Category: NBA

Warriors were missing the Big Three and ended up falling to Kings 98-93

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors received bad news Friday when it was announced that Kevin Durant suffered a broken rib in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday.

Durant joined Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on the sidelines as the Warriors had to face the young Sacramento Kings. The Kings were hoping to beat the Warriors at Oracle for the second time this season, and that was exactly what happened as they went on a 9-3 run late in the fourth quarter to win 98-93 on Friday night.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr shuffled his starting lineup once again. Quinn Cook and Nick Young started in the backcourt for the second game in a row. Andre Iguodala started at forward in place of Durant, and Draymond Green returned from a shoulder injury to resume his usual spot at the other forward position. Kerr chose to start Zaza Pachulia at center Friday night.

The two teams played a very up-tempo first quarter. The Warriors got off to a good start, and they finished the period leading 36-29. Cook scored 10 points to lead the Warrior attack.

The Warriors increased the lead to 50-39, but things went south as the went over five minutes without a bucket and at one point committed five turnovers in six possessions. Sacramento went on a 12-0 run to regain the lead.

The Warrior offense woke up late in the period, but they were outscored 28-23 and finished the first half with a 59-57 advantage. Cook led the Warriors with 18, and Andre Iguodala added 10.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 14 points. The Warriors’ Omri Casspi suffered a right ankle sprain in the period, and he did not return.

The Warriors could not get anything going in the second half. The Kings weren’t much better, but they were able to outscore the Warriors 18-16, and the game was knotted up at 75 after three quarters of play.

The game was nip and tuck the rest of the way. The biggest lead the Warriors had was by three points after Cook sank a trey to lead 90-87. It was at this point when Sacramento went on a 9-3 run to win it.

The Kings led 93-90 until Green nailed a three-pointer to tie the game. It was all Kings after that as they scored the last five points in the game to seal the victory.

Game Notes and Stats: Cook had the best game of his NBA career. He scored 25 points. He made five three-point shots in seven attempts.

Green has a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He blocked two shots.

Nick Young helped out with 16 and Iguodala finished with 11. Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 22. Hield made five 3-point shots in 10 attempts.

Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only Kings starter in double figures with 11. Usually, the starters on a team led the club in scoring. The Warriors’ starters outscored the Kings’ starters 70-39, but the Sacramento bench blasted the depleted Golden State bench 59-23.

The Warriors made announcement on the Big Three’s injuries. Durant will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Curry will be checked out on Tuesday–and if his ankle is healed–he may return to action sometime next week.

Thompson will see the doctors on Thursday, and they will check out his fractured thumb.

There was no news on the severity of Casspi’s sprain, and it is unknown how long he will be out.

West and Green returned to action after missing some time due to injury.

The Warriors drop to 52-16 while the Kings improve to 23-47.

Up Next: The Warriors play in Phoenix this Saturday and San Antonio next Monday.

Warriors are missing three All-Stars, but have enough firepower to defeat Lakers 117-106

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced a daunting task Wednesday night at Oracle Arena as they were facing the rapidly improving Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had won 20 out of the last 29 games played and are on the upswing. The Lakers’ Isaiah Thomas made his first start at guard since being acquired at the trade deadline.

The Warriors were missing Steph Curry (sprained ankle), Draymond Green (shoulder injury), Klay Thompson (fractured right thumb), David West (infected cyst), and Patrick McCaw (broken wrist). Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had his work cut out for to send out a revamped lineup to deal with the Lakers.

The Warriors responded as they had seven players in double figures and their bench outscored the Laker bench 39-22 as they beat the Lakers 117-106.

The Warriors started Kevin Durant, Zaza Pachulia, Quinn Cook, Nick Young, and Kevon Looney. The Lakers countered with Lonzo Ball, Thomas, Julius Randle, Brook Lopez, and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. The two teams played a very competitive first half. The Laker Attack was led by Thomas with 15, Randle 13, and Brook Look Lopez added 15. Kevin Durant paced the Warriors with 16. Pachulia had eight, and Shaun Livingston picked up the slack with 11. Quinn Cook and Omri Casspi each had six, and Nick Young did not score at all.

