Category: Golden State Warriors

NBA podcast with Joe Hawkes: Kings coming off big win against Lakers face Mavericks tonight; Golden State still trying to get a playoff spot

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The Sacramento Kings Richaun Holmes (22) puts the defense on the Los Angeles Lakers LaBron James (23) on Fri Apr 30, 2021 at Staples Center in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings (26-37) got a rather big win over the Los Angeles Lakers (36-27) at Staples Center on Friday night 110-106 for the Kings second win over the Lakers this season.

#2 The Lakers saw LaBron James make his first appearance since going on the injured list on Friday. LaBron scored only 16 points finishing third in scoring. Is this a matter of LaBron is not fully recovered from his injuries or he’s just a little rusty?

#3 Richaun Holmes 22 pts and Tyrese Haliburton 23 pts were the Kings top two scorers on Friday a big help in the Kings win over the Lakers.

#4 Taking a look at the Golden State Warriors (32-32) the Warriors trounced the Houston Rockets (16-48) on Saturday night in Houston 113-87 the win comes off the Warriors getting crushed by the Dallas Mavericks (34-27) 133-103 and second straight loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves (20-44) on Thursday night 126-114. It has to be a big relief for Golden State to get back in the win column.

#5 Stephen Curry had his way with the Houston Rockets on Saturday night scoring 30 points for a 113-87 win. The Warriors looked they got their old groove back on.

Join J Hawkes for the NBA podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Curry’s big third quarter sinks Rockets 113-87

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) is jubilant after scoring a three point shot against the Houston Rockets Armoni Brooks (7) during Sat May 1, 2021 game in Houston (Houston Chronicle photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (32-32) faced the downtrodden Houston Rockets (16-48) at the Toyota Center in Houston Saturday night. The Rockets, without their star John Wall, beat the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night behind Kevin Porter’s outstanding performance. Porter, who is 20-years-old knocked down 50 points, leading Houston to victory. The Rockets’ management discharged their head coach, Muke D’Antoni, at the end of last season. The Rockets traded Russell Westbrook to the Washinton Wizards, and James Harden went to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Rockets have struggled all season long, and it appears they will be one of the three teams with the worst record in the NBA. Having lost two in a row, the Warriors needed to take advantage of the Rockets to stay in the race for a ninth or tenth spot in the Western Conference standings. Things didn’t go well in the first half of the game. The Rockets found a way to contain Stephen Curry. The Warriors got their act together in the third quarter and were able to win easily 113-87.

The Warriors’ offense in the first two quarters left a lot to the imagination. Curry made two threes in ten tries. The Rockets held him to seven points. The Rockets finished the first quarter with a two-point lead 24-22. The Rockets went on a 9-3 run to start the second quarter to lead 33-25. Curry returned with about six minutes left in the period. Houston kept answering every Warrior basket. The Rockets led at halftime 55-49.

The third quarter was a different story. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr must have read the riot act to his team during the halftime break. They did not play well against the Dallas Mavericks, and they folded against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter Thursday night.

They could not afford to lose to Houston. Kerr’s words must have resonated with the Warriors as they came out smoking to start the third quarter. Golden State went on a 28-4 run to start play in the period. At one point, they scored 24 unanswered points. Curry was on fire. He scored 23 points in his 12 minutes on the floor. He connected on five threes in seven tries. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 39-12 in the quarter to lead 87-67.

The Warriors had Curry and Draymond Green on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. Andrew Wiggins, Mychal Mulder, and Jordan Poole provided the offense as the Warriors cruised to victory 113-87

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 32-32 for the year. They have two more road games left for the year. They will play both against the New Orleans Pelicans. They lead the Pelicans by 3 1/2 games for the final playoff spot. The first game with New Orleans will be Monday night. The Warriors play the last six games of the season at the Chase Center.

