Category: Golden State Warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors did it again as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 to win the 2016-2017 NBA Championship. The Dubs set another NBA record as they rampaged through the playoffs with a record of 16-1. No other team in NBA history had ever achieved that feat. They won their second title in the last three years and many, including this writer, are regarding them as one of greatest teams ever in NBA history. The Warriors made a decision last year to sign Kevin Durant. Many speculated that Durant would not fit in with the Dubs. However, the Warriors to a player were thrilled to have Durant join the club. The Dubs lost six players to free agency and trades to get under the salary cap. They lost Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Mo Speights, Harrison Barnes, Brandon Rush and GM Bob Myers had to scour the market and find replacements. He brought in ZaZa Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, and drafted Patrick McCaw.

The big superstar, Kevin Durant, amazed everyone not only with his scoring, but he also showed that he could play defense. He could rebound, he could block shots, he could deflect passes. He did it all and tonight he owns a championship ring. The veteran David West proved to be a capable backup center. He was an extremely important player on the Dubs’ second unit. Tonight, David West is a champion. The same goes for JaVale McGee. McGee, who had not played much the last two seasons, was a diamond in the rough. He was derided around the league for being a buffoon as he did some goofy things on the court. JaVale showed the NBA that he could jumpstart the Dubs’ offense when he came into a game. The Warriors lobbed him the ball, and he made the fans gasp with his sensational dunks. Tonight, JaVale McGee is a champion.

Now for the recap. The Cleveland Cavaliers, with their backs to the wall, came out smoking. They wanted to get off to a start similar to the one they had Friday night when they scored an NBA record 49 points in the first quarter. The Cavs outscored the Dubs 37-33. The Warriors were a bit tight as they made some turnover and didn’t play smart basketball. The turning point came in the second quarter when the Dubs went on a 21-2 run to take a lead that they never relinquished. The Dubs finished the first half with an eleven-point lead 71-60.

The Cavaliers fought back in the third period and closed the gap to just 5 points. They trailed 98-93, and the game was still in doubt. However, the Warriors refused to wilt, and the Dubs wore the Cavs down and won 129-90.

Steph Curry and Kevin Durant combined fo 63 points in the game. Durant was named MVP of the finals. Durant scored 30 or more points in all five games. Steph and Draymond Green each had a double-double. Steph tallied 34 points,10 assists, and six rebounds. Draymond had 10 points,5 assists, and 12 boards. Durant finished with 39 points to go along with 5 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Warrior bench players outscored the Cavs bench 35-7. Andre Iguodala had a fabulous performance as he pitched in with 20 points. Patrick McCaw scored six, Shaun Livingston five, and David West four.

LeBron James had a double-double for Cleveland. James poured in 41 points, 8 assists, and 13 rebounds. Kyrie Irving added 25 points, J.R.Smith had his best game of the playoffs as he scored 25 points. Tristan Thompson, who had been held in check for most of the playoffs, woke up and scored 15. Kevin Love, who had been hot, was held to just 6 points by the Warrior defense. The Cavalier bench contributed just 7 points.

The Warriors, who began with high hopes, ended the season reaching those expectations and sent their fans into a frenzy. This team has been the best team in basketball the last three season. The Dubs set an NBA record last year with a record of 73-9 but did not bring home the trophy as they blew a 3-1 Finals lead to the Cavaliers. This team was determined to get the championship back, and they did it. Our hats are off to this team. They are, in this writer’s humble opinion, one of the best teams that I have ever seen play the game of basketball. The Championship parade will take place in Oakland on Thursday.

Golden State Warriors players watch from the bench in the closing moments against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Friday, June 9, 2017. Cleveland won 137-116. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Cleveland- The Cleveland Cavaliers set four NBA records Friday night as they defeated the Warriors 137-116. The Cavs came out smoking and set the first NBA record of the night when they tallied 49 points in the first quarter. The Warriors scored 33 and trailed by 16 after twelve minutes of action,  The Warriors were outscored in every quarter of the game and lost by twenty-one points.

Cleveland had an answer for everything the Warriors tried. They put a blanket on Steph Curry who was four-of-thirteen from the floor. Klay Thompson was held to just 13 points. The Cavs set a second NBA record when they finished the first half with 86 points. The Dubs, who usually have great third periods, could not make up any ground as they lost the period to the Cavs 29-28. They closed the gap to eleven 115-104 in the fourth quarter, but this was it as the Cavs roared back and got the lead up to twenty-one once again.

The Cavs’ Kyrie Irving was magnificent as he scored forty points. He drove the basket, he stepped back and made threes. His partner, LeBron James had another triple-double to set the third NBA record. It was LeBron’s ninth career triple trouble breaking the record of eight set by the Lakers’ Magic Johnson. LeBron had 31 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. Kevin Love was hot in the first quarter with several 3-point shots, and he finished with 23. J.R.Smith also made several threes, and he finished with 15 points. The Dubs held Tristan Thompson to just five points, but he reasserted himself under the boards as he pulled down ten big rebounds. The veteran, Richard Jefferson, played well and he was excellent on defense, and he added 8 points to the Cavs’ attack.

