Category: Golden State Warriors

Thunder stifle Warriors offense, pick up emphatic 108-91 home win

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Oklahoma City Thunder played their best game of the season as they defeated the Warriors 109-91 Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunders’ Big Three, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George all scored more than 20 points each, and the Thunder slowed the Warriors running game and took the Dubs out of their game. The Thunder, coached by Billy Donovan, entered the game with a record of 7-9. The Thunder made two big moves in the offseason to improve their offense by signing Paul George and trading for Carmelo Anthony. The team really hadn’t played well until Wednesday night. The Thunder lost several games after having a big lead at the half, but they did not let the game slip Wednesday night.

The Warriors’ Kevin Durant was back in the lineup on Wednesday. Durant could not help the Warriors as they fell behind 33-26 after the first quarter. The Thunder offense was on fire as they shot 54% from the floor and held the Warriors to just 36%.

The Thunder kept the pressure on, and the Warriors fell further behind. Everything was going well for OKC. Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony were making shots, and the Warriors were not. Klay Thompson could not buy a bucket, Draymond Green scored two points in the first half. Zaza Pachulia did not score at all, and the bench did not provide a spark. Steph scored 13 and KD knocked down 14, but the Warriors ended the first half trailing by seventeen 65-48

The Warriors, who usually dominate the third period, could not get anything going. OKC continued to play stellar defense, and the Warriors continued to make turnovers and missed open shots. The Thunder increased the lead to twenty-three and was in total control as the third quarter ended with a 94-71 advantage.

The Warriors won the fourth quarter 20-14, but it was too little, too late. Billy Donovan kept his starters in for most of the fourth quarter and didn’t remove them until there were just 90 seconds left in the game. The Thunder won 108-91 and snapped the Warriors’ seven-game winning streak against them.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors finished the four-game road trip with a record of 2-2 and fell to 13-5 for the season. The Thunder improved to 8-9. Steph led the Warriors with 24 points. KD tallied 21. Klay had 9, Draymond 4, and Zaza 2. Three of the Thunders’ starters recorded a double-double. Westbrook, the NBA’s reigning MVP, scored 34 points, had nine assists, and ten rebounds. Paul George had 20 points and eleven rebounds, Steven Adams fourteen points and twelve boards. Carmelo Anthony poured in twenty.

The Warriors are home for Thanksgiving and resume play Friday night against the Chicago Bulls at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30.

Warriors hang on to beat Nets 118-111

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

by Jerry Feitelberg

BROOKLYN — The Warriors were without Kevin Durant, but were able to build a 22-point lead at halftime behind the play of their leader, Steph Curry. The Warriors then had to hang on for dear life as the Nets outplayed them in the second half and almost were able to upset the Warriors. Shaun Livingston and Klay Thompson made key buckets late in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors won 118-111.

With the Warriors trailing 10-8, they took the lead for good as they went on an 8-0 run to lead 16-10. Curry led the charge, and the team got some help from Nick Young who made two three-pointers as they finished the first quarter leading 32-20.

The Warriors ended the first half leading 64-42. Curry led the team with 22 points, and he had eight rebounds, four assists and he made three steals. Curry committed his third personal foul late in the first half and had to finish the half on the bench.

The Warriors increased the lead to 28 (78-50) early in the third quarter. The Nets refused to fold and started chipping away at the lead. The Warriors led by 20 with 2:20 left in the period when the Nets made some three-point shots and went to the free throw line as the Warriors committed too many fouls. Curry committed his fifth personal foul late in the third quarter and went to the bench. The Warriors led 98-84, but the Nets were now feeling confident that they were back in the game.

The Nets kept chipping away at the Warriors’ lead. The Warriors still led by 14 with 8:28 left to play. Little by little, the Nets crept closer and cut the deficit to four (107-103). Curry fouled out of the game with three minutes to play. It was at this point that Livingston made a huge bucket and Thompson then followed with a two-point bucket and then a three-pointer to lead 114-106. The Nets refused to go down as they made a trey. The Warriors made a two-pointer to lead 116-109. The Nets closed in at 116-111. They fouled Thompson, who made the two free throws to put the game away 118-111.

