Green’s blowup allows Hornets to steal a 102-100 win from Warriors

Photo credit: @SportingGreenSF

By Jerry Feitelberg

Hoping to get back in the win column against the host Charlotte Hornets, the Golden State Warriors saw the chance for a win go down the drain when Draymond Green could not control himself late in the game.

The Warriors led by two, 100-98, with 9.3 seconds left in the game. The Hornets forced a jump ball when they tied up Brad Wanamaker trying to make a drive to the hoop. The taller Hornets had the advantage as the ball went to Gordon Hayward. Green tied up Hayward and was expecting a whistle for another jump ball.

The referees blew the whistle. Not for the jump ball, but for a timeout called by Hornets coach James Borrego. Green went ballistic. The Warriors’ players and coaching staff tried to get him to stop yelling. He didn’t listen. He was whistled for two technical fouls, and also had to leave the game.

The Hornets’ Terry Rozier made both free throws to tie the game, and the Hornets had control of the ball. Rozier hit a jumper from the left corner just as the buzzer sounded to send the Warriors down to defeat, 102-100, at the Spectrum Center.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, “Draymond can’t do that.” Green plays with a ton of passion, and he has a fierce desire to win. He cannot let his temper get the better of him, especially in a close game. 

The Warriors did not have the superstar Steph Curry in the lineup Saturday night. Curry did not feel well during warmups before the game. He was helped off the court. He tested negative for Covid-19.

Mychal Mulder started in place of Curry at guard for the Warriors. The Hornets won the first quarter, 24-15. The Warriors, as they have done a few times this season, started slowly. They picked up the second quarter’s pace as they outscored the Hornets 32-21 to finish the low-scoring first half leading 47-45.

Neither team played well in the third quarter. The Hornets were able to tie the Warriors at the end of the period 69-69. It would be a nail-biter the rest of the way. The Warriors led 100-95 with 53 seconds left. Rozier knocked down a three to make it 100-98. The Hornets, as described above, scored the last four points of the game to win 102-100.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 16-15 for the year. The Hornets improved to 14-15.

Kelly Oubre, Jr. led the Warriors’ attack. Oubre, who has improved his overall game in the last few weeks, had 25 points, six rebounds, was 9-for-19 from the floor, and connected on four threes. Andrew Wiggins had 19, Eric Paschall had 16, while Damion Lee and Brad Wanamaker each had 14. 

Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 35 points, and 20 came in the fourth quarter. Rozier was 8-for-11 from three-point range. P.J. Washington had 15, Gordon Hayward had 13, and Miles Bridges added 10. LaMelo Ball had seven points and seven assists.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to New York City, aka the Big Apple, to face the Knicks Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Warriors will be trying to avenge New York’s loss on January 21st at the Chase Center. The game will be starting at 4:30 pm PT.

Warriors can’t hold off late Magic surge lose 124-120

The Orlando Magic’s center Nikola Vucevic (right) is fouled by the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry on Fri Feb 19, 2021 in Orlando (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started the four-game road trip on a sour note Friday night as they lost to the Orlando Magic 124-120.

The Warriors, who have had six comeback wins after trailing by more than ten points, followed that script in the first half of the game. The Warriors were hoping to have their first three-game winning streak, too.

The Magic had other thoughts. When the Magic played the Warriors in San Francisco on February 11th, they were without Evan Fournier, Al-Farouq-Aminu, and Mo Bamba. All three players were in the Magic lineup Friday night.

The Warriors’ Draymond Green, who missed Wednesday night’s game, was ready to play Friday night. The Warriors’ formula for winning was making threes and playing team defense. They again had no player over six feet seven inches tall.

They knew they had to find a way to shut down the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic, for the season, averages 24 points and almost 12 rebounds a game. He is also a very dangerous three-point shooter.

