea had nine points and three assists in 14 minutes in the Mavs’ 105-96 win over the Nets on March 10, 2017. Barea suffered a strained right calf and a left calf strain, respectively.

The Dubs trailed by Mavs by four (28-24) at the end of the first quarter.

As expected, Klay Thompson played like a Splash Brother in the second quarter. The Dubs then went on a 9-0 run and tied the game at 48 apiece to end the first half. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Thompson scored 11 points. Omri Casspi had seven points and seven rebounds. Jordan Bell had five assists, four points and four rebounds. Shaun Livingston had six points.

The Dubs and Mavs fought hard to start the second half.

Dirk Nowitzki connected on a three-point shot from downtown to put the Mavs ahead 51-48 with 5:42 left in the third quarter.

Casspi, Durant and Livingston put on the pressure on the rim. Durant drained a jumper to tie the game at 61 and helped the Dubs regain the lead. Casspi had a season-high 14 points (6-of-7 field goals). Casspi also scored in double figures for the seventh time this season.

The Dubs led the Mavs 80-73 at the end of the third quarter.

Casspi, Thompson, Andre Iguodala and David West put in work for the Dubs in the fourth quarter. Thompson was on fire, just take a look at the tweet below.

The Dubs overcame a slight deficit and ended up defeating the Mavs 112-97 at home. Durant led all scorers with 36 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Thompson scored 25 points and five assists. Casspi had 17 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two assists. Bell had eight assists, eight points and six rebounds. West had nine points, three rebounds and three assists. Livingston had eight points.

Notes
Dubs’ injury update: Draymond Green (right shoulder soreness), Zaza Pachulia (left shoulder soreness) and Nick Young (concussion) are out for tonight’s game vs. Mavs.

Dubs’ starting lineup: Durant, Casspi, Bell, Thompson and Livingston.

Mavs’ starting lineup: Nowitzki, Matthews, Barnes, Kleber and Ferrell.

Before the game vs. Dubs, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said: “Transition defense is the biggest thing. We’ve got to take away threes, we’ve got to rebound and we’ve got to take care of the ball.”

Up Next
The Dubs visit the Lakers on Monday, December 18 at 7:30 pm PST.

The Mavs visit the Spurs on Saturday, December 16 at 7:30 pm CST.

Warriors beat Blazers 111-104 for seventh straight win

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Photo credit: @mercnews

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — It wasn’t easy, but the Golden State Warriors ended up defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 111-104 at Oracle Arena Monday night.

The Warriors entered the matchup vs. the Trail Blazers in second place of the Western Conference, trailing the first-place Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, the Blazers were in sixth place in the conference.

After playing their last four games in their red “statement” jerseys, the Blazers sported their black “icon” jerseys tonight. The Blazers were just fine early in the game as they scored four consecutive points–all from Evan Turner’s dunks, but the Blazers barely outscored the Dubs by one point (28-27) at the end of the first quarter.

However, the Dubs went on a 10-2 run to grab a 39-32 lead with 7:48 left in the first half. Still, the Blazers said it was really difficult to stop Damian Lillard, a Oakland, Calif., native. Lillard led all scorers with 19 points at the half.

Despite the Lillard show, the Dubs led the Blazers 60-47 at the half.

The Blazers got off to a great start as they shot 100% from the free-throw line for a bit and even went on a 17-4 run to cut the deficit to 11, but the Dubs started cooking in the kitchen late in the third quarter. The Dubs led the Blazers 93-75 at the end of the third quarter.

The Dubs also received some bad news as Nick Young left the game with the concussion and didn’t return.

Klay Thompson did his thing, and Kevin Durant (19,712 points) passed John Stockton (19,711 points) for 44th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Thompson also closed out the game with a couple of three-pointers, and the Dubs beat the Blazers 111-104 at home.

The Dubs’ final stats are embedded below.

Notes
Warriors’ injury report: Draymond Green (right shoulder soreness) is probable. Patrick McCaw (nose contusion/concussion) is questionable. Zaza Pachulia (left shoulder soreness) is doubtful. Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) is out.

Blazers’ injury update: Maurice Harkless (left quad) downgraded to OUT for tonight’s game. Jusuf Nurkić (right ankle) is also out.

Up Next
The Dubs host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, December 14 at 7:30 pm PST.

The Blazers embark on a four-game road trip. The first game will be at American Airlines Center vs. the Miami Heat on Wednesday, December 13 at 7:30 pm EST.

Warriors beat Pistons 102-98 to finish perfect road trip

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) takes a shot against Detroit Pistons forward Anthony Tolliver (43) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

by Jerry Feitelberg

For the first time in team history, the Golden State Warriors won all six road games after defeating the Detroit Pistons 102-98. The Warriors were without the services of Steph Curry, Zaza Pachulia, and Patrick McCaw. Head coach Steve Kerr inserted JaVale McGee in for Pachulia, and Shaun Livingston started in place of Curry.