The Warriors used eight players again for the second game in a row. Kelly Oubre, Jr. was out with a wrist problem. Damion Lee is still on Covid-19 protocol, and Eric Paschall missed another game due to a hip flexor. Paschall is improving and will be back soon, possibly next week.

Curry had another 30-point game. He had 30 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He was nine-for-23 from the floor and 7-fo-17 from downtown. Andrew Wiggins continued his excellent play on both ends of the court. Wiggins poured in 20 points.

He pulled down two rebounds and had two assists. Mychal Mulder and Jordan Poole each had 17 points. Mulder connected on five threes. Draymond Green nearly had a triple-double. Green scored nine points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and recorded eight assists.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46% from the floor. They made 18 threes in 46 attempts. They moved the ball well, especially in the second half, with 32 assists on 39 made field goals. They had ten steals and eight blocks on defense. They forced 18 Rockets turnover that resulted in 20 points for the Warriors.

The Warriors meet the Pelicans in New Orleans Monday Night. The game will start at 4:30 pm. 

Timberwolves outlast Warriors to win 126-114

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) struggles on offense against the Minnesota Timberwolves Ricky Rubio (9) on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (31-32) started the final four-game road trip of the season on a sour note Thursday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Then suddenly resurgent Minnesota Timberwolves (20-44) played well in the final 12 minutes of the game to down the Warriors 126-114.

The Timberwolves have won their last four in a row and six of the last eight. Even though the Warriors lost, it was not all bad news. The Warriors will benefit if Minnesota continues to play well. If Minnesota does not finish in the top three in the lottery, the Warriors will get their first-round draft pick.

The Timberwolves currently have the third-worst record in the NBA. The Pick would not go to the Golden State if the season ended today. The Wolves, however, may pass either Detroit or Oklahoma City in the standings. If they do, the Warriors will get the pick.

The Warriors were without the services of forward Kelly Oubre, Jr. Thursday night. Oubre has been an offensive sparkplug coming off the bench. His absence meant the Warriors were down to eight players. Kent Bazemore was back in the lineup after missing several games due to NBA Covid-19 protocols.

The teams played a hotly contested game for all four quarters. The Timberwolves, coached by former Toronto Raptor assistant coach Chris Finch, took a page out of the Raptors’ playbook. Finch has his team double team, Stephen Curry, all night long. The Timberwolves decided to stop Steph and let the other four players on the court figure out how to beat them.

The Plan worked in the first quarter. The Timberwolves held Curry to five points in the first twelve minutes of action. Andrew Wiggins, facing his former teammates, carried the water for the Warriors. The game was tied at 25-25 when Minnesota went on a 10-0 run to finish the quarter leading 35-25. 

The Warriors’ second unit went on a 10-2 run early in the second quarter to get within four 39-35. The Warriors trailed until late in the first half until Curry got hot. Curry made a three to make it 55-54. The Wolves connected on a three to go ahead by four. Curry made two frees, then made a steal and a bucket to tie the game, 58-58. The Timberwolves scored the last bucket of the first half to lead 60-58. Andrew Wiggins paced the Warrior attack with 18 points. Steph had 13. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves with 11. Veteran guard Rickey Rubio had 10. The Timberwolves were 10-for-21 from three-point range. 

The Timberwolves started the third quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 68-58. The Warriors did not fold. They fought back but could not get the lead back. The Warriors tied the game 87-87. Minnesota responded with a two-point basket to lead 89-87. Curry made a four-point play to give the Warriors the lead 91-87. Minnesota scored a basket and the third quarter ended with the Warriors ahead by two. 

As per head coach Steve Kerr’s plans, Curry and Draymond Green would sit on the bench for about the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. The Warriors second unit had their work cut out for them. The Wolves star rookie, Anthony Edwards, came out firing.