In the first quarter, the Warriors fell behind by fifteen 30-15. The Warriors responded by going on a late 16-2 run to trail by one-point 32-31. The Magic regrouped to finish the quarter leading 37-34.

The Warriors stayed close to the Magic for most of the second period. The Warriors stayed close. They never took the lead in the period. Steph Curry made a three to trail 55-51. The Magic went on a 9-0 run to finish the first half leading 64-51.

The Magic’s big three scorers were Vucevic with 9, Fornier 22, and Terrence Ross 11. The Warriors scoring leaders were Curry with 11 and Kelly Oubre Jr. with 12. The Magic’s height advantage showed as they had 12-second chance points and 12 fast breakpoints. The Warriors had zero in each of those categories.

Things did no go well for Golden State at the start of the third quarter. Orlando increased the lead by 17, 71-54. At this point, Curry, Oubre, and Andrew Wiggins went on a 12-0 run to make it 71-66. Those three players continued the Warrior surge.

The Warriors grabbed the lead for the first time when Curry made a two-point shot to give the Warriors the lead 91-90. The Magic regained the lead 93-91. Draymond Green connected on his second three of the game to give the Warriors the lead 94-93 at the end of three-quarters of action.

The Warriors had momentum going their way to start the final quarter. The Warriors went on a 12-0 run to lead by thirteen 106-93. The Magic had yet to insert Vucevic and Fournier back into the game.

Those two, along with Terrence Ross, kept making baskets to chip away at the Warrior lead. The Magic trailed by one 112-111 with 3:24 left. The Magic pulled ahead 116-114. Terrence Ross knocked down a three to put them ahead 119-114.

The Magic made another bucket to finish a 15-2 run to lead 121-114. Curry made two threes to close within one 121-120 with 19 seconds left in the game. The Magic scored the last three points of the night to win 124-120.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 16-14 for the year. The Magic improved to 12-18. With Evan Fournier in the Magic lineup, the team owns a 9-7 record. Without him, they are 3-11.

The Warriors had their highest-scoring quarter of the year when they put 43 points on the board. Curry had a double-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Curry was 11-for-19 from the floor and made six threes in 16 tries.

Kelly Oubre had 26 points and seven rebounds. Kelly was 10-for-18 from the floor and made three threes. Andrew Wiggins had 16. Danion Lee and Mychal Mulder were the other Warrior players with double-figures. Each scored ten points. The Dubs shot 47.4% from the floor, and they knocked down 19 threes. They had 37 assists on 46 made baskets. 

Nikola Vucevic led the Magic offense with a triple-double. The big man from Serbia had 30 points, 16 boards, and ten assists. He made two threes. Evan Fournier had quite a game. He tallied 28 points, and he connected on five threes.

Terrence Ross, who scored 31 against the s onWarriors the 11th, finished the night with 24 points and four threes. The only other Orlando player in double-figures was Chuma Okeke with 11.

The Orlando defense outrebounded the Warriors 56-52. They recorded seven steals and blocked eight Warrior shots. 

The Warriors travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face the Hornets Saturday night. The game will start at 4 pm.

Warriors come back from 19-point deficit beat Heat in overtime 120-112

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (left) in the second half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Feb 17, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors found a way to come back from a 19point deficit to beat the visiting Miami Heat in overtime 120-112. The Warriors’ Draymond Green did not play as he had soreness in his right ankle. Draymond had recorded 86 assists in his last seven games.

He was the only center to accomplish that feat in 51 years. The Warriors used Juan Toscano-Anderson and Eric Paschall at center. Neither player is taller than six feet six inches in height.

The Heat had the height advantage with Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk. The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knew that his team’s only chance of winning was making three-pointers. It was another fantastic finish for the Warriors. The came back to beat the LA Clippers and the LA Lakers earlier this year. This was another thriller.

