Category: Golden State Warriors

Dejan Milojevic’s sudden passing stuns the Warriors and the NBA

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The late assistant coach Dejan Milojevic of the Golden State Warriors is seen here driving against Spain’s Jorge Garbajosa during Milojevic’s playing days in 2005. Milojevic suffered a cardiac emergency in Salt Lake City during a private dinner with the coaches and players. Milojevic passed away 46 Wed Jan 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Tragedy struck the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. One of the assistant coaches, Dejan Milojevic, suffered a heart attack at a team dinner Tuesday night in Salt Lake City and passed away on Wednesday. Milojevic was forty-six years old. The game between the Warriors and the Utah Jazz was postponed and will be rescheduled later.

Milojevic was in his third season with the Warriors. He had a 14-year playing career in Serbia. When he became a coach, he was known for working with centers. He mentored Boban Marjanovic, Ivaca Zuban, Kevon Looney, and Nikola Jokic. Milojevic was very instrumental in bringing Dario Saric to the Warriors this year.

Milojevic was married and was the father of two children. Steve Kerr said this about Dejan: “We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him.”

Everyone at SportsRadioService sends condolences to his family and the entire Warrior organization. May he rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing.

Green returns but it’s not enough; Short-handed Grizzlies send Warriors down to defeat 116-107

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Golden State Warrior Draymond Green drives on the Memphis Grizzlies upon his return from his indefinite suspension at FedEx Arena in Memphis on Mon Jan 15, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was a very cold evening in Memphis on Martin Luther King Day. For the Golden State Warriors, it was a very strange game. The Warriors held the Memphis Grizzlies to 37% from the floor as they took 12 shots less than the Warriors, yet won the game 116-107.

The Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, had to be shaking his head after his team’s performance Monday night in Memphis. The numbers show the Warriors committed too many fouls and too many turnovers. Memphis made 20 threes in 54 attempts.

The Warriors made ten in 31 tries. The referees called 25 fouls on the Warriors to give the Grizzlies 40 free throws. Memphis made 32. The Warriors went to Charity Stripe ten times and made nine. The Warriors could not overcome the 30-point advantage nor the 23-point difference from the free-throw line.

The Grizzlies scored 30 points off turnovers. Memphis’ defense kept the Warriors from attempting more three-point shots. The Warriors’ only statistical advantage was scoring in the point. 

Even with the Warrior miscues, the game was a nip-and-tuck affair. Neither team had a double-digit lead for the first three quarters. The Warriors led by two points at the end of the first halftime, 56-53.

The Grizzlies cut the lead to one, 86-85, at the end of the third period. The Warriors had their largest lead of the night, 86-79 in the third quarter. The Grizzlies scored the last six points to trail 86-85. 

The Warriors needed to stop fouling as well as turning the ball over. Memphis needed to stop the Warrior’s offense. We learned the answer: Memphis wanted the game more than the Warriors. The last lead the Warriors had came when Stephen Curry made a three to put the Warriors ahead 91-90.

The Grizzlies defense shackled Curry and Thompson. Memphis went ahead by 12 points,112-104. Memphis went on to win 116-107.

Game Notes: The Warriors were without Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and Chris Paul. Draymond Green, in his first game back after serving a 12-game suspension, played 24 minutes, and his numbers were seven points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Grizzlies had four players unavailable. The biggest name on their list was Ja Morant, who was out with a shoulder injury for the year.

The Warriors are now 18-22. The Grizzlies improved to 15-25.

The Warriors had four players in double figures. Curry led the Warriors with 26 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. Jonathan Kuninga had a double-double with 20 points and eleven rebounds. For Kuminga, it was his 20th double-digit game in a row.

Dario Saric (13) and Andrew Wiggins(16) were the other Warriors with more than ten points. The Grizzlies had six players in double-figures. Vince Williams led Memphis with 24 points. Greg Jackson had 23. Davios Roddy 12, Jacob Gilyard (11), Santi Aldama (11), and Luke Kennard(11) were the players that led Memphis to the win.

The Warrior’s next game will be against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday evening at 5 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Green back in tonight’s game in Memphis

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The Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) knocks the ball out of the hands of the Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga (left) at Fiserve Arena in Milwaukee on Sat Jan 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Talk about the break down that the Warriors had in that fourth quarter in Milwaukee was it too much Giannis Antetokounmpo or the Warriors defense just couldn’t figure out how to stop the Milwaukee Bucks attack.

