Category: Golden State Warriors

Warriors improved play still lose to Pacers 129-118

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The Utah Jazz’ Rudy Gobert (27) and the Golden State Warriors Willie Cauley-Stein (2) scramble under the basket for the loose ball at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Jan 24th

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors hosted the Indiana Pacers at the Chase Center Friday night. The Warriors were hoping to rebound after being blown out by the Utah Jazz Wednesday night.

The Warriors played with a lot of energy. They moved the ball well as they recorded 31 assists. They shot 49% from the floor, and they made 19 threes. It was not enough as they turned the ball over 20 times, and Indiana put 33 points on the board as a result of the Warriors sloppy play.

The Pacers, who average about 27 three-point attempts per game. Knocked down 17 in 28 tries Friday night. The Pacers like to make a lot of two-point buckets, and Friday night’s game was no exception. They shot 57% from the floor to beat the Warriors 129-118.

The Warriors got off to a good start early in the first quarter. They led 22-16 about halfway through the first period. The Pacers got their offense going, and they went on a 13-0 run to lead 29-22. The Pacers finished the first quarter leading 35-30.

The Pacers played well as they increased the lead to 50-38. The Pacers defense held the Warriors scoreless for over three minutes in the period. The Warriors continued to turn the ball over, and the Pacers capitalized on the Warriors miscues.

The Pacers finished the first half with a 16-point advantage 67-51. D’Angelo Russell led the W’s with 16. Marquese Chriss was the only other Warrior in double figures with 10. The Pacers’ T.J.Warren led his team with 21. Doug McDermott coming off the bench knocked down 15, and he helped propel the Pacers to the 16-point advantage.

The Warriors turned things around in the third period. D’Angelo Russell made several threes, and the Warriors went on a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to six points as they trailed 80-74. The Pacers regrouped and were able to finish the third period leading by 98-86.

In the fourth quarter, The Warriors continued to make threes. Jordan Poole made two consecutive threes to make it 110-103. The Pacers refused to fold. They went up by thirteen 121-108. The Warriors went on a 7-0 run to trail 121-115. The Pacers were not fazed, and they went on to win 129-118.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors announced that they have traded center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks for a second-round draft choice. The Mavs needed to replace former Stanford star, Dwight Powell. Powell suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon injury. He will miss the rest of the season and part of the 2020-21 season, too.

With the loss, the Warriors drop to 10-37. Indiana won its eighth game out of the last ten played. They are 30-16 and are within two games of being in second place in the Eastern Conference. They will be in the playoffs. Malcolm Brogdon did not play due to an injury, and the Pacers’ Victor Oladipo is close to returning to action.

The W’s were led by D’Angelo Russell’s 37 points. Russell was nine for 13 from behind the three-point arc. Glenn Robinson had 18. Chriss finished with 13. Alec Burks had 11 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Draymond Green recorded a double-double with ten points, six boards, and 11 assists. Jordan Poole, Omari Spellman, And Eric Paschall each added nine.

T.J.Warren had 33 for Indiana, Doug McDermott finished with 24, Jeremy Lamb and Damontas Sabonis each had 16. Sabonis pulled down ten rebounds to record a double-double. Aaron Holiday had 12. His brother Justin, a former Warrior, contributed eight to help the Pacers win.

The Warriors go on the road for the next two weeks. They meet the Philadelphia Sixers Tuesday night. Thursday they are in Boston, Saturday they play the Cavaliers. They go to Washington and Brooklyn before returning home to face the Lakers on February 8th.

Red-hot Utah Jazz blowout Warriors 129-96

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By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The visiting Utah Jazz, coached by Quin Snyder, pounded the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The Jazz, who have won 13 of the last fourteen and are 18-2 in the previous 20 games, excelled on both ends of the court to win their third game of the year against the W’s by a score of 129-96. The Jazz, for the first time in ten years, swept the season series against Golden State.

Utah added two players to the roster before the start of the season. They signed Bojan Bogdanovic, who played for the Indiana Pacers as a free agent. They made a trade with Memphis for Michael Conley. Conley, a former All-Star, had missed several games with a hamstring injury. Conley, slowly rounding into shape, was available off the bench.