Things did not go well for the Warriors for the first three-quarters of the game. The Warriors tied the game at six in the first period. The Heat went on a 14-2 run in the first quarter to lead 33-19. The Heat finished the quarter leading 36-24. The Heat double-teamed Steph Curry all night long. In the first 12 minutes of play, Curry made one three in nine tries.

The Heat won the second quarter 25-22 to finish the first half with a 15-point advantage. Curry had seven points in the half. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 11. Andrew Wiggins and Kent Bazemore each had ten.

Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn were the scoring leaders for Miami. The Heat shot 56% from the floor and connected on eight three. The Warriors shot 41% from the floor and were six for 24 from three-point range. The Heat led 61-46.

The Warriors regrouped and played better in the third quarter. Warriors continued to fail the make threes. He was one for six in the quarter. However, the Warriors started the period with a 13-3 run to close the deficit to five 64-59.

Miami’s two bigs, Abedayo and Olynyk, made a couple of buckets to put Miami ahead 71-62. Miami increased the lead to 13, 79-66. The Warriors continued to play hard. They refused to quit. Bazemore and Oubre each made a three to get the Warriors a little closer. They trailed the Heat by ten 86-76 at the end of the third quarter.

Former Warrior Andre Iguodala started the Heat on the right foot to start the fourth period. Andre knocked down a three to make it 89-76. They went up by 15, 96-81. The Warriors refused to wilt. Brad Wanamaker made a three.

Oubre, Wiggins, and Eric Paschall all made buckets to make it a three-point game 99-96 with 3:37 left to play. Miami made it 103-98 until Curry connected on a three to cut the deficit to two 103-101 with 2:16 left. Miami’s Bam Adebayo made it 105-101. Kent Bazemore made two buckets to tie the game at 105. The Warriors had gone on a 20-6 run to tie the game.

In overtime, Miami scored first to lead 107-15. The Heat would never lead again. Bazemore tied the game at 107. The Warriors went ahead 109-107. Miami made a bucket to tie. Curry, who had been hounded and double-teamed all night, made a three to put the Warriors ahead 112-109.

Wiggins hit a corner three to put Golden State in the driver’s seat 115-109. with 40 seconds left. Miami’s Duncan Robinson made a three to close the gap to 115-112. Curry’s three was the shot that ended Miami’s hope for a win.

The Warriors led 118-112 with 15.9 seconds to play. The Heat turned the ball over. They fouled Warriors, and he made both free throws to ice the win. The Warriors win 120-112.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 16-13 for the year. The Warriors had just 15 wins last year. Miami is now 11-17. 

Warriors highlights:  Curry had 18 points in the second half to finish with 25. He made five threes in 20 tries. He made two threes in the five-minute overtime to secure the win. Four other Warrior players were in double figures.

Kent Bazemore led the Warriors with 26 points. He was 10-for-19 from the floor, and he made four threes. Kelly Oubre, Jr had 23 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. He, too, made four threes.

Andrew Wiggins had a big night with 23 points and eight rebounds. He added four threes. Eric Paschall finished with 11. The Warriors, as a team, shot 45.3% from the floor. They were 18-for-52 from three-point range. The Heat outrebounded the Dubs 56-55. The smaller Warriors worked hard in the second half to outrebound them 35-30.

Miami totals-The Heat had seven players in double-figures. Bam Adebayo had 24, Kendrick Nunn 19, Duncan Robinson 13, Tyler Herro 11, Andre Iguodala 10. Jim Butler had a triple-double. He had 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.

The Warriors on a four-game road trip starting Thursday night in Orlando. The game will start at 4 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Take aways from Green’s comments about player trade requests

The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green gets a technical foul and argues the call in a game against the New York Knicks during Thu Jan 21, 2021’s contest at Chase Center in San Francisco. Green on Mon Feb 15, 2021 in a post game press conference had something to say about how players are traded and treated in the NBA (AP News file photo)

On Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 The Warriors Draymond Green after Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was vocal about players being benched and not being able to speak up about teams that trade them.

