Category: Golden State Warriors

It’s Just My Opinion: KD’s absence puts speed bump on Warriors’ season

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AP photo file: Former Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes, right, goes to the basket over Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Barnes returns to Golden State in light of the Kevin Durant injury on Tuesday night (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — OK  Warriors fans you can breathe a bit easier this morning after hearing that forward Kevin Durant’s knee injury isn’t season-ending.

Durant injured his left knee in the first minute of Golden State’s 112-108 loss to the Wizards in Washington Tuesday night. The injury occurred on a loose-ball situation after Wizards center Marcin Gortat fouled Warriors center Zsa Zsa Pachulia, who then fell back on Durant’s left leg. Durant jumped back and tried to run off the injury, but was in obvious pain before walking off the court on his own power and into the locker room.

Durant will miss at least four weeks with a sprained MCL and bruised tibial bone in his left leg, the team announced Wednesday. The small forward will be out indefinitely, but will be re-evaluated.

Durant leads the team in scoring (25.3 points per game), free throw makes (5.5) and attempts (6.3) per game, rebounding (8.2 rpg) and blocks (1.6 bpg).

The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears received a text message from Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he is “relieved” by the diagnosis.

“I’m definitely relieved. I thought it would be way worse,” Green wrote. “Being away weeks sucks, but we will take that over what was initially thought.”

The Warriors (50-10) have the best record in the league and now with Durant’s injury, their perch atop the Western Conference could be in jeopardy with second-place San Antonio (45-13) hot on Golden State’s heels at just four games back.

San Antonio rocked Golden State 129-100 in Durant’s first game with Golden State at Oracle Arena after nine season with the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder organization.

The Spurs and Warriors meet up twice this month, both in San Antonio.

For Golden State, it will be second game of a back-to-back after playing in Minneapolis and Houston respectively the previous night.

The play of Green, and guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will need to step up their individual games even more. Durant’s absence will be felt, but it will be up to the Warriors other three All-Stars to lead Golden State down the stretch heading into the playoffs.

Curry and Thompson both have struggled to shoot the three-ball post the All-Star break.

Curry is really in a shooting slump, connecting on just 2-of-20 of his 3s in his last two games. The two-time league MVP was converted 41 percent of his 3s before the break, but is just shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc post break.

Thompson is shooting just 31 percent from 3 post break after shooting 42 percent before the break.

Before racking up 24 points, 25 assists, and 14 rebounds while shooting 11-for-21 from the field in his last two games, Green struggled in the two games prior, totaling 12 points, six assists, and 14 rebounds.

Golden State is expected to sign free agent forward Matt Barnes for the remainder of the season in the wake of Durant’s injury, per Chris Haynes and Marc Stein of ESPN.

The Warriors will reportedly first sign free agent Jose Calderon, fulfilling their pledge to the 12-year veteran, before adding Barnes to fill void vacated by Durant.

Barnes was averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with the Kings before being waived shortly before Thursday’s trade deadline last week.

This will be Barnes’ second go-around with Golden State.

Barnes played with Golden State from 2006-08 and was part of the “We Believe” Warriors team led by Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Jason Richardson that squeaked in the playoffs as an eight seed and knocked off the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2007.

Barnes told Spears of The Undefeated that his return to Golden State is “a dream come true.”

The versatile Barnes, who turns 37 on Mar. 9, brings another solid defender with toughness on the wing to go along with Green and swingman Andre Iguodala for Golden State.

The addition of Barnes isn’t a earth-shattering move by Golden State, but it does give the Warriors some flexibility to sustain Durant’s absence for the foreseeable future.

 

The Warriors not only lose game to the Washington Wizards, they lose Kevin Durant to an injury

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) walks to the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, in Washington. Durant hyperextended his left knee and exited the Golden State Warriors’ game at the Washington Wizards for good after all of 93 seconds Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Washington Wizards sent the Golden State Warriors down to their tenth loss of the season by a score of 112-108. The Warriors’ All-Star forward, Kevin Durant, had to leave the game just 93 seconds after the start of play in the first quarter. Durant, who was standing to the left of Zaza Pachulia was hurt when Pachulia crashed into his left knee having been thrown down by the Wizards’ big man Marcin Gortat. Durant winced when Pachulia hit him and a few seconds later hobbled off the court. He was diagnosed with a hyperextended knee, and an MRI was performed. Results of the MRI are not known at this time.

