Category: Golden State Warriors

The Warriors and Denver Nuggets play a very fast paced game in W’s win 127-119

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets played a very entertaining and fast-paced game Monday night at Oracle Arena. The Nuggets, behind the great play of their three big men Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Danilo Gallinari, stayed close to the Dubs for most of the game. The Warriors ha six players in double figures and Draymond Green had his second triple-double of the season. Ian Clark was hot in the first half, and Shaun Livingston made three big baskets down the stretch to doom the Nuggets  Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant all scored more than twenty points in the game and the Warriors are now 12-0 for the season when that happens. As a result, the Warriors were able to down a very determined Denver Nugget team 127-119.

Both teams played a very high scoring first quarter as evidenced by the fact that each team shot over 60% from the floor, The lead changed hands several times in the quarter, but the Dubs finished the first 12 minutes of play leading 35-33.  Steph, Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Zaza Pachulia and Ian Clark led the team in scoring. The Dubs increased the lead to four at the half when KD hit a 3-point shot as the buzzer sounded. The Warriors couldn’t put Denver into its dust. The Dubs tried, but the Nuggets kept coming back. They Nuggets tied the game at 51, but the Warriors were able to go up by six 62-56. The Nuggets closed the gap to just one 65-64, but Durant’s 3-pointer at the buzzer put the Warriors ahead by 4. Kevin Durant led the Dubs with 13.

Zaza Pachulia added 9, Klay had 12 and Steph tallied 11. Ian Clark, coming off the bench scored 12. Clark is getting more playing time, and his confidence has soared as he has become an instant offense for Golden State when he comes into the game. Jokic had 8 for Denver. Greg Harris had 7, and Wilson Chandler knocked down 6. Gallinari, who is six feet 10 inches tall scored 11. Jusuf Nurkic and Will Barton, coming off the bench, tallied nine apiece for the Nuggets.

The Dubs, who usually go on a tear in the third quarter to put away their opponent, were not able to do that to the Nuggets. They did outscore the Nuggets by five to increase the lead to 9 at the end of the period, but it was not easy. The Dubs were leading by 6 points 86-80 when Steph Curry scored 2 buckets and 2 free throws. Draymond Green also made 2 free throws, and the Dubs enjoyed a 14-point lead which was the biggest lead of the night. The Nuggets scored the next 5 points and trailed by just nine heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors led by 15 late in the quarter. Shaun Livingston made three big buckets to help propel the Dubs to that advantage. The Nuggets kept coming back. With the score 121-111, the Warriors failed to score on three trips to the basket. The Nuggets closed the gap to six. The key play to seal the win was made by Draymond Green. Draymond not only fought for an offensive rebound but was able to make a layup to put the Warriors up by eight. Each team scored another basket, and the Warriors won again 127-119.

Game notes- the Warriors big tree of Klay Thompson, Steph Curry had 25, 22, and 21 points respectively. The Warriors had good ball movement again as they tallied 33 assists in the game. Denver also moved the ball well, and they recorded 33 assists too. The Warriors shot 52.6% from the floor and held Denver to 47.5%. The Dubs made 11 3-point shots in 15 attempts while Denver was 9-for-35 in that department. The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times which pleased coach Steve Kerr. Denver also took care of the ball as the committed just 14 turnovers in the game.  The Warriors scored 22 fast break points and had 56 points in the paint.

Denver had 60 points in the paint for the game. The Warrior defense had trouble with Denver’s big men, but Steve Kerr said the “we started defending well the last five minutes of the second quarter.  Draymond Green scored 15 points to go along with 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his second consecutive game with a triple-double. Green was a force on the floor all night, and he made two huge rebounds that helped secure the win for Golden State. Jokic and Chandler led Denver with 21 points each. Gallinari had 19, Nurkic 15, Barton 14, and Harris 11.

After the game, Kerr said that “Denver changed their style a little bit.” Coach Mike Malone, a former Warrior assistant coach, and former Sacramento Kings head coach, removed Nurkic from the starting lineup and has him coming off the bench. Chandler replaced him in the starting lineup. The Warrior’s bench player scored 33 points in the game, and Kerr said ” the bench was the key to the game.” they had to be good as the Denver bench outscored them 39-33.

The Warriors won their 30th game of the season and are now 30-5. Denver, a team that had won 5 of their last 8, falls to 14-19.