#2 Also Green said that if a player wants to be traded and the team doesn’t want to trade that player like a James Harden than the player gets criticized in the media. If the team and the player are in concert with the trade than the player doesn’t take the criticism does that go with the nature of the business or is Green right the player shouldn’t be criticized for asking for a trade even if the organization doesn’t want to move that player and some critics in t he media have said this has racial bias in how the criticism is meted out?

#3 The Warriors host the Miami Heat tonight at the Chase Center in the City the Heat come in playing .500 ball they lost on Monday night to the Los Angles Clippers 125-118. The Warriors likewise are playing .500 ball winning four of their last eight games and defeated the Cavaliers on Monday night how do you see this match up tonight?

Join David Zizmor every Wednesday morning on the Golden State Warriors podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Wed Feb 17, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

Warriors bounce back rout Cavaliers 129-98; Curry makes it look easy top scorer with 36

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) goes for a lay up against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Feb 15, 2021 (AP News photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors bounced back from a beating by the Brooklyn Nets last Saturday night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-88 Monday night at the Chase Center.

The Cavaliers had lost seven in a row and were hoping to snap the streak against the Warriors. The Cavs’ star center Andre Drummond was held out of the game as rumors are swirling that the Cavs are ready to make a trade. Their star forward Kevin Love was not available due to a calf injury. The Warriors were still without the services of James Wiseman and Kevon Looney. 

With Wiseman and Looney out, the Warriors had to find a way to handle the Cavaliers two big seven-foot centers, Jarrett Allen and former Warrior JaVale McGee. The Warriors and the Cavs played a very entertaining 24 minutes of basketball.

The teams were tied at 32 after the first quarter. Steph Curry paced the Warrior attack with 16. The Cavaliers young backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton led the Cleveland offense. The Cavs did not take a lot of three-point shots.

They preferred to attack the rim using the big men to put the ball through the hoop. The Warriors fell behind 46-41. The Warriors got the offense going to go on a 23-8 run to finish the first half to lead by ten 64-54.

Curry led the offense with 24 points. Draymond Green recorded nine assists as he kept getting the ball to an open Warrior for the score. The Warriors needed the skills of Curry and Green as the Cavaliers outrebounded them 31-19. 

The Warriors won the third quarter 37-30. Curry continued to shine as he scored twelve points in the period to pace the Dubs to a 101-84 lead after three quarters.  Green continued to make assists.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did not use Curry or Green in the fourth quarter. The Warriors second unit played well on both ends of the court as they held the Cavaliers to 14 points while they were able to put 28 on the board. The Warriors win.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 15-13 for the season. Cleveland is now 10-19.

Warrior highlights: Steph Curry has now scored 27 or more points in ten straight games. The Warriors recorded 30 or more assists for the tenth time this year. Draymond Green tied his career-high with 16 assists. 

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Curry led the parade with 36. Andrew Wiggins had 15, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Paschall 14, Juan Toscano-Anderson 13, and Mychal Mulder 12. 

As a team, the Warriors shot 52.3% from the floor. They made 17 threes in 37 tries. Curry was 13 for 19 from the floor, and he knocked down seven three pointers in eleven attempts. Mulder made four threes. The Warriors, as a team, recorded 33 assists on offense. On defense, they had nine steals, ten blocked shots and forced 17 Cleveland turnovers. 

The Cavaliers had four starters in double figures. Two of them, Cedi Osman and Jarrett Allen, finished with a double-double. Osman had 17 points and ten Rebounds. Allen’s line was 13 points and 14 boards.

Darius Garland had 16 points. Collin Sexto, the Cavaliers young star, led the team with 23. Damyean Dotson had ten, and JaVale McGee seven.

The Warriors held the Cavs to 38.9% from the floor and 26.7% from three-point range. 

The Warriors host the Miami Heat Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will tip off at 7 pm.

