Category: Golden State Warriors

Warriors’ woes mount after suffering two losses in 121-110 loss to Suns

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors lost their third game of the young season to the Phoenix Suns 121-110 at Chase Center on Wednesday night.

More important than the score was the injury to their superstar guard, Steph Curry. Curry suffered a broken left hand in the third period. Curry was driving to make a layup. He was sandwiched between two Phoenix defenders. He fell to the court using his left hand to break the fall. One of the Suns defenders, Aron Baynes, landed on Curry’s left hand. Curry was in agony as he got up from the court. He was unable to take the two free throws. The x-ray showed there was a break in his hand. He’ll undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine if he needs surgery. If not, the hand will be in a cast, and he probably will be out for four to six weeks.

Without Curry, it could be a long season for Warrior fans. The Warriors have told the fans to be patient as there are so many new players on the team. The fans have to be patient, but they can not be happy the way the Warriors are getting blown out. They lost by 11 on Wednesday night. The game, for all intents and purposes, was over in the first quarter. The Warriors led 10-9 when Phoenix went on a 38-4 run to lead 47-14. The Warriors went almost eight minutes in the first quarter without a bucket.

The Suns, under first-year coach Monty Williams, finished the first half with a 72-46 advantage. The Warriors did play better in the second quarter as they outscored the Suns 32-29. The Suns led 83-54 when Curry was hurt.

Head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out what to do. He inserted center Willie Cauley-Stein into the lineup. Cauley-Stein was playing for the first time as a Warrior. He wasn’t able to practice much with the team due to an ankle injury. He acquitted himself quite well as he scored 12 points and had five rebounds in 12 minutes of action.

The Warriors didn’t gain any ground in the third quarter. They did outplay the Suns in the fourth quarter as they outscored them 43-26. It made the game seem closer than it was. It was really over early in the second quarter when they trailed 43-14.

Game Notes: Rookie Eric Paschall led the team with 20 points. Glenn Robinson III had 17 points. D’Angelo Russell, now the team’s point guard, finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Alec Burks, making his first appearance as a Warrior, finished with seven points. Ky Bowman, who will be the backup point guard, tallied 10. Jordan Poole had nine.

The Suns, who the Warriors had beaten them 18 times in the last 19 games, appear to be on their way back to respectability. Every one of their starters was in double figures. They were led by Devin Booker, who had 31 points. Booker made six threes in 10 tries. Baynes had a double-double with 24 points and 13 boards. Dario Saric finished with 16, Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 11, and Ricky Rubio added 14.

The Suns improved to 3-2 while the Warriors drop to 1-3.

Up Next: It doesn’t get any easier for Golden State as they have to play the San Antonio Spurs Friday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

Warriors play well, beat the Pelicans 134-123; GSW beats up 0-4 team

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the new season as they routed the Pelicans 134-123. Head coach Steve Kerr made a couple of changes to the starting lineup. Kerr had Draymond Green start at the center position, and three guards, Jordan Poole, Steph Curry, and D’Angelo Russell, filled the other three slots. The changes worked as the Warriors led for the entire game.

The Warriors needed to get a win. They had been blown out in the first two games of the year by the LA Clippers and the OKC Thunder. Kerr had stated it would take a while for the team to come together. Many fans were beginning to think that the W’s were in for a tough season. While one game does not make a season, it shows that the reworked Warrior roster does have the talent to win games. People have to keep in mind that they won with two of their big men, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney, unable to play.

Third-year player, Damion Lee, had the best night of his young career as he helped the W’s to the win. Lee had a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He made four threes in six tries. Glenn Robinson III just missed a double-double with 12 points and 9 boards. Draymond Green had a triple-triple. Green was everywhere. His energy put a spark into the W’s offense. He recorded 16 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was Green’s 23rd career triple-double.  When that happens, the Warriors are 23-0. Steph Curry led the club with 26 points, 3 boards, and 11 assists. D’Angelo Russell contributed 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall played well. Spellman had 8 points and 8 rebounds. Paschall had 8 points, 2 boards, and 3 assists.

The Warriors raced out to  27-23 lead after the first quarter of play. Jordan Poole knocked down three threes in the period. They scored the first 11 points to start the second quarter. The Warriors were running on offense and had a twenty-point lead 50-30 about halfway through the period. The Pelicans had a 9-0 run to make it 58-47. The W’s responded behind Green, Russell, Curry, and Lee to finish the first half leading 72-53. They scored 45 points in the period.