The Warriors, who won a close game over Orlando last week and then lost a thriller in overtime to the Portland Trailblazers, were hoping to continue playing well. Alas, that was not the case Wednesday night.

Rudy Gobert, the massive center from France, dominated the Warriors on both ends of the court. He clogged up middle and protected the rim. The W’s could not get by big Rudy. On the other end of the court, Rudy made layups, dunks, and showcased a left-handed hook shot that was reminiscent of Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s skyhook.

The Jazz easily won the first period 31-17. They finished the quarter on a 20-7 run. Gobert and Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz offense. They held the Warriors scoreless for over four minutes in the quarter as they made the run.

In the second quarter, the W’s played better. They scored 26 points. Their problem was that the Jazz scored 34 to finish the first half with a 22-point lead 65-43. Gobert and Mitchell each had 15 points apiece. Gobert pulled down 11 rebounds. Bogdanovich and Jordan Clarkson each had 9. Joe Ingles, who is a terrific 3-point shooter, finished the half with 8. The Warriors’ D’Angelo Russell paced the team with 15. No other Warrior had more than 6 points.

The Jazz owned the third quarter as they outscored Golden State 35-26 to finish the quarter with a 31-point lead 100-69. The Jazz had the game in their pocket. D’Angelo Russell provided most of the offense in the period. The W’s just could not pierce Utah’s defense.

The Warriors lost the fourth quarter 29-27. Utah removed all their starters from the game. The Warriors’ big men Omari Spellman, Eric Paschall, and Marquese Chriss were able to put points on the board in the final stanza. The Jazz reserves still outscored Golden State and finished the night with a win 129-96.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors lost for the 12th time in the last 13 games. Their record for the season is 10-36. Glenn Robinson and Draymond Green were back in the starting lineup after missing the previous two games.

Russell led the W’s with 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. He made two threes in 7 tries. Omari Spellman had 12, most of which came in the fourth quarter. Eric Paschall and Marquese Chriss each had 11. Glenn Robinson finished with 10.

Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points. He made 4 threes in 8 tries. Gobert recorded 22 points, 15 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots. Bogdanovic had 18, and he was 4 for 8 from beyond the three-point arc. Joe Ingles had 11, Georges Niang 11, and Jordan Clarkson 10.

The Jazz shot 54% from the floor, and they held the Warriors 39%. They made 17 threes while the Warriors connected on 6. The Jazz outrebounded the W’s 56-37.

The W’s Marquese Chriss and the Jazz’ Tony Bradley were hit with double technicals with 22 seconds left in the game. Both players were ejected.

The Warriors welcome the Indiana Pacers to the Chase Center Friday night. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

Warriors lose a thriller in overtime to Portland 129-124

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azcentral.com photo: msn.com photo: Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard drives to the hoop against the Golden State Warriors.

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was a meeting of two banged-up teams Monday night at the Mod Center in Portland, Oregon. The Golden State Warriors suited up eight players for the game. Draymond Green was out with a sprained finger.

Glenn Robinson has a sore ankle and was not available. Kevon Looney is still on the injured list. Portland had nine players available. C.J. McCollum was held out of action Monday night. He may return on Wednesday. There is no timetable for Zach Collins or Jusef Nurcic to return.

The Warriors beat the Blazers the last time the teams met. The Blazers couldn’t believe what happened to them, and they wanted to get the win. Without McCollum, the scoring load fell to the Blazers’ other All-Star guard, Damian Lillard. Lillard, who is from Oakland, had a sensational game.

The young man from Oakland put a career-high and season-high sixty-one points on the board. He made a career-high 11 threes and led his team to a 129-124 overtime win over the Warriors.

The game was a barn-burner from start to finish. The most significant lead that Portland had all night was six points. The Warriors led by 11 in the second quarter 44-33. Lillard started making threes, and the W’s lead disappeared.

The Blazers won the first period 27-23. D’Angelo Russell was one-for nine from the floor early in the game. Alec Burks and Damion Lee paced the Warrior offense in the quarter. The Warriors started the second quarter on a 12-0 run to lead 35-27 the Warriors, behind D’Angelo Russell’s 13-point performance, finished the first half with a 4-point advantage 57-53.