Nets rout the Warriors 134-117

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors welcomed the Brooklyn Nets to the Chase Center Saturday night. Former Warrior Kevin Durant visited the Bay Area for the first time since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. His former teammates gave him a lovely welcome as they appreciated his efforts as a Warriors member. Durant won two titles and probably would have won a third had he not been injured in the series against Toronto. The Warriors had a nice tribute for Durant before the game.

“Tribute video was cool. I think about those moments daily,” Durant said. “Every single moment that I have had in this league, I think about it and try to analyze it and get better. My time here in Golden State was so much fun. It was such a big learning experience, especially learning basketball in a different philosophy. I’m gonna take that with me for the rest of my life.”

The Nets, in addition to superstars Kyrie Irving and Durant, traded for another outstanding player, James Harden. The Nets, if they stay healthy, should be in contention to make the NBA Finals this season.

The plucky Warriors, winner of two straight games, were still missing two key players. James Wiseman and Kevon Looney were not available Saturday night. The Warriors had to go with a small lineup. They needed to find a way to defend the three Brooklyn superstars and then make shots from downtown. It was too much to hope for as the Nets routed the Warriors 134-117.

The Warriors could not handle Brooklyn’s attack in the first half. The Nets won both quarters and finished the first half leading by 15 points, 66-51. The Warriors attempted 20 three-pointers, but only four went for a bucket.

Brooklyn won the third quarter 42-31 to put the Warriors back on their heels. The Warriors outscored the Nets in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 14-13 for the season. The Nets improved to 16-12.

Steph led the Warriors with 27 points. He was 10 for 17 from the floor, and he connected on two threes in nine tries. Draymond Green injured his knee in the first half, but was able to return later. The Warriors had four other players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre, Jr. each had 17. Eric Paschall had 16, and Kent Bazemore had 11. The team shot 48.9% from the floor. That would usually be good enough to win. However, the Nets shot 53.8% from the floor and made 16 threes. The Warriors were 9 for 34 from behind the three-point arc.

The Nets had six players in double figures. Kyrie Irving led with 23, Kevin Durant had 20, James Harden had 19, Bruce Brown had 18, Joe Harris had 15, and Jeff Green had 14.

The Nets outrebounded the Warriors 51-45. Brooklyn recorded 35 assists on 50 made baskets. James Harden had 16.

Up Next: The Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

Warriors’ late rally downs the Magic 111-105

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors returned home to face the Orlando Magic on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors were still without the services of James Wiseman and Kevon Looney. The Magic, coached by Steve Clifford, had also been hit hard by the injury jinx. Star forward Aaron Gordon suffered a high-grade ankle sprain on February 1st against the Toronto Raptors. He will be out for four to six weeks. Evan Fournier, who averages 17 points a game, was not available. Markell Fultz, averaging 14 points a game, did not dress for Thursday’s game. 

The Warriors knew that they could not take the Magic lightly. While the Warriors fans might not be familiar with the Magic roster, they came to play. It appeared the Warriors were going to breeze to an easy win. They won the first quarter 29-19. Steph Curry dazzled the Magic as he connected on four threes. The Warriors attempted 18 threes, the most attempts in one quarter in franchise history.

The Magic players had other thoughts. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his second unit to start the second quarter. The Magic went on an 18-6 run to take the lead 37-35. They held the Warriors scoreless for over four minutes. The Magic defense held the Warriors to two baskets in 12 tries. Curry returned with about six minutes left in the first half. Curry kept the Dubs close as he connected on two threes to make it a one-point deficit 48-47. The Magic responded by scoring the last seven points of the period to lead 55-47. They thoroughly outplayed the Dubs as the Magic outscored them 36-18 to erase the Warriors’ 10-point advantage and finish with an eight-point lead.