The Warriors continued to play well in the third period. Steph Curry committed his fourth foul of the game with 6:09 left to play. The Warriors were leading 84-64 at the time. Damion Lee and D’Angelo Russell did not let the Pelicans get back in the game. The W’s finished the third quarter with a 24-point lead 103-79.  It was more of the same in the last quarter. The Dubs led by 29 126-97 when the Pelicans went on a late 24-4 run to make it 132-123. Time was not on the Pelicans’ side when the clock ran out. The W’s win 134-123.

The Warriors are now 1-2 for the year. New Orleans remains winless at 0-4. The Warriors return home to face the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The Suns are 2-1 for the season. They beat the LA Clippers last Saturday night. They are playing the Utah Jazz Monday night. They were leading in the third quarter. The game time will be played starting at 7:30 pm.

OKC wins in a blowout over Warriors 120-92; GSW remains winless

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photo from sfgate.com: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots in front of Golden State Warriors forward Eric Paschall (7) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Oklahoma City.

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, smarting from a blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers last Thursday night, were hammered by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday by a score of 120-92. Also, the game was not as close as the final score might indicate. The Warriors trailed by 33 at the end of the first half 70-37. Stephen Curry was the only Warrior in double figures with ten.

The Thunder increased the lead to 37 at the end of the third quarter 105-68. The Warriors outscored the Thunder 24-15 in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

The Warrior fans have to be concerned this team may not be good enough to make the playoffs. Head coach Steve Kerr and his staff know that it will take six to eight weeks to see where this team will be going. Right now, the Warriors are not playing defense. They have two centers out with injury. Willia Cauley-Stein has an ankle injury and may miss another week before returning to action.

Kevon Looney is seeing a neurologist to determine why he is having neuropathic pain in his leg. His return is unknown. Alen Smailagic, the big center from Serbia, also has an ankle injury. He is making progress, but no one knows when he will play. Also, the offense needs to get better.

The role players such as rookie Jordan Poole and third-tear player Damian Lee are going to have to put more points on the board. Jacob Evans has to step up and assume the role that Shaun Livingston had in the past five seasons. The W’s need to have better ball movement. They recorded 17 assists in the game.

They were making 30 or more in the glory years. Failure to move the ball allows opposing defenses to double team Steph Curry. If Curry is double-teamed, that frees up a shooter, and the role players are going to have to step up and make the shots. Failure to do is costing the Warriors to win.

The Warriors also have nine new players on the roster. D’Angelo Russell scored just six points in Sunday’s game. He was ejected in the third period for arguing with a referee. The Warriors need him to help fill the void created by Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s injury. Glenn Robinson III had just 3 points in Sunday’s game.  Alec Burks is scheduled to return, and that may help the Warriors put some points on the board.

The Warriors shot 32.6% from the floor. They made 5 threes in 31 tries while the Thunder countered with 15 threes. The Warriors had three players in double figures. Curry had 23, Draymond Green 10, and rookie Eric Paschall also kicked in with 10. The Thunder had five players in double figures.

Dennis Schroeder, coming off the bench, led the Thunder with 22. Danilo Gallinari had 21, Terrance Ferguson 13, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 19, and the veteran point guard Chris Paul added 10. The Thunder shot 55.7% from the floor. They outrebounded the Warriors 50-40.

The Warriors play their first back-to-back game Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Game time at 5:00 p.m. PT. Steve Kerr will be doing everything he can to have his team ready to win their first game of the year.

Warriors lose to Clippers in home opener 141-122

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors hosted their first regular season game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center Thursday night.

Al Attles was in attendance. Attles played with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors from 1960-71 and coached the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors from 1970-83. The 82-year-old was a 1975 NBA champion.

Warriors star Steph Curry rocked his Under Armour shoes when the team practiced before the tip-off. Curry is in his 11th NBA season and Under Armour pre-released the latest edition of the “Curry 7” at the Warriors Team Shop in the Chase Center.

Curry’s first bucket at the Chase Center wowed the home crowd. The Warriors pulled within six with 4:56 left in the first quarter. The Warriors ended up trailing the Clippers 35-29 at the end of the first.

