Category: Golden State Warriors

Warriors play better, but lose to the Mavericks 112-109

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, hoping to rebound after playing a poor game in Houston Thursday night, played a Saturday thriller at the American Airlines Center against the rapidly improving Dallas Mavericks. The game was in doubt until the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Dallas made the plays, and their defense stopped the Warriors’ offense down the stretch to come away with the win 112-109.

The Warriors’ offense came to life after a dismal showing in Houston. There were a lot of bright spots for Steve Kerr’s team. The Warriors were without the services of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Alfonzo McKinnie Saturday. Kerr started Kevon Looney in place of Damian Jones at center. Jonas Jerebko played in Green’s spot, and Andre Iguodala started at guard. Jerebko played very well. He scored just five points, but he was a force on the boards all night long. Jonas pulled down 10 boards and had 4 assists. The Warrior bench players Damian Lee, Quinn Cook, and Shaun Livingston made major contributions. Cook had 15, Lee had 13, and Livingston had 12.

The Mavs won their fourth in a row. Dallas has been in a rebuild mode for a couple of seasons, and the players they added to the team have added to their success. The Mavs’ feature Luka Doncic, who is a 19-year-old rookie. Doncic came into the game averaging 19 points a game. He showed the Warriors that he knows how to play the game and he finished the night leading Dallas with 24 points. The Mavs signed Deandre Jordan as a free agent. Jordan played for the LA Clippers and wanted out of LA. He has improved his free throw shooting and was a force under the boards. Former Warrior, Harrison Barnes, who is in his third year in Dallas, torched his ex-teammates for 23 points.

Dallas won the first quarter 26-22. The Warriors fell behind early and trailed 18-10 before making a run on offense. Kevin Durant was the offensive force in the quarter.

The Warriors, with Lee, Cook, and Livingston coming off the bench, outscored the Mavs 37-31 in the second quarter to finish the first half with the lead 59-57. Durant led the scorers with 18. Thompson had 13, while Lee had 11 in 10 minutes of action, and Livingston had 8. Barnes had 15 to lead the Mavs. Luca Doncic added 14 and Jordan had 8.

The Warriors finished the third quarter with a four-point lead 86-82. Quinn Cook made two 3-point shots to spark the offense, The Warriors increased the lead to 8 90-82 early in the fourth quarter. With the score 92-85, the Mavs went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead. Both teams refused to wilt. The Warriors led 106-105 when Dallas hit a two-pointer to lead 107-106 with 1:42 left to play. Andre Iguodala made a clutch basket to put the Warriors ahead 108-107. Dallas scored the next five points and led 112-108 with six seconds left. Durant was fouled. The Warriors needed Durant to make the first free throw, which he did. The Warriors only hope was for Durant to miss the free throw, grab the rebound, and make a three to tie the game. Durant missed the free throw, but Doncic grabbed the rebound and Dallas celebrated the 112-109 win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors have lost three of the last four games played and are 12-5 for the year. Dallas won its fourth in a row, and the team is now 7-8.

Durant finished with 32 and Thompson had 22. Both starts missed 3-pointers down the stretch.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Warriors play an ugly game, lose to the Rockets 107-86

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started a three-game trip in Texas with a thud. The Warriors, without the services of Steph Curry for the next five games, could not get their offense going and they lost to the Houston Rockets 107-86 at the Toyota Center on Thursday night.

The Rockets, who lost to the Warriors last season in the Western Conference Finals, had circled the date they would play them in the new season. The Rockets have not looked like the team that had the best record in the NBA last season. The Warriors played a sound game on defense, but their offense went into the deep freeze. The Warriors’ Big Three of Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson were expected to provide the firepower the Warriors needed if they were to win. The Rockets’ defense double-teamed Kevin Durant all night long. Neither Draymond or Klay could pick up the slack. The Warriors made just four 3-point shots while the Rockets connected 16 times.