The Warriors had no answer. Minnesota went on a 10-2 run to lead 106-99. The Timberwolves’ defense stopped the Warriors’ offense in the last six minutes of the game. Minnesota continued to make three-pointers. Karl-Anthony Towns and Juancho Hernangomez made back-to-back threes to go ahead by ten 117-107. The Warriors ran out of time, and they lost by a final score of 126-114.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, The Warriors are 31-32 for the season with nine games left on the schedule. The Timberwolves are 20-44.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the team with 37 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Curry was 11-for-27 from the floor, and he made six threes in 17 tries. Wiggins finished with 27 points, four boards, three assists, and made three threes in six attempts.

Green had 11 points, five boards, and five assists. Bazemore had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. Mychal Mulder had 11. As a team, the Warriors shot 49% from the floor. They made 15 threes in 38 attempts. The taller Timberwolf team outrebounded them 68-41. The Wolves pulled down 16 offensive rebounds. The Warriors had four.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 25 points. Town had a double-double with 22 points and 11 boards. Ricky Rubio had 22. Rubio knocked down five threes. Naz Reid had 13. The Timberwolves made 20 three-point shots in 41 tries. Teams with 20 threes and shoot about 50% are 43-0.

The Warriors tipoff against the Rockets in Houston Saturday night, The game will start at 4:30 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors still trying to make climb for last and final playoff spot

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The look on the Golden State Warriors bench tells it all as the Dallas Mavericks dominated throughout the contest at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 27, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Dallas Mavericks (34-27) left very little doubt about the how the direction of their game at Golden State (31-31) was going end up the Mavericks led from start to finish 133-103.

#2 The Mavericks Luka Doncic was unstoppable scoring 39 points the Warriors defense simply couldn’t put the stop on him.

#3 The Warriors are heading to Minnesota to tip off with the Timberwolves on Thu Apr 29 at the Target Center the last time the Warriors met the Timberwolves they swept them in a two game series back on Jan 25 and 27. How do you see this match up Thursday night?

Join David for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday mornings at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Mavericks rout the Warriors 133-103

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The Dallas Mavericks guard Trey Burke (3) tries to shut down Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry (30) from bringing the ball up court on Tue Apr 27, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (@dallasmavs photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The visiting Dallas Mavericks (34-27), hoping to rebound from a loss to the Sacramento Kings Monday night, routed the Golden State Warriors (31-31) 133-103. The final score did not indicate how poorly the Warriors played. The Mavericks game plan was to find a way to stop Stephen Curry from beating them. Their plan worked. The Warriors played one of their worst first 24 minutes of play in team history.

The game was close for the first 3:20. Curry connected on a three to put the Warriors ahead 12-11 with 8:40 left in the first quarter. That was the last time the Warriors would be in the lead. They did not score another point in the first period. Dallas went on a 25-0 run to finish the quarter with a 24-point lead 36-12. 

Dallas started the second quarter with a three. The Warriors finally made a basket. Dallas’ defense smothered the Warriors offense. Dallas outscored them 26-17 to finish the first half with a commanding lead 62-29. The game was over for all intents and purposes, even with 24 minutes left to play.

Dallas’ all-world forward Luka Doncic poured in 23 points in the third quarter to finish the night with 39 points. He made shots from all angles. He was Merlin the magician Tuesday night. Curry tallied 15 to finish with 27. Dallas led by 39 points 103-64.

It’s a shame that the NBA doesn’t have a mercy rule. There was no way to overcome a 39-point deficit with 12 minutes left. Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pulled their stars from the game. The reserves from both teams played the last 12 minutes. The Warriors bench outscored the Dallas bench by nine. The Mavericks won 133-103.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 31-31 for the year. The Warriors have ten games left on the schedule. They play the next four games on the road and finish the season with six at the Chase Center. Dallas improved to 34-27. Dallas took two of the three games played against the Warriors this season.

The Warrior stats from the first half show how poorly they played/ Curry was the only player in double figures with 12. Andrew Wiggins was second with seven. No other Warrior had more than three points. They shot 28% from the floor. They were three-for-nineteen from downtown. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 16. 