Russell led the team in scoring in the first half with 15. Burks had 11. Willie Cauley-Stein and Marquese Chriss each had eight. Damian Lillard led Portland with 21. He made two threes in the half.

The third quarter was wild and wooly. The Warriors won the quarter 35-34. Eric Paschall, D’Angelo Russell, Alec Burks, and Jordan Poole all contributed helping the Warriors end the third period leading 92-87. The Blazers’ Lillard put on a show as he had 21 points in the third quarter to keep Portland close to the lead.

The Warriors maintained the lead for a while in the fourth quarter. Russell hit a three to make the score 100-95. Portland clawed their way back and regained the lead for the first time since the first quarter when Lillard knocked down a three to put Portland ahead 103-102.

The Blazers increased the lead to 105-102. It was at this point that the Warriors went on a 7-0 run to lead 109-105. Portland fought back and led 110-109. The Warriors made the next two baskets to lead 113-110. Lillard made his tenth three of the night to tie the game at 113 and send it to overtime.

The Warriors, behind Alec Burks, Eric Paschall, and Willie Cauley-Stein scored the first six points of the overtime period to lead 119-113. The Warriors could not stop Lillard. He continued to find ways to score, and his efforts led the Blazers to the lead 123-121.

Alec Burks hit a three, and the W’s regained the advantage 124-123.  The Warriors would not score again. Portland made a two-point shot to go-ahead 125-124. Burks then missed a three. Portland’s big center, Hassan Whiteside, was fouled, making the rebound.

Whiteside made the free throws to put the Blazers in the driver’s seat 127-124. The Warriors with 8.5 seconds to play, and they needed to make a three-point shot. The Warriors found Jordan Poole in the corner. His three-point shot missed the mark. Damian Lillard was then fouled. Lillard made both free throws to put the icing on the cake. Portland wins 129-124.

Game Notes and Stats- The star of the night was Damian Lillard. Lillard set a career-high with 61 points. He tallied 60 earlier this season. He also had a career-high 11 threes. He also set an NBA record for points scored on Martin Luther King Day.

The Warriors played well but not well enough. The young Warriors have played tough competitive games, and they should be much better when they get their star players back. The Warriors youngsters are getting valuable playing time. They are learning how to compete in the NBA. It has been a challenging year, to say the least, for the Warriors. Let’s take a look at the bright side of Monday’s night loss.

Alec Burks led Golden State with 33 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Burks made two three-point shots. D’Angelo Russell’s numbers were 27 points, eight boards, nine assists, and five 3s. Eric Paschall had a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Marquese Chriss had 14, Willie Cauley-Stein 12, and Jordan Poole nine.

Damian Lillard finished with 61 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and he connected on 11 threes. Hassan Whiteside, who always plays well against Golden State, had 17 points, 21 rebounds, and he blocked six shots. Carmelo Anthony had 14, Anfernee Simons, 15, and Gary Trent, Jr. 11.

The Blazers will announce on Tuesday that they have traded Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver to the Sacramento Kings for Trevor Ariza, Caleb Swangian, and Wenyen Gabriel.

With the loss, The Warriors drop to 10-35. The Blazers improved to 19-26.

The Warriors return home to face the Utah Jazz Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

 

Warriors overcome slow start and finish with 109-95 win; Snaps 10 game losing streak

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eastbaytimes.com photo: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole (3) shoots and makes a three-point basket against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Warriors, after losing a heart-breaker Thursday night to the Denver Nuggets, appeared to be suffering the ill-effects of that overtime loss. Golden State may have started slowly, but they were able to overcome the slow start and went on the beat the Orlando Magic 109-95.

The visiting Orlando Magic started well and grabbed an early 13-0 lead. The Warriors went a litte over four minutes before scoring. Rookies Jordan Poole and Eric Paschall connected on a three to cut the deficit to 13-6. In fact, the Warriors went on a 13-2 run to make in 15-13.The teams played a very competitive firs quarter and the Warriors finished leading 28-25.

The Warriors continued to play well in the second quarter. The Magic kept pace and neither team could get any separtion. Both teams played well on defense and the first half ended with the Warriors in the lead with a one-point advantage 53-52.