The Warriors resume play Wednesday night against the Portland Trailblazers at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 7:30 pm. It will be the third meeting of the year between the two teams, and the Blazers will be trying to avenge the 45  point loss the last time the played the Dubs in Oakland on December 17th.

 

 

 

 

 

The Warriors cruise to victory over the Dallas Mavericks 108-99

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks Friday night at Oracle Arena 108-99. The Mavs, making their second visit to Oakland, did not have former Warrior Andrew Bogut in uniform. Mavs’ coach Rick Carlisle decided to rest Bogut after he played las night in Los Angeles. The other former Warrior, Harrison Barnes, was in uniform and he led the Mavs in scoring with 25 points.

The two teams played a very even first quarter. The game was tied at 29 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Dubs took the lead for good in the second quarter. They played a very methodical quarter as they ended the half leading 59-48. The Dubs were rebounding well, and they scored 15 points using the fast break. The core four of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson all were instrumental in leading the Dubs to the 11-point advantage at the half 59-48. The Dubs shot 54% from the floor, the had 17 assists and just 4 turnovers. They also outscored the Mavs in the paint 24-12.

The Dubs, behind Klay Thompson’s 17 points in the third quarter, increased the lead to 22 91-69. Thompson was in one of his patented “zones, Nowitzki” and his teammates were finding him as often as they could. However, the fourth quarter, as has been the case the last two games, was ugly. The Mavs outscored the Dubs 30-17 but could not overcome the 22 point deficit. The Dubs scored just 7 points in the last 7minutes and 11 seconds of the game. They did not score a point in the last 3:32. Warriors win 108-99

Game Notes- Kevin Durant recorded his first triple-double of the season. He scored 19 to go along with 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Klay Thompson led the Dubs with 29. Draymond Green pitched in with 13 points, seven assists, and eight boards. Steph Curry finished the night with 14.  The Warriors’ bench players made significant contributions, too. JaVale McGee and David West each scored 8 points. Ian Clark had seven and Shaun Livingston knocked down six. The Mavs were led by Harrison Barnes 25 pointNowitzki, in his 19th season had eleven and Deron Williams also scored eleven. Neither player scored in the second half. Wesley Matthews had 14, Seth Curry 11 and former Stanford Cardinal standout, Dwight Powell pitched in with 10. Most of Powell’s scores came in the fourth quarter and almost got the Mavs back into the game.

The Warriors improve to 29-5, the best record in the NBA. The Mavs fall to 10-24.

After the game when asked about his performance, Klay Thompson said that he was “being patient, trying to get a great shot.” He also said this about his team:”we moved the ball well and we shared the ball well.” Klay answered this when asked about Kevin Durant. “He does everything great. He is huge for us.”

The Warriors meet the Denver Nuggets on Monday, January 2nd at Oracle Arena at 7:30 pm.

 

The Warriors bounce back, take down the Toronto Raptors

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Still smarting after a one-point loss at the hands of the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day, the Golden State Warriors (28-6) returned home to face the second-best team in the East, the Toronto Raptors (22-9). Trying to establish themselves as an elite team, the Raptors trailed by as few as five points in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors’ shot-blocking defense proved too much for Toronto in a 121-111 Golden State win.

The Warriors ran the Raptors off the court in the first quarter. The Warriors scored 42 points and held Toronto to just 17. Klay Thompson led the Dubs with 12, but Steph Curry and Kevin Durant also contributed. Toronto won the second quarter as they closed the gap to just five trailing 56-51. The Raptors outscored the Dubs 21-6 in the first eight minutes of play but Golden State was able to get back on track as they increased the lead to 17 at the end of the first half 72-55. The Warriors shot a blistering 74.4% from the field in the half. Toronto was held to just 37%. Toronto, however, took fifteen more shots than the Dubs to stay close. Demar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Terrence Ross, off the bench, scored 49 of Toronto’s  55 points.

The teams played even in the third quarter as Golden State maintained its 17 point lead. The play of the game came when Steph Curry made a behind the back pass to Klay Thompson. Thompson then made a three-point shot from the corner that lit up the crowd. The fourth quarter was an entirely different story. The Raptors played defense and held the Warriors to just 17 points in the quarter. The Dubs led Cleveland by 14, and they blew the lead and lost. The Dubs must have been thinking it was deja vu all over again when the woke up to play great defense and regrouped after Toronto closed to within five 114-109 with 3:01 left in the game. The Dubs held them at bay and won by ten 121-111.