The Warriors grabbed an early 8-1 lead in the first quarter. They led 15-8 until Houston went on an 8-0 run to take the lead 16-15. The Rockets took the lead for good when they hit a three to take a 19-17 advantage. The Rockets finished the quarter leading 25-19. The Warriors and Rockets each scored 22 points in the second period and the Rockets still led by six at the end of the first half 47-41. Durant led the Warriors with 13. Thompson and Jonas Jerebko each had six. James Harden led the Rockets with 15. Clint Capela had 6, Chris Paul 8, and Eric Gordon added 10.

The Warriors held the Rockets to 36% from the floor, but the Rockets took seven more shots than the Warriors.

The Warriors could not get the offense going in the second half. They were not running the fast break. They were not making three-point shots. They were completely out of sync. They turned the ball over. The Rockets outscored them 29-22 in the third quarter and led 76-63. The way the Warriors were playing did not indicate that they could overcome a 13-point deficit.

Thompson started the fourth quarter with a bucket. The Rockets went on a 21-0 run to put the game out of reach. The Warriors’ head coach Steve  Kerr inserted his bench players, and the Big Three watched the finish of the game from the bench. The Rockets cruised to an easy 107-86 win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors had an opportunity to win the game had they had an offense. The Rockets were averaging just 101 points on offense so far this year. Their defense had allowed 102 points per game. The Warriors did not do it, and their record dropped to 12-4. Houston improved to 7-7.

Durant led the Warriors with 20 points. Kevon Looney was second with 12, Quinn Cook had 11, and Thompson finished with 10. Most of Cook’s points came in garbage time.

Harden led the Rockets with 27. Eric Gordon had 17, Clint Capela, 10, and Chris Paul 10.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night in Dallas. Game time will be at 5 pm PT.

Headline Sports with London Marq: Arguing on the court, closed door locker drama, team is struggling on the floor, or is there nothing to see here?

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Photo credit: @morrisgriffin_

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 Are the Golden State Warriors finally melting down after years of success and starting to soften their foundation after Draymond Green got into a jawing match with team superstar Kevin Durant in Golden State’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night?

#2 The Warriors had lost two of their last three before Tuesday night. Green sat out Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta for misconduct and will lose $120,480 pay.

#3 Has this team that has been so successful for at least the last four years start to show cracks? Green has been noted as the most vocal on the team.

#4 Durant, Klay Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins are scheduled to be free agents next season even with their success. Can these players be leaving and will the Durant-Green argument be a distraction for Golden State?

#5 They were arguing and dissension was on the sidelines on Monday night amongst them Green with Durant, Green with DeMarcus Cousins. Does Green need to sit down and shut up?

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsrasdioservice.com

Warriors take down the Hawks 110-103

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors returned home to face the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors, still missing Steph Curry, had to face the young Hawks team minus their All-Star forward Draymond Green. Green and Kevin Durant had a verbal confrontation last night late in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The dispute spilled over into the clubhouse and was still not resolved on the flight home. The Warriors’ management suspended Green without pay for one game. The reason given was that Green had “committed conduct detrimental to the team.” The Warriors had to come back from the loss to LA and regroup. They did not play well in the first half, but played Warrior basketball in the second half to outlast the Hawks 110-103.

The Hawks, who are in rebuild mode, hired Lloyd Pierce as their coach after Mike Budenholzer resigned. Budenholzer had the worst year of his career with Atlanta last season and moved on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. Pierce inherited a young team with players that are not yet well-known in the league. The Hawks do have on their roster two former Warrior players: Kent Bazemore, and Jeremy Lin. Another familiar name is the 41-year-old veteran, Vince Carter. The Hawks feature rookie Trae Young, who came into the game averaging 18 points per game. Taurean Prince and Alex Len are two names that are not well known in Oakland, but both players performed well against the Warriors Tuesday night.