Jordan Poole hit his first three-pointer in the league to help the Warriors pull within seven with 10:27 left in the second quarter. Poole, a rookie shooting guard, was drafted 28th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft out of the University of Michigan. The 20-year-old played at Michigan from 2017-19.

Curry continued to make magic on the home court. The 31-year-old picked off a pass from Draymond Green and proceeded to hit a three to bring the team within seven with 2:41 left in the second.

Despite noteworthy moments, Golden State trailed L.A. 65-54 at the halftime break. During that time, Golden State confirmed that Kevon Looney wouldn’t return to the game as a precautionary measure after experiencing right hamstring tightness.

The Clippers continued to dominate in the third quarter. The Clippers’ highest scoring bench duo of all-time put in a lot of work. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell had chemistry and worked together to make strong scoring plays. Also, Kawhi Leonard, who signed with the Clippers just days after winning his first champion with the Toronto Raptors and second overall, put on a primetime show. Leonard picked up a foul, made a play off the glass over a Warrior defender for two late in the third.

The Clippers fired on all cylinders for a 111-87 lead through three quarters.

The Warriors showed some flashes in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. Glenn Robinson III made a nifty move by running down the court and driving to the basket for two with 5:24 left in the fourth.

The Clippers won 141-122. L.A. improves to 2-0, while Golden State falls to 0-1.

The Warriors face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, October 27 at 12:30 pm PT. Game will be broadcasted on NSBA and FSOK.

Playoff Team? Warriors’ Home Opener vs. Clippers at Chase Center Thursday Night

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Photo credit: goldenstateofmind.com

By Amaury Pi-González

In the NBA Western Conference, where the focus is here in the Bay Area, even the most optimistic would be pressed to pick the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA title this season. Many are asking “Is this Warriors team a playoff team?” And I said maybe, but in the fringe, maybe a #7 seat at the end and another trip to the playoffs. They are not better than the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LeBron’s groin injury doomed the Lakers last season and he must be healthy for the length of this season, or the “other LA team,” the Clippers, could be the ones to beat. Incidentally, the Lakers open the season on October 22 at the Clippers, that other team that could also win the whole enchilada this 2019-20.

I believe the Warriors’ Stephen Curry has a chip on his shoulder, and now without Kevin Durant, he wants to be “the hombre” for this version of the Warriors at their brand new Chase Center in San Francisco. The great Michael Jordan recently said: “Stephen is not a Hall of Famer, yet.” All this — in my opinion — is motivating Curry, But, one thing is certain — for the first time in six years we are not looking at the Warriors and the Cavaliers will be towards the end.

There is no clear favorite to win the NBA title this season. I do not dismiss the Warriors,they still have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, while head coach Steve Kerr says Clay Thompson is unlikely to play this season as he is recovering from the knee injury he suffered during the NBA finals. So a lot of things have to go right for the Warriors to win this year, but they are a longer shot this season.

The franchise originally began in Philadelphia in 1946 and relocated to San Francisco in 1962 where they were named the San Francisco Warriors. In 1971, they moved to the Oakland Arena, where they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors. They played there until the end of the 2018-2019 NBA season.

The Warriors’ opener this 2019-2020 season will be at the Chase Arena Thursday, October 24 against the Los Angeles Clippers at 7:30 PM.

Chase Arena
Capacity 18,064
Multi-purpose arena
$1 billion investment
Parking:  950 spaces

Amaury Pi-González was the Spanish play by play radio announcer for the Golden State Warriors for most of the 1990’s. Amaury was also the play by play announcer for the LA Clippers on FOX Sports Deportes television in Los Angeles for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 NBA seasons.

Warriors subdue Lakers to win final preseason game, 124-103

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors downed the Los Angeles Lakers 124-103 to finish the preseason with a 2-3 record. People have to keep in mind that the preseason games are used to see how the new players will mesh with the returning veterans. The Warriors used many combinations in the first four games to see who they would keep on the roster. The process was complicated by injuries to several players. Kevon Looney, Willie Cauley Stein, Alec Burks, and Alen Smailagic did not play a single minute in the preseason. Will the two big men available, Marquese Chriss, taking advantage of the opportunity, earn a spot on the roster? The 22-year old big man will probably start at center next Thursday when the Warriors open the season against the revamped Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors released Alfonzo McKinnie on Friday to make room for Chriss. The Warriors were up against the salary cap and had to either release McKinnie or trade a player. Golden State opted to release McKinnie.