The Warriors won the first quarter 26-23, but were outscored 32-29 in the second as the half ended with an even score of 55-55.

The Warriors came out smoking hot in the third quarter. The Lakers held Durant to just one bucket and three free throws, but Young and Cook led the Warriors on a 12-0 run to lead 70-59.

Pachulia, Looney, Iguodala, and Livingston paced the attack, and the Warriors finished the third period leading 89-82. The Warriors refused to let the Lakers get back in the game. The Lakers cut the deficit to five early in the fourth quarter, but Young, Casspi, Looney, and Durant were unstoppable, and the Warriors were able to win by a final score of 117-106.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors had seven players in double figures. Kevin Durant finished with 26 points. Durant, however, made just one 3-point shot in seven attempts.

Kevon Looney had a career high with 11 points.

Zaza Pachulia had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Pachulia also had five assists in his first start since the All-Star break.

Quinn Cook finished the night with 13.

Nick Young, aka Swaggy P, scored all 18 of his points in the second half. Young made three 3-pointers.

Omri Casspi tallied 15, and Shaun Livington finished with 13.

The Warriors brought up Damien Jones and Chris Boucher from the G-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors. Boucher made his NBA debut late in the fourth quarter.

The Warrior shot 55% from the floor, but made just six threes in 20 attempts. They outrebounded the Lakers 50-33 as they made good use of all the big men on the team.

Both teams had 25 assists, and the Warriors defense made eight steals and had six blocked shots.

The Warriors committed 22 turnovers in the game, and they were fortunate as they do not have a good record when they commit 16 or more turnovers in a game.

Andre Iguodala and Jordan Bell returned to action Wednesday night.

The Warriors were 0-3 in games played with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson before the win Wednesday.

The Warriors announced that Curry will miss three or four more games, Thompson will be resting his thumb until March 22, David West is expected to return Friday night, and it is not known how long Draymond Green will be out.

The Warriors are now 52-16, while the Lakers drop to 31-37.

Up Next: The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings Friday night at 7:30 pm PT in Oracle Arena.

Fox shines at the buzzer, Kings outlast Heat 123-119 in OT

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Photo credit: @NBA

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Kings hosted the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. The Heat came into the game having lost their last game, 115-99, to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Kings also lost their last game to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 106-101. The Kings and Heat are having very different seasons. The Kings had a record of 21-47. The Heat had a record of 36-32. Tip off was set for 7:00 pm PST with the Kings and Heat going head-to-head in Sacramento.

The first quarter would start off with a fairly mellow tempo. Neither team came out of the gate looking more dominant than the other. With 4:59 to play in the first quarter, the Kings trailed the Heat by only two points, 16-14. Vince Carter entered the game and fouled James Johnson. The Kings would add a few more points with time running out in the first quarter. It was over yet though as Buddy Hield would toss up a four foot floater to make a buzzer-beating two. The Kings would go into the second quarter down 31-24.

The Kings would come out in the second with full force. They scored the first seven points in the second and pulled within two at 31-33. They didn’t stop there. After the Heat added a two, the Kings were right back at it. The Kings added 10 points to make it 43-38 Kings on top with 6:21 in the second. Between that and with 3:15 to play the Kings would extend that advantage to 49-43. The Kings showed some real heart in the second. For what appeared to be a game favoring the Heat, the Kings battled back and went into the locker at halftime up 59-52.

In the third quarter, both teams came out looking like they did in the first half. The Heat looking for a go-to scorer, and the Kings looking to keep rolling. Both teams would bounce back and forth with the score being 82-73 Sacramento with 3:35 to play in the third. The Kings would add nine more with a minute left to make it 91-76. Frank Mason would attempt to hit a long-range three at the buzzer, but to no avail. The Kings would lead, 91-79, going into the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, the Kings would get on the board first. Those points scored on a floater by Kosta Koufos. Mason would be fouled and he made both his shots to make it 95-79. At this point, the game looked as if it were heavily in Sacramento’s favor. This narrative would then continue. With eight minutes to play, the Kings led the game 97-84.