Jordan Poole was the only Warrior in double figures. Poole has played well since his return from the G-League team in Santa Cruz. He knocked down three threes and finished with 14. Eric Paschall had nine, and Omari Spellman eight.

The Magic’s leading scorer in the first half Markell Fultz with 14. Fultz, a number one draft pick by the Philadelphia Sixers, has found a new life for himself in Orlando. No other Magic player had more than seven.

The Warriors, who used to own the third quarter during the dynasty days, have had the tables turned on them so far this season. The Warriors, on Saturday, played like the Warriors of old. They outscored the Magic 29-19.

D’Angelo Russell sparked the team to the 11-point lead 82-71 to end the period. They played well on both ends of the court. They also wanted to rebound from the Denver loss. In that game, they had a substantial lead heading into the fourth quarter.

They did not want to have that happen again. However, Orlando, a team that is in contention for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, came to life and went on a 14-4 run to trail 86-85. The young Warriors have learned that they cannot let down in the fourth quarter.

Eric Paschall and D’Angelo each made a bucket to go up 90-87. The Magic bounced back and regained the lead 91-90. Orlando were leading 93-32 when Damion Lee made a layup and was fouled on the play. He made the foul throw. Lee’s basket and free throw started the Warriors on a 17-2 run that propelled them to the win 109-95.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the W’s improved to 10-34. The last time the Warriors had a 10-game losing streak took place March 9-24, 2002. D’Angelo Russell led the team with 26 points and 12 assists.

Jordan Poole had 21, Eric Paschall 20, Willie Cauley-Stein 10, Alec Burks 11, Damion Lee 9, and Omari Spellman 8. Markell Fultz led the Magic with 23. The Warrior defense held Nikola Vucevic to 13, and Evan Fournier o 12. Both of these players average about 19 points per game. Aaron Gordon had 11, and Terrence Ross 10.

The Warriors’s Draymond Green did not play due to a finger injury. Glenn Robinson was banged up and Steve Kerr gave him the night off. The Warriors, down to nine players, recalled Ky Bowman from Santa Cruz.

The Warriors travel to Portland to face the Trailblazers Monday night. The game will start at 7pm. The Warriors return home to face Utah Jazz at the Chase Center on Wednesday.

Warriors play well still lose in overtime 134-131

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sbnation.com photo: Warriors continue their skid as they lose to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at Chase Center in San Francisco

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Warriors welcomed back Damion Lee and Marquese Chriss to the team Thursday night. Lee is no longer a two-way player. He signed a three-year contract with the club on Wednesday. Chriss was waived to make room for Lee.

None of the other 29 teams signed him and the Warriors were able to sign him to a two-way contract. With those two young men in the lineup, the Warriors had to face the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center. The Nuggets, coached by the Warriors former assistant coach Mike Malone, own the second-best record in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets were missing three key players Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, and Jamal Murray. Those three players score about 41 points a game. The Warriors were without three key players, too. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney were not available.

The young Warriors gave the Nuggets a much tougher battle than they imagined. The Warriors led most of the way until late in the fourth quarter. The Warriors didn’t fold. They clawed their way back to tie the game and send it to overtime. The Nuggets, with three very tall players, were able to hold off the Warriors to win the game 134-131.

The Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on the first bucket of the game. The Warriors made three threes to lead 9-3. They outplayed the Nuggets and finished the first quarter leading 34-19. The Warriors continued to hold the led for the entire second period. The Warriors offense stalled and they committed too many turnovers.

The Nuggets went on a 16-4 run to close the gap to 46-41. Alec Burks, D’Angelo Russell led the Warriors on a 13-2 run to finish the quarter leading 62-45. Russell, with 12, and Damian Lee, with 11, paced the Warrior offense.

The Nuggets, determined not to lose to Golden State, outscored the Warriors 28-23 in the third quarter. They cut the lead to eight 79-71, but the Warriors made buckets near the end of the period to lead 85-73 after three periods of play.