Game notes and stats: Curry led the Warriors with 39 points, seven assists, 11 rebounds and four three-point shots. Thompson also finished with a double-double (23 points and 10 rebounds). Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Omri Casspi started in place of Kevin Durant. The trio played well on both ends of the court.

As a team, the Warriors had eight steals and 14 blocks. Young, Iguodala, David West and Kevon Looney all made contributions to the Warriors’ win.

The Nets had five players in double figures. Allen Crabbe led the Nets with 25. Crabbe made six three-point shots in 11 attempts. Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 21. DeMarre Carroll had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 15 and Caris LeVert came off the bench to tally 13.

The Nets were 27-for-39 from the free-throw line. The Warriors were 16-of-23 from the charity stripe. The Nets also made 16 three-pointers while the Dubs were 10-for-24.

After the game, Green had this to say about the game: “Not many teams can keep up with us running.” Green added: “So, slow the game down, I think you give them more of a shot. Something we always talk about is defending without fouling. We didn’t do a good job of that today.”

Coach Steve Kerr also commented on the team’s narrow escape, saying, “We had to withstand their run, and luckily, we did with some good execution in the last few minutes after Steph (Curry) went out.”

With the win, the Warriors are now 13-4 for the season, and the Nets drop to 6-10.

Durant did not play as he sprained an ankle Saturday night in Philadelphia. Durant is expected to play Wednesday night as the Warriors travel to Oklahoma City to face his former team (Thunder).

The Thunder has a new look this year as they signed star forwards Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Game time is at 5 pm.

Warriors come back from 22-point halftime deficit to beat Sixers 124-116

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, top, shoots as Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, of Cameroon, bottom, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, in Philadelphia. The Warriors won 124-116. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The big question on everyone’s mind is this: How do they do it? How do they get pummeled by 22 points in the first and still come back to win? The Sixers outplayed the Warriors in the first half. They outscored the Warriors 47-28 in the first quarter and led 74-52 at the end of the first 24 minutes of play. The Warriors–still smarting from the 92-88 loss to Boston Thursday night–regrouped and took control of the game in the third quarter as their defense held the Sixers to just 15 points while they scored 47. The Warriors did not relinquish the lead and won 124-116.

The young Sixers appeared to be blowing the Warriors out of the building in the first half. They shot 74% from the floor in the first quarter and finished the first half at 58% The Warriors shot 47% from the floor which isn’t terrible, but they could not stop the Sixer attack. The Sixers made seven 3-point shots while the Warriors connected just on one. The Sixers had four starters in double figures at the end of the half. Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 17. Ben Simmons had 15. J.J.Redick also had 15. Robert Covington knocked down 12, and Dario Saric pitched in with 9. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 15, and Kevin Durant followed with 14.

The Warriors trailed by 22 at the start of the third quarter.The Sixers increased the lead to 24 (76-52). The Warriors–as they have done so many times–found their game and started to make stops and played Warrior basketball. They found a way to move the ball and were able to find the open man. Durant and Curry led the offense, Nick Young made a big 3-point shot. Kevon Looney came in and helped energize the team on defense. The Warriors trailed by 10 87-77 with 5:30 left in the period. They continued to attack as Curry made a three to close the deficit to just one (89-88). The Warriors took the lead for good when Curry made two free throws to make it 90-89. Looney made a bucket, Curry connected on another 3-pointer, and Draymond Green finished the scoring in the period with a two-point bucket. The Warriors turned the game around outscoring the Sixers 47-15 and ended the third quarter leading 99-89.

The Warriors, behind David West and Klay Thompson, were able to increase the lead to 117-97. The Sixers fought back as they cut the lead to seven (120-113), but they ran out of time as the Warriors held on to win 124-116.

