Category: Golden State Warriors

Warriors get it going in second half and dominate Heat 123-95 in Miami

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, and Kevin Durant react on the bench late in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017, in Miami. The Warriors won 123-95. (AP Photo/Joe Skipper)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors had the day off on Saturday in Miami. “Just needed to get some sun and hit the clubs,” head coach Kerr deadpanned with clear sarcasm “That’s what the coaches and I did. We were out all night.” The rest did wonders for the club as they sent the Heat down to defeat Sunday night by a score of 123-95.

The two teams played a very competitive first half. The Heat outscored the Warriors 36-33 in the first quarter. The Warriors fought back and led by just two points at the end of the half (62-60). Curry led the club with 20 points.

The Warriors took control of the game at the beginning of the third period as they went on an 18-3 run. They outscored the Heat by 20 points in the quarter, and Kerr did not play Curry or Durant in the fourth period. In fact, the Warrior defense was so good they held the heat to just 35 points for the entire second half as they won going away.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said this about the Dubs: “Golden State took it to a different level…What I wanted to see was a competitive response.”

Heat’s leading scorer, Goran Dragic, said this: “The first half we competed with them. Second half, we didn’t.”

Game notes and stats — Curry scored 30 points in 30 minutes of action and was Plus 20 when he was on the floor. “Nothing magical or no secret sauce to it,” Curry said. “Just trying to be efficient.”

Warriors’ Shaun Livingston got ejected with 6:24 left in the first half after going forehead-to-forehead with referee Courtney Kirkland while arguing a non-call. Kirkland said the ejection “was for making physical contact with me.”

Durant knocked down 24 and had seven assists and three rebounds. He was plus-18. Draymond Green didn’t score a lot, but his presence was felt when he was on the court as he ended the game with a plus-32. He scored four points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson added 19, four assists, five rebounds and he was plus-33. Omri Casspi led the bench with 10 and David West knocked down eight.

Leading scorers for Miami were Goran Dragovic with 20, Josh Richardson 12, Kelly Olynyk 14, and Tyler Johnson 13. Dion Waiters, who torched the Dubs when they were beaten in Miami, was 1-for-10 from the floor and scored just four points. He was minus-23 during his playing time.

The Warriors made 47 field goals, good for 56% from the floor, and held the Heat to just 33 field goals and 40.7% shooting. The Warriors outrebounded them 47-28. The Dubs recorded 32 assists and they committed just 10 turnovers. They also had four steals and four blocked shots.

The Warriors play their third game in four nights as they travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans. Shaun Livingston will be given the night off. Game time is at 5 pm.

Warriors kick it up a notch as they rout the Magic 133-112

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton, left, while driving to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors probably played their best game of the year as they were firing on all cylinders as they beat the Orlando Magic 133-112 at the Amway Center Friday night. The Warriors led from start to finish. Even though they committed 19 turnovers, they recorded an astounding 46 assists on 55 field goals.

Four of the Warriors’ starters were in double figures and rookie Jordan Bell, who played 16 minutes, kicked in with 16 points. Bell had four rebounds and blocked three shots as he impressed the coaches with his performance. Curry had this to say about the amazing number of assists: “That’s what we pride ourselves on, ball movement, getting everyone involved,” “Everybody gets touches, and we help each other in that way because we are all threats.” Two of the Warriors finished the night with a double-double. Curry scored 23 points and had 10 assists. Draymond Green finished the night with 12 points and also had 10 assists.

Curry and Durant scored the first 10 points of the game for the Warriors. Each player made a three-point shot, and each made a two-pointer. That set the stage for the Dubs as they outscored the Magic 41-34 at the end of the first quarter. The Warriors kept it going as they increased the lead to 15 (78-63) at the end of the first half.

Orlando won the third quarter 28-24 to shave four points off the lead, but the Warriors were not fazed and outscored the Magic by 10 in the fourth quarter to win by 21 (133-112).

Game notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 17-6 for the season, and the Magic fall to 9-14.

Scoring leaders for Golden State were Klay Thompson with 27. Curry had 23, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Durant knocked down 25 points, seven assists, two rebounds, and four blocked shots. Durant was ejected from the game for arguing with the referees with 4:52 left to play. Durant had this to say about the team’s play and the 46 assists: “That’s amazing…Everybody came and made plays tonight. We moved well without the ball and kept clicking on all cylinders.”

The Warriors bench outscored the Magic bench 40-23. Jordan Bell had 16 and Patrick McCaw had eight. Scoring leaders for Orlando were Aaron Gordon 29, Evan Fournier 22, Jonathan Simmons 22, Elfrid Payton 10, and D.J.Augustin 12.