The Heat and Kings got in a little scuffle around the seven-minute mark. Two technical fouls were charged. The first went to Koufos and the second to Goran Dragic. At the five-minute mark, the Heat started to put a little pressure on the Kings. So if anyone thought this was over, think again. De’Aaron Fox was charged with a controversial call that put the Kings in the penalty. From all angles, it appeared that Fox made no contact with Dragic, who would make both his shots. That coupled with a three from Dragic to make the game, 104-102, in favor of the Kings. The Heat would storm back and take a 110-106 lead with only 49.6 seconds to play and the Kings had a possession as Hield countered with a long-range three to make it 110-109. As if we haven’t seen Fox come up clutch all year, he showed us again. Fox hit a buzzer beating layup to tie the game at 111 apiece. These two teams headed to overtime!

In overtime, the script was simple. Both teams battled hard! Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a long-range jumper to make it 119-115. The Heat answered back with a two, but Hield was fouled and made both free throws. Hield was fouled again and made both shots to set the stage for the Kings’ victory. With the crowd at Golden 1 Center going crazy, the Kings defeated the Heat 123-119 in OT.

What’s Next?
The Kings head down to the Bay Area, where they will face the Warriors on Friday at 7:30 pm PST.

The Heat stay on the road and go to Los Angeles to face the Lakers Friday at 7:30 pm PST.

 

Golden State Warriors Podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors aim to snap the two-game loss spell against Lakers on Wednesday night

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On the Warriors podcast with David:

1. The Golden State Warriors tip off against Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night at Oracle Arena at 7:00 pm PT. The Warriors are coming off two straight loses to the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves both road loses. Dave talks about how injuries have played a role in the recent loses.

2. The Warriors’ head coach Steven Kerr who appeared at a Newark High School has encouraged students at the school that their walkout is a for a good cause that gun violence must see it’s end by gun control and gun bans. Kerr’s father was killed by gun violence when he was a teenager and he really believes that this movement has some substance now for the first time.

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News and Commentary: Melvin says Lucroy on track to catch 115-120 games; benches empty between A’s and Giants could lead to a rivalry of sorts; Kerr has freedom of speech to speak out on gun control

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Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

On the Podcast with Amaury:

1. Amaury talks about catcher Jonathan Lucroy and says that this A’s team can really sneak up on teams.

2. Lucroy, one of the many free agents who were available, signed on for this season for $6.5 million, who manager Bob Melvin says will catch 115-120 games.

3. The A’s and Giants starting to show some preseason action. Giants pitcher Sam Dyson threw high and tight at the A’s Khris Davis on Monday. Two hitters later, they were bean, which forced the umpires to warn both benches. Could this be the beginning of a Bay Bridge rivalry?

4. Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors head coach, spoke at a Newark High School gym on Monday about gun control and how his father was murdered by gun violence and that he supports the student walk out and protest for gun control. Amaury says Kerr has a right to say what he wants and that he has the freedom of speech.

5. Amaury also talks about his Topps Basketball card from the 1990s when he was the Golden State Warriors’ Spanish play-by-play announcer.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the play-by-play Spanish talent for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

Kings show heart, but fall to OKC Thunder 106-101

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By: Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder came into their game at Chesapeake Energy Arena Monday evening, having very different seasons. The Kings have had a record of 21-46, and the Thunder a record of 39-29. The Kings lost their previous game to the Denver Nuggets 130-104. The Thunder won their last game 104-94 against the San Antonio Spurs. The tip-off was set for 5:00 pm PST.

In the first few minutes of the first quarter, it was all Thunder, especially Carmelo Anthony. Only three minutes had passed into the game and Carmelo had already drained three 3-pointers. The Thunder continued to look dominant with Russell Westbrook, slamming an authoritative dunk roughly halfway through the first quarter.

The Kings changed that narrative though. After battling back into position, Frank Mason would be fouled with 2:14 to go in the quarter. He made both of his free throws, and the Kings pulled within one, 16-17. The quarter would end with the Thunder leading 19-16.

The second would start with the Kings’ Buddy Hield drained a three to tie the game at 19 apiece. The game would go back-and-forth with only two points separating the two teams with 6:04 to play. Koufos, Bogdanovic, and Jackson would finish with the Kings scoring in the second. The game would go into halftime with the Thunder on top 46-40.