#2 The Warriors rested guard Stephen Curry for Saturday’s game in Milwaukee with Curry and Draymond Green out of the line up and the Bucks being one of the best teams in the NBA how much of a load was this on players like Jonathan Kumina, Klay Thompson and Brandin Podziemski?

#3 Green who was with the team and was serving an indefinite suspension returned on Monday night in Memphis. He’s missed 14 games and the Warriors have lost four of their last seven games. Green said it was he who is at fault for this current struggle. How much does Draymond Green play the role of the player who stirs the Warriors drink?

#4 Top scorers for the Bucks on Saturday Damion Lillard with 27 points and Khris Middleton 24 were big contributors scoring in second and third behind first place scorer Antetokounmpo who had 33.

#5 Warriors go back to the drawing board after their Saturday night loss in Milwaukee this time on Monday night the Warriors tip off against the Memphis Grizzlies who are 13th in the Western Conference and have lost six of their last ten games. The Grizzlies took a loss against the New York Knicks on Saturday night they have the home floor Monday can they beat back the Warriors on a Martin Luther King Birthday Holiday special tip off at 3:00pm PT.

Join Barbara for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Come Up Short Against Bucks Losing in the Final Minutes 129-118; Golden State’s 4th loss in 7 games

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The Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (center) gets fouled by the Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) with Cory Joseph (1) in the first half at Fiserv Arena in Milwaukee on Sat Jan 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (18-21) fought tooth and nail throughout the game but the Milwaukee Bucks (27-12) made a final push in the late fourth quarter winning the game 129-118 Saturday night.

The second place Bucks proved to be too hot to handle although the Warriors led at the half and challenged Milwaukee throughout the entire game. It was not until the final three minutes of the game that the Bucks took this game away.

Game recap: The Warriors lost the opening quarter 33-24 but they poured it on in the second quarter. With under five minutes left in the half, Golden State was outscoring the Bucks 26-13. The Warriors took a 53-48 lead with under three minutes left on the clock.

 Golden State was taking care of the ball in the first half of this game with only two turnovers. At the half, the Warriors had a slim lead 56-54. Trayce Jackson-Davis had the high score in the first half, the only player for the Warriors with double digits, shooting for ten points.

With under five minutes left in the third quarter the Bucks took back the lead 75-72 after trailing for much of the quarter. The Warriors had led by as much as seven points in this quarter as this game remained a real roller coaster with the two teams trading the lead. After three quarters, the Bucks had a 83-81 lead and this game was going down to the wire.

The Milwaukee Bucks began to create a little separation in the final three minutes of the game. As the clock began the countdown to the games end, the Bucks took a twelve point lead 122-110. With a minute left on the game clock Milwaukee finished off the Warriors 129-118.

Jonathan Kuminga did a great job off the bench, keeping the Warriors in this game. He had the game high with 28 points. Brandin Podziemski finished with 23 points, ten rebounds and Klay Thompson had 21 points for the game. 

The Warriors had a clear chance to win this game despite being shorthanded. For their next game against the Grizzlies there is an outside chance that Draymond Green will take the court. A better bet would be next Wednesdays game against the Jazz when we may see Green play again

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 33 for the Bucks. Damien Lillard had 27 points and Khris Middleton with 24 points. When push came to shove, the Bucks really showed up.

Post game notes: Friday night the Warriors had a great win over the Chicago Bulls dominating in the third quarter which eventually led to a 140-131 win. Saturday night they faced an even greater challenge taking on the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. They attempted to contain Antetokounmpo and company but they were too much for Golden State overpowering them in the fourth quarter 46-37 to pretty much put the Warriors out of commission.

The Bucks had a decisive win Friday night over the first place Boston Celtics 135-102. Milwaukee is currently in second place in the Eastern Division behind the Celtics. The Warriors rested guard Stephen Curry for this game starting Podziemski in his place. The decision was made not to play Curry on consecutive nights.

Monday night the Warriors will take on the Memphis Grizzlies as they continue their road trip. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 3:00 PM.

 

 

 

 

Warriors Top Bulls Thanks To a Third Quarter Blowout – Winning 140-131

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is jubilant after hitting a three pointer in the closing minutes against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago on Fri Jan 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (18-20) had an incredible win over the Chicago Bulls (18-22) 140-131. Golden State trailed at halftime 75-62 but came roaring back in the second half. They won the second half convincingly 77-56. Klay Thompson had a terrific game finishing with 30 points. Jonathan Kuminga had 24 points off the bench.

