Category: Golden State Warriors

Warriors play another sloppy game as they lose to the Pistons 115-107

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Detroit Pistons’ Reggie Jackson, left, looks to pass away from Golden State Warriors’ Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland – The Warriors were not able to pull a rabbit out of the hat Sunday night as they fell to the visiting Detroit Pistons by a score of 115-107.

The Pistons are now 5-2 for the season, and the Warriors dropped to 4-3. It was the Warriors second home loss of the season. The Warriors know that every team is gunning for them as they are the champs but they are not playing like the champs so far this year. They are committing too many turnovers, and they made twenty-six of them Sunday night, and Detroit was able to score thirty-three points off the turnovers.

The Warriors led by five at the half, but they lost both the third and fourth quarter to the Pistons. The Dubs led by fourteen with 8:30 left in the third quarter but they played fast and loose with the ball and were outscored by six in the third and seven in the fourth.

Draymond Green scored just two points. He did have thirteen rebounds, but he committed a game-high six turnovers. Zaza Pachulia also scored two points, and he turned the ball over four times. The Big Three of Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry scored 29,28, and 27 respectively. Klay turned it over four times, KD three, and Steph five. Avery Bradley, the former Boston Celtic, paced the Pistons attack with 23. Reggie Jackson had 22, Tobias Harris 16, Stanley Johnson 15, big Andre Drummond, 8, and Ish Smith, coming off the bench added 16. The Detroit bench outscored the Warrior bench 31-19.

Game Notes – Many of the fans are worried that something is not clicking with the Warriors. The Dubs are still a team loaded with talent, but they do not seem to be in sync. Some nights they are outrebounded. Some nights the defense is not there. So far, they are committing too many turnovers. Coach Steve Kerr had these thoughts about Sunday’s performance: “”It just has to matter enough. Right now it just doesn’t seem to matter. Our guys are lacking in energy and focus and discipline,” Kerr said. “We finally started caring with six minutes left when we were threatened, and we immediately cut it to three because we cared. But the right team won, karma was in the right place tonight.”

The Warriors will not have too much time to correct the flaws as they travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers Monday night.

Green and Beal tossed for brawling as Warriors win a wild one as they find a way to beat the Washington Wizards 120-117

Published on by rxslugger1 Comment

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) fight during the second quarter at Oracle Arena.(Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors won a wild one Friday night as the came back from a fourteen-point deficit at halftime to beat the Wizards 120-117. The Wizards had everything going their way the entire first half of the game. They made eleven 3-point shots while the Warriors were ice-cold from downtown. The Warriors made just three 3-pointers and trailed by fourteen 67-53 at the half. The Wizards had the Warriors on their heels as they ran the court well and had open looks as they drained three-pointers. Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre were doing the damage for the Wizards.

Marcin Gortat tallied twelve for the Wizards, and he was a force under the basket. The Warriors just could not get the offense going, and it looked as if Washington was going to run the Warriors off the court. Klay Thompson led the Warrior attack with 13, Steph had 12, and Kevin Durant was held to 7. However, with 19.5 seconds left to play in the second quarter, Washington’s backcourt ace, Bradley Beal got into a scuffle with Draymond Green. Green had position under the basket. Beal grabbed Draymond’s jersey with one hand and with the other, wrapped his right arm around Draymond’s neck. Draymond and Beal grabbed each other as teammates raced to break them up. Beal was given a technical foul and ejected. Draymond also received a technical but would not have had to leave the game except for the fact that he had picked up a technical earlier in the game.

In the second half, Coach Steve Kerr had to rely on his bench. David West, the veteran center, gave the Warriors a lift as he made eight shots in nine tries good for 16 points. Kevon Looney and Omri Casspi combined to tally 17. The Warriors started to play better defense, and Kevin Durant and Steph Curry picked up the offense. The Warriors outscored the Wizards 34-30 in the third quarter to trail by 10. Steph Curry made two 3-point shots and two free throws in the last minute of the third quarter.