In the third quarter, the Kings would come out firing. Justin Jackson would drain a three to give himself eight points on the night and pull the Kings within three, 43-46.

With 10:30 to play in the third, the Thunder had extended their to 43-51 and it wasn’t looking good. The Kings jumped back into it though, thanks to a part by a Justin Jackson three that made it 50-53. Although it may sound like a broken record, this game constantly went back-and-forth.

No team really jumped out to a commanding lead, even though the Thunder has a couple leads in double digits. Vince Carter would hit a three with 1:40 to go, bringing the Kings within one, 73-74. To close out the third, Garrett Temple would throw a layup and make it 79-78 going into the final quarter.

The Kings went into the final quarter with little optimism after taking a small lead into the fourth quarter. However, the lead was short-lived as Ferguson would come out and drain a three to give the Thunder back the lead, 81-79.

The game didn’t have any real separation until the Thunder extended the lead to 102-92 with 2:48 to play in the game. The Kings would battle trying to fight their way back, but ultimately succumbed to their wounds. The final score was 106-101 and the Thunder got their 40th win on the season.

What’s Next?
Kings return home to face the Miami Heat on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm PST. The Thunder went on the road to face the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at 4:30 pm PST. 

Timberwolves outlast Warriors en route to 109-103 win

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors were missing Steph Curry, Andre Iguodala, David West, Jordan Bell, and Patrick McCaw, lost their second game in a row to the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday afternoon at the Target Center.

The Timberwolves were missing their leader, Jimmy Butler, but had enough firepower to take down the Warriors. The Warriors gave it all they had, but they just didn’t have it in the third and fourth quarters.

The T-wolves won the first quarter 34-24. The Warriors were ahead 11-9 when the T-wolves went on an 11-0 run to lead by nine (20-11). Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 11 and no other player had more than four points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Warriors turned on the jets and outscored Minnesota 38-21 to take the lead 62-55 at the end of the first half. Durant tallied 19 and he got help from Zaza Pachulia with 10. Klay Thompson had 12 and Draymond Green pitched in with eight. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins each had 15 for Minnesota.

The Warriors increased the lead to 11 early in the period but Minnesota went on a very impressive 19-6 run to take the lead by four. Buckets by Durant, Pachulia and Shaun Livingston enabled the Warriors to finish the third quarter tied at 84, despite being outscored 29-22 in the period.

The T-wolves, behind the superb play of Towns and Wiggins, were able to take a 101-96 lead. The Warriors kept coming back and closed the gap to trailing 104-103 after Durant made a 3-pointer. The T-wolves scored the last five points of the game and beat the Warriors 109-103.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors fall to 51-15. They are now a full game behind the Houston Rockets for the best record in the NBA and the deficit may drop to one and a half games should Houston beat the Mavericks later in the day.

Kevin Durant had a double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Klay Thompson added 21. Zaza Pachulia played very well as he also had a double-double. Pachulia scored 16 points and had 11 boards and two blocked shots. Draymond Green finished with eight.

The Minnesota defense held Golden State to just 40.7% from the floor and the Warriors were 10-for-36 from the 3-point range.

The Warriors committed 13 turnovers in the game, but five of them came in the third period and those turnovers cost them dearly.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the T-Wolves with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Taj Gibson and Jeff Teague also had double-doubles. Gibson had 11 points and 13 rebounds while Teague scored 10 and had 10 assists. Andrew Wiggins finished with 23.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Lakers Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

Combined effort from all players help Kings to a 94-88 win over Magic

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Kings came into the game Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic coming off a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. The same was true for the Magic who suffered a loss in their last game falling to the Lakers. The Kings and the Magic come into the game with a identical record of 20-45.

The first quarter would start with the Kings jumping out ahead in force. The Kings would lead the Magic 9-3. The Kings would continue to score on the Magic extending the lead to 18-10 with 2:51 to play in the first. The Magic would only be able to add a two before the end of the quarter. That two was made by Shelvin Mack to make it 14-22 Kings going into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings would continue to build their lead. With 9:24 to play in the second, the Kings would lead 26-16. However, both teams would be sloppy with the ball. Having played about two-thirds of the second quarter the number of turnovers for both teams would sit at 18. The Kings committed 11 turnovers, which led to seven points.