Game Notes- The star of the night was Kevin Durant. Durant scored 22 points but was a monster on defense as he had 17 rebounds and five blocked shots. Draymond Green had a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists to go along with six rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Klay had 21 and Steph led the team with 28. Steph had 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Ian Clark with 9, Andre Iguodala added 11 and Zaza Pachulia knocked down 8. The Warriors had 33 assists in the game to go along with 4 steals and 10 blocks. The one negative was the 20 turnovers that allowed the Raptors to stay close. The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan’s 29, Kyle Lowry’s 27 points and 11 assists, DeMarre Carroll’s 13 and Terrence Ross’ 24. The Warriors extended their NBA record to 119 consecutive games without back to back losses.

The Warriors improve to 28-5 while Toronto drops to 22-9. After the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he thought this about the game:”between the turnovers and offensive rebounds, it was a strange first half and a strange game overall.” He said “there was a lot of energy to start the game’ and that “we needed it as we couldn’t sustain the pace.” Rhen asked about the 20 turnovers, Kerr said”twenty was too many. We gotta clean that up.” He thought Steph was great:”he had the ball quite a bit. Had a great game.” However, Kerr was not happy that the game nearly got out of hand and said “we had a lot of bad possessions down the stretch. It could have been worse but as someone once said: “all’s well that ends well.”

The Warriors play the Dallas Mavericks Friday night at Oracle Arena. Former Warriors Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut will be aiming to upset their ex-mates on Friday. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

The two best teams slug it out on Christmas day in Cleveland. It’s a lump of coal for the Dubs

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Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, right, hugs Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry before an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors had this game marked on their calendar since last June 19th when they lost game 7 and the NBA Championship to the Cavaliers. Losing a game in a regular season hurts but not as much as in the playoffs. The Dubs really wanted to beat Cleveland Sunday and it looked like that was a strong possibility as the Dubs led by 14 94-80 early in the fourth quarter. The Cavs went on a 14-1 run to trail by three. The Dubs were just not able to put the game away. Steph Curry made a three-point shot to put them ahead 108105 with 1:14 left in the game. The Dubs did not score again and Cleveland, behind Kyrie Irving’s bucket with 3.4 seconds left, won the game for Cleveland 109-108.

The game was a thriller from start to finish. The Dubs led most of the way, but the Cavs kept coming back. The Dubs’ biggest lead until the fourth quarter was 49-38 in the second quarter, but the Cavs went on a 12-1 run and trailed by three 55-52 at the half. Draymond Green was called for two fouls in the first three minutes of the first quarter. He also was called for his 7th technical of the year when he complained to the refs that he was kicked by a Cleveland player. They didn’t listen, and Draymond had to sit out the entire first quarter.

Kevin Durant led the Warrior attack with twelve in the first 12 minutes of play. LeBron James had 6, Kevin Love 7, and Kyrie Irving 5 to lead Cleveland. The Dubs led by two 27-25 at the end of the quarter.  Klay Thompson started to score in the second quarter. Klay hit 2 3-point shots, and Steph had one.

The Dubs led by 11, but Cleveland went on a 12-1 run to tie the game at 50. Zaza Pachulia scored a deuce and KD hit a three. Cleveland score and the half ended with the Warriors up by three. KD Led the Dubs with 17, Klay had 13 and Steph was held to 6 points by the Cavaliers’ DeAndre Liggins. Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Channing Frye were the leading scorers for the Cavs. The Dubs shot 46.2% from the floor, and they held the Cavs to 33.3%. However, the Cavs had more rebounds, especially on offense, and took more shots and were able to stay close.

The Warriors continued to hold the lead in the third quarter. Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson all played well in the quarter. The Cavs’ LeBron James scored 16, but the Dubs were able to increase the lead to 87-80 at the end of the third quarter. The Dubs went on a 7-0 run to start the final stanza and were up by 14 when things started going south.

The Cavs continued to chip away at the lead and finally tied the game at 105 late in the quarter. Curry hit a three but, perhaps the key play was a Klay Thompson 3-point shot that was waved off by the refs as the 24-second shot clock expired. Had the shot counted the Dubs would have won but as mentioned earlier, they lost.