The Warriors, for the second game in a row, rose to the challenge and came back to send the Wizards down to defeat. The Dubs outscored them 33-20 in the fourth quarter and won by three 120-117. It wasn’t easy, but the Warriors know how to win. They continued to play sound defense, and they made the Wizards work for their shots. The Warriors went on a 9-0 run late in the quarter to take a 116-109 lead.

The Wizards scored the next four points to trail by three 116-113 with 1:41 left. The Dubs made a bucket while the Wizards’ John Wall missed a free throw as the Warriors increased the lead to four 118-114. The Wizards kept the pressure on as they made a three-point shot and it was a one-point-game when they fouled Durant with 9.4 seconds left. Durant made both free throws. The Wizards took a timeout and inbounded the ball from the forecourt. The Warriors did not foul, and it almost cost them as the Wizards missed a three. The Warriors did not get the rebound and with 1.1 seconds left Washington could not capitalize, and the Dubs won.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors honored Al Attles Friday night. Unfortunately, Al could not attend as he was in the hospital. Attles has been with the club for 58 years. He was a player, coach, general manager, and now the goodwill ambassador for the club. Attles was the coach when the Warriors won the NBA championship in 1975.

Steve Kerr had this to say about Attles. “Great to honor him,” Kerr said. “I know our fans who have been following us for a long time know about Al’s influence, but 57 years with the organization, obviously he won the championship with the team in `75, was GM, drafted Chris Mullin, one of the best players early on in the Warriors history. He’s pretty much done it all. Fitting tonight, we will honor him and his family. We know he’ll be watching on TV. I hope he’s not offended by my suit.”

Kevin Durant led the Dubs with 31 points, six assists, and eleven rebounds. Steph had 20 points, 8 assists, and five boards. Klay added 18. The Warrior bench of David West, Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney, and Omri Casspi scored 40 points and helped ignite the comeback. Shaun Livingston was not available as he was away attending a funeral. Jordan Bell was inactive for the game.

Leading scorers for Washington were Otto Porter with 29. Kelly Oubre 19, Marcin Gortat 18, John Wall 20, Mike Scott and Jodie Meeks, coming off the bench, tallied 14 and 10 respectively for the Wizards.

The Warriors meet the Detroit Pistons Sunday at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 5:00 pm

Warriors win a thriller 117-112 come back from five-point deficit over Toronto late in the fourth quarter

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, shoots against Toronto Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl, left, as Warriors’ Draymond Green, second from right, blocks Raptors’ Delon Wright (55) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Warriors won, 117-112. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland – The Golden State Warriors showed the Toronto Raptors why they are champions as they came back from a five-point deficit with less than two minutes to play in the game to win by five 117-112.

The Warriors had their hands full with the Raptors all night long. The Dubs continue to make too many bad passes and the committed eighteen turnovers in the game. Draymond Green committed six turnovers, and that did not help the Warriors cause.

The two teams played a very spirited first quarter. The Raptors led most of the way, but the Warriors were able to have three-point advantage 29-26 at the end of the first quarter. The Warriors increased lead to 59-49 late in the first half, but Toronto kept rebounding and playing defense, and they trailed by eight at the half 61-53  The Warriors’ big four of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson did most of the scoring. Klay had 18, Steph 10, Draymond 11, and KD had 13. Serge Ibaka paced the Raptors with 11, DeMar DeRozan had 8, Kyle Lowery 7, and C.J.Miles tallied 10 coming off the bench.

In the third quarter, The Warriors seemed to have put its act together as they took a 14-point lead 71-57. The Raptors came right back and went on a 16-4 run to trail by just 2 points 75-73. The Warriors, behind a key 3-pointer by Steph Curry, regained a six-point lead 88-82 late in the period. Toronto would not fold and then trailed by just five 91-86 after three. The Raptors outscored the Warriors 33-30, and the play was fast and furious. Neither team would break, and the Raptors were poised to upset the Warriors at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors started the fourth quarter as  KD and David West made key baskets to give Golden State an 11-point lead.  The Raptors did not fold. They went on a 13-2 run to tie the game at 99. The Raptors defense kept the Warriors from scoring, and they went ahead 112-107 with just 1:52 left to play in the game. The Warriors then showed their fans, the NBA, and the world why they are champs. They scored the last 10 points of the game to win 117-112. Klay Thompson pulled down a key rebound Steph tied the game with a 3-point shot. Kevin Durant also made a key rebound. Steph made another three and finished the scoring with two free throws to ice the win for Golden State.

