Category: Golden State Warriors

LeBron James, Brandon Ingram lead the way over the Warriors 123-113

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to hold off the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors 123-113 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. It was the Warriors’ third preseason game, and they suffered their second loss in a row. The Warriors were missing All-Star forward Draymond Green with a sore knee, and DeMarcus Cousins was not available as he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury.

The Warriors lost two big men over the off-season. Zaza Pachulia went to the Detroit Pistons, and JaVale McGee became an LA Laker. Head coach Steve Kerr has to hope that Damien Jones and Kevon Looney will be able to do the job until Cousins is ready to play.

With LeBron James on board, the Lakers will no longer be a pushover for the Warriors. LeBron played the first half and was in mid-season form as he scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists in the first half. The Warriors won the first quarter 34-31, but the Lakers outscored them 30-23 in the second period to finish the first half with a 61-57 lead. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant each scored 18 to pace the Warrior attack.

Curry,  Durant and Klay Thompson saw action in the third quarter, but left the game midway through the period. Kerr used his bench players the rest of the way, but they were not able to catch the Lakers. The Lakers were paced by Ingram in the third quarter, and he finished the night with26 points. The Lakers outscored Golden State 41-35 in the third period, and the Warriors won the fourth quarter 21-20.

Notes: Steph Curry was sharp as he netted 23 points and recorded five assists, but had five turnovers. Klay scored 18. Durant ended the night with 18. Durant also fouled out midway through the third quarter.

Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 26. Kentavius Caldwell-Pope tallied 20. Kyle Kuzma, who came off the bench, knocked down 22 in 24 minutes. Lonzo Ball saw 23 minutes of action, but scored just seven points. Lance Stephenson helped out the Lakers with 12.

Up Next: The Warriors finish the preseason Friday night when they play the Lakers again. This time, the venue will be the SAP Center in San Jose.

The regular season starts on Tuesday, October 16th at Oracle Arena when the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Game time will be at 7:30 pm PT.

 

Warriors fall 117-109 to the Suns in preseason game at Oracle Arena

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

Monday was game day for the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns at Oracle Arena. There was no reported cases of the Mondays in Oakland.

Prior to the game, Steph Curry spoke to the media on the support of Warriors fans, saying, “It’s a special place. The Bay has supported us. Oakland has supported us, and to know that these types of events, where you can bring some of these fans that might not get access to the games throughout the course of the season for whatever reason. You just want to enjoy that environment. You could see all the kids that came out, just going crazy for us just doing practice drills and what not and having some fun, bringing some kids on the court.”

The Warriors’ starters featured Kevin Durant, Kevon Looney, Damian Jones, Danuel House Jr. and Stephen Curry. The Warriors had their game faces on, but the final score–a 117-109 loss to the Suns–didn’t display that.

The Warriors made a statement in the first quarter with Curry’s three-pointers along with an astonishing moment where Curry refused to settle for three points and racked up a four-point play instead.

Despite Curry’s efforts, Golden State trailed Phoenix 40-32 at the end of the first.

Curry continued showing off his awesome skills in the second quarter, but Durant also shined as he moved without the ball with 5:18 left in the quarter. The Warriors merely outshot the Suns 25-21 in the quarter.

That being said, Golden State caught up, but they weren’t quite there yet, as they trailed Phoenix 61-57 at halftime.

Warriors’ second-year power forward and center Jordan Bell put in work in the third quarter. Bell attracted some attention to himself by putting some points and collecting some rebounds for the scoreboard. The Suns, however, poured in 38 points in the quarter, which seemed to perplex the Warriors, who were the home team tonight.

After three quarters, Golden State trailed Phoenix 99-87.

The Warriors outshot the Suns 22-18 in the fourth quarter, but Golden State’s attempts for a comeback fell short as Phoenix took the game 117-109. Curry led six Warriors in double-figures with 23 points and four assists. Durant had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Damian Jones and Kevon Looney each had 11 points in their starting assignments. Thompson, Green and Andre Iguodala all had the game off to rest.

The Warriors lost to the Suns, but there was a bright spot, as Golden State got a great glimpse at the 2018 No. 1 draft pick Deandre Ayton. Ayton put on an impressive show with a team-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, seven rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes.