The Warriors played an amazing game as they were in total control from start to finish. What they did in Orlando certainly impressed the Magic’s coach Frank Vogel. “Golden State definitely impresses you with everything they do,” Vogel said. “Their passing, their cutting, their ability to play off each other and their shot-making facilitates all of that stuff.”

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said this about the team’s effort on Friday: “I think the guys were embarrassed by the last two games,” Kerr said, referring to an overtime win over the Lakers and a loss to the Kings. “If we can just play with that kind of energy, a little better judgment, and a little better defense, we’re on to something. This is a good step in the right direction.”

The Warriors played pretty well on defense. They outrebounded the Magic 42-35. They made nine steals and had 11 blocks. On offense, they shot 62.5% from the floor and made 11 of 24 three-point shots and held Orlando to just 45.8% from the floor.

The Warriors travel to Miami to face the Heat. Their coach, Eric Spoelstra, loves to slow down the pace of the game, and the Heat gave the Warriors all they could handle when they played in Oakland. The Heat will have Dion Waiters back, and Waiters destroyed the Dubs last year when the Heat beat them in Miami. The Warriors and Steve Kerr will have their work cut out for them. Game time is at 4 pm.

Warriors come to life; defeat Lakers 127-123 in overtime

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors began the six-game road trip with a win in overtime over the LA Lakers 127-123. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry returned to action Wednesday night. Steph, who missed a game with a hand bruise, returned to the lineup with his right ring finger heavily taped. Steph had a rough time as he did not make shots taken with his right hand. He did make one three-point shot in regulation, but most of his points came when he scored with his left. However, in the five-minute overtime period, Steph made an adjustment and scored thirteen of his twenty-eight points in overtime to lead the Warriors to victory.

The Warriors led 30-20 after the first period, and it looked like they were going to cruise to a win. The young Lakers had other thoughts, and they won the second quarter by fourteen points. The Warriors went to sleep halfway through the period, and the Lakers were able to go on an 18-4 at the end of the quarter to take a four-point advantage 54-50 at the end of the first half. Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 14 and bench players Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson had 12 and 8. Former Warrior center Andrew Bogut scored two but was not a factor. Kevin Durant led the Dubs with 13, Steph and Zaza Pachulia each had six. Klay Thompson, Nick Young, and Shaun Livingston each had 5. The Lakers shot 53.8% from the floor. The Lakers, who are not a good shooting team, played like the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night. The Kings beat the Dubs as they shot over 50% from the floor and the Lakers, coached by former Warrior assistant coach Luke Walton, tried to emulate what the Kings did on Monday night.

The third quarter was nip and tuck for the entire twelve minutes of the period. The Warriors were able to end the quarter tied at 84, but it wasn’t easy. Lakers highly touted rookie, Lonzo Ball made three three-point shots. The Warriors committed four turnovers in a row, but somehow they managed to outscore the Lakers 34-30 in the quarter. Jordan Bell mad two key buckets and Nick Young made a two-point shot to give the Dubs the lead 84-82 just before the end of the period. The Lakers came back with a bucket of their own to tie the game.

The Warriors tried to put the game away in the fourth period. They took the lead, but the Lakers kept coming back. It was tied three times at 91, 93, and 95. TheDubs took a 5-point lead when Steph hit a deuce and Klay followed with a three to lead 100-95 with 5:20 to play. The Lakers tied the game again at 104 and 106. The Lakers took a 3-point lead 109-106 with just 55 seconds left. KD tied it with a three, and the game went to overtime tied at 109.

In 5-minute overtime stanza, Steph made an adjustment and mad two three-point shots. They led by seven before the Lakers woke up and fought back. The Warriors led by six after Steph made a two-pointer to put the Dubs up 122-116. The  Lakers clawed their way back to make it a one-point game 124-123, but Steph made free throws near the end of the game to win it for Golden State 127-123.

Game Notes and Stats- After the game, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said this about the performance of his team:” it took us most of the game before we competed and played with passion,” He also said this about the 22 turnovers the team committed: we “gotta take better care of the ball.”

Talking about Steph Curry, Kerr remarked:’he had a horrible game, but it takes a special player to bounce back.” Curry scored 27 points with 13 of them coming in overtime. He also said this about Kevin Durant’s performance:” he carried us.”

Here are the numbers. KD scored 29, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds. Klay had 20 points. Draymond Green finished the night with a double-double. He tallied 15 points, 9 assists, and eleven boards. Zaza Pachulia pitched in with 11. The Warriors shot 50% from the floor, made 12 3-point shots and had 30 assists. They outrebounded the Lakers 49-34. On defense, they had 10 steals and four blocks, but they committed 22 turnovers. The Lakers were held to 49.5% from the floor and they made 9 3-pointers. Brandon Ingram had a career-high 32 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21. Lonzo Ball had 15, and Jordan Clarkson had 21, and Julius Randle finished with 20.