Steve Kerr knew that the Warriors had to get off to a good start in the third quarter. They could not continue to play the way they did in the second period. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre knocked down a three. Steph added another three and a two-point bucket to take the Warriors on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 58. It was nip and tuck the rest of the way in the third quarter. The Magic, behind Nikola Vucevic, James Ennis, and Terrence Ross, kept Orlando either in the lead or just a couple of points behind the Warriors. Curry paced the Warriors with 15 points in the third period. Draymond Green made a couple of crucial buckets to keep the Warriors in the game. With the game tied at 80, Steph made a deep two, and Draymond came through with a bucket to put the Warriors ahead 84-80 at the end of the third quarter. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With the second unit on the floor, the Magic went on an 11-0 run to lead 91-86. Kerr inserted Curry and Green back into the game with slightly more than eight minutes left to play. The Warriors shut down the Magic offense for four minutes and 26 seconds. The Warriors went on a 16-0 run to lead 102-91. Curry made two threes, and Andrew Wiggins and Juan Toscano-Anderson helped out with buckets. The Warriors increased the lead to thirteen 107-94 with 1:56 left. The Magic would not go away. They continued to fight. The Magic got closer 109-105, but Curry put the game out of reach with two free throws. The Warriors won 111-105.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 14-12 for the season. The Magic’s record is 9-17.

Warrior highlights: Steph Curry tallied 40 points. He made 10 threes in 19 tries. He was 14-for-26 from the floor. He had eight rebounds and five assists. Draymond Green finished the night with eight points, six rebounds, and 11 assists. It was the fourth straight game that Green recorded 10 or more assists. Andrew Wiggins had another outstanding game. Wiggins had 21 points, seven boards, three assists, and he made two threes. Kelly Oubre, Jr. played well on both ends of the court. Oubre had a double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. He connected on three threes. Mychal Mulder, coming off the bench, made three threes to finish with 11. The rest of the Warrior bench scored just five points.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46.6% from the floor and made 20 threes in 50 tries. 

The Magic’s leading scorer was Nikola Vucevic with 25 points. The big man from Serbia pulled down 13 boards, had five assists, and made three threes. Dwayne Bacon had 20, James Ennis had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Terrence Ross, coming off the bench, kicked in with 20 for Orlando.

Up Next: The Warriors welcome the Brooklyn Nets to the Chase Center Saturday night. Former Warrior Kevin Durant will face his former mates for the first time at the Chase Center. Durant and the Nets beat the Warriors in the first game of the 2020-2021 season in Brooklyn. The Warriors will be looking to even the score. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors split series with Spurs: Host Magic Thursday

Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) takes the ball past the San Antonio Spurs Keldon Johnson (3) on Tue Feb 9, 2021 in San Antonio (AP News photo)

On the Warrior podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors who lost to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night when Draymond Green took a shot with less than a second left in the fourth quarter didn’t go in when the plan called for him to pass the ball but on Tuesday night the Warriors got plenty of offense to beat the Spurs 114-91 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

#2 One of the keys to the win on Tuesday night for the Warriors was they were able to apply good defense on the Spurs in the fourth quarter as San Antonio was able to score only 21 points.

#3 The Warriors host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. The Magic are struggling they’ve won only one game in their last six tries. They lost on Tuesday night to the Portland Trailblazers 106-97. Meanwhile the Warriors have won four of their last eight games coming into Thursday night’s contest.

Join Dave for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Wed Feb 10, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Warriors bounce back beat Spurs 114-91; Curry top scorer with 32 points

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) drives for a score past the San Antonio Spurs Keldon Johnson (left) and Rudy Gay (right). Curry led the Warriors in scoring with 32 on Tue Feb 9, 2021 in San Antonio (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Just one day after losing a tough one to the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors got their act together to beat the Spurs 114-91.

The Warriors finished the road trip with a 2-2 record. They also snapped a two-game losing streak. The Warriors fell behind early in the first quarter. San Antonio led 19-13 as the Spurs defense was working.