The Hawks frustrated the Warrior offense in the first quarter as they held the Warriors to just 20 points. They outscored the Warriors by three to lead 23-20, and the fans in the stands were starting to squirm as the Warriors’ offense sputtered through most of the game Monday night in Los Angeles. The two teams scored 29 points in the second quarter, and the first half ended with Atlanta ahead 52-49. The Hawks held the Warriors to just 39.5% shooting from the floor. Durant led the offense with 15. Klay Thompson, who scored 7 in the first half against LA, was held to 9 points Tuesday night. Jonas Jerebko hit two three-point shots and finished the half with 8. Quinn Cook had 7, and Jordan Bell added 6. Atlanta was led by Carter and Prince. Each player had 11. Alex Len had 8, Bazemore 7, and Deandre Bembry kicked in with 8.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr must have told the team to get their act together and play Warrior basketball during the halftime intermission.  The third quarter started with Atlanta increasing the lead to five 54-49. With Atlanta, ahead 58-55, the Warrior offense came to life as they went on a 17-2 run to grab a 10-point lead 70-60. The Hawks refused to bend, and they were to end the third quarter trailing by six 82-76. The Hawks still had a chance to upset the Warriors.

The Warriors were determined not to lose. The offense was sparked by Thompson, Durant, Cook, Jonas Jerebko, and Andre Iguodala. The Warriors expanded the lead to 14 101-87, but had to hold on for dear life as Atlanta kept coming back. The Hawks cut the deficit to five 106-101 with 1 minute and 41 seconds left to play. Durant scored the next 4 points, and the Warriors held off the Hawks 110-103

Game Notes and Stats:  With the win, the Warriors improve to 12-3, while the Hawks’ record drops to 3-11.

Kevin Durant paced the Warriors with 29 points, 6 boards, and 3 assists. Jonas Jerebko had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, which was a career-high. Jerebko knocked down four 3-point shots. Klay Thompson finished with 24. Quinn Cook had 18.

The Atlanta attack was led by Taurean Prince’s 22 points. Alex Len had 14, Bazemore 18, Bembry 13, Carter 11, and Jeremy Lin 10. The Hawks’ outstanding rookie, Trae Young, was held to just 4 points.

The Warriors finished the night shooting 42.9% from the floor. They made 12 three-point shots in 27 attempts.

Up Next: The Warriors head to Texas for 3 games in 4 nights. They start the trip with against the Houston Rockets Thursday at 5:00 pm PT. They’ll then play Dallas on Saturday at 5:30 pm PT and the San Antonio Spurs Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Warriors fall to the Clippers 121-116 in OT

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday night. They were on the short end of the score as the Clippers beat them 121-116 in overtime. This Clipper team, coached by Doc Rivers, does not resemble the Clippers of past seasons. Guard Chris Paul was traded to Houston before the start of the season last year. Blake Griffin was sent to Detroit halfway through the 2017-18 season, and center DeAndre Jordan is now with Dallas.

The revamped Clipper lineup now features Marcin Gortat at center. Gortat came to LA when the Clippers sent guard Austin Rivers to Washington. Forwards Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris have led the Clippers in scoring. Gallinari is averaging 19.4 point-per-game, and Harris ‘ average is slightly better with 20.4 PPG. Patrick Beverley and Shai Gilfeous-Alexander hold down the guard positions. Montrezel Harrell and Lou Williams are the key players coming off the bench for LA.

The Warriors fell behind early in the first quarter and the only time they didn’t trail in the entire game was when they tied the score at 28 with 2:21 left in the first quarter. The Clippers regained the lead and led by four, 34-30, after the first 12 minutes of action.

The second quarter was more of the same. The Clippers maintained the lead and every time the Warriors closed the gap, the Clippers responded with a bucket. The Warriors trailed by two 57-53 with 3:32 to play in the first half. LA increased the lead to 60-55, but the Warriors cut the lead to one 62-61 on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer. LA responded with a bucket and finished the first half ahead 64-61.

Durant was the only Warrior in double figures in the first half. He finished the half with 21 points. Klay Thompson was second with seven. Thompson went cold and was 3-for-11 in the half. Quinn Cook had 4, Kevon Looney 6, and Andre Iguodala 7.

The Clippers had four starters in double-digits. Gortat had 10, Gallinari 12, Harris, 11, Gilgeous-Alexander 10, and Harrell had 9 coming off the bench.

Thompson hit a bucket to start the third quarter, and the Warriors trailed by one. The Clippers went on a 6-0 run and led 70-63. The Warriors could not get anything going as LA continued to outplay them on both ends of the court. The Warriors, who had just three turnovers in the first half, turned the ball over eight times. There was no spark in their play. With 1:26 left, Kevin Durant had to sit down as he committed his fifth foul. Things looked bad as there was no one to pick up the slack on offense and the defense could not stop the Clippers. The Clippers led 90-81 after three quarters.