Curry led the Warriors with 27. He was 9-for-18 from the floor and knocked down five threes in nine tries. Mychal Mulder finished with a career-high 26 points. Mulder was 10-for-16 from the floor, and he connected on six threes in 11 attempts. Wiggins had 15, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 10, and Jordan Poole 10. Luka Doncic had 39 for Dallas. Dorian Finney-Smith 13, Tim Hardaway, Jr. 13, Nicolo Melli 13, Jalen Brunson 12, and Maxi Kleber 10. 

The Warriors begin a four-game road trip Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The second game is against the Oklahoma City Thunder, then two against the Pelicans in New Orleans. Thursday night’s game starts at 5 pm.

Warriors win nail-biter nip Kings 117-113;Curry dazzles with 37 pts

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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was all smiles as he finished on top in scoring with 37 points against the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 25, 2021 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (31-39) hosted the Sacramento Kings (24-36) at the Chase Center Sunday night. The Warriors were hoping to exact revenge for their loss to Sacramento on March 25th. Stephen Curry was not in the lineup due to an injury that night. The Kings’ De’ Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Tyrese Haliburton had their way the Warriors that night as they ran the Warriors off the court with a resounding 141-119 win.

Fox paced the Kings with 44 points. On Sunday night, Fox was not in the Kings’ lineup. The Warriors were missing two stalwarts, Daminon Lee and Kent Bazemore. The two Warrior players were out due to the NBA’s Covid-19 protocols. Mychal Mulder was in the lineup in place of Bazemore. The Warriors got their revenge as they beat the Kings 117-113 on Sunday night.

The game was a barnburner for all 48 minutes. The largest lead any team had was seven points. The first half was full of action as both teams raced up and down the court as the lead changed hands several times. Former Warrior, Harrison Barnes, tormented his old mates as he knocked down four threes in the first quarter to pace the Kings to a 39-32 lead after the first 12 minutes of play/ Curry had 11 for Golden State. Gary Payton II played his only five minutes of the game in the first quarter, and he helped by hitting two threes and finishing with seven points.

The Warriors outscored the Kings 31-26 in the second quarter. Kelly Oubre, Jr., coming off the bench, continued to excel. The Warriors were able to take the lead 57-56 when Andrew Wiggins connected on a three. The Kings didn’t wilt.

They fought back and were able to regain the lead to have the advantage, 65-63 at the end of the first half. Curry paced the Warrior offense with 23. Curry knocked down five threes in the first half. Oubre had 12, Wiggins seven. The Kings’ sharpshooter from 3-point range, Buddy Hield, led Sacramento with 19. Harrison Barnes had 16, and Richaun Holmes eight. The Warrior bench outscored the Kings’ bench 25-14.

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court in the third period. The Warriors’ Curry and Mychal Mulder each connected on two threes. The Warriors owned their biggest lead of the night, 89-83. Sacramento continued to fight back. The quarter ended with the Warriors holding a slim two-point advantage 94-92. Both teams knew the final 12 minutes of play would determine the outcome. The only question to be answered was which team wanted it more.

The Kings scored the first four points of the fourth quarter from the foul line. They led 96-94. Sacramento kept the lead until Draymond Green tied the game at 107-107. Sacramento went ahead 109-107. Kelly Oubre was fouled making a bucket. Oubre completed the three-point play to put the Warriors ahead 110-109.

Sacramento answered with a bucket to lead 111-110. Oubre scored again to make it 112-111 with 1:37 left. The Warriors increased the lead to three 114-111 when Green knocked down a deuce. The Kings came back with a bucket of their own to close within one 114-113.

The Warriors dodged a bullet when they turned the ball over to Buddy Hield in the Sacramento end of the court. Hield lost the ball out of bounds with 13 seconds left. The Kings had a foul to give. The Kings fouled Curry with 11.7 seconds left to play.