Game notes and stats — With the win, the Warriors improve to 12-4 and are 1-1 on the four-game road trip. The Sixers fall to 8-7. The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the team with 35 points, five assists, and five rebounds. Durant tallied 27. Klay Thompson had 17, David West had 14, and Zaza Pachulia had 10. Green scored eight points and had eight assists along with seven rebounds.

Scoring leaders for Philadelphia were Dario Saric with 13, Robert Covington with 20, J.J.Redick with 20, Joel Embiid with 21, and Ben Simmons with 23.

The Warriors held Embiid to just four points in the second half. The Dubs held Redick to 5, Saric 4, and Simmons 8.

After the game, Curry said this about the win: “We got stops which is key.” We “found a way to give ourselves some life.” He noted that the Warriors just didn’t play well in the first half but “we moved the ball a lot better” in the second half as the Warriors found a way to score 47 points in the third quarter and put the clamps on the Sixers offense.

Steve Kerr remarked this about the play of his team in the third period: “We were more poised in the third quarter.” “They dominated the first half, but we corralled them in the second half.”

The Warriors play the Brooklyn Nets Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn. Game time is at 3 pm.

Warriors lose a close one to Boston Celtics 92-88

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Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (7) and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry battle for a loose ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

by Jerry Feitelberg

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics won their 14th game in a row Thursday night s they came back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Warriors 92-88 and snapped the Warriors’ seven-game win streak.

The Celtics, who are number one in defense in the NBA, shut down the Warriors vaunted offense and held the Warriors to a season-low 88 points. Two-time MVP, Steph Curry, who missed the last game with a right thigh contusion was held to just nine points. Steph was three-for fourteen from the field and 2-for-9 from the 3-point range. His Splash Brother partner, Klay Thompson, was held to 13 points.

The Warriors looked sharp in the first quarter as they finished the period leading by 10 (28-18). They increased the lead to 17, but the Celtics were able to claw their way back and trailed by five at the end of the first half (47-42).

The Celtics outscored the Warriors 26-21 in the third quarter and won the game in the fourth quarter as they held the Warriors to just 20 points while scoring 24.

Game notes and stats — The Warriors shot 40.2% from the floor and held Boston to just 32.9%. Normally, these numbers would give the Warriors the win. The Celtics won the game as the Warriors were called for 24 fouls and had 38 free throw attempts. The Celtics recorded 33 points from the free throw line while Golden State made just 12 free throws. The 21-point disparity made up the difference and sent Boston to a victory.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 24 points, three assists, and three rebounds. Draymond Green tallied 11 (five assists, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots). The Golden State defense had nine steals and 10 blocks in the game.

Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Most of them came from the charity stripe. The Celtics were led by Jalen Brown. Brown, who played college basketball at Berkeley, scored 22 points and had seven rebounds. Al Horford had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards.

After the game, Curry had this to say about his performance: “It was just one of those nights…We had control of the game despite how bad we all were shooting. We just didn’t sustain ourselves defensively.”

Curry sat for a long stretch after picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter.

“We kind of fell out of our rotation in the third quarter,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “They were just tougher and smarter than we were tonight.”

The Warriors are now 11-4 while Boston improves to 14-2.

The Warriors play the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night. Game time is at 5 pm.

Warriors down Orlando Magic 110-100 win their seventh in a row

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Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant celebrates after scoring against the Orlando Magic during the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors won 110-100. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland — The Golden State Warriors, playing without Stephen Curry Monday night, beat the Orlando Magic 110-100 to win their seventh straight game and eighth in the last nine. The Warriors are now 11-3 for the season. The Magic, coached by Frank Vogel, gave the Warriors all they could handle in the first half of the game. The Warriors came to life in the third quarter and put the game away. It wasn’t as easy as the last six games, but they still won. The Warriors and Magic ended the first half tied at 56.