The loss of Durant appeared to affect the play of the Warriors. The Wizards were able to run up and down the court, and the Dubs didn’t seem to be able to stop them on defense. The Wizards’ Bradley Beal scored 16 points in the first quarter leading them to a 40-26 advantage after 12 minutes of action. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, kept urging the team to stay calm and focused. They started to play better in the second quarter, but they were only able to cut just 2 points off the lead and trailed 61-49 at the end of the first half. Klay Thompson was the only Warrior in double figures. He tallied 11. Steph had 6, Pachulia 4, David West 6, Shaun Livingston 6.

With the score 63-49, the Dubs went on a 10-0run to trail by just 4 points 63-59. The Wizard regrouped and kept the lead until late in the quarter. The Dubs, for the first time in the game, took the lead 80-79. Washington responded and finished the third quarter with a 3-point lead 85-82. The two teams went at it tooth and nail in the final 12 minutes of play. Neither team could pull away. However, with the score 110-108 in favor of Washington, Steph missed a three-point shot. Washington controlled the ball, and the Dubs committed a foul. The two free throws were made and the Dubs were toast. The Wizards win 112-108.

Game notes and stats- The Wizards, under head coach Scott Brooks, were 18-3 in the last 21 games before the All-Star break. They lost to Philadelphia on the road and to the Utah Jazz at home on Sunday. The Wizards currently reside in first place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference and are the third seed if the playoffs were to begin today.  The Warriors are now 50-10. Still, the best record in the NBA, and are the number one seed in the West.

Steph Curry led the Dubs with 25 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds. Klay Thompson had 16, Zaza added 12 and Draymond Green was the star of the night for Golden State. Green had another double-double with 14 points and 14 assists. He also pulled down 8 boards and had one blocked shot. Shaun Livingston knocked down 14. He Also blocked two shots. McCaw had 8, David West 7 and Andre Iguodala 4. The Wizards had six players in double figures. Beal 25, Markieff Morris 22, Otto Porter 14, Marcin Gortat 12, Bogan Bogdanovic 16, and John Wall had 12 and a career-high-tying 19 assists.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor but just 28.6% from behind the arc. The Wizards shot 45.% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. The Teams were just about even in assists, steals,blocks, and turnovers. The Dubs face the Bulls in Chicago Thursday evening. Game time will be at 5 pm.

 

 

Steph Curry has an off-night, the Warriors are still able to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-108

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started a five-game road trip in Philadelphia by beating the Sixers 119-108. Steph Curry made 11 attempts to make a three-pointer and missed on all 11 shots. He finished the night with 19, but he was totally out of rhythm. The Sixers, coached by Brett Brown, were determined to not let Steph beat them. They defended him very well but Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Zaza Pachulia picked up the slack, and the Dubs were able to win their 50th game of the season. The Sixers’ Joel Embiid was not available as he was experiencing soreness and swelling in his left knee and is out indefinitely.

The Dubs finished the first quarter leading 32-31. Klay Thompson led the Dubs to a 45-35 lead, but the Sixers went on a 9-0 run to close the gap to just one. Steph made a bucket to put the Warriors up by three. The Sixers came back to tie the game at 54 near the end of the first half. The Warriors finished the quarter with a three-point advantage 59-56. Klay led the Dubs with 15, and Kevin Durant had 12. Curry managed just 9 points.

The Warriors, once again, played well and increased the lead to 71-59. Zaza Pachulia had three key buckets in the quarter. Klay Thompson hit a trey that seemed to ignite the Dubs three-point offense. With 4:55 left, head coach Steve Kerr inserted Ian Clark and James Michael McAdoo into the game. The move paid off as Clark nailed a three and McAdoo made a deuce to increase the lead to twelve once again. The Warriors finished the third quarter leading 93-90. The Warriors, behind the stellar defensive play of Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, were able to keep the Sixers from closing the gap. The Warriors win 119-108.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors improved their record to 50-9. The Warriors have reached the 50-win plateau 8 times in their history, and they have done it the last four years in a row. The Dubs shot 45% from the floor, but they made just 6 3-point shots in 29 attempts. The Sixers committed a lot of fouls and the Dubs recorded thirty-three points from the charity stripe. Golden State had another game with more than 30 assists, and they excelled on defense once again. They had 14 steals and 4 blocked shots. All five Warrior starters were in double figures. Kevin Durant led the way with 27 points, 4 assists, 8 boards and one block. Thompson had 21. Draymond Green was all over the court and was the player of the game. Draymond had another double-double. He had 14 points, 6 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals. Zaza Pachulia pitched in with. Dario Saric led the Sixers with 21. Five other Sixers were in double figures. Gerald Henderson had 16, Robert Covington,15, Richaun Holmes 15, Nic Staukas 10, and Sergio Rodriguez 10.