Notes: Tonight’s giveaway was a Curry bobblehead that featured the former Davidson Wildcat in his outfit from the 2018 NBA Championship parade alongside the three Larry O’Brien trophies he has played a role in capturing.

This upcoming season will mark Steph Curry’s 10th season as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Curry reportedly seems to think that his previous injuries are now behind him.

“It’s probably one of the best summers I’ve had in terms of my prep work going into a year,” Curry told NBA.com. “So I’m excited about what that’ll mean on the court.”

Up Next: The Warriors head to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to take on the Lakers in a nationally televised game on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:30 pm PT on ESPN.

Warriors rout the Kings 122-94 for preseason win in Seattle

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors returned to the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington for the first time since 2007. It was a long time coming for the Warriors, who took on the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game in the Emerald City. There was a sellout crowd, and that wasn’t the only thing that got the Warriors fired up. Warriors star Kevin Durant recently said that Seattle is a basketball city that deserves an NBA team. In case you need a refresher, Durant was selected second overall by the ex-Seattle SuperSonics and spent the 2007-08 NBA season with the SuperSonics.

The Warriors tweaked their starters with Tyler Ulis, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Marcus Derrickson and Damian Jones. All these five starters made a positive impact on the court.

Just moments after the tip-off, Thompson opened the scoring with a 3-pointer that sparked Golden State’s 10-0 run early in the first quarter. Durant picked up where he left off. Other players like Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell added some points to the scoreboard. The Warriors led the Kings 39-18 at the end of the first.

Golden State resumed their 3-pointer streak in the second quarter. In other news, Shaun Livingston picked up a dime and handed it to Jonas Jerebko, who threw it down, late in the second. Durant then got the slam before the buzzer to close out the first half. The Warriors brought a 74-44 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Thompson and Durant continued to dominate to kick things off in the third quarter. Durant also notched the alley and Damian Jones collected the oop. Durant later knocked down yet another 3-pointer to give himself 26 points on the night, The Warriors put the game out of reach with a 102-69 lead over the Kings at the end of the third.

Bell made plenty of jumpers in the fourth quarter. Also, Thompson refused to back down as he threw down more 3-pointers late in the fourth. The Warriors had this preseason game from start to finish and downed the Kings 122-94.

Durant proved to the critics that he was still a big deal in Seattle. Durant finished with 26 points, six rebounds ans assists. Moreover, Thompson was just as a big deal as he recorded 30 points, 10-for-15 field goals and 6-for-10 3-point field goals.

Notes
According to the NBA GMs, the title of best pure shooter in the league came down to four NBA players. Three of them were Warriors players.

Up Next
The Warriors return home to host the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game on Monday, October 8 at 7:30 pm PT on NBA TV.

Timberwolves beat the Warriors 114-110 in preseason game

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By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors opened up the 2018 NBA preseason with a home game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oracle Arena on Saturday.

Prior to Saturday’s game, Kevin Durant was presented with his 2017-18 Season-long NBA Community Assist Award.

Warriors basketball was back, and the Splash Party picked up where it left off. Stephen Curry started the Splash Party with a couple of 3-pointers and then Durant and Andre Iguodala followed suit. In addition, a sweet dish from Durant set up the slam by Kevon Looney. Despite the Warriors’ on-court successes, the Timberwolves led 37-36 at the end of the first quarter.

The Warriors bounced back in the second quarter and subsequently carried a 71-65 lead over the Timberwolves to the locker room at the end of the first half. Klay Thompson had 15 points and 4 rebounds. Curry had 14 points and 3 assists. Durant had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Jordan Bell had 10 points and 4 rebounds. Shaun Livingston had 6 points and 2 assists. Draymond Green had 6 assists, 2 points and 2 rebounds.

Durant threw down some dunks in the third quarter. And, to be fair, Durant’s dunks appeared to be in mid-season form. Durant was able to show off the handle as well as the mid-range.

The Warriors trailed the Timberwolves 94-92 at the end of the third quarter.

The Warriors’ rookie power was certainly a sight to see. Jacob Evans III notched his first career preseason bucket at the 10:11 mark of the fourth quarter. Marcus Derrickson followed up with two 3-pointers.