As for Friday night’s game, the Warriors beat the Lakers for the first time this preseason. Perennial All-Star LeBron James did not play. The Lakers rested their other three big men. Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, and JaVale McGee all rested. The Lakers started Jared Dudley at the center position Friday night. Even with the big men on the Lakers’ bench, the Warriors began slowly. They trailed the Lakers 24-14 when they went on a 12-4 run late in the first period to trail by five 29-24. They outscored the Lakers 7-3 in the last minutes to close the gap to one 32-31.

Early in the second quarter, the Warriors grabbed the lead for the first time 41-40. Steph Curry led the Warriors’ offense as they finished the first half with a 16-point advantage 71-55. Curry hit a three as time ran out, and the crowd went crazy. Steph knocked down 22. D’Angelo Russell added 12, and Glenn Robinson had 10. The Lakers’ top scorers were Kentavios Caldwell-Pope with 17, and Zach Norvell had 16. The Warriors outscored the Lakers 40-23 in the second period.

The Warriors did not relinquish the lead in the third quarter. The Lakers, however, outscored Golden State by ten and finished the period trailing by six 94-88. The Warriors regrouped. D’Angelo Russell played well and drained a couple of threes. Curry re-entered the game with about six minutes left and made a four-point play to help cement the win. Curry knocked down a three and was fouled on the play. He made the free throw to put the Warriors ahead 113-94.  Steph made another three to make it 119-96. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his bench to finish the game.

Game Notes and Stats: Curry finished the night with 32 points. He made six three in 15 tries. He was on the court for 32 minutes of action. Marquese Chriss had a good night. He had 9 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists. Draymond Green also had 9 points. Green had 12 rebounds and 3 assists. He was on the court for 31 minutes. D’Angelo Russell tallied 29, and he, too, made six threes. Rookie Eric Paschall finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds. Glenn Robinson pitched in with 13 points and six rebounds.

The Lakers had four players in double figures. Caldwell-Pope had 25. Zach Norvell added 29, and he knocked down 5 threes. Rookie Devontae Cacok had a double-double. He recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. Demetrius Jackson finished with 11 points and 9 assists.

Up Next: The Warriors open the season Thursday, October 24th, at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The LA Clippers will be their opponents. They will be led by Kawhi Leonard. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

Lakers blow out the Warriors 126-93

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Warriors for the third time in three tries this preseason. The Lakers had all their bigs in the lineup. Anthony Davis returned to action, LeBron James played 25 minutes, Dwight Howard, and JaVale McGee all kept the smaller Warriors from scoring. The Warriors rested Steph Curry and handed the point guard position to D’Angelo Russell. Russell responded with 23 points.

The Warriors were looking to use the new players to see how they would play against the Lakers. Head coach Steve Kerr is looking for players that will fill the voids left by the losses of Kevin Durant, Quinn Cook, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and the injured Klay Thompson. They want to know if Alfonzo McKinnie will be a starting forward. They want to see if he can make the team. They want to know if Jordan Poole can be the player to lead the second unit. They want to know if third-year player Damian Lee will be able to contribute to the second unit. Their big men, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney, will be able to handle Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, and other big men in the league. Looney and Cauley-Stein have not played in the preseason. The Warriors know what Looney can do. They will have to wait until Cauley-Stein recovers from his injury to find out if he meshes well with Curry and Russell.

The Warriors will have to make decisions on Jacob Evans. Evans has played well so far. He scored five Wednesday night. The Warriors need to know if Glenn Robinson III is the answer at forward. Robinson had the night off. Eric Paschall is a candidate to make the team, but not as a starter. The Warriors will use Marquese Chriss at the center position until Cauley-Stein returns.

There is no question that the Warriors are in a rebuilding year. There are so many questions and decisions that have to be made.

As for the game, The Warriors had three players in double figures. Russell led the team with 23. Draymond Green had 10, and Jordan Poole kicked in with 14. Damian Lee added 9. Paschall and Chriss each had 8.

The Lakers were led by LeBron James. James had 18. Dwight Howard had 13, Avery Bradley 18, Anthony Davis 8, JaVale McGee 12. Former Warrior Quinn Cook knocked down 16. He made four threes in five tries.