The Warriors meet the Washington Wizards Tuesday night in Washington. The Wizard reside in first place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. Game time will be at 4:00 pm.

The Warriors subdue the Nets, clinch a playoff spot in 112-95 victory

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- the Golden State Warriors, without the services of Kevin Durant, played a relatively slow and methodical game to beat the Brooklyn Nets 112-95. Durant injured his pinkie finger Thursday night against the LA Clippers. His hand was swollen, and since the Dubs were playing the lowly Nets, head coach Steve Kerr gave Durant the night off.

The Warrior attack was spearheaded by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The Dubs led for the entire first quarter but, in the second quarter. The Nets took a one-point lead. The Warriors regrouped and took the lead for good as Steph made a 4-point play at the end of the first half to put the Dubs up 62-51.

The Warriors did not blow the game open in the third quarter. They could not shake the Nets, but they outscored them 29-25 to increase the lead to 15 at the end of three periods. The Dubs went cold to start the fourth quarter. The Dubs defense did not let the Nets crawl back into the game. The Dubs held the Nets to just 19 points, and Steph made a 3-pointer late in the quarter to ice the game.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth. They improved to 49-9 while the hapless Nets drop to 9-49. Steph Curry led the Dubs with 27 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.  Steph also made 5 3-point shots. Klay Thompson had 24, Patrick McCaw, filling in for Kevin Durant, added 9. Zaza Pachulia knocked down 8 points to go along with 9 rebounds. Draymond Green scored five, and he recorded 8 boards. The Warriors bench players JaVale McGee, Ian Clark, James Michael McAdoo, Shaun Livingston, and Andre Iguodala all made significant contributions to ensure the Dubs victory.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Nets with 16. He was the only Nets’ starter in double figures. The Dubs held Brook Lopez to just 9 points, and Lopez spent the night trying to figure out what happened to him. The Nets bench had three players in double figures. Sean Kilpatrick 15, Spencer Dinwiddie 13, and Trevor Booker 12.

The Dubs, who lead the NBA in steals and blocks, had 10 steals and 11 blocks. They also lead the league in games with 30 or more assists, and they had 30 Saturday against the Nets.

After the game, the Warriors released backup guard Briante Weber. Weber played in the game late in the fourth quarter and scored 4 points. He is now a free agent and can sign with any NBA team. The Warriors are rumored to be interested in veteran guard Jose Calderon or former Warrior Matt Barnes.

The Warriors begin a five-game road trip in Philadelphia Monday night. Game time is at 4 pm. They then go to Washington to face the Wizards Tuesday night. The Wizards are in first place in the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference. Game time will also be at 4 pm.

The Warriors, behind a sensational third quarter performance by Steph Curry, knock off the Clippers again

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors did not play very well in the first half against the LA Clippers Thursday night at Oracle Arena. The four All-Stars, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday. They did participate in the shootaround Thursday, but they looked a wee bit rusty in the first 24 minutes of play as they trailed the Clippers 61-49. The Clippers left the floor feeling that they were going to beat the Dubs, but the Warriors had different thoughts.

The Dubs were fantastic in the third quarter. They have owned that period all season but Thursday night was something special. The Warriors, behind Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, scored 50 points in just 12 minutes of action. Steph had 17 of his 35 points in the period. Durant scored 15 in the quarter, too.The Warriors led by 23 late in the fourth quarter, and head coach Steve Kerr put in the second unit to finish the game. The Warriors win 123-113.