The team game was tied 10 times in the first half. The veteran Shaun Livingston filled in for Curry. Shaun didn’t score much in the first half, but he was dynamite in the third quarter. Kevin Durant led the Warriors in scoring with 12. Klay Thompson had eight and Draymond Green knocked down seven. The Magic was led by Nikola Vucevic who scored 13. Big Aaron Gordon, who happens to be from San Francisco, tallied 10.The Warriors outscored the magic by 13 points in the third quarter. Frank Vogel’s team likes to shoot 3-pointers. They made 10 in the game on 32 attempts. The Warriors made just eight, but the Warriors were dominant on the boards and scored 54 points in the paint to win the game.Golden State had won six games in a row by 17 points and had they done that Monday night, they would have set an NBA record. They increased the lead to 20 and at that point, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr inserted the bench players into the game. The Magic cut the deficit to ten, but they ran out of time as they fell to the Warriors.

Game notes and stats — Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 21 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Durant did not block a shot as the Magic kept firing from beyond the three-point arc. Draymond Green tallied twenty points, and he had five assists. Livingston finished with sixteen points, six assists, and two rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. Klay Thompson added 15.

Nick Young, Kevon Looney, Omri Casspi, and Andre Iguodala all made significant contributions in the win. David West also played well. Vucevic led the Magic with twenty points. The Warriors held Aaron Gordon scoreless in the second half, and he finished the night with 10. Terence Ross had 11, and Evan Fournier knocked down 16 for Orlando. Jonathan Simmons signed as free agent after playing with the San Antonio Spurs last season, scored 13. Former Warrior Mo Speights recorded nine points, and he and David West go tangled up under the basket late in the game. The referees went right there and separated the two big men. No fouls or technicals were called, and the game went on.

The Warriors play the next four games on the road. They meet the very hot Boston Celtics Thursday night in Boston. The Celtics have won 12 in a row after losing the first two games of the year. The Warriors meet the Philadelphia Sixers Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Warriors beat the Sixers last Saturday at Oracle Arena. They then play the Brooklyn Nets Sunday night and finish the road trip on November 22nd in Oklahoma City. Game time for the Boston game will be at 5 pm.

Warriors blow it open in the third quarter to rout the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-101

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, left, drives the ball up court around Draymond Green (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland — On Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, the Golden State Warriors were without the services of Kevin Durant. Durant suffered a left thigh contusion Monday night on the first play of the game against the Miami Heat. He probably was able to play, but Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr decided to give him the night off and give his deep and talented bench more playing time. The team and the bench rose to the occasion as they were able to take control of the game in the third quarter and won 125-101. The Warriors are now 9-3 for the year. They’ve won five in a row and eight of the last nine.

The first two quarters were very close. The Warriors ended the half with a one-point lead (51-50). The Warriors seemed to be out of sync as they scored just 22 points in the first 12 minutes. Minnesota could not solve the Warrior defense either. They scored 22 in the quarter. The Warriors made several turnovers and seemed to be throwing the ball to the wrong team at times. The second quarter was more of the same. The Warriors committed 13 turnovers in the first half and Minnesota converted them into points. However, the Warriors were able to stay with the Wolves and the second unit (David West, Shaun Livingston, Omri Casspi) played well. Steph Curry started to get it going, and he finished the half with 14 points. Andre Iguodala, starting at forward in place of Durant, knocked down five. Draymond Green had six and Klay Thompson had eight. Taj Gibson led the Wolves with 10.

The Warriors broke it open in the third quarter. They scored 44 points and held Minnesota to 26. They stopped making turnovers and ran the court, found the open man, made three-point shots and shut down the Timberwolves offense. Behind the superb play of JaVale McGee, Iguodala, Thompson, and Curry, the Warriors sent a message that they can play even with Durant on the sideline. They led by 19 at the end of three 95-76 and won 125-101.