The Nuggets upped the ante in the fourth quarter. They had their two bigs, Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee, on the floor at the same time. The Nuggets wanted to get the ball into the hands of Will Barton and Malik Beasley. Barton and Beasley were on fire and they were making threes. The Nuggets defense did its job as they held to 28 points while they scored 40. Denver took a lead late in the game but the Warriors found a way to tie the game and send it to overtime.

The Nuggets showed why they are one of the best teams in the NBA. They made the first basket in the extra stanza. They increased the lead to seven 128-121 when Will Barton knocked down a three. The w’s trailed by six when Damion Lee connected on a three and Draymond Green made two free throws to cut the deficit to one 132-131 with 9.9 seconds left to play. Damion Lee missed a three that would have tied the game, but time ran out and the Nuggets prevailed 134-131.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors probably played their best game of the year. The Warriors coaching staff had to be impressed with the effort of his young team. The fans at the Chase Center realized that the team was making progress. It didn’t help that it was the Warriors tenth loss in a row. Many people are saying that the Warriors will be so much better next year when Curry and Thompson return.

Here are some of the positives that the people watched Thursday night. The Warriors had seven players in double-figures. The team made 20 threes. They moved the ball well and recorded 36 assists. The negatives were the 18 turnovers and losing the rebounding battle 50-4.

Alec Burks led the club with 25 points. Lee had 21, Russell 19, Glenn Robinson 17, Eric Paschall 16 ( 12 in the 4th quarter), Jodan Poole, and Willie Cauley-Stein each had 10.

Will Barton, the well-known Warrior killer, paced the Nuggets with 31. Barton made seven threes in ten tries. Malik Beasley posted 27 points and he made five threes. Jokis had a double-double with 23 points and 12 board. Mason Plumlee also had a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. The third big man, Michael Porter, Jr. recorded a double-double, too. He had 18 points, 10 points, and five assists. He made three threes in three tries.

With the loss, the Warriors are now 9-34. Denver’s record improved to 29-12.

 

 

 

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Dallas continues their dominance blows out Golden State 124-97

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By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- There was good news and bad news for the Golden State Warriors as they hosted the high-scoring Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center Tuesday night. The bad news is that the Mavericks blew out the Warriors 124-97. The good news is that the Warriors will not face them again this season. The Mavs trounced the W’s all three times. The only time that the Warriors lead was in the first quarter when Draymond Green knocked down a three to give the W’s a 3-2 lead. From that point on, it was all Dallas.

In the first quarter, with the Mavs leading 16-13, the guys from Dallas hit three consecutive three-point shots to lead 25-13. The Mavericks finished the first quarter with a 10-point advantage 36-26. The Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell, continued to pour it on. The Mavericks had a considerable height advantage. They utilized their huge center from Serbia, seven-foot four-inch, Boban Marjanovic, to control the boards and protect the rim at their end of the court. The Mavs finished the first 24 minutes of play with a commanding 64-47 lead. The scoring leader for Dallas was the former Stanford Cardinal, Dwight Powell. Powell led the Mavs with 15. Doncic had 10. Tim Hardaway, Jr, the son of the former great Warrior guard Tim Hardaway, added 10. Maxi Kleber had nine, and the Dallas bench kicked in with 21. The Mavs shot 55% from the floor. The W’s 42%. The Mavs outrebounded the Warriors 30 to 15.

The Mavs dominated the third period as they built a 28-point lead 84-56. It was at this point that the W’s went on a 13-0 run to make it 84-69. Dallas regained the momentum and finished the third period with a commanding 23-point cushion 94-71.

There are not too many teams in the NBA that can come back from a 23-point deficit to start the fourth quarter. Tuesday’s game was not the exception. The Mavericks cruised to a comfortable victory. The Warriors’  rookies Jordan Poole and Eric Paschal had the opportunity to get more minutes of playing time. Poole, who was demoted to the G-League for a couple of games, has played well since his return. Paschall appears to be rounding back into playing shape after missing several games. Dallas won the game 124-97.

Game Notes and Stats- With about four minutes left in the second quarter, Jacob Evans was injured. Evans was going for a rebound when he was stuck in the face by Dwight Powell. Powell’s elbow landed near Evans’ cheekbone, and Jacob crumpled to the floor. He was able to stand, but he looked dazed and wobbled, walking back to the locker room. It was reported that the team sent Evans to the hospital for treatment. The extent of his injury is not known at this time.