The two teams were tied with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter. Evans continued to put in work on the Warriors’ court. But Evans’ or anyone else’s efforts were disregarded as the Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 114-110.

The Warriors’ final statistics showed Curry with 21 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds, Thompson with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, Durant with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 rebounds, Bell with 10 points, 7 assists and 1 rebound, Derrickson with 10 points and 3 rebounds, and Looney with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 rebound.

Notes
Warriors’ starters: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Damian Jones. 

Up Next
The Warriors and Sacramento Kings will battle it out next Friday at 7:05 pm PT inside the KeyArena in Seattle in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

Tyler Ulis reportedly agrees to Exhibit 10 contract with the Warriors

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By: Ana Kieu

The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors are continuing to make moves this offseason. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater first broke the news on Twitter.

Ulis last played for the NBA G League’s Northern Arizona Suns in 2017-2018. The 22-year-old was initially selected 34th overall in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. The former Kentucky baller made 71 appearances and 43 starts last season in Phoenix, averaging 7.8 points, 4.4 assists and 23.4 minutes per game.

According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, Ulis reportedly chose the Warriors over the Rockets and Kings.

Ulis was waived by the Suns on June 30th.

Of course, we’ll have to see how Ulis plays in Oakland. But I think that this move was a win-win for both parties. Ulis likely wanted to join a winning team and the Warriors appeared to be planning for the future.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: This Week in 1980, Charlie O. Finley Sold the A’s for $12.7 Million

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By: Amaury Pi-González

On August 21, 1980, Athletics owner Charlie Finley announced at a news conference that he has sold his A’s to Walter A. Haas, Jr., the chairman of the board of the Levi Strauss clothing empire, Haas’s son Walter Jr., and son-in-law Roy Eisenhardt for $12.7 million.

In 1980, Finley agreed in principle to sell to businessman Marvin Davis, who was planning to move the A’s to Denver, but before that, Finley and Davis were to sign a contract, as the NFL’s Oakland Raiders announced they were moving to Los Angeles in 1982. The City of Oakland and Alameda County officials didn’t wanted to be held responsible for losing Oakland status as a big league city and refused to let the A’s out of their lease with the Coliseum. So the A’s were sold and stayed.

Although they have changed ownership a few times since, today’s A’s are in solid ground to continue playing in Oakland. These days, the last thing in mind for the A’s is to move out of Oakland, because soon they will be the only professional team left, after the Warriors move to San Francisco and the Raiders to Las Vegas. That is the good news. Plus, MLB commissioner Robert Manfred has said it all along, “the Bay Area is a two-team market.”

However, there is presently a group called Protect Oakland’s Shoreline Economy that is questioning the A’s proposed move to their favorite location of the Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. Here in the greater Bay Area, there is never a shortage of groups that oppose construction of sports facilities. and this one is the most recent. This is the second chapter of this novela. In December of last year, the A’s plans to build a 35,000 seat ballpark near Lake Merritt was stopped cold, when the community college refused to start negotiations about the proposed park.

All these recent concerns have been rather silenced by the A’s current play on the field, as they have been shocking the baseball world. They just took two out of three from the Mariners and two out of three from the Astros–two of their biggest rivals. This Monday, the Rangers open a three-game series at the Coliseum and then the A’s go on a six-game road-trip to Minnesota and Houston. They return the 30th of this month to say adios to August and welcome September with a four-game series against the M’s, three against the contending Yankees and the Rangers again. I do not believe the A’s bandwagon is close to capacity yet, as there are still a lot of folks who are not 100 percent certain they are going to see postseason play at the Coliseum. But I think they will.

By then, we will see how are the Atléticos de Oakland doing, with two very possible scenarios: 1) winning the division or 2) advancing as one of the two Wild Card teams.

Listen to the A’s games in Spanish on KIQI 1010am/990am, covering the Bay Area, Sacramento, Stockton and the Valley, and on the SAP Channel on NBC Sports California.

Warriors part ways with longtime PA announcer Matt Hurwitz

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Photo credit: newscenter.sdsu.edu

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors announced that Matt Hurwitz would not be coming back as the PA announcer at Oracle Arena next season. Hurwitz had held the job for the past 18 years and had seen the Warriors rise from being the NBA’s doormats to poster children who won three championships in the past four years.