They fouled Curry again with 9.2 seconds left. Curry missed the first free throw. He made the second to give the Warriors a two-point advantage 115-113. If Sacramento made a three, they would win. A two-point basket would tie the game. The Kings inbounded the ball to Harrison Barnes. Barnes was open for a three, but his shot was off the mark. Curry grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws to win it for the Warriors 117-113.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 31-30 for the year. Golden State has won eight of the last 11 games. The Kings are 24-36.

Curry’s line for the night was 37 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. It was the 30th game this season that Curry had posted thirty or more points. Kelly Oubre finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Wiggins had 13, Mychal Mulder, 11, and Juan Toscano-Anderson, 10. Kevon Looney had eight points and eight rebounds.

Green had another double-double. Green scored eight points, pulled down 14 boards, and recorded 13 assists. As a team, the Warriors shot 485 from the floor. They made fourteen threes in 36 tries. They outrebounded the Kings 58-45. They continued to move the ball well as they recorded 30 assists on 46 made field goals.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 25 points. Hield made six threes in a losing cause. Rookie Tyrese Haliburton finished with 24. Harrison Barnes had 23, Richaun Holmes 11. 

The Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center Tuesday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

NBA podcast with Joe Hawkes: Kings and Warriors tip off Sunday night at Chase Center

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Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors exudes with teammates in their victory over the Denver Nuggets on Fri Apr 23, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (invisalign photo)

On the NBA podcast with J Hawkes:

#1 Joe since are playing .500 ball, the Golden State Warriors (30-30) have gone 2-2 and in their most recent win was against the Denver Nuggets (38-21) 118-97. The Warriors remain at the doorstep in ninth place in their battle to catch and surpass the eighth place Memphis Grizzlies.

#2 A lot of where the Warriors are at wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for Stephen Curry who had scored for over 30 points a streak that ended against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night in Washington.

#3 Curry again during Friday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets was his old self again scoring 32 points and a huge part of the Warrior victory.

#4 12th place in the NBA Western Conference the Sacramento Kings who snapped a nine game losing streak last week Sun Apr 18th against the Dallas Mavericks have won two of their last three games. The Kings defense has had a tough time trying to shut down opponents.

#5 The Kings in their last game Wednesday picked up a 128-125 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and they had big help from leading scorer De’Aaron Fox with 30 points and Buddy Hield with 29 points. The Kings play the Warriors in San Francisco on Sunday night set the stage for the Kings chances in this one.

Join Joe Hawkes for the NBA podcast each Sunday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors beat Nuggets 118-97; Crowd is heard for first time in 409 days at Chase

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The Golden State Warriors had the throw down working for them in their win over the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Apr 23, 2021 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (30-30) returned home to face the Denver Nuggets (38-21) at the Chase Center. For the first time in 409 days, fans were in the seats to watch their beloved Warriors play. About 2000 fans were in the stadium. The Warriors did not disappoint them as they raced their way to a hard-fought victory 118-97.

The last time the teams met on April 12th, the Warriors stunned the Nuggets 116-107. The Nuggets lost one of their stars, Jamal Murray, to an ACL knee injury. The Nuggets were looking to exact revenge and pick up a win Friday night. The injury jinx hit the Nuggets again early in the first quarter. Will Barton had to leave the game with a hamstring injury. P J Dozier replaced him in the lineup.

The Nuggets, coached by former Warrior assistant coach, Mike Malone, had won 20 of their last 25 games. They were 11-2 since acquiring Aaron Gordon at the trade deadline from the Orlando Magic. One of the losses was to the Warriors.

The Warriors were 3-2 on the recent five-game road trip, and they were 6-3 in their last nine games. Stephen Curry set an NBA record for a 33-year-old player with 30 or more points in 11 consecutive games. The Warriors also had to figure out to contain Nikola Jokic. Jokic is in the running to become this season’s MVP. Curry is also a candidate for that honor.