The Warriors did not play Damion Lee or Ky Bowman Tuesday night. Lee is expected to sign an NBA contract with the team on Wednesday. The Mavericks’ big guy Kristaps Porzingis did not play due to an injury.

The Warriors are expected to sign Marquese Chriss to a two-way contract on Wednesday. Chriss will split his time playing in the G-League with Santa Cruz and will be recalled when needed to play with the W’s.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Poole led the team with 17. Eric Paschall had 16, D’Angelo Russell13, Glenn Robinson 13, Alec Burks 10, and Omari Spellman 10.

Dwight Powell, who loves to torment the Warriors, led the Mavs with 21. Luka Doncic, who averages 29 points a game, was “held” to just 20. Maxi Kleber had 11, the big Serbian Marjanovich finished with a double-double 13 points and 11 rebounds. J.J. Barea had 11.

The Warriors dropped to 9-33 to own the worst record in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks won their game and just 1/2 game better with a record of 9-32. The Mavericks improved to 25-18. They currently reside in sixth place in the Western Conference.

The Warriors resume play Thursday night when they host the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

Grizzlies maul Warriors in second half send Golden State down to eighth straight loss 122-102

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Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas, top, shoots between Golden State Warriors forward Glenn Robinson III (22) and guard D’Angelo Russell (0) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who have played well in their last four games. were hoping to snap their seven-game losing streak Sunday. They were facing a young Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis.

The Grizzlies, like the Warriors, are a young team. They, however, have turned their season around and were able to win their fifth game in a row by a score of 122-102. The oldest player in the Grizzlies’ starting lineup was 29-year-old Jae Crowder.

The Warriors welcomed back D’Angelo Russell to the starting lineup Sunday. Russell missed six games due to a right shoulder contusion when he ran into the Dallas Mavericks’ Luke Doncic in December.

Neither Damion Lee nor Ky Bowman was available as they are close to the limit of games that they can play in the NBA as they have two-way contracts. Lee is expected to sign a deal soon that would give remove the two-way status.

With Lee and Bowman out, the Warriors started D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks at guard. Omari Spellman, who has been in double-figures the last four games, made his second career start in the NBA.

Spellman had the unenviable task of having to stop the Grizzlies big center, Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas hails from Lithuania and is six-feet eleven inches tall and is a force in the middle. The other player that is making a difference for Memphis is the rookie, Ja Morant. Morant, who played his college ball at Murray State, is averaging 18 points a game and, at the moment, is the odds-on favorite to be Rookie of the Year in the NBA.

The Warriors and the Grizzlies played a very competitive first 24 minutes. In the first half, the lead changed six times. The Warriors made five threes in the first quarter and kept pace with the Grizzlies. D’Angelo Russell had some trouble making his shots as he showed a little rust after missing six games. The Grizzlies finished the first quarter with a 27-26 lead.

Memphis increased the lead to nine 39-30 early in the second quarter. Russell started to make shots. Russell got hot and finished the first half with 18 points. Each team scored 33 points in the second period, and Memphis retained their one-point lead at the end of the first half.

The third quarter was a different story. Over the last five years, the Warriors used to own the third quarter. They would go on the attack and put teams away. On Sunday night, the tables were turned. It was the Grizzlies that owned the quarter.

The Warriors could not stop Jonas Valanciunas. The big center helped the Grizzlies dominate. He grabbed eight offensive rebounds. He made layups. He even made a three-point shot. Memphis stopped the Warriors offense cold in the third quarter.

The Warriors scored just seven points in the first six and one-half minutes pf play in the quarter.  Memphis outscored them 35-17 to finish the period with a 19-point advantage 95-76.

The Warriors played better in the final stanza. Eric Paschall and D’Angelo Russell did what they could, but it was too little, too late. Memphis won the quarter 27-26 and the game 122-102.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors lost their eighth in a row and are 9-32 for the season. Memphis won their fifth in a row and are now 18-22. Memphis, if the playoffs were to start now, own the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Russell led Golden State with 34 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Russell made five threes in nine tries. Jordan Poole and Alec Burks each had thirteen. Poole made four threes. Omari Spellman had 12 points, four assists, and has made three threes in three tries. Paschall finished with ten.