Game notes and stats — The Warriors had six players in double figures. Thompson led the Warriors with 28 points. He made six three-point shots. Curry finished with 22 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds. Iguodala finished with 11, West had 10, Casspi knocked down 13, and Nick Young added 12. McGee had three big plays in the third period to help spark Dubs in the third period. Patrick McCaw, Green, and Livingston all made contributions to help the Warriors win their fifth straight game. The Warriors moved the ball well in the second half and finished the night with 37 assists. Steve Kerr was “really pleased with the defense.” All five Timberwolves’ starters were in double figures, but they did not get much help from their bench. They dropped to 7-4 for the season.

The Warriors meet the young Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 5:30 pm. It will be an opportunity for the fans to see the Sixers’ young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Warriors don’t score 100 points but are able to grind out a win over Miami 97-80

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant celebrates after hitting a three-point basket against the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in Denver. (Photo by Jack Dempsey)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland — The Warriors won their seventh game in their last eight starts. It was not easy or pretty, but they still prevailed over the Miami Heat, 97-80. The Heat, coached by Erik Spoelstra, played tough defense and did their best to keep the Warriors from running the court. The Heat loves to play a grind-it-out style of play similar to the one used by the Memphis Grizzlies. They do not run the fast break. They use up as much of the 34-second clock as possible before taking a shot and make the opposition work hard to take a three-point shot.

The Warriors were hoping to get off to a fast start in the first quarter. Miami had other ideas as neither team to get any offense going. The defense was a strong suit for both clubs as the game was tied at 15 late in the quarter. Miami went on a 6-0 run to take a 21-15 lead, but the Warriors came back to finish the first 12 minutes of play with a 7-0 run and ended with the lead 22-21. Miami continued to use the clock and brought the game to a crawl The Dubs led 36-34 with 3:17 left in the first half. It was at this point that the Warriors put it together and went on a 14-2 run to take a 50-37 advantage at the end of the first half. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green led the Warriors in scoring with 14 for KD and 13 for Green. The Heat held Steph Curry to four and Klay Thompson to seven.  Goran Dragovic and James Johnson each had 10 for Miami.

The second half was more of the same. The Heat continued to slow the game down, but the Warriors were able to meet the challenge. They increased the lead to 60-40. Curry and Thompson each knocked down a three-point shot and the Warriors were able to finish the third quarter with an 18-point lead, 75-57.  The Heat went on a 9-2 run to begin the fourth quarter as they reduced the lead to 12. Durant and Curry took over, and the Warrior defense held the Heat offense at bay as they won 97-80

Game notes and stats — Steve Kerr gave David West the night off, and Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney took up the slack and played very well, especially on defense. Green had this to say about the Heat: “They’re gonna drive, they’re gonna hold. It wasn’t pretty. We couldn’t make shots.” Steve Kerr said this: ” I thought it was our best defensive effort of the year…We made really good decisions out there. I liked the way we stayed with it against a good team…It was a grind out game.” The Warriors were very good, indeed, on defense. They outrebounded the Heat, 51-44. They had 12 steals and 19 blocks.  The Warriors’ offense recorded just 20 assists as the Heat really smothered the Warriors’ offense for most of the game.

Leading scorers for the Warriors were Durant with 21. Green knocked down 18. Curry had 16 and Thompson finished with 13. On defense, Durant And Kevon Looney each blocked three shots and Thompson had two. Dragovic tallied 19 for Miami and James Johnson, coming off the bench, poured in 21. The only other Heat player in double figures was Kelly Olynyk with 10.

The Warriors improve to 8-3, and the Heat drops to 4-6.

The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Warriors conclude three-game road trip with win in Denver 127-108

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors started strong, faltered a bit in the second quarter, then broke the game open in the third period as they cruised to victory by beating the Denver Nuggets 127-108 Saturday night in the Mile-High city.

The Warriors came out firing as they sprinted to an early 36-23 lead after the first twelve minutes of play. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson led the Warriors in the early going. Klay made three 3-point shots in the quarter. Late in the quarter, JaVale McGee, with assists from Steph Curry, made four baskets as it appeared the Warriors were on their way to another blowout win.