Game Notes and stats- Klay Thompson tallied 22 points, and he is donating a thousand dollars for each point he scores, and the money will go the victims of the Northern California Wildfires. The amount will go up as Klay will continue to donate his point total the next two games. Klay also extended his consecutive game streak to 59 by making a three-point shot in the first half. Steph led the Warriors with 30 points, and he had 5 assists, 4 rebounds and one blocked shot. KD added 29, and Draymond Green had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. David West led the bench with 8. After the game, Steph said this:”we didn’t play our best and they played a great game.”

The Raptors were paced by DeMar DeRozan with 24. Pascal Siakhan 20, Serge Ibaka 15, Kyle Lowrey, 14, C.J.Miles 10, and Jakob Poeltl had a double-double for Toronto with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

The Warriors improve to 3-2 and face the Washington Wizards Friday night at Oracle Arena. The Wizards are led by the dynamic backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. The Warriors will have to deal with Marcin Gortat, the big center that pushed Zaza Pachulia into Kevin Durant last year. Durant suffered a knee injury and missed about a third of the games last season. Markieff Morris, a power forward who averaged 14 points a game last year will not play as he is out with a sports hernia.

 

 

Warriors rout the Mavericks 133-103, but it was not that easy

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) comes up with the loose ball against Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

by Jerry Feitelberg

DALLAS — The Golden State Warriors played a great first quarter, a not-so-good second quarter but put it all together in the third and fourth quarters to easily defeat the Dallas Mavericks 133-103.

The Warriors never trailed in the game. They seemed to be on a mission in the first quarter as they scored forty points and led 40-24 after the first twelve minutes of play. Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson all played well as the Dubs dominated.  The second quarter, however, did not go as planned. The Mavericks refused to wilt and after trailing by eighteen put the pressure on the Warriors. There was no question the Mavs were outplaying the Warriors as the Dubs were committing too many fouls and too many turnovers. Dallas trailed by just one paint 63-62 late in the first half, but the Warriors made a bucket to end the half with a three-point advantage 75-62 Steph tallied 17, KD 15 and Klay had 8. The Mavericks’ leading scoring was Wesley Matthews with 14, Dirk Nowitzki had 6, Harrison Barnes 0, Yogi Ferrell 8, Dwight Powell 7 and J.J.Barea added 9.

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors once more. The Warriors stopped committing fouls and did not turn the ball over. They had terrific ball movement, and they pulled away from the Mavericks as they outscored them 34-22 in the third period. The offense was led by Steph, Klay, Draymond Green, and KD. THey propelled the Warriors to a 99-84 lead after three.

They kept it going in the fourth quarter. The outgunned Mavericks could do nothing as the Warriors behind KD, Klay, Andre Iguodala upped the lead to 111-89 with 6:17 left. Coach Steve Kerr removed the regulars, but the bench kept the momentum going and the Warriors cruised to a 133-103 victory.

Game Notes – The Warriors finished the road trip with a 2-1 record and evened the season record to 2-2. The Mavericks dropped to 0-4.

Steph Curry led the Dubs with 29 points. Curry made 13 free throws, and it was the third consecutive game that Curry has had double-digit free throws. Curry passed Nate Thurmond on the Warriors all-time scoring list and is now in fifth place. Klay Thompson finished the night with 21 points and has made a three-point shot in 58 consecutive games.

It was the first time the Dubs scored forty points in the first quarter, and it was the 43rd time in Kerr’s tenure.