Game Notes and Stats- Steph Curry led the Dubs with 35 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. KD finished the night with a double-double. He kicked in with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. Klay had 18, Draymond 7 points,4 assists, and 6 boards. Zaza Pachulia returned to action after suffering a shoulder injury, and he scored six points to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 blocks. Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston had 8 points each to help the Dubs. David West, in his first game back since he injured a ligament in his thumb, had 4 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Austin Rivers led the Clippers with 19. DeAndre Jordan had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Blake Griffin was held to just 12, and JJ Redick also had 12. Jamal Crawford had 19 off the bench, and Raymond Felton scored 13 in a losing cause.

The Warriors also played defense, especially in the third quarter. They outrebounded the Clips, they had 11 steals and 11 eleven blocks too Not only are the Dubs the best offensive force in the NBA, they are the best defensive team, too. The only negative in the game was the fact that they committed 20 turnovers. Steve Kerr goes ballistic when they lose control of the ball but that happens a lot when a team uses a lot of motion on offense.

The Dubs beat the Clippers for the 10th straight game. The last time LA beat the Dubs was Christmas Day 2014. The last time the Warriors scored 50 points in a quarter was in 1989, and the Lakers scored 51 against the Knicks on March 25th, 2014. The Warriors are 48-9 for the season while the Clippers drop to 35-22.

The Warriors meet the Brooklyn Nets Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm. The Warriors then hit the road for 5 games starting Monday in Philadelphia.

 

 

 

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Two loses before end of first half is not a big deal but more like nitpicking

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The Golden State Warriors had a couple of loses towards the end of the first half of the season in the game against Denver and a game earlier against the Sacramento Kings. Why get bent out of shape over a team whose has won over 40 games before the All Star break. The have the best record in all of basketball. Their in the drivers seat to have home court in all of the post season.

Any criticism we give to the Warriors at this stage is nitpicking, keep in mind they had a great January and they had a really good February inspite of those two loses. January and February was spent without David West in the lineup and Zaza Pachulia there certainly not the key players on this team. That certainly hasn’t limited their ability to switch things up and go with a slightly bigger line up.

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: A couple of losses will not stop the Warriors as demonstrated in win over Kings

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The problem with the Golden State Warriors is not their not only a good team that lost a couple of games the problem is their so amazing that they lost a couple of games and thing get blown out of proportion. If they have a poor half against Sacramento or they drop a game by 15 to the Denver Nuggets we all get up in arms let’s just step back for a minute it’s the All Star break the Warriors are 47-9.

Between 1994-2011 the Warriors won 47 games in a season once. That was that 48 game season the year after the “We Believe” team 2007-08 season the was the only time in that 20 year time frame where they won more than 47 and won 48. The Warriors have 47 at the All Star break so let’s not get too bent out of shape out of shape and we have to have some prospective here and the Warriors are a great team.

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors Wednesday game wrap: The Warriors blow it open in the third quarter, roll past the Sacramento Kings

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, hoping to rebound from the blowout loss to Denver Monday night, did not play well for the first 24 minutes of the game. The Kings beat the Dubs in Sacramento and wanted to continue to play their game and beat the Dubs again. Their hopes would fall by the wayside as the Warriors came to life in the third quarter and blew out the Kings by a score of 109-86.

The first two periods of the game were very close. The Dubs led by 10 19-9 about halfway through the quarter. The Kings slowed down the Warrior offense, and the Kings closed the deficit to three as the period ended with Golden State leading 28-25. The Warriors were not able to get anything going in the second period. The Kings slowed the game down. They made a couple of key threes and were able to tie the game at 47. The Kings took the lead with a three to end the half leading the Dubs 50-47. They outscored the Dubs 25-19 in the quarter, and things looked ominous when the Warriors’ All-Star forward, Draymond Green was called for a double technical near the end of the half. Green was ejected from the game, and his loss sent a chill through the crowd as their best defender was not available to stop the Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins.

The Warriors started slowly in the second half. The Kings held the lead at 57-54, and the fans were starting to squirm as they realized the Kings might beat the Dubs again. However, the Warriors showed the Kings and the fans why they are the best team in the NBA. They are not only the best offensive team in the league, but they are also the best defensive team, too. The Dubs went on a 28-2 run to blow the game wide open. Klay Thompson knocked down 17 as he went on one of his patented runs when everything goes in for him. The Warrior defense held the Kings to just 15 points in the quarter, and they scored 42 to end the third period with a 23-point lead 89-65.