David West did not play as he had the night off.

The Warriors improve to 16-6 while the Lakers fall to 8-12. The Warriors play the Orlando Magic Friday night in Orlando. Gam time is at 4 pm.

 

Golden State Warriors post game wrap: Warriors without Durant and Curry can’t stop Kings on home floor 110-106

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Sacramento Kings’ Willie Cauley-Stein lays up a shot against Golden State Warriors’ Kevon Looney (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — On a night when the Warriors played without Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, they were not able to overcome their absence and lost 110-106 to the visiting Sacramento Kings. The two teams played a very close and entertaining game, and the final outcome was in doubt for the entire 48 minutes. Warriors coach Steve Kerr started Patrick McCaw in place of Curry, and Omri Casspi filled in for Durant. McCaw played very well He tallied 16 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one blocked shot, and four steals. Klay Thompson led the team in scoring, and he knocked down five three-point shots, but he missed a three at the end of the game that would have won it for the Dubs.

The Kings, coached by Dave Joerger, probably played their best game of the year. The Kings are not known as a good shooting team, but shot 53% from the floor and made nine three-point shots as they upset the Warriors. The Kings had five players in double figures, and the stats will show how even the game was.

Both teams played well in the first quarter as the first 12 minutes ended with the teams tied at 27. With Sacramento leading by a point (36-35), the Dubs went on an 11-2 run to lead 46-38. The Kings refused to wilt and clawed their way back to finish the first half trailing by two (55-53). McCaw and Thompson led the Warriors with nine points each. Nick Young gave the Dubs a boost as he poured in eight. The Kinds were led by Zach Randolph and Garrett Temple. The Kings’ bench of Bogdan Bogdanovich, Willy Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, and Frank Mason III all made contributions to the Kings’ offense.

In the third quarter, it appeared that the Warriors had found their mojo as they were able to take a seven-point lead (76-69). The Kings were not to be denied. They continued to attack the Warriors’ defenses and went on a 9-0 run at the end of the period to take the lead 83-82. They increased the lead to six (90-84), but David West made a two-point shot, and Andre Iguodala connected on a three to tie the game at 92. The Warriors increased the lead to five (106-101), but the Kings tied the game at 106 with 1:43 left in the game. The Kings took the lead for good when they scored a bucket with 12.6 seconds left to play. The Warriors had a chance, but Thompson missed the shot, and the Warriors had to foul. The two free throws were made to seal the victory for Sacramento.

Game notes and stats — The Warriors shot 50% from the floor and made 16 three-pointers, but it wasn’t good enough. The Kings shot 53% from the floor, and they made nine threes. The Kings had seven more free throws and outscored the Dubs by seven in that department. The Warriors recorded 31 assists, which indicated the team had good ball movement. The Kings had 27. Rebounds were even. The Warriors had nine steals and six blocks while the Kings had seven steals, and they too, had six blocked shots.

The Warriors’ scoring leaders were Thompson with 21, McCaw with 16, Green with 14, Iguodala with 11, Livingston with 10, Casspi with nine, D. West with eight, and Young with eight.

The Kings’ Cauley-Stein had a terrific game. His line was 19 points, six assists, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots. George Hill had four threes and ended the night with 16. Temple had 14, Randolph had 11, Skal Labissiere had nine, and Frank Mason 14.

The Warriors embark on their longest road trip of the year when they meet the L.A. Lakers Wednesday night. They then go to Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, Charlotte and finish the trek in Detroit.

Game time for Wednesday’s game with the Lakers is at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors extend win streak to two with 110-95 win over Pelicans

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, drives the ball away from New Orleans Pelicans guard Rajon Rondo during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors won, 110-95. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110-95 at Oracle Arena Saturday night.

The Warriors came off a massive 143-94 blowout win over the Bulls, while the Pelicans came off a standard 115-91 blowout win over the Suns. However, the Bulls and Suns were both struggling teams to say the least. Tonight’s matchup between the Warriors and Pelicans wasn’t as lopsided in terms of the standings.

Prior to the tip-off, Pelicans guard Ian Clark received a championship ring from the Warriors.

The Pelicans overwhelmed the Warriors in the first quarter. The Pelicans were 5-7 from the three-point line, while the Warriors were just 1-5. The fast-break points were in favor of the Pelicans (9-0). The Pelicans outscored the Warriors 31-17 at the end of the first quarter.

After an unsatisfactory opening quarter, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 36-22 to even the score at 53 apiece at the half. The Warriors’ offense put on a show for rapper and Vallejo native E-40, who was spotted in the audience at the Oracle Arena tonight.