The Magic committed seven turnovers, but they only led to two points. The game would continue to go back-and-forth, and with 1:20 to go in the second quarter, the Kings led 36-33. Frank Mason would attempt a layup with 38.9 seconds to go. He drained it, and was fouled on the way up making it a three-point play and a 41-33 Kings lead. Vince Carter would attempt a long three at the buzzer, but it was no good. The half ended 41-36 with the Kings on top.

Coming into the third quarter, the Kings had the lead 41-36. Garrett Temple drained seven points in the three minutes to put the Kings up 50-39. The Kings and Magic both appeared to need a go-to scorer in the third.

For the Kings, that would be Garrett Temple and Kosta Koufos. Temple would finish the third with 23 points and Koufos with 16. The Kings would put up 33 points in the third compared to the Magic’s 26. Both teams upped the ante, but Sacramento came out on top. After three quarters, the Kings led the Magic 74-62.

The Kings came out onto the court in the fourth and final quarter with what seemed to be a higher enthusiasm. The crowd was into it, and so were the Kings. Jack Cooley would come out strong in the fourth quarter, proving to be a valuable scorer. After only four minutes, he had accumulated six points.

The game would stay at a 11 point spread as play stopped with 8:05 to go. At the 4:37 mark in the fourth the Kings led 88-76. The Magic would need to get some major work done in the final four minutes to have a shot. In the end, the Magic would be unable to muster enough and the Kings would be victorious 94-88.

Notable Performances: Kosta Koufos (18 points), Garrett Temple (23 points), Vince Carter (15 points), Jonathon Simmons (25 points) and Nikola Vucevic (13 Points).

Up Next: The Kings go on the road to face the Nuggets on Sunday. The Magic continue the road trip and head to Los Angeles, Calif., for a matchup against the Lakers on Saturday.

Blazers’ Lillard and McCollum send Warriors down to a 125-108 defeat

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Portland Trail Blazers’ backcourt duo of Damien Lillard and C.J.McCollum combined for 58 points and beat the Warriors 125-108 at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on Friday night.

The Warriors, coming off a tough win over San Antonio Thursday night, were led by Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson and nobody else. The Warriors were without Steph Curry, David West, Andre Iguodala, Jordan Bell, and Patrick McCaw.

The Warriors trailed for all of the first half. The Blazers led by six after the first 12 minutes of play and increased the lead to nine (61-52) when they went on a 9-2 run to end the second quarter. The Warriors took the lead 75-73 midway through the third quarter, but the Blazers finished the period on a 10-0 run to finish with a four-point advantage 87-83 and had momentum on their side heading into the final 12 minutes of action.

The Blazers’ Lillard and McCollum were lights out in the final stanza. The Blazers outscored the Warriors by 13 to blow out the Warriors by 17 points (125-108).

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson led the Warrior attack with 40 and 25 points each. The only other Warrior in double figures was JaVale McGee with 10. Draymond Green had 7, and Quinn Cook added 8. The Warrior contributed just 18 points.

The Blazers’ bench, on the other hand, had four players in double figures and recorded 45 points in the win.The Blazers had a total of seven players in double figures. McCollum led the club with 30 and Lillard had 28.

Klay recorded his 200th 3-pointer of the season early in the game. Draymond Green picked up his 15th technical foul of the year, and if he gets one more, he will receive an automatic one-game suspension.

The Warriors were outshot 89-78, and Portland made six more buckets than the Warriors. The Warriors shot 48.7% from the floor while Portland shot 49.4%.

The Warriors were outrebounded 46-33, and they recorded just 20 assists.

The Warriors turned the ball over 12 times, but they did not have the firepower to keep pace with the Blazers.

The Blazers won their ninth in a row and snapped the Warriors win streak at seven. The Warriors are now 51-15 and trail the Houston Rockets by half a game in the race for best record in the NBA.