Game recap: The Warriors held a slim lead after the first quarter 33-30 but the Bulls came roaring back winning the second quarter 45-29. Chicago took a 75-62 lead going into the locker room at the half. Andrew Wiggins, who started in tonight’s game, and Jonathan Kuminga (off the bench) really saved the day for the Warriors in the first half. The Warriors would have been looking at a far greater deficit had it not been for Wiggins and Kuminga. 

The Warriors really got going in the third quarter winning it 48-20 and taking a 110-95 lead. It was a terrific turnaround scoring 48 points in the quarter while holding the Bulls to only 20 points. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson turned this game around in the second half. Golden State also did a great job protecting the ball in this game. They would eventually finish with only five turnovers .

The Bulls did pull to within six points in the fourth quarter but the Warriors held on losing the quarter to the Bulls 36-30 but winning the game 140-131. It was the third quarter that set the game up for the Golden State win.

It was a slow start for Curry and Thompson who missed ten of their first 11 shots. It all turned around in the second half. Thompson finished with the game high of 30 points with six rebounds. Curry also turned things around in the second half shooting for 27 points and five rebounds. Kuminga had 24 points off the bench.

The Bulls finished with some great stats. Demar Derozan had the game high with 39 points. Coby White and Zach Lavine both shot for 25 points and the Warriors had to fight hard to contain all three of these guys. 

Post game notes: Friday night the Golden State Warriors (18-20) took on the Chicago Bulls (18-22) at United Center. They came into this game after getting slammed by the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night 141-105 at Chase Center. The Bulls won an overtime game against the Houston Rockets 124-119 on Wednesday. The Warriors have been frustrated with their play over the past few games losing to the Pelicans and the Raptors and barely beating the Pistons last Friday night.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Warriors taking on the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow night at Fiserv Forum. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Is it time for Draymond to go?

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The Golden State Warriors Draymond Green runs off the floor after being ejected by officials for hitting the Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face on Tue Dec 12, 2024. Green returned Sun Jan 7, 2024 after an indefinite suspension and missing 12 games. (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Draymond Green said after Golden State’s 141-105 drubbing by the New Orleans Pelicans that the state of the team was his fault.

#2 Green said that he discussed with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during his indefinite suspension that lasted 12 games that he wanted to retire and he had had enough. Silver told Green he wouldn’t let Green retire and that this was not the path to take to retirement.

#3 Steve Kerr said that Green’s career hangs in the balance and Green knows that. Kerr said that based on altercations he had from last season and this year Green is aware of that. This most recent altercation hitting the  Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face got him the indefinite suspension.

#4 Jerry, is it time now for Draymond Green to retire and get out of the game. He could finish this season but his temper and emotions get the best of him and if this happens again it’s not going to be a good exit for him.

#5 Kerr said that the Warriors have put him on notice and Green had put himself on notice and that’s the way it has to be according to Kerr.

Join Jerry Feitelberg for the Warriors podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Trouble Looms As Warriors Fall To Pelicans 141-105

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By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors got slammed by the New Orleans Pelicans 141-105. The Pelicans took an early lead outscoring the Warriors 46-27. Golden State won the second quarter but New Orleans came back in the third and fourth quarters to beat the Warriors. Offensively and defensively it was all Pelicans all night. Once again the crowd booed their team out of sheer frustration.

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It has been tough going for the Golden State Warriors (17-20) lately falling to the Toronto Raptors last Sunday night losing that game 133-118. Tonight the Warriors took on the New Orleans Pelicans (23-15), a very tough assignment. The Pelicans currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference. The Warriors would need to pull out all the stops as they face the likes of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas.

The Pelicans got on top of the Warriors from the get-go leading after one quarter 46-27. This was the second time that Golden State fell behind early and had to play catch up. The Warriors are going through a tough stretch right now lacking confidence and belief in the system.

Golden State did win the second quarter by six points 33-27 but were trailing by nineteen points after the first quarter. They had some ground to make up but we have seen them come from behind in the past. They were down 73-60 at the half, only down by thirteen points and very much in the game.

The third and fourth quarters were both won by the Pelicans which sealed the win. New Orleans won the third 32-23 and the final quarter 36-22 handing the Warriors a second loss in a row 141-105. It was a heart-wrenching loss for the team. Every time they made a run, the Pelicans answered. They outplayed the Warriors offensively and defensively.