Game Notes- The Dubs fall to 27-5 while Cleveland improves to 23-6. Kevin Durant was fantastic for Golden State with 36 points, 3 assists, and 15 rebounds. Klay Thompson added 24. Draymond had 16 point, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Steph Curry was held to 15. He did make 2  3-poin shots, and the one he made late in the game almost won the Dubs the game.The Warriors committed 19 turnovers while Cleveland did better holding on to the ball as they lost it just 12 times.

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

 

The Warriors and Pistons go at it tooth and nail in Detroit. Golden State hangs on to win

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Detroit- The Warriors and Pistons duked it out Friday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.The game was highly competitive and thrilling from start to finish as the Dubs won their seventh game in a row 119-113 over the Detroit Pistons.

Last year in Detroit, the Pistons beat the Dubs and were hoping to upset the Warriors’ apple cart once again. Didn’t happen as the Warriors were just a little bit better on offense and defense in the last two minutes of the game and were able to record the win. Warrior defensive star, Draymond Green, played just 24 hours after returning to the Bay Area to be with his newborn son on Thursday.

The Warriors led by one 33-32 after the first quarter. The biggest lead was seven, but Detroit went on a 9-0 run and took the lead 24-23. JaVale McGee scored four and Steph Curry had two 3-point shots in the stanza. The Pistons outscored Golden State 27-24 in the second quarter. The Warriors were ahead by four 47-43 when they suddenly couldn’t make a field goal. They went over four minutes in the quarter without a bucket and that allowed the Pistons to regain the lead. The Dubs trailed by four when Steph hit another 3-pointer to trail by one 52-51, but Detroit would come back, and score and the half ended with Detroit in the lead by two points 59-57.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, did not break the game open. They did outscore Detroit by six and led 88-84 at the end of the quarter, but the outcome of the game was still in doubt. JaVale McGee was one of the key players for the Dubs in the quarter. McGee scored nine of his fifteen points in the quarter, and that helped Golden State regain the lead.

The Pistons, at one point in the quarter, fell behind by eight but they would not fold as they came back to trail by four at the close of three. The Pistons and Dubs slugged it out in the final quarter. The Dubs fell behind 91-90 but went ahead by three 102-99. Detroit clawed back and led 104-102. Steph Curry made a layup to tie the game at 104.

Steph made a three to make it 107-14, but Detroit scored the next four points and led 108-107. Kevin Durant hit a three to regain the lead 110-108. Detroit came back and tied the game at 110 with just one minute and forty seconds left to play. The Dubs took the lead for good when Draymond Green made a slam as he was all alone on the weak side and was able to walk in uncontested.

Klay Thompson made a bucket to put the Dubs up 114-110 with 53.2 seconds left in the contest. Detroit scored a deuce, but Klay hit a three and the Warriors led by five 117-112 with 22.1 seconds left. The Warriors could have iced the game then and there but they turned the ball over on an inbound pass the bounced off Kevin Durant’s hands. The Dubs fouled Andre Drummond, and he made just one free throw. The Pistons fouled Steph, and he iced the game with two free throws with just 2 seconds to play. Dubs win 119-113

Game Notes- The Warriors played a very sloppy game as they committed twenty-three turnovers that nearly cost them the game. Detroit scored thirty-three points off the turnovers. The Dubs, however, did play well on defense. They had 41 rebounds, nine steals, and two blocked shots. They also moved the ball well as they had another game with over 30 assists(35 to be exact).

Kevin Durant led the Dubs in scoring with 32 points in 31 minutes of action. Durant had three assists and 8 boards. Draymond Green had another double-double. Green had 12 assists, ten rebounds, 1 blocked shot and just five points in Friday’s game. Steph had 25 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Klay Thompson had seventeen, but he had two key buckets in the fourth quarter.

JaVale McGee, continuing to improve, had a season-high 15 points. Zaza Pachulia, who had a season-high 15 points against Brooklyn, scored seven and had 7 boards. Ian Clark, David West had six each while Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala each had 4. Golden State shot a blistering 55.8% from the floor. The Pistons shot well, too, as they shot 50.6% Leading scoring for Detroit was Tobias Harris, coming off the bench, with 26. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 25. Reggie Jackson knocked down 17, and big Andre Drummond added 15. The Warriors are now 27-4 for the year and Detroit drops to 14-18.