Jordan Bell made a spectacular dunk in the fourth quarter. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle glared at Bell as Carlisle thought he was showboating. The players on the Warrior bench were absolutely amazed by the play. The Dubs bench played well. too. Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingstone, JaVale McGee, and Nick Young came through for Golden State. Young was impressive as he made four 3-point shots and ended the game with 13.

The Mavs were led by Wesley Matthews 19, Dirk Nowitzki 11, Harrison Barnes, 13, Yogi Ferrell 13, Dennis Smith, Jr 10. J.J.Barea finished with 13 and Dwight Powell, the Stanford product, ended the night with 10.

The Warriors return home to face the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Memphis Grizzlies coast to an easy win over the Warriors 111-101;Warriors fall twice in last three games

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Memphis- The Memphis Grizzlies stunned the Golden State Warriors Saturday night as they beat the defending champs 111-101. The Grizzlies, who beat the Warriors twice year and own a 13-10 advantage over them since the 2011-2012 season. Memphis coach Dave Fizdale had his players ready to go, and they did not disappoint.

The Grizzly attack was led by veteran center Marc Gasol. Gasol tallied 37 points and had 14 rebounds. The Grizzlies lost Zach Randolph and defensive whiz Tony Allen, but that didn’t matter. The game was within reach for the Warriors at the end of the first half of play. The Warriors were outscored 31-25 in the first quarter and the teams each scored 25 points in the second quarter. The half ended with Golden State trailing by five 56-51.

The Warriors, who have blown away opponents in the third quarter, had a forgettable twelve minutes of play as they mad just six shots in 22 tries. The Grizzlies went on a 15-0 run to put the game out of reach. They led 88-71 at the end of the third period. The Warriors mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter but it was too little, too late and they lost by ten 111-101.

Game Notes- Steph Curry was ejected from the game with 43 seconds left in the game. Steph made a layup, and he thought he was fouled. When he did not get the call from referee Scott Wall, he slammed his mouthpiece on the floor underneath the basket. Wall tossed him from the game. Steph remarked “my pockets will be a lot lighter for sure. My frustration boiled over, did something stupid, deserved to be kicked out, and that’s what happened.” Steph denied that he was trying to hit Wall with the mouthpiece. “If I tried to throw it at him. I have a pretty good aim I would have been able to execute that.”

Kevin Durant continued to argue with the refs, and he too was tossed from the game. One could say that the Warriors did not have a good day in Memphis.

Game Notes- Steph led the Warriors with 37 points. KD added 29, and he had 13 boards. Klay Thompson knocked down just 14. Draymond Green had 3. Zaza Pachulia, Andre Iguodala, Patrick McCaw, and Nick Young were all scoreless. Marc Gasol paced the Grizzlies with 34 points and 14 boards. Michael Conley was held to just ten points.  The Grizzly bench outscored the Dubs’ bench 41-18, and that was enough to cement the win for Memphis.

The Warriors are now 1-2 for the season, and Memphis owns a 2-0 start. The Dubs travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks Monday night. Game time is at 5:30pm.

Warriors rally to win their first game of the season as they down New Orleans Pelicans 128-120

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) blocks a shot by New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

by Jerry Feitelberg

New Orleans- The Golden State Warriors had their hands full with the spirited New Orleans Pelicans Friday night in the Crescent City. The Dubs rallied from a fifteen-point deficit halfway in the second quarter and looked like the champs that they are as they won 128-120

The Pelicans, without question, outplayed the Warriors in the first quarter. They shredded the vaunted Warrior defense as they scored at will and poured in thirty-nine points to lead 39-26. The Pelicans increased the lead to 57-42 halfway through the second quarter before the sleep-walking Warriors woke up and exerted themselves. The Warriors went on a 19-7 run to end the first half and trailed by three 64-61.

The Warriors surge carrier over into the third quarter. As they have done so many times last year, they owned the third quarter and went on a 26-7 run and finished the third quarter with an eight-point advantage. The Pelicans kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter, but Golden State refused to wilt. Each time scored thirty points in the final stanza, and the Warriors finished the night with the win.

Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant paced the Warriors to victory. Klay led the team with thirty-one points. Steph followed with twenty-eight, seven assists, and three board. Kevin Durant added twenty-two points, seven rebounds, and a career-high six blocks. Draymond Green pitched in with ten points, eight assists, and five rebounds.  The two big men for the Pelicans, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins, each scored thirty-five points. Davis had seventeen boards and Cousins pulled down fourteen. Other Pelicans in double figures were Jrue Holiday, Jordan Crawford, and former Warrior Ian Clark. Clark finished the night with thirteen points.

Game Stats- The Warriors shot 52.2% from the floor and knocked down eighteen three-point shots in forty attempts. They also recorded thirty-one assists. The Warriors defense came through with five steals and eight blocks.

After the game, Steve Kerr remarked that Klay Thompson “was on his game right away.” Klay did not start well last year, but his performance has been stellar so far this year. Kerr said this about the defense:’ I thought we had a much better defensive stretch than we ever had in the Houston game.”

The Warriors play the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night in Memphis. Game time is at 5 pm.

Houston Rockets stun the Warriors on Opening Night 122-121

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

From left, Golden State Warriors David West, Kevin Durant, Patrick McCaw, and Klay Thompson look up at a replay of the final play of the game against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Rockets won 122-121. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The visiting Houston Rockets rallied from a thirteen-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to defeat the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night at Oracle Arena by a score of 122-121.

The Warriors had a pre-game ceremony before the start of the game to give the players and coaches their championship rings and unfurl the 2016-2017 banner. The fans were excited to see the players back in action and were hoping to get the season started with a win. That did not happen as the Rockets refused to break and were able to win the fourth quarter to seal the win. The Dubs almost won as Kevin Durant sank a two-point bucket as time expired. The review of the play determined that KD’s hand was still on the ball when the buzzer sounded and the referees waved off the basket.

Houston’s only lead until late in the game came in the first quarter. The Warriors led all the way until late in the game. The Dubs led 121-120, but the Rockets made a two-pointer and held the Dubs at bay for the win.

The Warriors led by one at the end of the first quarter and by nine 71-62 at the end of the first half. Nick Young, who is known as Swaggy P, led the way in the first half. Young was hot, and he scored twenty points to lead the attack. Steph Curry missed a lot of playing time in the half as he was saddled with three personal fouls. Klay Thompson was hot in the early going, but his production tailed off the rest of the way. Klay, however, was terrific on defense. Kevin Durant tallied ten points in the first 24 minutes of action, but the Dubs appeared to be struggling even as the put 71 points on the board. James Harden and Eric Gordon were the big guns for Houston.

In the third quarter, Curry left after he picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. KD Got hot, and the Dubs were able to end the third quarter with a thirteen point advantage 101-88. There was a sour note as Draymond Green injured his knee and had to leave the game. Draymond was diagnosed with a knee strain and did not return. Coach Steve Kerr used rookie Jordan Bell in his place, and Bell played well.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Rockets. Houston started the final stanza with a 7-0 run to trail by six 101-95. Steph kept the Dubs in the game as he made two 3-pointers and two two-pointers. The Rockets met every challenge, and their defense kept the Warriors from extending the lead. The Rockets continued to chip away as they were excellent on defense. They forced turnovers, made steals and stopped the Dubs after the Warriors held a three-point lead 121-118. The Rockets scored the final four points of the game for the win.

Game Notes- Andre Iguodala did not play as he is having a back issue. Omri Casspi played several minutes, but he left the game with an undisclosed injury and did not return. The Warriors had to juggle the rotations. JaVale McGee did not play. Jordan Bell replaced ZaZa Pachulia in the first and third quarters. David West started the second and fourth quarters as he did last season.

Nick Young led the Dubs with 23 points. Steph had 22 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds. Draymond Green just missed a triple-double. Draymond tallied nine points, 13 assists, and 11 boards. KD had 20 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.  Klay ended the night with sixteen and had this to say after the game:” Our communication wasn’t good. We played a great game, but we let them back in the game. We’ll get better.” Jordan Bell knocked down 8 points in his NBA debut.