The New Orleans starting lineup all had double digits with Jonas Valanciunas the high with 21 points. The Pelicans got some great work from their bench matching the Golden State bench.

It was a tough loss for the Warriors and leaves the team searching for answers. This was a terrible loss for Head Coach Steve Kerr, among one of the worst in his coaching tenure. Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were lackluster at best. Curry with 15 points and Thompson with 13. The Warriors bench outscored the starting lineup. It is tough to fault the fans for reacting the way they did, booing and exiting the building before game’s end. This team is in trouble and has just experienced one of the lowest points in their season.

The team is looking to the return of Draymond Green and this cannot come soon enough for the Warriors. This could be the shot in the arm that the Warriors desperately need to get back on track. They are missing Chris Paul and the fact that this game was televised on national TV was downright embarrassing. This is about as awful as it can get although the Warriors are looking at yet another challenging matchup Friday night as they take on the Chicago Bulls on the road. Tipoff for that game Friday will be 5:00 PM.      

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors in disarray Kuminga has lost faith in Kerr; Paul out with hand fracture; Payton out with hamstring

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Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr head coach talks with the media. Reports have surfaced that Kerr is getting complaints from Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody in what their role is and how the team is becoming fractured. The big question is will Kerr be back next season? (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, there’s no secret the Golden State Warriors are going in a different direction from their World Championship days this 2023-24 has a dressing room that had dissension and questions about the direction of the team starting with Jonathan Kuminga who says he’s lost faith in Steve Kerr’s use of his lack of minutes. Kuminga feels he could be more effective with more minutes played.

#2 Moses Moody also has expressed his frustration with Kerr’s use of his minutes. Moody’s teammates are not happy with the way he’s been used and it’s contributing to misdirection on the floor.

#3 The Warriors dressing room is turning into a soap opera, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney have been ineffective and have not been able to score or defend in ways they have in the past.

#4 Warrior guard Stephen Curry had the ball stripped away from him in their game against the Denver Nuggets on Thu Jan 4 at Chase Center. The ball towards the end of the game went to Nokola Jokic who hit a three pointer that defeated the Warriors and handed them their fourth loss in their last six games.

#5 There has been calls from fans to fire and replace Kerr to co-owner Joe Lacob. Kerr’s contract ends at the end of this season and their asking that Lacob doesn’t renew him. The only thing that saves Kerr now is if he can regroup the team and get them on a winning role again. Can Steve Kerr save his job?

#6 The Warriors have two major injuries with Gary Payton II out with a hamstring and Chris Paul out with a fractured left hand.

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Slammed in First Half Lose to Raptors 133-118; Barrett scores season high 37 pts in forth game for Toronto

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The Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) defends against the Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Jan 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (17-19) lost to the Toronto Raptors(15-21) Sunday night at Chase Center 133-118. They were hammered in the first half losing the second quarter 40-21 and trailing at halftime 76-49. 

This team seems to be dealing with a multitude of interior problems as well as problems on the court. It is just not working right now and seems to continue to get even worse instead of better. There are some real problems in Warrior Land right now.

The Warriors took on the Raptors Sunday night at Chase Center. This team has been struggling for awhile now. It has not been a happy locker room lately and this team needs to turn things around before it really affects their season. 

It is getting out of hand. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have not been themselves and with the approaching return of Draymond Green, the starting roster may have to eventually deal with more changes. Right now it’s a team in turmoil and and with their fifth loss in their last ten games the Warriors are looking for a way out of this slump.

Game recap: The Raptors got right to work in the first quarter. They took a 36-28 lead and this was another slow start for Curry and the Warriors. It would not get any better for Golden State in the second quarter losing it 40-21 getting absolutely punched and trailing 76-49 at the half. It had been a disastrous first half for the Warriors and really indicated something going very wrong with this team.

The Warriors did make a nice bid in the third quarter winning it 38-25 but when you are trailing by 27 points at halftime, you had better have a huge fourth quarter. Golden State did not have a huge fourth quarter barely winning it 32-31 and the Warriors came up short in this game losing by the score of 133-118. Golden State got hammered in the first half and just was not able to repair the damage.

Just watching the Warriors bench the team looked angry, frustrated and disgruntled. This was an awful showing from Curry who finished with eight points hitting only two baskets. He was 2 of 14 from the floor and was 0 of 9 from downtown. 