After the game, Steve Kerr had this to say about the team’s performance:”I think there were some good things at the end.” He was not pleased about the “23 turnovers and a lot of careless defense.” He thought the Warriors performance at the end of the game “was a good way to finish but not a good performance overall.”

The Warriors are on their way to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers for the first time since game 7 of the NBA Finals last June. The Cavaliers will be without J.R.Smith who injured his wrist and will be out for a while. Nonetheless, the Warriors will have to still contend with LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and company.  The game will be played on Christmas Day at 11:30 am.

The Warriors come from behind to beat the Brooklyn Nets

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Brooklyn, New York – The Golden State Warriors, without star defensive ace Draymond Green who returned to the Bay Area Thursday for the birth of his son, rallied from a sixteen-point halftime deficit to down the Brooklyn Nets 117-101.

The game was very competitive in the first quarter as the Nets led 34-33 at the end of the first twelve minutes. The Nets behind big Brook Lopez and point guard Jeremy Lin drove the lane and were able to score as the Dubs were not playing any defense at all. The Nets owned the second quarter as they outscored the Dubs 31-16 and led by sixteen at the half. The Warriors could not stop Brook Lopez as he tallied 23 in the half. The Warriors went cold late in the quarter and were able to score just 4 points in the last 4 minutes and 44 seconds of play in the half. Brooklyn led 65-49. The Nets started the second quarter on a 9-0 run, and they looked like they were going to upset the best team in the NBA.

However, teams have to play four quarters to win the game. The Nets may have won the first half but the Warriors, behind the stellar play of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Zaza Pachulia, and Steph Curry were no match for the Warriors. The Dubs played defense. They lead the NBA in steals and blocked shots, and they did exactly that as they held the Nets to nineteen in the third quarter and seventeen in the fourth. The Warriors forced the Nets to commit twenty-six turnovers. The Warriors had nineteen steals and seven blocked shots as they showed Brooklyn how good they are. The Dubs outscored Brooklyn 39-19 to take a four-point lead after three and by sixteen in the fourth to win 117-101.

Game Notes- The Warriors improve to 26-4 for the year while Brooklyn drops to 7-21. Kevin Durant led Golden State with 26 points,7 assists, and nine rebounds. He also blocked a shot. Klay Thompson knocked down 23, Steph 15, and Zaza Pachulia had a double-double. Zaza had a season-high 15 points to go along with 14 boards. Quite a performance. David West led the bench scoring with ten, and he blocked two shots. Ian Clark and Andre Iguodala added 8 each. Iguodala snagged six rebounds. The Dubs shot 45.2% from the floor, and they made twelve 3-point shots. They also had good ball movement as they recorded twenty-nine assists.

After the game, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said the players’ “intensity in the third got us going.” The Warriors started the period with a 17-2 run. “That changed the game.”He also said:”I didn’t expect to be down sixteen at the half, but I knew they(Brooklyn) would come out and give us a hell of a fight.” He remarked that the “transition defense in the first half was horrible and that no matter who you play, you have to defend” The Warriors did just that in the second half as they came back from the sixteen-point deficit to record the 26th win of the year.

The Warriors play the Pistons in Detroit Friday night. Game time is at 4:30 pm. The Warriors then play the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday in Cleveland. Game time for the big game is at 11:30 am.

 

The Warriors shine on defense beat the Jazz by 30 104-74

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The game between the Dubs and the Utah Jazz was billed as a contest between a great offense and a great defense. The Warriors have the best offense and the Jazz the best defense in the NBA. The Jazz held the Memphis Grizzlies to just 73 the other night were 11-2 since November 21st. The Jazz came from 25 down when they played the Warriors earlier in Utah, and they almost beat them, and they were missing four starters. However, after a very, very slow start, the Warriors were able to stop the Jazz offense cold and beat them by thirty 104-74. The Jazz style of play which is to use as much of the 24-second clock as possible and to prevent the Dubs from using the fast break seemed to favor them in the early going. Every time the Warriors appeared to be getting control of the game, Utah coach Quin Snyder would call a timeout. The strategy worked for a while, but once the Warriors opened up a double-digit lead, it became impossible for the Jazz to catch up.

