Category: Golden State Warriors

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

 

Warriors play first preseason game Saturday night fall to the Denver Nuggets 108-102

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Photo credit: GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors played the first of four preseason games Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena. The Dubs, preparing to defend their NBA championship, showed a lot of rust and the three-point shots did not fall. The Nuggets with their new addition of Paul Milsap leading the way beat the Dubs 108-102.

Coach Steve Kerr played his regular for about 20 minutes in the game. The Dubs wanted to give some of the players on the second and third units playing time.

The Warriors missed their first nine three-point shots and were 4-for-33 for the game. Draymond Green and Kevin Durant were each 0-for 5 and Steph was 1-for-7 in that department. Nick Young made the first three-pointer for Golden State late in the first half. The Dubs shot 40% from the field but had just seven assists which indicated that they didn’t have a lot of ball movement.

Denver shot 41% from the field in the first half. They made five three-pointers.

Warriors rookie Jordan Bell knocked down seven points in his first game as a Warrior.

Game Notes- Ben Wallace, winner of Defensive Player of the Year four times in his career, presented Draymond Green with the award.  Draymond, when he was a young man growing up in Saginaw, Michigan, idolized Wallace and he was totally surprised by Wallace’s appearance at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors fly to China on Sunday. They will play two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves there. The first game will be in Shenzen on October 5th and the second game will take place on October 8th in Shanghai.

Golden State Warriors report: Curry not invited to Trump White House

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President Barack Obama welcomes the 2015 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry The Golden State Warriors visit the White House, Washington DC, America – 04 Feb 2016 (Rex Features via AP Images)

By Jerry Feitelberg (SRS Staff writer)

OAKLAND–President Trump told the Golden State Warriors in a tweet that they were no longer welcomed to visit the White House and that the reigning NBA Champs were no longer invited for the presidential ceremony of honoring the top NBA team. Trump apparently offended by a recent comment by Warriors star Stephen Curry when he said that he did not agree with Trump’s policies. Trump in turn said “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team,” Trump tweeted. “Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!”

Curry also had a problem with Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank who sat on Trump’s advisory board and because he uses the Under Amour product and considered some of the things that Trump said about race and police brutality he thought endorsing Under Armour was a huge conflict of interest. At the time Plank called Trump “a real asset” and Curry said, “if you remove the ‘et’ from asset.” Plank and Under Armour with the rest of the advisory board were dismissed by Trump after board members said they were going to leave the board after Trump said that the rioters in the Charlottesville riots which included KKK and Nazi members and counter protesters were “both wrong on both sides.”

Golden State released a statement to the media Saturday afternoon saying they will use their designated visit to the White House instead doing community work in Washington DC with local youth and other DC community groups during their off day trip before they play the Wizards. The Warriors also said in the statement, “In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion — the values that we embrace as an organization,” said the Warriors.

Curry had stated on Friday that he had no interest in going to the White House and that the team were planning to meet to discuss whether to go or not but Trump had disinvited them over the weekend before the team was able to meet.

 

 

 

ELLIE MAE CLASSIC: Curry bogeys twice drops shots in sixth and eighth holes to go four over 74

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HAYWARD, CA – AUGUST 03: Trying to look over a mound on the left side of the fairway, Stephen Curry prepares for his second shot on his first hole during the first round of the Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, CA on Thursday, August 03, 2017. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

By Jeremy Harness

HAYWARD–Well, at least Steph Curry doesn’t have to go home having to worry about making a living as a professional golfer. He’s pretty good at the job that he has right now.

 A month and a half removed from winning his second NBA title in three years with the Warriors, the sharpshooter tried his hand at professional golf and, even though he came up plenty short of advancing into the weekend, he proved plenty of doubters wrong in the process.

 Starting on the 10th hole again on Friday, Curry got off to a nice start in parring the first four holes before recording a birdie at the 14th. He then sandwiched another birdie with two bogeys to finish his first nine at even-par for the round.