The Warriors shot 37% from the floor. The Lakers shot 49.2%. The Warriors made seven threes. The Lakers tallied 15. The Lakers outrebounded the Warriors 46-34.

Robinson and Steph Curry did not play.

The fans have to keep in mind that the Warriors are a work in progress. No one wants to see them get blown out, but it is a game that doesn’t count. The Warriors are looking at people that they think will benefit the team. Minutes are limited. Hopefully, they will get off to a good start.

The Warriors play the Lakers again Friday night at the Chase Center. It will be the final preseason game. The season starts for real on Thursday, October 24th, when they play the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center.

Lakers have no trouble downing the Warriors 104-98

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in the preseason. The Lakers did not use any of their key players. Neither did the Warriors except for Steph Curry. Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell had the night off. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr started Marquese Chriss at center, Eric Pascall and Glenn Robinson at forward, and Jordan Poole and Steph Curry started at guard, The Lakers countered with Jared Dudley at strong forward, Dwight Howard at center, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the other forward position, and Alex Caruso and Zach Norvell at guard. The Warriors did not play well all evening long. The Lakers won easily 104-98.

It must be noted that this was a game that both coaches, the Warriors’ Steve Kerr and the Lakers’ Frank Vogel gave playing time to guys that are fighting for spots on the 15-man roster. Some players are hoping for a two-way contract. The Warriors have to make decisions on Chriss and McKinnie. The Warriors have salary cap limitations, and one or both may be either cut or traded. The Warriors are hoping that Pascall and Poole make the team and will be playing on the second unit. The Warriors are hoping that Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney get a chance to work with Curry, Russell, and Green before the season starts. That may be problematical as Cauley-Stein may not be healed by the time the season begins.

The Lakers led from start to finish. Both teams shot poorly for the first six minutes of the game. The Lakers played better and finished the first quarter with a 28-17 lead. The Warriors shot a miserable 18% from the floor. No one could hit a bucket. In contrast, the Lakers shot 42%. Were the Lakers playing great defense? Maybe. Were the Warriors out of sync? Definitely.

The Warriors improved in the second quarter. It was not enough to catch the Lakers, but they kept on shooting. The Warriors outscored LA by four to finish the first half trailing by seven 55-48. Steph Curry led the team with 14. Damian Lee and Alfonzo McKinnie each had 7. Marquese Chriss was a bright spot with six points and six boards. Zach Norvell led the Lakers with 12. Former Warrior JaVale McGee tormented his old mates with 9 points, and he had a couple of blocked shots as well.

The Lakers increased the lead to 17 in the third period 79-62. The Warriors Jacob Evans and Damian led the Warriors in scoring. Things changed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by Chriss and Poole cut the lead to three 97-94 after Poole hit a three. The Lakers regrouped and went on a 7-4 run to finish the game with a final score of 104-98.

Game Notes: The Lakers rested LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. Anthony Davis was out with a sprained right thumb. Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, and Talen Horton-Tucker. The Warriors rested Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell. Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Kevon Looney, and Alen Smailagic were not available due to injury.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Lakers again Wednesday night in Los Angeles. They return home to face the Lakers at the Chase Center Friday night for the final preseason game.

Warriors race past the Timberwolves 143-123

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the preseason as they defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 143-123 at Chase Center on Thursday night.

The Warriors inserted Marquese Chriss at the center position and Glenn Robinson III at forward to work with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell. W’s head coach Steve Kerr wanted to see how Chriss would do in his first action with Golden State. Kerr increased the number of minutes played by his starters and then inserted players that will be looking to make the team. The Warriors have a lot of new players this season, and Kerr wanted to see who would step up and show that they can play in the NBA.

Both teams played a fast-paced game. The Warriors love to run as that opens up the court, and players have to take advantage of the open looks. The Warriors fell behind early in the first period. They trailed by seven, 19-12. It was at this point that their perennial All-Star Steph Curry got hot. Curry finished the first quarter with 17 points, and the Warriors led 35-31 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Warriors scored 35 points in the second quarter to lead 70-64 at the end of the first half. Curry had 24. D’Angelo Russell knocked down 11. Draymond Green had 5, Marquese Chriss 6, and Glenn Robinson 4. Omari Spellman had 6, Jordan Poole 5, Eric Paschall 4, and Damian Lee 3. The Warriors shot 51% from the floor, and they made 8 threes in 17 attempts. They were a little sloppy with the ball as they committed 12 turnovers in the first half. They moved the ball well as they recorded 16 assists in the first 24 minutes of play.