The teams played a very entertaining and competitive first quarter. As mentioned early, Will Barton left with a hamstring injury. The Warriors got a scare when Curry appeared to have injured his right ankle. Curry could not run as well. He went to the bench, and the trainers attended to his injury. The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Mychal Mulder paced the Warrior offense. The Warriors finished the first quarter leading 30-24

Curry started the second quarter. The Warriors extended the lead to 41-28. Curry made a couple of baskets to help the Warriors get ahead. Denver then went on a 12-2 run to make it a three-point game 43-40. The Warriors held off Denver to finish the first half leading 54-50.

Andrew Wiggins led the team with 14 points. had Curry seven. Mychal Mulder had nine. Kelly Oubre and Jordan Poole, coming off the bench, each had ten. Aaron Gordon led Denver with ten, Michael Porter, Jr. had nine, Jokic eight, Dozier seven, and Facundo Campazzo, from Argentina, also had seven.

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors. As they have done so many times in the past, they played well on both ends of the court. They had great ball movement outscored Denver 32-24 to finisher the third quarter with a twelve-point lead 86-74.

Curry did not seem to be bothered by his ankle, and he looked like the Curry of old. The Warriors had their foot on the gas pedal, and they finished the third period with a 19-9 run. Golden State was in control of the game. Curry was hot in the fourth quarter. He scored 25 points in the second half to finish with 32. Denver could not get anything going. The Warriors outscored them 32-23 to win by 21 118-97.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 30-30 for the year. They have won seven of the last ten games. Curry scored 30 or more points for the 29th time this year. Draymond Green had a double-double with 12 rebounds, and he tied his career-high with 19 assists. The Warriors had 40 assists on 45 made field goals. There was no question that they had no trouble breaking down Denver’s defenses as they recorded those 40 assists.

Kelly Oubre, Jr. had another great game on both ends of the court. Oubre tallied 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He knocked down three threes. Andrew Wiggins had 19 points, seven boards, and two assists. Wiggins connected on three threes. Jordan Poole had 15, and Mychal Mulder 14. The Warriors shot 53.6% from the floor. They connected on fifteen threes. The Warriors outrebounded Denver 58-44. 

The Warriors had no answer for Michael Porter, Jr. Porter, who is six feet ten inches tall, led Denver with 26 points and five rebounds. He was seven-for-14 from downtown. The Warriors held Jokic to 19 points. Jokic had six rebounds and six assists. Aaron Gordon finished with 17.

The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings Sunday night at the Chase Center. The Kings beat the Warriors at the Golden One arena in Sacramento on March 25th. The Warriors will be hoping to avenge that loss. The game will start at 7 pm.

Wizards find way to come back in fourth quarter beat Warriors 118-114

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry embraces with Washington Wizards Bradley Beal (right) following their game in Washington on Wed Apr 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (29-30) ended their five-game road trip in Washington Wednesday night. The Warriors were hoping to avenge a tough 110-107 loss to the Wizards (25-33) at the Chase Center on April 6th. In that game, the Wizards won when Bradley Beal completed a four-point play to give Washington the win.

On Wednesday, it was a similar ending. The Warriors fought back from an early 19-point deficit to play well in the second and third quarters. They led by ten late in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards kept attacking the rim—the Warriors kept committing fouls, and the Wizards won the game from the free-throw line. The final score was 118-114 in favor of Washington.

The Wizards found a way to contain Stephen Curry. In the first quarter, two Wizard players were hounding Steph. They forced Curry to commit four turnovers. The Wizards led by 19 at one point in the quarter. The Warriors’ five starters could not get anything going. Kelly Oubre, Jr., playing on the second unit, gave the Warriors offense a jolt, but it wasn’t enough as they finished the quarter trailing 38-20.

With Curry and Draymond Green on the bench, The second unit’s Jordan Poole, Kelly Oubre, and Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors on a 24-28 run to tie the game at 44. Washington’s defense stiffened, and the Wizards finished the first half leading 60-58. Kelly Oubre led the offense with 18. Kent Bazemore and Andrew Wiggins each had 10. Curry had four.