Here are the halftime stats: Klay Thompson with 16 points and made four of six three-pointers, Omri Casspi with seven points and two blocks, Andre Iguodala with seven points and four assists, David West with six points, Steph Curry five points and five assists, Shaun Livingston with four points, Draymond Green with two points, four rebounds and three assists, Zaza Pachulia with two points and three rebounds and Kevon Looney with two points and three rebounds.

The Warriors started the second half on the right foot as they took the lead on a 6-0 run and never looked back. Also, the Warriors’ Twitter account retweeted a tweet from ESPN, who said their alternate jerseys are fire.

The Warriors led the Pelicans 84-75 at the end of the third quarter.

The Warriors continued to dominate in the fourth quarter. Livingston completed a three-point play to put the Warriors up 95-83 with 8:48 left in the game. The Warriors then went on a 8-0 run that was nice while it lasted.

The Warriors finished the home game with a 110-95 win over the Pelicans. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists. Thompson recorded 24 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two boards. Pachulia scored 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Casspi scored nine points, four rebounds and two assists. Green scored six points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Iguodala had 14 points and four assists. Livingston had seven points and two rebounds. West had six points, two rebounds and two assists. Looney had three points and five rebounds.

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is out for tonight’s game against the Pelicans. Andre Iguodala (sore left knee) is probable.

The Warriors debuted their Statement alternate uniforms, featuring “The Town” logo.

Last night, Jameer Nelson, Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 21 of the Pelicans’ 29 assists with eight, seven and six, respectively.

Pelicans’ injury report: Alexis Ajinca (right knee injury), Solomon Hill (left hamstring tear) and Frank Jackson (right foot fracture).

Up Next
The Warriors host the Kings on Monday, November 27 at 7:30 pm PST.

The Pelicans host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, November 29 at 7 pm CST.

Warriors rout Chicago Bulls 143-94 behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson

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Golden State Warriors forward Jordan Bell (2) is congratulated by center JaVale McGee (1) after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. The Warriors won 143-94. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland — The Warriors, still smarting from the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night, returned to form and dominated the Chicago Bulls, defeating them 143-94. The Warriors rested Draymond Green. Also, Kevin Durant’s ankle was still sore, so the Dubs felt he could use the night off.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr started Omri Casspi for Durant, and rookie Jordan Bell was given his first NBA start in place of Draymond. Bell played very well as he tallied nine points, four assists, six rebounds, and had six blocked shots.

The Bulls, the worst shooting team in the NBA, played a very competitive first quarter and led by three 32-29 at the end of the first 12 minutes. The Bulls shot 55% from the floor, and the Warriors shot 54%. Steph Curry scored just five points in the quarter, and it looked as if the Warriors were in for a tussle.

However, Curry scored 26 points in the second quarter and his backcourt partner, Klay Thompson, started making shots. The two of them reminded the fans that the Splash Brothers were still around, and when they get hot, no one stands a chance. The Warriors outscored the Bulls 45-21 and led 74-53 at the end of the first half. Curry had 31, and Thompson pitched in with 14. Jordan Bell contributed four. Bench players Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney each added five. The Warriors shot 60% from the floor and made six three-point shots.

The Warriors dominated the third period as they outscored the Bulls 36-13 and the game was over at this point. Thompson, Omri Casspi, Andre Iguodala, and Zaza Pachulia led the onslaught. The Dubs led by 44 points at the end of three quarters (110-66). Kerr sent in his bench for the fourth quarter, and they did not let up. Nick Young, Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney, Omri Casspi, and Patrick McCaw all played well. The Bulls did nothing and they fell to the Dubs 143-94.

Game notes and stats — Curry, who did not play at all in the fourth quarter, recorded 33 points, five assists, and seven rebounds. Thompson finished the night with 29. Pachulia tallied 11 points, six assists and five boards. Iguodala finished with ten, Looney, seven, David West six, Nick Young 17,  and Patrick McCaw nine.

The Warriors shot 58.2% from the floor and made 16 three-pointers. They Dubs recorded 37 assists, and that indicated they were moving the ball well. They excelled on defense, too. The Dubs out-rebounded the Bulls 49-40, and they had 11 steals and 11 blocked shots. The Dubs turned the ball over just 11 times. The Bulls’ leading scorer was Jeria Grant with 21. Lauri Markkanen added 14. Antonio Blakely had 11. Bobby Portis had 10.

The Warriors improved to 14-5 while the Bulls dropped to 3-14.

The Warriors meet the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night at Oracle Arena. The Pelicans are led by Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins. The Pelicans, coached by Alvin Gentry, are proving to be formidable as they have beaten the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

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.