Neither team started well in the first quarter. No one could hit a bucket. The Dubs led 4-2 with just about half the first quarter played. The Warriors played better in the last six minutes of the quarter as Steph Curry led the offense with seven points and the Warriors held the Jazz to just fifteen as the quarter ended with Golden State leading 19-15.

The Warriors owned the second quarter. They continued to play great defense as they caused the Jazz to commit 13 turnovers in the half and the Dubs had seven steals. The game was still close 26-21 when the Dubs put it into gear and outscored the Jazz 29-10 to end the second quarter ahead by 24 points 55-31. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry were all in double figures.

The Warriors put the game away in the third quarter. The Big Four of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green were just too much for the Jazz. Backup center JaVale McGee scored two buckets on lobs from Draymond and Patrick McCaw. McGee made a layup for another bucket, and he made a great pass to Draymond to pick up an assist. Steph hit a couple of threes, but the big play was a dunk by Draymond after he made a steal at the other end of the court. The Dubs led 82-54 at the end of three.

Kevin Durant played a few minutes of the fourth quarter but Steve Kerr removed him from the game, and the reserves went the rest of the way. The Warriors committed just four turnovers in the first three-quarters of play, but the bench got a little sloppy and made six in the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter as the Jazz were too far behind to catch up as the Warrior defense was superb and the Warriors were able to put the game in the win column 104-74.

Game Notes- The Warriors, with the win, improved the season record to 25-4 while the Jazz drops to 18-11. Steph Curry had 25 points, KD followed with 23, Klay Thompson had 17 and 5 boards. Draymond Green had another double-double as he had 15 points to go along with 4 assists and eleven rebounds. JaVale McGee scored eight and had seven rebounds off the bench. Rudy Gobert was the only Jazz starter in double figures with eleven. Gobert was a monster on the boards as he pulled down sixteen. Joe Johnson, off the bench, led Utah with 14. Joe Ingles and Trey Lyles each had 11.

The Warriors go East for a three-game road trip. They meet the Brooklyn Nets in Brooklyn Thursday night at 4:30 pm. They travel to Detroit for another back-to-back game Friday night against the Pistons. Game time will be at 4:30 pm. The Warriors then travel to face the LeBron James, Kevin Love and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time since the devastating loss in Game & at the Oracle Arena last June. The game will be on Christmas Day and will be on national television. This is a game that should be on every fan’s calendar.Game time will be at 11:30 am.

 

 

The Warriors, behind Kevin Durant, overwhelm the Portland Trailblazers

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- Kevin Durant hit his first shot, a three-pointer, to put the Dubs up 3-0. They never, ever trailed in the game as they blew out the Blazer by forty-five points 135-90 at the Oracle Arena Saturday night before another sellout crowd. The Dubs won all phases of the game. They shot 58.6% from the floor. They held the Blazers to 39.5%. They had another game with more than 30 assists. They finished with 36. They outrebounded the Blazers 66 to 36. The Dubs bench led by Ian Clark’s career-high twenty-three and JaVale McGee’s eleven were too much for Portland to handle.

In the first quarter, Durant and Steph Curry each had thirteen points. The Dubs made five three-point shots, including one by Ian Clark to end the first quarter on a 15-6 run to go up by eighteen 39-21. The Dubs outscored the Blazers 31-24 in the second quarter. Kevin Durant scored eight more in the quarter to finish the half with twenty-one. Klay Thompson had eleven and bench players Andre Iguodala, David West, Shaun Livingstone all contributed to the Dubs taking a twenty-five point lead at the half 70-45.

The third quarter belonged to the Dubs. They had it all going for the. They scored thirty-eight points on offense and held Portland to twenty-seven as they increased the lead to thirty-six 108-72. Kevin Durant was hot all night long he scored thirty-four points in just thirty-one minutes of action. He made eleven buckets on thirteen attempts. JaVale McGee scored nine points in seven minutes of action. He made three dunks on lobs and had a bucket on an offensive rebound and a foul shot. He finished the game with eleven. Steph Curry made a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to end the quarter. Dubs lead 108-72

Steve Kerr removed all the starters from the game. Ian Clark, Shaun Livingstone, JaVale McGee, Andre Iguodala, David West, Patrick McCaw James Michael McAdoo, and Kevon Looney all played in the quarter. The Dubs reserves outscored the Blazer reserves 27-18 to give the Dubs the win 135-90.