The Warriors second unit paced the Warriors’ offense in the third quarter. Jordan Poole, Oubre, and Bazemore helped propel the Warriors into the lead 93-86 after three periods of action. Unfortunately, they were not able to put the game in the win column.

They led by eight 101-93. The Wizards kept attacking, and the Warriors kept fouling. The Wizards crept within a single point 106-105 with 2:44 left to play. The big Latvian, Davis Bertrans, knocked down a three to put Washington ahead 110-108. The Warriors tied it at 110. Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal each made a two-point bucket to give Washington the advantage 114-110.

Curry made a basket to make it 114-112. Bertrans connected again. Curry answered with another deuce. The Warriors trailed by two, but time was running out. They fouled Bertrans, and he made both free throws to ice the win for the Wizards.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors finished the five-game road trip with a record of 3-2. The Warriors knew that they could have won all five games or at least four of the five. That didn’t happen, and their season record stands at 29-30 with thirteen games left in the season. The Warriors have the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. The Wizards, winners of six straight and eight of their last nine, are 25-33 for the year.

Curry did not lead the team in scoring. The Wizards snapped his streak of 11 consecutive games with 30 or more points. Curry finished with 18 points. He was seven-for-25 from the floor, and he made two threes in 14 attempts. It was a season-worst for Curry.

Kelly Oubre led the team with 24 points, nine rebounds, and an assist. Jordan Poole had 22 points and three boards. Poole had a season-high six threes. Kent Bazemore ended with nineteen points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Wiggins had 14, Kevon Looney six points and eight boards, Greem eight points, four rebounds, and eight assists. The team shot 39.6% from the floor, and they made 15 threes in 45 attempts. 

The Warriors committed 23 fouls. Those fouls led to 32 points for Washington. The Wizards outscored the Warriors by 13 from the free-throw line 32-19. Those points made the difference in the game.

Bradley Beal led the Wizards’ offense with 29 points. Davis Bertrans and Daniel Gafford each had 19. Gafford had a double-double as he pulled down ten boards. Raul Neto had 18. Russell Westbrook finished with another triple-double. Westbrook tallied 14 points, pulled down 20 boards, and had ten assists. 

The Wizards’ 20-year-old forward from Israel, Deni Avdiya injured his ankle with 40 seconds left in the first half. Avdija left the court in a wheelchair. The seriousness of the injury is not yet known.

After the game, Curry had this to say: “It was a great run,” Curry said after the game. “It was something that hadn’t been done before. It was going to end at some point. Now you got to start another one. So it’s just a matter of the next-play mentality.

Just try to get rejuvenated when we go home — to do it home, road, some big games, put a streak together, it was a special ride for sure. And never really get too hyped up on individual streaks or accolades like that. There were some historical names that I was able to pass. And doing something at this age was pretty special.”

The Warriors return to action Friday night when they host the Denver Nuggets. There will be fans in the stands for the first time this season. The Warriors will have the fans be tested for Covid-19.

The game will start at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Curry keeps topping his last act once again

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The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) goes in for the easy lay up against the Philadelphia 76ers defense on Mon Apr 19, 2021 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia (AP News photo)

#1 The Golden State Warriors (29-29) who have won five of their last six games have to be indebted to the performances of Stephen Curry. It’s been a few weeks back but when Curry was out with a tailbone injury you can see the difference from then and now.

#2 Their last loss to the Boston Celtics (31-26) last Saturday was still a war, a game that looked and felt like a play off game and another game where Curry finished up with 47 points even in losing that was an amazing effort.

#3 In the Warriors last game they beat on of the best teams in the NBA the Philadelphia 76ers (39-18) 107-96. Curry topped his previous game performance in Boston this time with 49 points in Philadelphia on Monday night.

Join David Zizmor for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday morning http://www.sportsradioservice.com