The game was marred by 7 technical fouls, and the officiating left a lot to be desired. There was confusion surrounding a technical foul called on Draymond Green early in the game. Everyone in the arena thought Draymond would be ejected from play when a second technical was called on him in the second half. The first technical was actually called on Steve Kerr as he rushed onto the court defending Draymond. For some reason, the scorer’s table had listed it incorrectly.

Draymond stayed in the game. Kevin Durant and LeBron James got into a heated exchange in the second half, too. Each player was charged with a technical. The game was very physical and emotional. The Warriors wanted to win the game and clinch the championship. The Cavs were fighting for their playoffs life. With the win, the Cavs are in the exact same spot they were in a year ago,  Down 3 game to one and heading back to Oracle Arena. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Finals to win. However, the Cavs did come back from being down 3-1 to win. They feel they can do it again, but things are not exactly the same. Draymond Green will be on the court Monday night, and he will be joined there by Kevin Durant. KD led the Dubs with 35 points. The Dubs will need him to perform his magic once again, and they will need Steph and Klay to have big games. The know that if they lose Monday night, the series goes back to Cleveland and could go to seven games once again. The Dubs want to close it out Monday in front of their hometown fans.

Notes and Stats- The Cavs made 24 three-point shots to set another NBA record for the Finals. Just an amazing performance by Cleveland.

LeBron James put the victory over the Dubs in perspective:” We won one game.” “We are looking forward to the challenge in Game 5.”

Warriors’ assistant coach Jarron Collins, filling in for Steve Kerr, made the following remarks:”we came out flat. (Cleveland) Played with a lot of force. We know we have to play a lot better. We have to play with energy and force.” He believed that ” we’ll be better on Monday and we’ve got to do a better job at the point of attack.” He also reminded the team and the fans that the Warriors” are one step away from achieving our ultimate goal.”

Game 5 will be Monday night at 6 pm at Oracle Arena.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) and Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) battle for a loose ball during the second half of Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Cleveland- The Warriors, leading 2 games to none in the NBA Finals, knowing that Game three of the best-of-seven series was going to be a dogfight, had their work cut out for them. They knew that they lost game three last year, also in Cleveland. They entered the game with a lot of determination to not let that happen again. Last year Cleveland rallied from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Dubs and win the championship. With all of this on their collective mind, the Dubs outscored the Cavs 39-32 in the first quarter. They were hoping to get the jump on the Cavs and stun them. The Cavs, behind the play of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, kept the game close and did not let the Dubs sprint to a big half-time leads. The Cavs won the second quarter 29-28 and trailed by six 67-61 after 24 minutes of play.

In the third quarter, the Cavs took it to the Dubs. The Warriors usually own the third quarter but not on Wednesday night. Kyrie Irving was a force as was LeBron James  The Cavs outscored the Dubs by eleven 33-22 and led 94-89 at the end of the period. The Warriors tried to close the gap, but the Cavs seemed to have an answer for all the challenges. The Warriors’ ace defensive player, Draymond Green, picked up his fourth personal foul early in the quarter and had to leave the game.

The Cavs continued to play well, and the Warriors were not able to stop them on defense. Draymond came back into the game and picked up his fifth personal. One more and he would have to leave the game for good. Draymond did not foul out and he along with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry was able to stop the Cavs’ offense in the last three minutes of the game. The crowd was roaring as the Cavaliers answered every Golden State challenge. If the Dubs made a 3-pointer, Cleveland answered with a three-pointer. The Cavs led 113-107 with less than three minutes to play in the game. Kevin Durant and the Dubs shut the Cleveland offense down and went on an 11-0 run to finish the game and win 118-113 to take a 3-0 lead over Cleveland in the Finals. The Dubs are one game away from their second championship in three years. Keep in mind, no NBA team has ever come back to win the crown after trailing 3-0. The Warriors, however, know that Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit last year to win. The Warriors will not lose focus when they meet Friday night in Game Four.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors extended their winning streak to 15-0 in the finals. If they win on Friday, they will be the first team to go undefeated in the playoffs. Another interesting fact is that the Dubs have won 30 of the last 31 games that they have played.

The Dubs’ big three of Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant all had big games. Klay, who had been in a shooting slump until last Sunday’s game, tallied 30 points. He had 6 rebounds and had to guard Kyrie Irving. As mentioned earlier, Irving was a force as he scored 38 in a losing cause. Klay did his best to contain him, but Irving plays better in Cleveland and averages 10 points per game more when he is on his home court. Kevin Durant ended the game with 31 points, 4 assists, 8 rebounds, and one blocked shot. Durant had 16 in the first half but was shut out for most of the third period. KD Got it going in the fourth quarter, and his three-point shot late in the game put the Dubs ahead for the first time since early in the third period. Curry had a double-double. Steph kicked in with 26 points, 6 assists, and 13 big rebounds. Draymond Green had 8 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds and he, too, blocked a shot. The Warriors’ bench Led by Andre Iguodala, David West, and Shaun Livingston pitched in with seven, seven, and six respectively.