Game Notes- The Dubs had five players in double figures Saturday night. KD had a double-double with thirty-four points, eleven rebounds plus 4 assists and one blocked shot. Steph had nineteen to go along with six assists and three rebounds. Klay had sixteen, Ian Clark 23 and McGee 11. Draymond Green had a double-double, too. He had thirteen assists with twelve boards and just three points. The Blazers were led by Damian Lillard’s twenty points. Maurice Harkness added 17, C.J.McCollum 10, and Allen Crabbe 9.

The Dubs improved their record for the season to 24-4 while the Blazers, who have lost seven of the last eight, drop to 13-16. The Dubs are off for two days but return to action Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz at the Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.The Dubs will be handing on Nate Thurmond Bobbleheads for the first 10,000 fans. Thurmond, who is basketball’s Hall of Fame, Passed away earlier this year and the Warriors remember him as they wear his number 42 on their uniforms every game this year.

 

The Warriors return home, down the New York Knicks

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors returned home after a five-game road trip to play the visiting New York Knicks for the first time this season. The Knicks, with a record of 14-11, had to face the Dubs with two of their stars on the sideline. Derrick Rose was unavailable, and Carmelo Anthony did not play due to a sore shoulder. The Warriors were able to handle the rest of the Knicks and sent them down to defeat 103-90.

The Warriors trailed early 6-5 but took the lead for good when Draymond Green sank a three-point shot. The Dubs never looked back. They increased the lead to thirteen at the end of the first quarter. JaVale McGee, starting his second game in a row, was the high scorer for the Dubs with eight in the first quarter. McGee scored on a pass from Kevin Durant, he scored a layup on a pass from Steph Curry. He Made two dunks on lobs to account for his eight points. The Dubs increased the lead to fourteen at the half 59-45. The Dubs’ bench made contributions as the Knicks were able to keep Step nd KD in check. Klay Thompson led the Warrior attack with fourteen. KD had nine and Steph added six. The Dubs shot 52% from the floor and held the Knicks to 38.5% from the field. The Dubs were moving the ball well as the had 26 assists on 27 made baskets.

The Warriors put the game out of reach in the third quarter. About midway through the period, they went on a 14-0 run that sank the Knicks. JaVale McGee continued to play well. Ian Clark was effective coming off the bench as the Dubs increased the advantage to 22 as they owned the lead 88-66 after three-quarters of play. The Dubs played a lackadaisical fourth quarter. Most of the starters were removed from the game. They scored just fifteen points, and the Knicks were able to cut the deficit to twelve but the Dubs were able to run out the clock to preserve the win. Dubs win 103-90.

Game Notes- Klay Thompson was the player of the game for the Warriors. Klay scored twenty-five and had four assists and five boards. JaVale McGee, who played just fifteen minutes, had his best game of the season. He scored a season-high seventeen points. Kevin Durant had a double-double. He knocked down fifteen points to go along with eight assists and fourteen rebounds. Steph Curry scored just eight points, but he had eight assists and ten rebounds. Bench players Shaun Livingston, Ian Clark, Andre Iguodala, and Kevon Looney all made significant contributions to help the Dubs win. Former Warrior Justin Holiday led the Knicks with fifteen points. Brandon Jennings had ten: Courtney Lee nine, Ron Baker thirteen, and the big, big man 7 foot-3 inch Kristap Porzingis

The Warriors had 41 assists on 47 made basket. The team really moved the ball well and were able to find the open man. Steve Kerr said: “this was the lone bright spot of the game.” Kerr said this about the paly of the team during the game:”I didn’t think there was much purpose in the game. We looked tired and disinterested.”

The Warriors improve to 23-4 while the Knicks fall to 14-12.

Before the game, Steve Kerr asked both teams to join him at center court and the fans to stand the remember Craig Sager who passed away Thursday at the age of 65. Sager was a sideline reporter for many years and wore outrageous jackets and ties. He battled leukemia for three years until Thursday. Instead of a moment of silence, Kerr asked for a moment of joy and the teams and the fans responded with a loud and long round of applause for him. Also, before the game, Jerry West presented Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Carmelo Anthony with their Olympic championship rings.