Jonas Valanciunas had a monster double-double. Jonas knocked down 31 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. Memphis outrebounded The Dubs 60-47. They ripped down 18 offensive boards. The Warriors had 12. Jaren Jackson, Jr. had 21, Ja Morant 11. The Memphis bench added 47 points. Bench players Grayson Allen had 11, Tyus Jones 11, and De’Anthony Melton 10.

The Warriors return home to face the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

 

 

Warriors falter in fourth quarter fall to Clippers 109-100

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sfgate.com photo: Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, passes the ball as Golden State Warriors guard Ky Bowman defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, in Los Angeles

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, still without D’Angelo Russell and Kevon Looney, gave the Los Angeles Clippers all they could handle for three quarters Friday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Omari Spellman made his first start in the NBA and continued to play well for the Warriors.

Spellman had his fourth consecutive game in double-figures, and it appears that he will see a lot more action in the upcoming games. The Clippers, who blew out the Warriors on opening night at the first game ever at the Chase Center, figured they would have no trouble beating the revamped lineup.

They were wrong, and they trailed the Warriors by ten at the end of three periods by a score of 83-73. The young Warriors felt they had an upset in the making, but the Clippers behind Kawhi Leonard, Montrezl Harrell, and Lou Williams found their game, and they were able to propel the Clippers to a 109-100 win.

In the first quarter, the Clippers got off to an early 18-9 lead. The Warriors’ Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson, and Willie Cauley-Stein all made contributions, and the Warriors erased the deficit to tie the game at 20. The Clippers made the last basket of the quarter leading 22-20.

The Warriors found their game in the second quarter. They outscored the Clippers 33-26 to finish the first half leading 53-48. Spellman made two threes to help pace the Warriors to the five-point advantage. Glenn Robinson led the Warriors with 13. Spellman had 11.

Kawhi Leonard paced the Clippers with 15. Leonard was the only Clipper in double-figures in the first half. The Warriors played well on defense to stymie the Clipper offense. The W’s shot 43% from the floor in the half but were 4-for-19 from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Clippers went on a 7-0 run to start the third quarter. LA erased the five-point deficit to lead by two 55-53. The Warriors regrouped and led 68-62 when Draymond Green knocked down a three. Reserve guard Jacob Evans made three mid-range jumpers to help send the Warriors to a 10-point lead 83-73 after three-quarters of play.

The Clippers are a team that will be in the playoffs. They know how to win games. Their star player, Kawhi Leonard, won the NBA Championship last year when he was a Toronto Raptor. He is excellent in crunch time. His teammates, Montrezl Harrell, Lou Williams, Patrick Beverly, and Mo Harkless, have been around the block a few times, and Friday night’s game was not their first rodeo.

The Clippers showed the young Warriors that if they want to win in the NBA, they have to stop their opponent’s big guns. They tried but could not shut down the Clipper offense. The Clippers went on a 13-2 run to open the quarter to lead 87-85. The Warriors never led again. They came close, but Kawhi Leonard and Company outscored them 36-17 in the quarter  to win 109-100,

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors dropped their seventh game in a row and are now 9-31 for the season. The Clippers improved to 27-12. The Clippers’ Paul George did not play due to a hamstring injury.

The Warriors played well on defense the entire game. They also did an excellent job rebounding. The Warriors had trouble making three-point shots. They made eight in 39 tries. Spellman accounted for four of them. Spellman and Robinson led the Warriors with 17 points each. Alec Burks had 16, Eric Paschall 12, and Damion Lee 10.

Kawhi Leonard finished the night with 36. He had nine boards and five assists. Patrick Beverly just missed a triple-double. Beverly had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. He made three threes, too. Montrezl Harrell finished with 11 pints and 10 boards for a double-double. Lou Williams, coming off the bench, tallied 21. He made three threes in six tries.