It is unclear why the sudden change is being made. Hurwitz, a Bay Area native, maintained a low-key delivery. Moreover, the only thing made publicly known is that the Warriors want to go in a different direction.

But a 47-year-old Hurwitz tried his best to be consistent in his calls, even if Stephen Curry put on a spectacular show on a given night at Oracle Arena.

“My calls are situational-based,” Hurwitz said. “If Curry hits one or two 3-point plays, my call is different than if he hits four or five. The trouble is that he is hitting eight, nine and 10 threes, and I have to pace myself.”

Hurwitz has worked a variety of PA jobs. He does PA work for the NAIA’s Menlo College football games, and he has also been with the IHL’s San Francisco Spiders and the AFL’s San Jose SaberCats. He abides by a few steadfast self-imposed rules.

“First, respect the play on the court,” Hurwitz said. “I don’t talk when there is any action.”

Rule No. 2? Don’t get cute.

“I don’t do nicknames or catchphrases,” Hurwitz said. “That takes away from the game. It is a reflection of how our fans want to be treated. They are smart and loyal.”

Changing PA announcers in the NBA doesn’t happen very often. Since 2010, only four teams until Tuesday changed PA announcers. Those teams were the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the last team to change announcers was the Spurs, who made the change in 2013.

Bottom line is, everyone has to remember that there are no guarantees in life. Working for a professional sports franchise is great. However, when change inevitably comes, it can come without warnings. Players are traded with no notice. The same goes for employees who work for the team.

The Chinese have an age-old philosophy about this sensitive topic that goes like “One door closes and another door opens.”

So I am certain Hurwitz will be just fine.

3 reasons why the Warriors’ signing of DeMarcus Cousins won’t work out

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By: Ana Kieu

When DeMarcus Cousins joined the Golden State Warriors, this forced many NBA fans to let out a heavy sigh, as the unstoppable force got even more unstoppable. Cousins reportedly signed a 1-year deal worth $5.3 million, which isn’t one of the biggest contracts, but still far less than what he likely could’ve earned with another team.

Cousins technically didn’t do anything he wasn’t allowed to do, according to the NBA salary cap structure. But this debatable fact hasn’t stopped fans from judging Cousins in a similar way like they likely did with Kevin Durant, who did something almost identical  a few years ago.

But here’s the question: Why did the Warriors sign Cousins? Obviously, the signing of Durant was helpful, but is Cousins the real deal?

Here are 3 reasons why the Warriors’ signing of Cousins won’t work out.

1. Is Team Chemistry An Issue?
The Warriors are apparently treating Cousins like he’s the next big thing when that title should be given to Durant.

Sure, Steph Curry may have called Cousins the third Splash Brother, but that doesn’t mean that he’ll be a positive force on the Warriors’ roster.

According to Twitter, Durant may not be Cousins’ biggest fan. Additionally, Draymond Green had a few words with Cousins before the deal was signed, and admitted that they’d need to put their differences aside in order to succeed.

So is the deal really worth the potential team chemistry issues that might arise? Either the Warriors signed Cousins because they know he’s not going to be around for a long time or he’ll be with the team long after Green, Durant and Klay Thompson sign contracts with other teams?

2. He’s Probably Not Going To Stay
On the topic of a short-term stay or an extended lodge, this isn’t likely going to be a long-term relationship between Cousins and Golden State. Regardless of where the Big Four end up, will Cousins really be around for the long run?

There has been speculation that the rest of the NBA didn’t come calling for Cousins and that’s why he signed with the Warriors. If that’s true, this will be nothing more than a showcase year to prove that Cousins isn’t injured. However, if he turns out to be successful, he might get a max contract next summer, but many players who need to prove that they’re worth the big bucks turn out to have no loyalty towards a team.

3. Warriors Have No Moves Remaining
The signing of Cousins was arguably the Warriors’ biggest move this summer. Some fans may suggest the Warriors won’t need to do anything else, but that might not be true, and even if they do, they can’t right now.

If you think that the signing of Cousins automatically means saying goodbye to Nick Young and Jamal Crawford, think again. The Warriors are losing to key players off their bench.