Steph Curry kept the Warriors close with a couple of two-point buckets. Damion Lee drained a three to give the Warriors the lead 26-24. The Spurs came back to tie the game at 26. Curry put the Warriors ahead again to finish the quarter leading 28-26. Curry had 12 points to pace the Warriors.

The Spurs won the second quarter 24-22, and the first half ended with the teams tied at 50. Curry and Damion Lee led the Warrior attack with 16 and 11 points, respectively. DeMar DeRozan had ten for the Spurs.

The Warriors were playing well on defense. They held the Spurs to 38.4% from the floor. The Spurs were 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. The Warriors were nine-for-15 from the charity stripe.

The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wanted his team to get the offense percolating early in the third quarter. The Warriors complied. They went on a 26-8 run to go ahead 76-58. They had the Spurs on their heels. They led by 20, 83-63.

The Spurs defense kept the Warriors off the board for the last two minutes and 15 seconds of the quarter. The Spurs trailed 86-70 with 12 minutes left in the game.

Kerr had the Warriors second unit on the floor to start the fourth quarter. Kerr was hoping he could keep Curry and Draymond Green on the bench until there were less than five minutes in the game. The second unit came through. Wiggins and Oubre were excellent on the defensive end of the court. The Spurs could not catch up. The Warriors won the second half 64-41 to win by 23 points 114-91.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors, with the win, are 13-12 for the year. The Spurs are 14-11. 

 Curry paced the Warriors with 32 points. Curry was 11-for 20 from the floor, and he was four-for-10 from downtown. The Warriors had five other players in double figures. Eric Paschall had 15, Andrew Wiggins, 14, Juan Toscano-Anderson, who had two points Monday night, knocked down 11, and pulled down eight rebounds. Kelly Oubre, Jr. finished the night with a double-double.

Oubre had 12 points and ten boards. Damion Lee had 11, and Kent Bazemore added ten. The Warriors shot 46.2% from the floor and were 17-for-40 from three-point range. The Warriors outrebounded the Spurs 58-53. The Warriors defense had eight steals, four blocks, and forced 14 turnovers. 

The Warriors committed 20 turnovers Monday night. They made coach Kerr very happy as they turned the ball over only ten times Tuesday night. 

Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 17 points. Trey Lyles had 15, Patty Mills and Keldon Johnson each had 13, and DeMar DeRozan finished with 12. The Warriors held the Spurs to 37.7% from the floor. 

The Warriors return home to face the Orlando Magic Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Murray, DeRozan lead Spurs past Warriors 105-100

San Antonio Spurs Dejounte Murray (5) takes the ball up court as the Golden State Warriors Kelly Oubre Jr (left) in the first half on Mon Feb 8, 2021 at San Antonio (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, February 8, 2021

San Antonio used a solid all-around game from Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan to hold off the Golden State Warriors 105-100 Monday in San Antonio.

Murray finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals, and DeRozan had 21 points and 10 assists. Five of Murray’s steals came in the first half, and his eight thefts are a league high this season.

Stephen Curry poured in a game-high 32 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. was next with 24 points for the Warriors. Andrew Wiggins scored 11 points to go with four assists and two steals, and Draymond Green had seven points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Golden State. Juan Toscano-Anderson added eight points and 11 boards.

Curry finished 6 of 11 from behind the arc and had six assists.

The Warriors were without injured centers Kevon Looney and James Wiseman. Wiseman has missed four straight games with a sprained left wrist.

Golden State led 59-54 at halftime.

The Spurs took 101-97 lead on Murray’s 3-pointer with 12.6 seconds to play. Following a time out, Curry sank a 3, and DeRozan sank four free throws in the closing seconds.

Klay Thompson was in attendance. Thompson, expected to miss the entire season following right Achilles tendon surgery, wore a boot while sitting on the end of the Warriors’ bench.

The Spurs and Warriors meet again Tuesday night in San Antonio. On Thursday, the Warriors return home to host Orlando.