The Nuggets, to their credit, did not back down from the Warrior onslaught. They scored the first fifteen points in the second quarter to take the lead 38-36. The Warriors failed to score in the first four minutes of play in the second period. Denver went on a 21-3 to lead 44-41 before the Warriors got untracked. The Dubs scored nine of the last thirteen points in the period and led 60-55 at the half.

After the intermission, the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders and, as they have done so many times in the past, owned the third quarter. Led by Kevin Durant, the Warriors poured in 43 points, and the defense held the Nuggets to just 21 as they finished the third quarter leading by 27 103-76.

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr used his second unit players for the entire fourth quarter. Patrick McCaw, Nick Young, Omri Casspi, Kevon Looney, and Jordan Bell daw significant minutes as the Warriors won 127-108.

Game Notes and stats- After the game, Kerr remarked this about the game:”We came out firing in the third. I’m really pleased. We played three tough teams (LA Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, And Denver Nuggets) and we turned a corner on this trip,” Kevin Durant said this about his teammates:”I thought everybody came out with great energy.”

The Warriors have now won six of the last seven games and are 7-3 for the year. Kerr was worried about the team’s conditioning a couple of games ago. They seem to be playing like the champions that they are. Denver drops to 5-5.

Four of the five Warrior starters were in double figures, and not a single Nugget starter was in double figures. KD led the Warriors with 25 points, 7 assists, and seven rebounds. Steph Curry scored 22 and had a double-double with 11 assists. Draymond and Klay had 15 each, and Zaza Pachulia knocked down 8.  JaVale McGee led the bench with 11. David West, Andre Iguodala, Omri Casspi, Patrick McCaw, and Nick Young all contributed to the Warrior win. Leading scorers for Denver were Will Barton 21, Emmanuel Mudiay 15, and Trey Lyles with 11.

Shaun Livingston did not play as Steve Kerr gave him the night off.

The Warriors shot 54.9% from the floor and the defense held Denver to 46%. The Warriors made 18 3-point shots while Denver made just six. The Warriors moved the ball well and recorded 37 assists in the game. The defense had 13 steals and four blocks, and they committed 15 turnovers.

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

Warriors start slowly but comeback in the second half to defeat Spurs 112-92

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with his team during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

by Jerry Feitelberg

San Antonio, Texas – The San Antonio Spurs took it the Warriors in the first quarter to earn a 19-point lead. The Spurs were making three-point shots, rebounding, and shooting well as they appeared to be ready to blow out the Warriors. The Spurs were without the services of Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, and they wanted to send the message to the Warriors that they could win without those two stars. The Spurs also knew that they usually beat the Warriors at home. That did not happen as the Warriors righted the ship late in the second quarter and shut the Spurs attack down in the second half to win by twenty (112-92).

The Spurs held a slight 10-9 lead in the first quarter. They went on a 21-3 run to lead 31-12. The Warriors ended the quarter on a 12-2 run to close the gap to 33-24. Steph Curry and Draymond Green led the charge. The Warriors tried to close the gap, but the Spurs were double-teaming Kevin Durant every time he touched the ball, and at one point, KD missed all of his first eight shots. The Warriors started to play better defense and kept chipping away at the lead. The Warriors offense was led by Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The Warriors finished the first half trailing by five (55-50).

The Warriors, as they have done so many times, won the third quarter as they outscored the Spurs 34-23. They took the lead 60-57 for the first time early in the quarter. The Spurs and Warriors exchanged buckets, and the game was tied at 63. The Warriors took over and did not relinquish the lead. Kevin Durant started to make baskets, Steph Curry, who had to leave the game in the second quarter as he tweaked his knee, returned to lead the club to an 84-78 advantage after three periods of play. The Warriors shut down the Spurs offense in the fourth quarter. They outscored them 28-14 to win 112-92.

Game Notes – Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich left the game in the fourth quarter when he was charged with a double technical.