The Warriors resume play on Sunday in Memphis against the Grizzlies. The game will start at 3 pm. Pacific Time

 

Bucks struggled to subdue Warriors 107-98; Sixth straight loss for Golden State

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jsonline.com photo: Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe (6) drives around the Warriors’ Willie Cauley-Stein (2) with the help of a pick by Giannis Antetokounmpo

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Milwaukee Bucks landed in town Wednesday night to face the short-handed Golden State Warriors. The Bucks, behind the leagues’ MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, entered the game with the best record, 32-6, in the NBA.

They lost their last game to the San Antonio Spurs, and they were looking forward to a comfortable win over the team with the second-worst record, the Warriors. They managed to accomplish what they came for with a 107-98 victory over Golden State at Chase Center on Wednesday night.

The Warriors were still without D’Angelo Russell and Kevon Looney. Most people thought the Warriors would be a pushover for the Bucks. However, things happen in sports that defy conventional wisdom. The young Warriors fought the Bucks tooth and nail for the entire 48 minutes.

They did it with great defense. They just did not have enough offensive firepower to pull off the upset. They played hard and never quit. They continued to show improvement, especially on defense. They held the highest-scoring team in the league, the Bucks, to 40% from the floor.

The Warriors defense held the Bucks to 9-for 41 from beyond the three-point arc. They had trouble stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo. Everybody in the league has trouble stopping Giannis.

Both teams got off to a slow start in the first quarter. The quarter ended with the score 19-19. The Warriors played great defense, but they could not get the offense going.

It was more of the same in the second quarter. The Bucks did outscore the W’s 28-20, but the Warriors were still close. The half ended with Milwaukee leading 47-39.

Giannis and Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 11 and 13. The Warriors did not have a single player in double-figures. Alen Smailagic, the 19-year old rookie from Serbia, led the W’s with eight. Alec Burks had seven. The Bucks shot 34% from the floor. The Warriors were worse as they finished with just 30%.

In the second half, The Bucks offense perked up. The Warriors did not fold, and they kept pace with the Bucks. Milwaukee must have felt that the upstart Warriors could actually beat them. The Warriors cut the deficit to three 59-56.

It was at this point the Milwaukee went on a 13-3 run. The W’s Omari Spellman made two three-point shots to help close the gap to nine. The Bucks outscored the W’s 34-33 in the period and led 81-72 after three periods of action.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors held their own. Each team scored 26 points. The Warriors made several threes, and Ky Bowman lit up the arena with a steal and layup to bring the Warriors to within five 93-88.

There were about six minutes left to play. The Warriors then made three trips up the court and were stopped all three times. The Bucks increased the lead to 11, but the W’s kept coming back. They trailed 101-96 when Omari Spellman knocked down a three with about 1:45 left to play. The Warriors fouled Giannis in the hopes that he wouldn’t make the free throws. Giannis made enough to secure the win for the Bucks 107-98.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors drop to 9-30. The Bucks improved to 33-6.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Alec Burks led the club with 19 points. Alec made three threes. Glenn Robinson had 15, Damion Lee 15 and four threes, Omari Spellman 11. Spellman knocked down three threes. Willie Cauley-Stein had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Alen Smailagic, in just 11 minutes of play, scored a career-high 10 points. Draymond Green finished with five points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. The Warriors shot 38% from the floor.

The Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis finished the night with 30 points. Khris Middleton had 21. Brook Lopez 12, and Eric Bledsoe had 16.

In other news, the Warriors announced that they put Marquese Chriss on waivers. Chriss did not have a guaranteed contract. The Warriors needed to make room on the roster to sign Damion Lee to a full-season contract. Lee was a two-way player with the Warriors and the G-League team in Santa Cruz.

The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night in LA at the Staples Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings dominate Warriors from tip to finish 111-98

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sfgate.com photo: All the Golden State Warriors could do on Monday night at Golden One Center was scramble for the basketball as seen here against the Sacramento Kings

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie what happened to former Sacramento King Willie Cauley Stein of the Golden State Warriors  who was held to only six points

#2 The game wasn’t even close the Kings dominated from the tip to the end of the game

#3 The Kings had five players in double figures which tells part of the story of this game

#4 De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield both finished as the Kings top scorers with 21 points

#5 The Kings are in the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix tonight set this match for us

Join Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com