LA continued to take the game to the Warriors. They led by 13, 103-90, as the game was winding down. Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr inserted Durant back into the game and the Warriors, behind Thompson and Durant, went on a 16-5 run to tie the game at 106 as time ran out and the game went to overtime.

The Warriors went ahead 109-106 when Andre Iguodala knocked down a three. With 3:53 to play, the referees called a foul on Durant, and he was done for the night. Thompson hit a three to put the Warriors up 111-108. The Clippers came back and tied the game. The Warriors tied it again at 113. The Warriors’ nemesis, Lou Williams, made a two-point shot, but was fouled on the play. Williams made the free throw. The Clips increased the lead to 116-113, but Thompson connected on another three to tie it at 116. The Warriors did not score again. Williams scored the last five points of the night, and the Clippers won 121-116.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry did not play Monday night. However, Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston returned to action.

With the loss, the Warriors are now 11-3 for the year, and the Clippers are now 8-5. The new-look Clippers beat both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Warriors in overtime.

Kevin Durant had a monster night for Golden State in a losing effort. He knocked down 33 points, recorded 11 rebounds, and had 9 assists.

Klay Thompson scored 31. Thompson had seven in the first half and got hot late in the game to score 24 in the second half.

Andre Iguodala was the only other Warrior in double figures with 14.

The Clippers had four starters in double-digits: Gortat had 12, Gallinari 14, Harris 17, Gilgeous-Alexander 18, Montrezel Harrell, who came to LA from Houston in the trade for Chris Paul, had a big night with 23 point and 8 rebounds. Lou Williams kicked in with 25. Williams had 11 from the floor and was 14 for 14 from the 3-point line.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm PT.

Durant leads the Warriors over the Nets 116-100

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors, missing three key players, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Shaun Livingston, bounced back from a humiliating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night to defeat the visiting Brooklyn Nets 116-100. The Nets, under coach Kenny Atkinson, arrived in town with a 6-6 record and they beat the Denver Nuggets in the Mile-High City last night. The Nets, with players that are not well known to Warriors fans, had a starting lineup with four players averaging 12 to 20 points a game. Guard Chris LeVert leads the Nets with a 20.3 points-per-game average. D’Angelo Russell, the former LA Laker, averages 16. Joe Harris is at 13.2 point-per-game, and Jarrett Allen enters the game slightly under 12 points a game.

Warriors’ backup point guard, Quinn Cook, started his first game of the year in place of the injured Steph. Curry. Also, head coach Steve Kerr needed either Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant to pick up for the injured Draymond Green. Green, a force on defense as well as one on offense, missed his second game in a row due to a toe injury. Durant responded to the challenge as he finished the night with a double-double. Durant knocked down 28 points and recorded 11 assists and had five rebounds. Klay Thompson poured in 24 and Cook kicked in with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Brooklyn took the lead early in the first quarter. The Warriors led 5-4, but Brooklyn grabbed the lead and was ahead 18-13. At this point, the Warrior offense started to rev up. The Warriors closed the gap to 20-19. They regained the lead 22-20 but the Nets came back, and the game was tied twice once at 22 and the second time at 24. Jordan Bell made two key buckets to give the advantage to Golden State 30-24, and The Warriors finished the quarter 36-30.

The Warriors were able to increase the lead to 12 at the end of the first half. The Warriors could not shake the Nets as they tied the game at 44. The Warriors then went on a 21-9 run to finish the first half ahead 65-53. Durant and Cook led the Warriors with 19 each. Klay Thompson had 10, and Jonas Jerebko added 6. Joe Harris led the Nets with 19. D’Angelo Russell added 12 and Spencer Dinwiddie, coming off the bench, had 8. The Warriors defense held the Nets to 43.2% from the floor while the Warriors were 65.8%.