The Warriors did not allow the Spurs to make a three-point shot in the second half. The Spurs made seven in the first half. The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson’s 27 points. Klay mad five threes. Steph Curry tallied 21, and he had four assists and eight rebounds. Durant, who had just five points in the first half, ended with 24. KD had five assists, eight boards, and three blocks. The Warriors shot 51.8% from the floor, made fourteen threes, had 30 assists, 11 steals, and 11 blocks. They committed nine turnovers in the first half, but just five in the second.

After the game, coach Steve Kerr said the Warriors had a “great response to the early shock we took. We weren’t ready for battle early, that’s why we fell behind. We started competing, running, and passing the ball.” Kerr also remarked this about the Warriors’ defense: “The last two games have been our best defensive efforts.”

Curry was asked how the Warriors rebounded from the big first-quarter deficit and he said that the team was “sticking with the program.” He also said the team was “starting to gel.” Curry left the game with a slight knee injury in the second quarter, but he came back to play in the third quarter. Curry said it was “a little scary, but I got out all right.” The Warriors coaching staff, players, and fans let out a collective sigh of relief when he came back into the game.

The Spurs’ offense was led by LaMarcus Aldridge, Kyle Anderson, Pau Gasol, and Rudy Gay. The Spurs lost their fourth consecutive game in a row and are now 4-4 for the season. The Warriors improved to 6-3 and have won five of the last six games. The Warriors travel to Denver to face the Nuggets Saturday night. Game time is at 5:30.

 

Warriors get it together and they lower the boom on the Clippers 141-113

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, knocks the ball lose from Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, center, as he is defended by forward Draymond Green, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Los Angeles – The Warriors played their best game of the year as they defeated the Clippers for the 11th straight time by a score of 141-113.

The Clippers lost guards Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, and sixth man Jamal Crawford in the offseason. They were replaced by Patrick Beverly, Danilo Gallinari, and Lou Williams. The Clippers had eleven new players on the roster for coach Doc Rivers, but the result was the same. They lost to the Warriors.

The first quarter was fairly competitive. The teams were tied 20-20 when the Warriors started to take charge. Shaun Livingston made the next bucket to make it 22-20, and the Warriors began to pull away. They increased the lead to six at the end of the period 34-28. Ja Vale McGee knocked down a couple of lobs, and the Warriors were now in control.

The Dubs scored forty points in the second quarter and led by 17 at the half. They were making all the shots as they were 60% from the floor. Everyone was playing well, and the team committed just four turnovers in the first 24 minutes. Steph Curry led the scoring with 16 points. Draymond had 13, Kevin Durant 14, and Klay Thompson had 11. The leading scorers for LA were Blake Griffin 10, Gallinari, 12, Beverly 6, DeAndre Jordan 6, Lou Williams 6, and Wesley Johnson 6. The score at the half was 74-57.

The Clippers went on a 10-2 run to start the second half. However, the Warriors regained their composure after the Clippers closed the deficit to just nine. The Warriors behind the stellar play of Steph Curry went on a 13-1 run near the end of the third quarter, and they finished the period with a twenty-one point lead 107-86.

The Warriors increased the lead to twenty-five 120-95 and then Coach Steve Kerr turned the game over to the bench. Jordan Bell, Patrick McCaw, Omri Casspi, Nick Young were on the floor with David West or Ja Vale McGee, and they coasted to the win. The final score was 141-113.

Game Notes and Stats – Steph led the Warriors with 31 points. Draymond Green had his best performance of the year with 16 points,6 assists, 9 rebounds, and one blocked shot. KD had 19, Klay added 15. Klay hit a three-point shot to extend his streak to 62 consecutive games. The bench performed well as they scored 54 points. Blake Griffin 16, Gallinari 19, Beverly 14, Jordan 10, and Lou Williams 17 were the Clippers scorers.

The Warriors recorded 37 assists and on defense had 46 rebounds, 8 steals, and 8 blocks.  The Warriors made 14 three-point shots in 29 attempts and committed just 12 turnovers for the entire game.

The Warriors improve to 5-3 while LA drops to 4-2. The Warriors travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs Thursday night. Game time is at 5 pm.