 However, things began to fall apart for him on the second nine. He bogeyed the second and third holes and then dropped a shot at the sixth and eighth holes to wrap up his round with a four-over 74.

 The two-time NBA MVP missed the cut by 11 shots, but by all accounts, he did very well given the odds he was facing and the amount of experience he was giving up to the rest of the field.

 Curry isn’t the first athlete from another sport to try and make his mark on the golf world at this event. Seven years ago, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, an avid golfer in his own right, did not fare nearly as well.

 Rice struggled out of the gate with an opening-round of 83 before rebounding with a 76 the next day and, like Curry, missed the cut by a wide margin in what was called the Fresh Express Classic at the time.

 As for the rest of the field that made the cut, which was at three-under, they are all looking up at Andrew Yun at this point. The Stanford grad shot a 65 on Thursday to keep within striking distance and then fired an eight-under 62 in Friday’s second round to take the lead by two shots.

 Yun dropped a shot on his ninth hole after making two birdies on his first nine but really caught fire on his second nine. He went seven-under on that particular nine including a pair of eagles on both of the par-fives to go along with three birdies.

 Two shots behind him is Bay Area native Brandon Harkins, who carded a 65 after shooting a six-under 64 in the first round. He has plenty of company, too, as there is a seven-way tie for third at 10-under.

 

ELLIE MAE CLASSIC: Curry holds his own with 74

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Golden State Warriors NBA basketball player Stephen Curry hits his approach shot from the eighth fairway as his caddie, Jonnie West, left, looks on during the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic golf tournament Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, in Hayward, Calif. Curry shot a 4-over-par 74. West is the son of basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Jeremy Harness

 HAYWARD–The Ellie Mae Classic, held at Hayward’s TPC Stonebrae, has a field of elite golfers. However, the one with the least amount of experience is getting most – if not all – of the attention this week.

 And apparently, that is perfectly fine with everyone involved.

 Warriors star guard Stephen Curry, who has gotten his golf game down to a scratch handicap, drew large crowds at the first round and is expected to draw even bigger ones for Friday’s second round.

 However, chances are that he won’t make it into the weekend, meaning that the crowds would slim down at that point. Here’s an idea of the long odds that Curry is facing this week, given he makes the cut: A bet of $1,000 on Curry winning the tournament would pay out an amount of $250 million

 With that said, Curry gave a very nice showing in the first round of this tournament in Thursday’s first round. Starting on the 10th hole, he got off to a shaky start, bogeying three of the first five holes for a score of three-over par.

 However, he got things back together with a birdie at the par-5 15th and ran off four straight pars before having to settle for a bogey at the second hole. He then sandwiched a double bogey at the par-4 fifth a pair of birdies before finishing his round with a bogey at the par-5 ninth.

 After all was said and done, the two-time NBA MVP, who on Thursday played with defending tournament champion Stephan Jaeger, who set a PGA Tour record last year in this tournament with a first-round 59, finished with a four-over score of 74 and a tie for 145th.

 “I would obviously like to make the cut and see if that’s in the cards,” Curry said. “It would probably require me to play two of the best rounds I’ve probably played in my life. But why not take advantage of the opportunity that I got right now?”

 Here’s what Curry has to go up against.

 Nicholas Thompson grabbed the lead by one stroke with an opening-round, bogey-free score of 63. He got off to a hot start, as he tore through his first nine holes by going five-under and then ran off two more birdies on the second nine to grab the lead as Friday rolls around.

 Right behind Thompson are five players who are tied for second, all of whom shot rounds of 64 on Thursday. Meanwhile, there are six more players who are just one stroke behind them with five-under rounds.

 Jaeger, who won this tournament last year, did not blister this course like he did in 2016, but he is still in the hunt after shooting a three-under 67. He finished his first nine at even-par after exchanging a bogey with a birdie, but he came alive on the back nine, running off four birdies in a seven-hole span before taking a bogey on his final hole.