The Warriors face the Portland Trailblazers Saturday night at Oracle Arens at 7:30 pm. The Blazers’ Damian Lillard, who is from Oakland, always plays his best against the Dubs. Should be an entertaining game.

 

The Warriors and Pelicans play a thriller, Golden State prevails

Published on by rxslugger1 Comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

New Orleans- The Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans played one of the best games of the season Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Arena in the Crescent City. Both teams played well on offense as well as on defense, but the Dubs were just a little bit better as they outlasted the Pelicans 113-109.

The first half belonged to the Pelicans. The Pelicans, coached by former Dubs assistant coach Alvin Gentry, played just like the Warriors. The Pelicans had great ball movement as they recorded 17 assists in the first half. They made ten 3-point shots and had six steals on defense. The Pelicans started the first quarter well. They had an early 13-5 lead as they went on an 8-0 run. The Dubs came back and led 25-22 after Steph Curry made his second 3-point shot of the quarter. New Orleans regained the lead and finished the quarter with a six-point lead 35-29. The Pelicans kept the lead for the rest of the half. They never got too far ahead, but the Dubs just couldn’t catch them, and they increased the lead to seven 65-58. Anthony Davis led the Pelican scorers with 18. Langston Galloway and Tim Frazier, both coming off the bench, scored 12 and 7 respectively. Steph Curry with 15, Klay Thompson 13, and Kevin Durant ten led the Dubs. The Pelican shot 52.3% from the floor and made ten 3-point shots. The Warriors shot a respectable 48.9% and made eight 3-pointers.

The Warriors, as they have done so many times in the past, outscored the opposition. The Dubs scored 37 and held the Pelicans to 29 to take a one-point lead at the end of three-quarters. The Dubs went on a 15-1 run to lead 74-68, but the Pelicans did not panic and kept the pressure on the Warriors. Steph made two 3-point shots, and Draymond Green added one. Kevin Durant made a sensational block late in the quarter to thwart an easy Pelican layup for a bucket. The Warriors were cold to start the final quarter of the game. The Pelicans scored the first six points to lead 100-95. The Dubs scored the next seven points to regain the advantage 102-100. The lead changed hands a couple of times until the teams tied the game at 107. The Dubs took the lead on a Steph Curry shot from the corner 109-108. On the next play, Draymond made a huge steal and Steph made another bucket to increase the lead to 111-108. Green made a big rebound, but the Dubs couldn’t score and then fouled Jrue Holiday with just 14.9 seconds left in the game fouled   Holiday made the first free throw. Holiday intentionally missed the second freebie, and the rebound went to the Pelicans. However, Draymond Green made another huge steal as he knocked the ball out of Anthony Davis’hands as Davis was attempting to move in for a two-point shot. Green sealed the win as he was fouled with about three seconds left to play. Green made the two free throws to seal the win. 113-109.

Game Notes- The Warriors played superb defense in the fourth quarter. They outscored the Pelicans 18-15 but did not allow the Pelicans to score a field goal in the last 4 minutes and forty-four seconds of the fourth quarter. The Defense was led by Draymond Green. Green was, without question, the player of the game. He had a triple-double with twelve points, ten assists, twelve rebounds, two blocks and at least two huge steals in the fourth quarter. Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry all were excellent on defense, too. Steph led the Dubs with 30points to go with seven assists and four boards. Durant added twenty-seven, nd he had 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Klay Thompson finished with seventeen points, 3 assists,s rebounds, and two blocked shots. The Pelicans led by Anthony Davis, Langston Galloway, Tim Frazier, Solomon Hill, and Jrue Holiday all scored in double figures. Davis was a force with 28 points,3 assists,8 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.The Warriors improve to 22-4 and the Pelicans fall to 8-18.

After the game, Steve Kerr said this about Draymond Green’s play on defense:”he loves to be in that position.He relishes it.” Kerr also said this about the team’s play in the fourth quarter:”the defense was great the last five minutes, the offense not.” He praised Kevin Durant’s work on defense this way:”KD is so capable defensively.”

The Warriors finished the five-game road trip with a record of 4-1. The Dubs played six games in the last nine days and won five out of six. They played two back-to-back series on the trip. The Dubs return home to face the New York Knicks Thursday night at Oracle Arena at 7:30 pm.