That being said, Cousins’ deal uses up the Warriors’ luxury tax mid-level exception. That means there will be less help from the bench, especially if Cousins recuperates from his injury and spends more time on the court than the Big Four. An injury to any one of these guys could be devastating as there will be fewer options in the backups department.

Warriors notes: The good news keeps on coming

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By: Ana Kieu

The back-to-back defending champion Golden State Warriors have faced a few setbacks so far this offseason, like when their head trainer, Chelsea Lane, left Oakland for a reportedly better job with the Hawks in Atlanta. Lane was arguably one of the most important Warriors even though she wasn’t a player or coach, as she reportedly juggled multiple roles: psychologist, doctor, adviser, trainer, friend and even a part-time comedian.

Anyways, Golden State isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. They recently re-signed head coach Steve Kerr to a contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the agreement weren’t released.

Warriors president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers told NBA.com, “We’re excited to have Steve under contract and poised to lead our team for the next several years … Under his guidance, we’ve been fortunate enough to win three NBA titles in four years and his ability to thrive in all facets of his job is certainly a primary reason for our success. He’s a terrific coach, but more importantly an incredible human being.”

Despite the lack of details, Kerr is the right fit for the Warriors, who have won three championships in four seasons. Kerr also owns a playoff mark of 63-20 or .759, which is currently the highest winning percentage in NBA history amongst head coaches who have coached a minimum of 25 playoff games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kerr is the 25th head coach in Warriors’ history and the 20th since the team moved to California in 1962. And, if things continue to work as planned, Kerr will continue to hold down a coaching gig in Oakland.

Also, Golden State appears to be on the right track when it comes to navigating the perplexing free agent market, as they’ve signed NBA star DeMarcus Cousins and Swedish big man Jonas Jerebko along with some other lesser known ballers.

In addition, ESPN reported that Warriors’ Kevin Durant won the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, given annually to an athlete whose leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. Durant started the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, which aims to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic and social programs. Durant also committed $10 million to a local chapter of College Track–a program that helps disadvantaged students attend college, in Suitland, Maryland, donated $1 million to tornado victims in Oklahoma in 2013, and built basketball courts around the world for low-income youth.

Anywho, many sources have speculated that the Warriors’ dynasty may come to an end in the near future, and while that could happen–as no team will continue to dominate forever–they’ve been having a pretty good summer and can possibly do some damage on other teams this coming season.

Jonas Jerebko reportedly makes an easy decision to join Warriors

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By: Ana Kieu

Not all NBA players are fortunate enough to make easy decisions to join other pro basketball teams, but Jonas Jerebko was apparently fortunate to do such a thing.

Jerebko, also known as “the Swedish Larry Bird,” is a Kinna, Sweden, native. The 31-year-old is far from a young rookie, but he’s a 36.3% 3-point shooter who shot 41.4% from beyond the arc with the Utah Jazz last season. Those aren’t exactly excellent numbers, but they’re not going to be labeled as draft bust type of numbers anytime soon…unless if he starts to fall behind for whatever reason it may be.

It’s obvious that Golden State isn’t wasting any time, as they signed Jerebko to a one-year, $4.2 million just days after Utah waived him. Jerebko spent the 2017-18 season with the Jazz. Jerebko also played for the Boston Celtics (2015-17) and Detroit Pistons (2009-15) in the NBA along with Angelico Biella (2007-09), Plannja (2006-07), and Boras (2005-06) in his native Europe.

Of course, Jerebko isn’t on the same level as a healthy DeMarcus Cousins, but the Swedish big man can bring some much-needed depth to the Warriors’ frontcourt. Jerebko has a pretty good ability to shoot the ball, which is going to be vital for a Warriors squad that has struggled to score at times.

According to The Mercury News, Jerebko is optimistic towards Cousins’ Achilles recovery While that’s a good thing, as no one would welcome an unfriendly teammate, only time will tell. Let’s see when Cousins’ target return date will be announced and if he can achieve it.

Jerebko added, “I want to show that its possible to come from Sweden and play for a team like Golden State.”

Jerebko is reportedly going to train in Michigan and return to the Bay Area by the start of the Warriors’ training camp in September.