The Rockets were led by James Harden’s 27 points. Clint Capela 12, Ryan Anderson, 13, Chris Paul 4, and Trevor Ariza had 8. The Rockets bench outscored the Dubs bench 58-5. Luc Mbah a Moute scored 14, PT Tucker added 20 and Eric Gordon pitched in with 24. Jordan Bell led the Dubs bench with eight and the rest of the bench scored just seventeen points.

The Warriors start a three-game road trip Friday night in New Orleans, Saturday night in Memphis, and Monday night in Dallas.

 

 

Golden State Warriors end preseason with a win as they outlast the Sacramento Kings 117-106

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Warriors evened their preseason record ar 2-2 as they beat the Sacramento Kings Friday night by a score of 117-106. The Warriors were without the service of Kevin Durant who stayed at home as he was not feeling well. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala did not play as they were a bit banged up, and coach Steve Kerr did not want to see his stars aggravate their problems. Several of the players were still feeling the effects of jet lag. Kerr started Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Young, and Jordan Bell. The Kings, who are rebuilding the team after sending DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans last season, started a lineup of players that are not yet well known. Coach Dave Joerger sent out Willie Cauley-Stein, Frank Mason, Skal Labissiere, Buddy Hield, and Justin Jackson to begin the game for Sacramento.

Steph Curry played the entire first quarter and about half of the second quarter. In his time in the game, he scored 18 points and made four 3-point shots. The other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, knocked down 9 in his minutes in the first half. Neither Steph nor Klay played in the second half.

The Kings gave the Dubs all they could handle for the first three-quarters of the game. Neither team could grab a big lead. The Dubs led by 54-51 at the end of the first half. The Warriors and the Kings went back and forth in the third quarter, too. The Dubs offense was led by Nick Young. Young appeared to be more comfortable as he made five 3-point shots. Kerr said that Young”looked like himself” and that his performance was “very encouraging.”

Both teams used their young players in the fourth quarter. The Warriors behind the play of Patrick McCaw, Kevon Looney, Jordan Bell, and Nick Young pulled away to win 117-109.

Game Notes- Jordan Bell finished the night with 10 points, 4 assists, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Steve Kerr said this about Bell:”Jordan was great.” With all the talent that the Warriors have in the frontcourt, there is some concern that Bell may languish on the bench once the season starts. Kerr brushed aside the criticism by saying”Jordan will get his chance.”

Kerr was pleased with”how well our young players played. He said it was “encouraging to see the team execute so well. It was all good stuff.”

The Kings young players stayed with the Warriors for most of the game. Guard David Stockton, son of Hall of Fame player John Stockton, tallied 23 points and had 8 assists. Malachi Richardson scored 15, Giorgis Papagiannis 13, JaKarr Sampson, 13, Frank Mason 10, Willie Cauley-Stein 10.

The Warriors made 15 3-point shots and recorded 34 assists. The defense was strong as they had 47 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. They committed just twelve turnovers, and that stat had to please Steve Kerr and the coaching staff.

The Warriors’ David West received an award from the NBA as he was recognized as the “Best Teammate.” Oracle Arena and the Warriors were recognized for having the “Best Home Court Advantage.”

The Warriors open the defense of their championship on Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets. It will be Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, KD, and company against Mike D’Antoni uptempo offense led by James Harden and former Los Angeles guard, Chris Paul. Game time at Oracle Arena will be at 7:30 pm. The Championship banner will be unfurled, and the Warriors will be receiving their championship rings.

Warriors kick it up a notch as they trounce the Timberwolves in Shanghai 142-110

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry gestures during the preseason NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Shanghai, China, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017. (AP Photo)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Shanghai, China- The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the preseason as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 142-110. The Timberwolves scored early and often in the first quarter. The Wolves starting quintet of Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, and Taj Gibson torched the Dubs as the raced to an early 16-11 lead. The Wolves kept the pressure on as they could not be stopped by the Warriors defense. They led 35-31 with 1:44 left in the quarter and were able to increase the lead for the first twelve minutes of play to 44-36.