The Warriors tallied 41 points in the third period. Steph and D’Angelo Russell were removed from the game with about four minutes left in the third quarter. Curry finished with 40 points in 25 minutes of action. Russell finished with 16. The Warrior reserves increased the lead to ten 111-101, heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Jordan Poole, Glenn Robinson, Eric Paschall, and Omari Spellman continued to play well, and the Warriors won by 20 points, 143-123.

Notes: Steve Kerr had to be impressed with the play of Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, and Glenn Robinson. The rookies Poole, from Michigan, and Paschall, from Villanova, played well. Poole knocked down 19 points in 21 minutes of action. Paschall kicked in with 11 in his 20 minutes of playing time. Robinson had 13 points and 5 boards. Omari Spellman also showed that he wanted a spot on the roster. He had 7 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists.

The Warriors shot 52.6% from the floor and were 19 for 37 from 3-point range. They had 34 assists on offense. On defense, they had 50 boards, 9 steals, and 11 blocked shots. They moved the ball well. They found the open man and worked the pick and roll well.

Minnesota’s starters Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jeff Teague scored 13, 9, and 13, respectively. Their bench players did well. Big Jake Layman had 17. Naz Reid had 14, Shabazz Napier 11, and the rookie from Texas Tech Jarrett Culver had 17.

Each team committed too many turnovers. The T-Wolves had 19, and the Warriors finished with 21.

Warriors’ centers Kevon Looney was out with a hamstring injury, and Willie Cauley-Stein will probably miss the preseason with an ankle injury. The Serbian rookie, Alen Smailagic, did not play. He was using a walking boot and on crutches. There is no date when he will be ready to play. Alec Burks is also out with an ankle problem.

Up Next: The Warriors’ next game will be Monday night against the LA Lakers in Los Angeles. They play again in LA on the 16th and finish the preseason against the Lakers at the Chase Center on October 18th.

Warriors drop opening pre-season game to Los Angeles Lakers 123-101

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sfgate.com photo

by Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO- The new-look Golden State Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 123-101 Saturday night at the Chase Center. It was the first pro basketball game in the new arena, and since it was a pre-season game, the results do not count. The Warriors are missing several players from their championship run.

Kevin Durant has gone to Brooklyn even though he will not play this season due to injury. Klay Thompson will not be available until after the All-Star game in February. His scoring and defensive play will be missed. The Warriors traded Andre Iguodala to Memphis, and Shaun Livingston retired. Backup guard Quinn Cook, who was a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers are also a new-look team. They traded for Anthony Davis. They signed Dwight Howard. They re-signed former Warrior JaVale McGee. They also have Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo returning.

The Lakers won the first quarter 33-20. The Warriors outscored them in the second quarter 31-26. The Lakers won the third and fourth quarters to win easily 123-101.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ starters, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell, each played about 17 minutes in the game. Draymond did not score, but he had 7 boards and 5 assists. Russell scored four points in his time on the court. Curry had 18 points and made one three in five attempts.

The Warriors bench players had the following results. Rookie Eric Paschall played 24 minutes and had 11 points, 3 boards, and an assist.  Rookie Jordan Poole helped out with 17. Glen Robinson had four points. Jacob Evans III played 18 minutes and had 9 points. Damian Lee knocked down 9 in 15 minutes of action. Third-year veteran Marquese Chiss had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 13 minutes of play.

The W’s were missing Willie Cauley-Stein due to an ankle injury. Kevon Looney did not play either.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis. Davis scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds in 18 minutes of work. LeBron James had 15. Former Warrior JaVale McGee had 10 points and 16 boards in his 16 minutes on the floor. Dwight Howard added nine, and guard Alex Caruso had 10.

The Warriors have their work cut out for them as they are trying to rebuild. It will take time for the new players to mesh with the veterans. Many questions are surrounding the Warriors. Will the new players fit in? Will the Warriors be good on defense? Can coach Kerr and the coaching staff get them ready for the regular season? Will they make the playoffs?

The Western Division has improved. The Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets as well as the Lakers have all made significant improvements. Will the Warriors be competitive? These questions will be answered throughout the 82-game season. One pre-season loss does not make a season. Those questions will be answered when the bell ring to start the 2019-2020 season.