Quinn Cook, who had started at point guard, was relegated to the bench, but he played well when Kerr put him into the game.

The Warriors were trying to avenge a loss to the Pistons when the two teams met in Oakland earlier this season. The last time they met, the Dubs committed 26 turnovers, and they were not in sync that night. The Dubs were determined to not let that happen. They were also committed to shutting down the Pistons’ offense. The Dubs did just that as the had a season-high 15 blocks. Both teams played defense Friday night at the Little Caesars Arena in Motown, but the Dubs were just a little better.

The Warriors lead in the first quarter 30-24. They held the Pistons to just 31% from the floor. The Pistons were making three-point shots, and the Dubs were shooting bricks from a three-point range. The Pistons held the Dubs to 16 points in the second quarter and scored 24 to lead 50-46 at the end of the first half.

The Dubs shot 48.6% from the floor but made just one three-pointer in 13 attempts. The Pistons shot 38.8% from the floor but connected on seven three-point shots in 14 attempts. The Dubs committed just five turnovers in the first half and knew they would have to make adjustments if they were to beat the Pistons. Kevin Durant was the only Warrior in double figures with 14. Thompson and West were next with six each.

Whatever Kerr and the coaches told the Warriors at the halftime break must have worked as the team outscored the Pistons 31-17 and finished the period with a 10 point lead (77-67).

The Dubs, behind Thompson and Durant, continued to keep the Pistons at bay. They increased the lead to 12 (81-69), but Detroit would not fold.

The Pistons closed the gap to three (87-84), but Thompson and Durant made two key buckets to up the lead to seven.

The Dubs were ahead 100-93 when Detroit cut the lead to two (100-98) with 22.7 seconds left in the game. The Pistons went for the tie, but they missed a layup and Thompson got the rebound and was fouled. He nailed both free throws with just 5.3 seconds left. Detroit failed to score, and the Warriors picked up the win.

Game notes and stats — Kevin Durant had a double-double Friday night. He knocked down 36 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and blocked five shots. Klay Thompson added 22, David West 11 and Shaun Livingstone 10. Draymond Green tallied just two points on offense, recorded 13 assists, and was basically a monster on defense. Green had six rebounds and led the club with six blocked shots.

Quinn Cook, coming off the bench, scored seven and he made a three-point shot as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter.

Leading scorers for the Pistons were former Boston Celtic, Avery Bradley, with 25, Reggie Jackson 16, Tobias Harris 11, Anthony Tolliver 10, and the seven-foot-three big man Boban Marjanovic from Serbia also had 10. Pistons star center, Andre Drummond, was held to eight points, but he recorded 17 rebounds in a losing effort.

The Warriors improve to 21-6 and Detroit falls to 14-11.

The Warriors return home to face the Portand Trailblazers Monday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PT.

Durant, Warriors, send the Hornets down with 101-87 win

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Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant reacts to making a dunk against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors were without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Patrick McCaw, and saw Zaza Pachulia leave the game early in the first quarter with a shoulder injury.

The Warriors called up Quinn Cook from the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors and Cook made his first start in the NBA. With Pachulia out, head coach Steve Kerr rotated JaVale McGee, David West, Jordan Bell, and Kevon Looney. Kevin Durant had a triple-double (35 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds) to lead the Dubs to a 101-87 win. It was the Dubs’ fifth win in a row on their six-game road trip.

The Warriors held the Hornets to 38 points in the first half as they shot 31% from the floor. Klay Thompson, Nick Young, and Quinn Cook made significant contributions to the Warriors’ attack.

“I knew Quinn would play well,” Kerr said. “He’s played a lot of minutes for New Orleans last year and we have watched him in practice in the G-league…We have a lot of synergy between the franchises and we run the same stuff, so Quinn knows all of the plays.”

The Warriors played from start to finish and refused to let the Hornets climb their way back into the game. The Hornets made a run late in the game, but the Dubs answered the challenge.

“Even without those other guys, they’re still pretty good,” Hornets interim head coach Stephen Silas, who’s leading the team while Steve Clifford is dealing with a health issue. “Obviously with Kevin Durant and Klay (Thompson) it was hard to stop those guys tonight.”

Kevin Durant led by example. Durant scored just 16 points in the first quarter. The Warriors led 26-18 as they held Charlotte to just 31% from the floor. In the second quarter, Thompson, Cook, and young connected on several three-pointers as the Dubs ended the first half with a 53-38 lead. The Dubs had a 26-point lead, but Kemba Walker and the Hornets’ offense got going.

In the second half, David West and JaVale McGee made several key buckets. The Hornets cut the deficit to 11 at the end of the third quarter, but the Warriors played defense in the fourth quarter to put the game in the win column.

Game Notes and Stats — Curry has a sprained ankle and is wearing a boot. He’s going to head home to the Bay Area Thursday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Green was out with a shoulder injury and it is not known if he will play in Detroit Friday night.