Klay Thompson started the fourth quarter but was pulled very quickly after the game was well in hand. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant sat out the entire period. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his second and third unit players to finish the game. James Michael McAdoo. Ian Clark, Patrick McCaw, Damian Jones, and Briante Weber all saw several minutes of playing time. The Warriors win 109-86

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the Warriors improve to 47-9. The Kings, just a game and a half behind Denver for the eighth playoff berth in the Western Conference falls to 24-33. The Warriors extended the NBA record to 142 consecutive games without two losses in a row. The Warriors are off for the next 8 days for the annual All-Star break. The Warriors expect Zaza Pachulia and David West to return to action after the break.

Klay Thompson led the attack with 35 points. Klay remarked after the game that the team “got back to our brand of ball.” He credited his teammates as they “did a great job of feeding me.”Kevin Durant had a solid performance with 21 points, 7, assists, 7  rebounds, and 4 blocks. Steph had 13, 9 assists, 8 boards, and he blocked 2 shots. McAdoo had 7 points, and 2 blocks and Andre Iguodala scored just 5 but he, too, blocked two shots but was a force on defense, especially in the third quarter.Kerr said that Andre” had a huge impact in the game.” Matt Barnes led Sacramento with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Cousins was held to held to just 15. He scored 40 against the Lakers Tuesday night. Willie Cauley-Stein added 14 and Darren Collison finished with 14.

Steve Kerr was pleased that “our guys responded beautifully. We were in a tough spot without Draymond.” He also remarked that “our defense led to a lot of easy baskets.” He said “we love Draymond. He plays with an edge, and we need that edge. We sometimes struggle without him. We don’t want to take away the chip on his shoulder.”

The Warriors shot 48.8% from the floor and 37.1% from beyond the 3-point arc. They had another game with more than 30 assists(32 to be exact.) The Dubs lead the NBA in steals and blocked shots. They had 10 steals and 11 blocks in Wednesday night’s game. They had a 38-9 advantage in fast break points.

The Warriors are off until Thursday, February 23rd when they play the LA Clippers at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

The Denver Nuggets blow out the Dubs 132-110, tie an NBA record with 24 3-pointers

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Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee, left, and forward Kevin Durant look on from the bench against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Denver- The Denver Nuggets, fighting for a playoff berth in the Western Conference, blew out the Warriors by a score of 132-110. The Dubs were playing without four key members of the team. Zaza Pachulia is still out with a shoulder injury. David West has a fractured thumb, Klay Thompson sat out with a sore heel, and Shaun Livingston was given time off to witness the birth of his baby.

The Warriors, however, ran into a buzzsaw. They scored 30 points in the first quarter, but Denver scored 42. The Nuggets made 7 three-pointers in 11 attempts to propel them to a 12-point lead. The second was worse for the Dubs. Denver made 9 3-point shots and cruised to a 25-point lead at halftime.  The Dubs were down 79-54.

The Warriors attempted a comeback in the third period, but they were only able to cut the deficit to 22, and the game belonged to Denver. The Warriors and Denver each scored 25 in the fourth quarter.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors had five players in double figures. Kevin Durant had 25, Patrick McCaw 19, Ian Clark 18, Steph Curry 11, and Andre Iguodala had 15. The Nuggets’ big man Nikola Jokic had a triple-double. He scored 17, had 12 assists, and a fantastic  21 rebounds. Juan Hernangomez led the Nuggets with 27, Will Barton had 24, Jameer Nelson 23, Gary Harris 16, and Jamaal Murray 14.

The Warriors shot a respectable 48.9% from the floor, but Denver shot 54.5%. The Dubs went 8-for-32 shooting threes good for 25%. Denver shot 24-for-40 for an amazing 60% from three-point range. The Nuggets had 34 assists while the Dubs had just 25. The Nuggets outrebounded the Warriors 52-27. They dominated the board Monday night. The  Dubs excelled in steals and blocks. They had 12 steals and 6 blocks. That was the only bright spot in a very long evening.

The Nuggets needed a victory to stay in the race for the final playoff spot. They lost to the Cavaliers Saturday. They also made a trade before Monday Night’s game. They sent disgruntled center Jusuf Nurkic and a 1st-round draft pick to the Portland Trailblazers for Mason Plumlee.

The Warriors return home to face the Sacramento Kings Wednesday at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.