After the game, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr commented about the team’s performance: “We’ve got a deep team. That’s one of the hallmarks of our group the last few years,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game. “We’ve played without Steph, I think probably 15 times this year, or so, and we’ve gotten to know the formula. We know what to do. It’s a different game, but we’ve got to defend and take care of the ball, play a really solid game against a team that’s on fire.”

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday in Minneapolis at 12:30 pm PT.

Durant’s 37-point effort rallies the Warriors to a 110-107 victory over Spurs after Curry injures his ankle again

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors won their seventh game in a row, but it was not easy as the San Antonio Spurs played their hearts out but could not prevail. The Warriors needed the win to keep their hopes alive for winning homecourt advantage for the playoffs. The Rockets lead the Dubs by one-half game and own the tiebreaker. The Warriors lost their star, Steph Curry, early in the first quarter when he tweaked his right ankle. He was able to two free throws, but the Warriors sent him to the trainer’s table for treatment and Steph was done for the night. Three other players were not available Thursday night. David West missed his second game in a row with an infected cyst on his arm. Andre Iguodala was out with a sprained left wrist, and Jordan Bell was sidelined when he re-injured his right ankle. Steve Kerr had to use Kevon, Looney, Omri Casspi, Quin Cook, and Nick Young and hope that the Warriors could beat the Spurs. The game was not pretty, but they were able to come back late in the fourth quarter and beat the Spurs 110-107.

Both the Spurs and the Warriors were cold to start the first quarter. The Spurs led 3-0 when Steph Curry was fouled as he attempted a layup with just 2 minutes and 32 seconds played in the game. Steph turned his right ankle when he landed. He tried to walk off the injury, but it was apparent that he would not be able to continue. Steph went to the free throw line and made the two free throws, and that finished his night. The Warriors got the offense going late in the quarter, and they outscored the Spurs 28-21.

The Warriors could not get anything going in the second quarter. They scored just 13 points against Brooklyn Tuesday night, and the Warriors were cold again in the second quarter. The Spurs took advantage. The Dubs built the lead to nine 34-23, but San Antonio went on a 14-2 run to take the lead 37-35. The Spurs outscored the Warriors 29-18 and finished the half with a 4-point lead 50-46. The Spurs LaMarcus Aldridge had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 14, JaVale McGee 7, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green each had 4.

The Warriors played better in the third quarter. They have owned the third quarter, but on Thursday night, that did not happen as they were outscored 37-32 The game was tied at 78 when the Spurs went on a 9-0 run to finish the quarter leading 87-78. In the fourth quarter, the Spurs met every Warrior challenge and led 103-96 with under 3 minutes to play. The Warriors vaunted defense came through, and Kevin Durant scored 14 straight points to tie the game at 105. Draymond Green made a fantastic layup with his left hand to put the Dubs ahead by two 1:30 left. Klay Thompson made two free throws, and they led 109-105.  The Spurs scored and trailed by two 109-107. They fouled KD but he missed one, and the Spurs had a chance to tie if they could make a three-pointer. The Spurs got the ball to LaMarcus Aldridge, and he was fouled attempting a three. He made the first free throw but missed the second. He made the third, and the Spurs trailed 110-107. They got the ball back with 2.3 seconds left and, after a timeout, took the ball out from mid-court. Bryn Forbes missed a three-pointer with 0.01 seconds left, and the Warriors celebrated the win.

Game Notes and Stats. After the game Warrior head coach Steve Kerr announced that Steph Curry will travel with the team to Portland but will not play Friday night.

The Warriors won their 7th in a row and improved to 51-14. The Spurs dropped to 37-28.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 30 points and 17 rebounds. Kyle Anderson had 12, Davis Bertrans 13, DeJounte Murray 14, Tony Parker 11, and Rudy Gay 10. The Warriors were led by Kevin Durant’s 37 points, 4 assists, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Draymond Green had a triple-double with 11 points, 10 assists,12 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. JaVale McGee added 13, Nick Young had 12, and Shaun Livington had 9 points, 7 assists, and seven boards. Klay Thompson had a tough night. The Warriors needed a big night from Klay the ball was not going down for him. He finished the night with 12 points. He made two 3-point shots in 7 attempts.

The Warriors play the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night in Portland.