The Dubs kept pace with the Wolves in the second quarter. They were trailing by ten points when Steph Curry came back into the game. The Warriors were able to turn the game around, and they looked like the champions that they are. Steph and Klay led the offensive onslaught as they won the quarter 40-28 and led 76-72 at the half. The Dubs’ defense, fantastic last season, looked like they were back.

In the third quarter, Steph, Klay, and Kevin Durant wowed the 16,007 fans in attendance as they made several three-point shots and dominated play in the period. They outscored the Wolves 38-23 to put the game out of reach. Steph was done for the night, and he watched the game as he was sitting on the floor signing autographs for the fans.

The Warriors started Klay, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, David West, and KD in the fourth quarter. They increased the lead to twenty-six before being replaced by Omri Casspi, Patrick McCaw, and the rookie from the University of Oregon Jordan Bell. In the last six minutes of the game, Bell scored eleven points and blocked two shots. Bell’s play should get him some playing time when the season starts for real on October 17th.

Game Notes and Stats- Before the start of the game, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler each thanked the people of China for the terrific week the players experienced. The crowd enjoyed the show the teams put on, and it appeared the fans were a little bit louder when the Warriors had the ball. There was a stretch in the third quarter when the Dubs made five three-pointers in a row to blow the game wide open. The fans roared every time Steph lined up for a three and went ballistic when he made the shot.

Steph Curry was a man on a mission as he knocked down forty points and made at least six three-point shots. Klay Thompson knocked down twenty-eight, and KD had twenty-two. Draymond Green tallied eleven, and he blocked three shots.

Leading scorers for Minnesota were Andrew Wiggins with nineteen, Towns had sixteen, Jimmy Butler fifteen, Jeff Teague ten, Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad each had eleven. The Timberwolves finished the preseason with a 2-1 record. The next game they play will be the first game of the 2017-2018 season.

The Warriors are 1-2 and meet the Sacramento Kings on Friday, October 13th, at the Oracle Arena at 7:30 pm. This will be the final preseason game for the Dubs. They play the Houston Rockets in Oakland on October 17th.

Warriors lose to the Timberwolves in China 111-97

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, center, reacts during a break at the basketball match of the 2017 NBA Global Games against Minnesota Timberwolves in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Shenzhen, China – The Golden State Warriors started well against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first of two games in China, The Warriors, who have a fantastic following in China, started well and had the lead after three-quarters of play. Coach Steve Kerr removed his starters in the third quarter, and the T-Wolves bench beat the Warriors bench to win 111-97. Preseason games don’t count, but the players want to do well as some of them are fighting for spots on the roster. The Warriors starters did well. The ran, the moved the ball, and they recorded a lot of assists in the early going. However, they made a lot of mistakes. Steph Curry had five fouls in 24 minutes of play. They were called for traveling violations, and they turned the ball over 19 times.

Coach Steve Kerr had this to say about the team’s performance:” We played well for about a quarter and a half and then started getting careless with the ball.” We got lazy.”

Kevin Durant led the team with twenty points. Curry scored fourteen. Klay Thompson made some shots in the first quarter, too. Rookie Jordan Bell played well, and Omri Casspi looked ready to contribute. Nick Young and Patrick McCaw were on the floor in the fourth quarter when the T-Wolves made their run to win the game.

The Warriors look to be loaded again as they defend their championship beginning on October 17th. The will have to make decisions regarding Damian Jones and Kevon Looney. Jones may make the team, but the same cannot be said for Looney.

The T-Wolves added Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson from the Chicago Bulls where their coach Tom Thibodeau used to work. The Wolves have two terrific players in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins and will be looking to improve as they aim to make the playoffs.

The teams meet Sunday in Shanghai before returning home for the final preseason game. The Warriors’  season starts on October 17th at Oracle Arena against the Houston Rockets.