Patrick McCaw was hit on the nose by Demarcus Cousins Monday. McCaw may not be available Friday.

Pachulia injured his shoulder and his status is unknown.

Durant said: “It’s fun when you get to create and just be creative out there, whether it’s passing to JaVale (McGee) for a lob or shooting a pull-up jump shot…Tonight it felt like I could go in my bag of tools, my bag of tricks, to pull some stuff out. I don’t expect it to be like that every single game, but tonight I thought it called for it.”

“It wasn’t so much a vocal leadership role, but more of an ‘I got this’ type of thing,’ Kerr said. “It was the way he carried himself. He was clearly the best player on the floor and the dominant player on the floor. Without Steph (Curry), he almost had a different bounce to his step, like `This one is mine, I got it.”

Thompson ended the night with 22 points. Cook tallied eight points, three assists, and three rebounds. Young came off the bench and knocked down 10. Andre Iguodala had eight points and eight boards. David West added six points, four assists, three rebounds, and two blocked shots.

Leading scorers for the Hornets were Kemba Walker with 25, Nick Batum 15, and Dwight Howard with 14.

The Warriors shot 48% from the floor and held Charlotte to just 35% The Dubs knocked down 11 three-point shots and recorded 26 assists. On defense, they had eight steals and 12 blocked shots.

The Warriors finish the six-game road trip in Detroit Friday night. The Pistons beat the Warriors in Oakland early in the season. The Pistons will be trying to sweep the season series. Game time is at 4 pm.

Warriors overcome 21-point deficit to beat Pelicans 125-115 ; Curry is hurt

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after making a 3-point basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors were thoroughly outplayed in the first half of Monday night’s game with the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Arena in the Crescent City.

Everything worked for the Pelicans in the first half. They had terrific ball movement, they were making three point shots, they were rebounding, and they were beating the Warriors. However, the Warriors are the defending NBA champions, and they showed the Pelicans as they started the third quarter on a 15-0 run and stopped the Pelican offense cold as they won 125-115.

The Pelicans were playing without their big man, Anthony Davis, who was out with a groin strain. They still had to deal with Demarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday. Cousins, perhaps the best center in the NBA, was a force in the middle. He has been effective making three point shots, and that gives his game an added dimension. The Warriors could usually handle Cousins when he was with the Kings, but he has a better supporting cast in New Orleans.

The Pelicans offense really clicked in the first half, and their defense had Golden State completely out of sync. Holiday led the Pelicans with 23 points in the half. E’Twaun Moore had 13. Rajon Rondo had eight, Dante Cunningham had nine, and Cousins knocked down 11.

Steph Curry led the Dubs with 12, but he was just 3-9 from the floor. Durant had nine, McGee had five, Green had six and Klay Thompson had just two. The Pelicans led by 20 at the half (69-49). The Warriors looked tired as they made 10 turnovers and were outrebounded 28-26. The Pelicans recorded 20 assists while the Dubs had just 14.

The Warriors, as most fans know, seem to figure out what to do at the halftime intermission and get going in the third quarter. They did exactly that. They started the quarter on a 15-0 run to cut the deficit to just five points. The Pelicans calmed down and didn’t appear to be fazed as they were able to maintain the lead and were up by six (82-76). It was at this point that Holiday got hot and propelled the Pelicans to a 91-80 advantage. Curry took over, and he scored the last eight points of the period to make it a 91-88 game. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 37-22 in the quarter.

The Warriors continued to roll in the fourth quarter. They found their rhythm and were back in sync. The lead changed hands several times, but the Pelicans were starting to wilt. They regained the lead 105-102 but Steph made a three-pointer, and Nick Young came up big with two consecutive three-point shots that put the Warriors ahead for good. The Warriors increased the lead to ten (120-110) when Steph injured his ankle and had to leave the game. The Warriors were able to hold on, and they won 125-115.

Game notes and stats — Zaza Pachulia did not play Monday night as he had a sore shoulder. JaVale McGee made his first start of the season. Patrick McCaw was injured in the first half when he was hammered on the head and appeared to have blood running from his nose. He was taken to the locker room and did not return. Shaun Livingston was given the night off.

The other injury occurred late in the game when Curry appeared to twist his right ankle. He hobbled to the locker room, and X-Rays were taken. The X-Rays were negative which is a good sign. Curry said he will “see how it feels tomorrow and go from there” “The surgical repairs from five or six years ago are fine.”

Cousins and Kevin Durant were both ejected from the game with just 1:13 left to play. Each player had a technical called on them earlier in the game, and since this was their second technical, they had to exit.

Curry led the Dubs with 31. Thompson came to life in the second half and finished with 22. Green and Durant finished with 19. Holiday had 34, and Moore had a career-high 27 points in a losing effort. The Warriors are 19-6 while the Pelicans fall to 12-12

The Warriors play game five of the six-game road trip in Curry’s hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Game time is at 4 pm PST.