The Raptors were all over Curry from start to finish. Thompson had the high for the Warriors with a nice game of 25 points and was 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. The high from the Golden State bench came from Moses Moody with 21 points. 

Trayce Jackson-Davis continues to impress with 11 rebounds and 16 points. The Warriors could not stop the Raptors RJ Barrett who had a field day finishing with 37 points. Barrett was a huge part of the Toronto win Sunday. Barrett has been with the Raptors for only four games and he led in scoring.

Golden State will get a few days off before taking on the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center. They have a lot to address after this loss. The Pelicans are playing some very good basketball right now and are coming off a win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Golden State will have to find their A-game if they want to get back on the winning track. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:30 next Wednesday night.

 

  

Despite Struggles Golden State Beats Detroit Pistons 113-109; Paul fractures left hand will need surgery next week

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Golden State Warrior guard Chris Paul will need surgery on his left hand after fracturing it against the Detroit Pistons on Fri Jan 5, 2024 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Detroit Pistons (3-32) put quite a fight but Golden State (17-18) met the challenge and came away with the win 113-109. The Warriors handed the Pistons their 32nd loss of the season.

Game recap: The first quarter was a close one with the Warriors leading after the first twelve minutes 22-20. The turnovers were mounting for Golden State and through 1 1/2 quarters they already had nine. Through the same 1 1/2 quarters Warriors guard Stephen Curry had not scored a single point getting another very slow start. 

At 4:35 in the second quarter, Curry scored three free throws and at 3:26 scored his first basket of the game followed by a three point jumper. A Curry flurry was exactly what the Warriors needed as the first half began to wind down. The Warriors led at the half 50-46 after having led by nine points in the second quarter. The Pistons were not backing down refusing to go away.

The turnovers for Golden State were a problem in the first half with 12. Detroit was protecting the ball very well with only five turnovers which accounted for some of the success they were having in this game.

At halftime, bench player Dario Saric , had the high score with 12 points and starter Jonathan Kuminga had 11 points. The team would be looking for some production in the second half from not only Curry but also from Klay Thompson. The good news for Golden State was the late half action from Curry.

As the third quarter came to an end, the Pistons were making a move pulling to within four points. After three quarters the Warriors were clinging to a four point lead 79-75. 

In the final seconds of the third quarter, Detroit had pulled to within one point proving to be a very real threat. There were five more turnovers for the Warriors in the quarter now with a total of 17 through three quarters.

The Pistons continued to hang around and with 3:45 left in the game, the Warriors were hanging on by a single point 95-94. With 1:56 left in the game it was all tied up at 100. With 1:32 left in the game the Pistons took their first lead of the half 103-102. 

Curry finished off this game with a couple of free throws and a 28-foot jump shot followed by a second 28-foot shot. The final was 113-109 and the Warriors were lucky to get this win. Detroit put up quite a fight pushing Golden State to their limit.

Both the third and fourth quarters of this game finished in a tie. The Pistons pulled out all the stops but the Warriors proved to be just a little too much. Curry had the high for the team with 26 points and Thompson finished with 19.

 It was not the Warriors finest offensive nor defensive effort. They have been struggling on defense and it really showed in this game. They had 19 turnovers just when it seemed that they were turning it around.

Post game notes: Friday night the Warriors took on the Pistons after losing a heart-breaker last night against the Denver Nuggets who pulled off a Nikola Jokic buzzer beater 130-127 for the win. Jokic hit a 39-foot three pointer with 0.1 left on the game clock. With 4.1 seconds on the clock, Curry turned the ball over making this loss an especially tough pill to swallow. 

The Pistons who are having a miserable season. At one point they had lost 28 straight games for the longest losing streak in NBA history. That streak ended last Saturday at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit with a narrow 129-127 victory.

Warriors guard Chris Paul fractured his left hand Friday night against the Pistons and will need surgery sometime next week. Warrior head coach Steve Kerr made the announcement right after the game. Paul went 23 minutes scoring eight points, six rebounds and had four assists before having to leave with the fracture.

Sunday evening the Warriors continue their home stand taking on the Toronto Raptors. They will be looking for a better offensive and defensive effort and then there are those pesky turnovers to deal with.

The Warriors have a lot to clean up. Toronto comes to Golden State after losing to the Sacramento Kings Friday night 135-130. The Kings had a 20 point lead in the third quarter of the game and Toronto came roaring back. Golden State has a lot to address; they cannot afford another game like Friday night’s. Tipoff for the game Sunday is scheduled for 5:30 PM.