The Warriors, as they have done so many times, dominated the third quarter. The offense put 29 points on the board, and the defense held the Nets to 21. The Warriors finished the third quarter with a twenty-point advantage 94-74. The Warriors were in command 111-90 when Kerr removed his regulars and let the bench warmers, and three players called up from the G-League to finish the game.  The Warriors win 116-100.

Game notes and stats- The Warriors big three of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Quinn Cook scored eighty of the Warriors 116 points. KD had 28, Cook 25, and Klay had 24. Damian Jones and Jonas Jerebko each had 8. Jordan Bell and Andre Iguodala kicked in with five apiece and Alfonzo McKinnie, who played well on defense, scored four.

The Nets’ Joe Harris led his team with 24. D’Angelo Russell was held scoreless in the second, and he finished with 12. Dinwiddie had 14 and Shabazz Napier, also coming off the bench, had 14. The Warriors defense stifled Jarrett Allen and Chris LeVert. Allen ended the night with six and LeVert was held to just 4.

The Warriors improved to 11-2, and the Nets Dropped to 6-7. The Warriors travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers Monday night at the Staples Center. The Warriors return home to face the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.

 

Bucks blowout the Warriors 134-111 at Oracle Arena

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors were without the services of Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston Thursday night when they hosted the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks, coached by Mike Budenholzer, stopped the Warriors and snapped Golden State’s eight-game winning streak as they pounded the Warriors 131-111.

The Bucks’ defense stifled two of the Warriors leading scorers, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Neither one of the Warriors’ stars could get into any kind of a rhythm. Steph tallied just 10 points in the game and left late in the third quarter with a left adductor strain. Durant struggles all night as the Bucks doubled and triple-teamed him. Durant finished with seventeen.

The Warriors held their own with Milwaukee for most of the first quarter. The Warriors were leading 23-19 until the Bucks went on an 11-1 run to take a 30-24 advantage. The Warriors never regained the lead. The Bucks finished the quarter leading 32-29.

In the second quarter, Milwaukee’s defense took over as they outscored the Warriors by ten 32-22 to finish the first half with a thirteen-point lead 64-51. Buck’s guard Eric Bledsoe was hot as he scored twelve points. Pat Connaughton, coming off the bench tallied 13. Kris Middleton had 10, and Giannis Antetokounmpo knocked down 19 and had 7 boards and 3 assists.

The Bucks continued the onslaught in the third quarter as they put the game out of reach. They outscored the Warriors and won the quarter 41-28. Curry, as mentioned above, left the game with a groin strain. Warriors’ head coach inserted his bench player for the fourth quarter, Warriors’ guard, Quinn Cook, put 15 points on the board in the quarter but they could not overcome the huge deficit they faced.

Game Notes and stats.

With the win, Milwaukee improved to 9–2 and the Warriors dropped to 10-2.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 24. KD 17, Jones 12, and Steph had 10.

Milwaukee was led by Eric Bledsoe with a season-high 26 points. Milwaukee’s other guard, Malcolm Brogden, had 20. Kris Middleton finished with 17, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24.

Milwaukee outrebounded the Warriors 46-36. The Had more assists 33-31. The had more steals and blocks, and they committed 12 turnovers. The Warriors turned the ball over 18 times.

The Warriors host the Brooklyn Nets at Oracle Arena Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 5:30 pm.

Warriors win their eighth in a row 117-101 over the Grizzlies

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors won their eighth game in a row and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 117-101 Monday night at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies, who lost a tough game Sunday night to Phoenix, played an excellent first half. They did not let the Warriors get into any kind of rhythm in the first twenty-four minutes of play. The Grizzlies played well on defense and kept Steph Curry well in check. Grizzlies’ coach J.B.Bickerstaff seemed to have an answer for everything the Warriors tried to do. The Warriors fell behind early in the first period and were not able to get the lead. The first period ended with Memphis in the lead 31-29.

It was more of the same in the second period. Klay Thompson scored the first basket in the quarter to tie the game at 31. Memphis responded and regained the advantage. The Warriors tied the game at 45, but Memphis went ahead by six 53-47. Steph then made a four-point play. The Warriors tied the game again at 55, but Memphis refused to wilt and led 58-55. Klay Thompson connected on a three-pointer, and the first half ended with the score even at 58. The story of the first half was the Memphis bench. Dillon Brooks, Wayne Seldin, Shelvin Mack, and Marshon Brooks outscored the Warriors bench 30-10. Memphis’ starters Marc Gasol had 6, and Michael Conley added 7. The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson with 18, Kevin Durant 16, and Steph Curry 10.