LeBron James led the Cavs almost had a triple-double. He scored 39 points, with 9 assists, and 11 boards. Kyrie Irving followed with 38. J.R.Smith, who had been ineffective, the first two games of the series, woke up and made five 3-pointers and ended the night with 16 points. Kevin Love had nine points and 13 rebounds. Tristan Thompson was held scoreless, and he has just 8 points in the first three games. He had just three rebounds. Kyle Korver pitched in with 8. The Cavaliers bench as a whole scored just 11 points. The Warriors depth was on display in game three.

The Warriors and Cavs meet Friday night again at the Quicken Arena in Cleveland. Game time is at 6 pm. Fans should watch this game as the Dubs have a chance to make NBA history with a win.

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant speaks at a news conference after Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

On the NBA Finals/Golden State Warriors Podcast with Jerry (filling for David Zizmor):

During Tuesday’s presser in Cleveland as many of you know Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant got up and walked out because the air conditioner was blowing cold air on him so he got up and ended the presser. You never know what’s on the mind of the players mind and what’s going on with them Durant is pretty non committal. Maybe he got a question that irritated him and the air conditioner was an excellent excuse to bow out of the press conference.

Also during a press conference in Oakland during game two the Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James refused to come up to the podium because he had to wait. LeBron should have done the presser but for whatever reason he had didn’t do the interview and he was asked by ESPN radio a question while trying to leave and LeBron gave ESPN a smart aleck answer. You just never know what kind of answer your going to get from the players but ESPN for example was just trying to do their job.

That’s much more on the NBA Finals podcast with Jerry Feitelberg take a listen below. Dave Zizmor who normally does the NBA Finals podcast took the day off at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, left, is fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson during the first half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-113 in Game Two of the NBA Finals. The Warriors set an NBA record as they won their 14th consecutive game in a row without a loss in the playoffs.  The final score was 132-113 for Golden State. No team in NBA history has ever achieved that feat. In addition, the Warriors are now 29-1 in their last 30 games.

The Dubs, buoyed by the presence of head coach Steve Kerr’s presence on the bench played like a team on a mission to regain the championship they lost last year. The Cavaliers, to their credit, put up quite a fight for two and one-half periods of play but the Dubs were too much offensively and defensively for the Cavs. Steph Curry had his first triple-double of the playoffs, and Kevin Durant pitched in with a double-double. Add to the mix, the return to form by Klay Thompson and the Dubs had the recipe to win the game. The Cavs’ star LeBron James also had a triple-double, but the Cavs were minus 11 when he was on the floor. The Warriors defense clamped down on Kyrie Irving as they held him to just 19 points. Kevin Love had 27. Tristan Thompson had 8, and the rest of the Cavs added just 30.

The Warriors tallied 40 points in the first period. The Cavs replied with 34, but it looked like the Dubs were in control. The Cavs outscored the Dubs 30-27 in the second quarter but never led. The Dubs led 67-64 at the end of the first half, and the Cavs had to believe they had a chance to win as the headed to the locker room for the intermission. The Warriors and Cavs went at it tooth and nail in the second quarter until the Dubs decided to win the game. Steph made LeBron look silly on a play that was on everyone’s highlight reel. Steph, with Lebron guarding him, drove to his right. Steph stopped and made a slight turn driving to his left. LeBron was still guarding him closely. Steph drove right again, then left again, and Lebron had to watch as Steph blew by him and put a layup in with his right hand. Fantastic ball control by Steph Curry. The Dubs finished the quarter leading by 14 and increased the advantage to 22 about halfway through the fourth period. With less than three minutes left in the game, Kerr removed his starters and the second unit finished the game. The Dubs win 132-113.

Game notes and stats- Kevin Durant, who scored 38 points in Game One, finished the night with 33 points, six assists, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. He was plus 21 when he was on the floor. Klay Thompson played a great game on both ends of the court. He scored 22 points and made 4-3point shots. He was excellent on the defensive end and led the Dubs on defense and was plus 24. Draymond Green was saddled with five fouls but still managed to tally 12 points, 6 assists, and six boards. Steph Curry scored 32, had 10 assists, and 11 rebounds to lead the team to victory. Bench players Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingstone, and Ian Clark all made significant contributions to the Subs’ win.

After the game, KD had this to say:”We turned the ball over too much in the first half. But the second half, I think we settled in, tried to play simple and defensively just tried to contest their shots,”

Steph Curry was obviously elated by the return of Steve Kerr, and he said this about Steve:”He’s been around, the last couple weeks especially, giving us input and giving us what he’s got,” “But having him back on the bench means a lot. We love his presence. We love his voice. And we’re a full group when he’s out here. So that means a lot.”

Kerr made some comments about his return: “I’m going to pull out the `Win one for the Gipper’ speech,” Kerr joked. “`… Maybe get a little teary-eyed. Implore them to win it for me because it’s not important for them to win it for themselves.”

Many people are speculating the Dubs might sweep the series because they played so well the first two games. However, Kerr has to remind them that it’s not over until they win four games and the Warriors all know what happened last year when the Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the crown.

Game three will be played Wednesday night in Cleveland at 6 pm. Game Four will be Friday night also at 6 pm.