Everything changed in the third quarter. As the Warriors have done so many times in the past, the offense came to life as they outscored the Grizzlies 34-15. The Warriors defensive leader, Draymond Green, did not play as he suffered a foot injury and was sent to the locker room. Damian Jones picked up his fifth personal foul early in the quarter, and he sat out the rest of the game. Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Bell, and Alfonzo McKinnie to stop the Memphis offense and di they ever do the job. Not only did they excel on defense, but they also helped the Warriors go on a 27-8 run to finish the scoring in the period. Kevon Looney made four key baskets. Alfonzo McKinnie hit a key three-pointer, and Klay and Steph also played well. The Warriors led 92-73 after three-quarters of action.

Kerr had Klay Thompson on the floor with Quinn Cook, Jereko, Bell, and Looney. Cook made four 3-point shots, and the Warriors coasted to their tenth win of the year.

Game Notes and Stats. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 27 points. Kevin Durant recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Steph finished with 19. McKinnie had 14, Cook,13, Looney 9, and Jerebko 7.

Jaren Jackson, Jr had 15, Marc Gasol 8, Garrett Temple 13, and Michael Conley 9. Dillon Brooks had 18 coming off the bench.

The Warriors improve to 10-1 and Memphis falls to 5-4.

Shaun Livingston did not play as he is recovering from a foot injury. Andre Iguodala had the night off. Draymond Green did not play in the second half and was diagnosed with a contusion on his foot.

The Warriors meet the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night. The Bucks are off to a great start and have the same record as the Warriors 10-1 The game will be at Oracle Arena and will start at 7:30pm.

 

Warriors down the Timberwolves 116-99 for seventh win in a row

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-99 at Oracle Arena Friday night. The two teams played a very close game for three quarters, but the Warriors’ defense, led by Draymond Green, shut the Timberwolves’ offense down in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

The Warriors got off to a good start early in the first quarter. They had the lead 19-8 with a little over four minutes played. The Warriors, behind, Kevin Durant, led 29-18 with about four minutes left in the period. The T-Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, and Josh Okogie finished the period on a 7-2 run to close the gap as they trailed the Warriors 36-32.

The two teams played a nip-and-tuck second quarter. The T-Wolves played superb defense, and they kept coming after the Warriors. They went on a 12-2 run to take the lead for the first time 44-42. Klay Thompson hit a 3, and the Warriors were ahead once more 47-46. The lead seesawed back and forth until late in the quarter. Steph Curry hit a 3-pointer, and the Warriors led 59-53. The T-Wolves fought back, and the first half ended with the Warriors up by three 61-58. Kevin Durant led the Warrior offense with 20. Thompson had 10 and Curry kicked in with 14. Jonas Jerebko tallied 7.

Taj Gibson had 10 for the T-Wolves. Andrew Wiggins added 7, Jimmy Butler 13, Karl-Anthony Town 10, and Josh Okogie had 12. The T-Wolves committed just 1 turnover in the first half. The Warriors had 7 turnovers.

In the third quarter, things did not go well for Golden State. Minnesota was able to control the tempo, and they did not commit any turnovers in the period. The Warriors seemed to be out of rhythm as the T-Wolves outscored them 29-22 to finish the quarter leading 87-83. The fans at Oracle were taken out of the game as the Warriors appeared to be going down to defeat.

However, teams have to play four quarters. The Warriors, behind Draymond Green’s superlative defensive play, shut down the T-Wolves’ offense in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson hit two 3-pointers to propel the Warriors into the lead 91-89. The Warriors went on a 12-2 run to go up by six, 97-91, with 6:41 left to play. The Warriors showed the T-Wolves what an elite defense looked like as Green shut down Karl-Anthony Towns. Durant, Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and Alfonzo McKinnie all hounded the T-Wolves’ offense as they held them to just 12 points and the Warriors tallied 33 to win 116-99.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 33 points. He also pulled down 13 boards.

Green almost had a triple-double. He scored 9 points, had 9 boards and recorded 11 assists. His defensive play in the fourth quarter was the catalyst for the win over Minnesota.

Curry had 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Jonas Jerebko had 7, and Alfonzo McKinnie, coming off the bench, had 8 points and 8 rebounds. He made two 3-point shots in 2 attempts and his 3-pointer in the fourth quarter helped seal the T-Wolves’ fate.

Andrew Wiggins led the T-Wolves with 22. Jimmy Butler had 21. Towns was held to just 3 points in the second half and 13 for the night. The big guy pulled down 11 rebounds. Okogie finished with 15, and Taj Gibson had 12.

The Warriors shot 48.9% from the floor and made 13 3s in 34 attempts. The T-Wolves also made 13 threes, but they took 45 shots to do it. The Warriors recorded 31 assists. The T-Wolves made 4 turnovers in the fourth quarter as the Warriors’ defense stifled their attack. The Warriors finished the night with 16.

The Warriors improved to 9-1 for the season, and Minnesota falls to 4-5.

Up Next: The Warriors have the weekend off as they resume play against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena on Monday night. Game time is at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors win sixth in a row after 131-121 defeat of the Pelicans

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who returned home to Oracle Arena after a successful 3-game road trip, defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 131-121 on Wednesday night. It wasn’t easy as the Pelicans entered the game as the highest scoring team in the NBA. The Warriors, who were backed by Steph Curry’s 37 points, failed to crumble. They moved the ball well and recorded 40 assists in a winning effort. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green also played well. Green was a force on defense, and the Warriors were able to hold the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis to just 17 points.

Both teams played an uptempo game in the first quarter. The lead changed hands several times, but the Warriors were able to end the period with a 6-point lead 43-37.  In the second period, the Pelicans trailed 49-40 when they went on an 11-0 run to regain the lead. The Warriors woke up and went on a 14-6 run to lead 64-56. The Pelicans regrouped and scored the next 7 points to trail by one 64-63. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green scored the next 3 buckets, and the Warriors finished the first half leading 70-63.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, outscored the Pelicans 37-29 to take a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Curry led the charge, and he had help from the Warriors’ bench players Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, and Alfonzo McKinnie. The quarter ended with Golden State leading 107-92.

The Pelicans refused to quit. Davis led the Pelicans’ charge. Curry, Durant, Thompson, and Green were determined to not let the Pelicans overtake them. They met every challenge and did not wilt down the stretch. The Pelicans did win the quarter as they outscored the Warriors 29-24 but the 15-point deficit was too much to overcome. The Warriors won 131-121.

Game Notes: Steph Curry led the Warriors with 37 points. It was his sixth 30-point game of the season. Durant had 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Draymond Green almost had a triple-double as he recorded 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists. Green was clearly the player of the game for the Warriors. Klay Thompson finished with 18. The Warriors bench tallied 30 points. Jonas Jerebko had 10, Andre Iguodala 9, and Jordan Bell, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Kevon Looney added 11. Shaun Livingston did not play as he is recovering from a foot injury.

The Pelicans were led by Jrue Holiday’s 28 points. Nikola Mirotic knocked down 26 and snagged 12 rebounds in a losing effort. E’Twaun Moore pitched in with 21.

The Warriors are now 8-1 for the season, and the Pelicans drop to 4-3.

The Warriors held a moment of silence for Giants legend Willie McCovey, who passed away at the age of 80 on Wednesday.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had this to say about Big Mac: “For me, Willie McCovey represents a major figure from my childhood…Hearing Vin Scully talking about Willie McCovey and the Dodger/Giant rivalry. I’m well aware of how beloved Willie was here in the Bay Area and by the Giants family. We extend our condolences to Willie’s family and to the Giants family. Everybody here with the Warriors is thinking about them tonight.”

Up Next: The Warriors resume play Friday night at Oracle Arena when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 pm PT.

Jimmy Butler is expected to play. Butler has requested for the Timberwolves to trade him, but the team has not finalized a deal yet.