Category: NBA

Kings: Let the games begin -the Bogdan Bogdanovic negotiations are on!

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

bogdanovic-1

“We have (Bogdan) Bogdanovic coming over next season as another asset.” Sacramento Bee February 25, 2017

If you thought Serbian shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic was going to finish his season in Turkey and fly to Sacramento ready to put on a Kings jersey ready to play, you would be wrong. The Kings obtained the rights to Bogdanovic as part of a draft-night trade with Phoenix that sent Marquese Chriss to the Suns.

Bogdanovic was drafted in the first-round (27th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. The shooting guard decided to remain in Europe to play for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League in part to avoid the NBA Rookie pay scale.

Now that three years have passed, Bogdanovic can negotiate a contract that pays him up to the maximum of a free agent with 0-6 years of experience in the NBA. A max deal at that contract level is projected to be $26-million dollars per year under the new CBA. Bogdanovic is not going get 26-mil but he is throwing down the gauntlet that he is not going to settle for $3 to 5-mil per year. This guy and his agents are looking for a major payday.

After researching his value, I still have no real idea where to place the “Euro” shooting guard on the salary chart. My guess (this is a pure “WAG”) is that Bogdanovic’s agent will be looking for a 3-year, $30-million deal with a one-year player option. This player and his agent have played hardball for three years, this will not be an easy negotiation.

Bogdanovic is having a very nice EuroLeague season. He is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting a 55.2-percentage for 2-point shots and 38-percent from 3-point range. He scored a season-high 27 points against  Olympiacos Piraeus on February 23rd. By all accounts, he is a talented and still developing player with a tremendous upside.

Here is the downside. If Bogdanovic joins the NBA next season, he will be 25-years old. That is almost ancient by today’s NBA standards where first-round draft picks are 19-years old. A team will be asked to make a veteran level dollar investment in a player who will have a shorter career in “the Association” and has never played a minute in the NBA.

Bogdanovic might come into the NBA and have an instant impact while becoming an All-Star. The more likely scenario is that he will come into the league as rookie with a big learning curve and struggle like most rookies do while he adjusts to playing basketball at the highest level in the world.

Bogdanovic at the advice of his advisers has already played a very dangerous game with the NBA in order to up his contract value. If he spurs the Kings for next season, he takes an even more calculated chance that teams will want to invest big money in a 26-year old rookie. The “Euro” star needs to remember the big, new CBA money will not stay uncommitted for long.

For the Kings, this is a time to be prudent. They now have two first-round picks in a star-studded draft. They really like Bogdanovic’s game or they would not have included him in the Phoenix deal, but they need to cautious. Before backing up the “money dump truck”, the Kings must remember Bogdanovic has played zero minutes in the NBA where it is a brand-new game.

The NBA D-League comes to Sacramento for one night only

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

d-league-mag

SACRAMENTO–There was a time if you did not make the roster of an NBA team going overseas to play basketball was really a players only real option. Yes, there was the Continental Basketball Association that ultimately gave way to the NBA Development League, but the money was not good and the chances of moving into “the Association” were slim to none.

Now that players are being drafted after just one year of college basketball experience, the need to have player development teams similar to the system baseball uses has become a necessity. Rather than losing control of players to teams in Europe and Asia, NBA teams are establishing a true player development system of their own.

There are currently 22 “D-League” teams and the league will expand to 25 teams next season. It will not be long before every NBA team owns a D-League team of its own. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expands each teams roster from 15 to 17 players next season. There are special pay provisions for players 16 and 17 on the roster depending on whether they on a the team’s D-League roster or NBA roster. A D-League team could have up to five NBA contract players on its roster beginning next year.

The sleepy, little D-League is now a thing of the past. The D-League (which next season will become the NBA Gatorade League) is about to become the most important player development tool the NBA has in its arsenal.

The game on Friday night featured the Reno Bighorns (owned& operated by the Kings) and the Raptors 905 (owned& operated by the Toronto Raptors).

This was my first time to see an NBA D-League game in person

I was interested in seeing several things in this particular game:

  • I was curious to see the level of play and where it fits between college and the NBA game
  • This game also offered a chance to see center Georgios Papagiannis play extended minutes that he does not get with the Kings
  • This match up also provided the chance to see one of the best teams in the D-League. Raptors 905 came into the game with the best winning percentage in the league

By halftime I had some answers

  • The level of play was obviously not NBA-like but it was also a real cut above Division-I basketball. The pace was fast and furious plus they love to shoot the ball from beyond the 3-point arc
  • Papagiannis was very interesting to watch work around basket especially with his soft-touch half-hook shot that can be very effective and almost impossible to stop because of his height and length
  • 905 showed why they win so many games by outscoring the Bighorns 36-16 in the second quarter and took a 57-42 lead into the locker room at halftime

Bighorns made it close in the third but could not hold on in the fourth

The Bighorns behind the play of David Stockton (6 pts, 1 ast) and Kendall Marshall (6 pts, 5 ast) outscored 905 26-20 in the third quarter to cut the Raptors lead to 77-68. It appeared that the momentum had swung over to Reno but things changed rapidly in the final period.

Both teams shot 6-for-20 (30-percent) from the floor in the final period. The difference came in 3-point shooting. 905 converted 3-of-8 from long range while the Bighorns hit only 1-0f-6 shots beyond the arc. The Raptors won the quarter 17-13 and the game 94-81.

Raptors 905 now has a record of 30-9 on the season and 6- 0 versus Western Conference teams. The Bighorns are now 13-25 for the season.

The Wrap

Raptors 905

  • Brady Heslip was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points in 33 minutes on the floor. He hit 8-of-15 shots from beyond the 3-point arc
  • Yanick Moreria and Antwaine Wiggins each added 11 points
  • 905 hit 12-of-31 (38.7-percent) tries from long-range
  • Raptors are now 6-0 this season versus Western Conference teams
  • Their road record improves to 15-2

Bighorns

  • Former King David Stockton was the leading scorer for Reno with 20 points. He also had three assists and three steals
  • Georgios Papagiannis posted 17 points shooting 8-for-19 from the floor. The big man also had six blocked shots in contest
  • Kendall Marshall recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 assists
  • Isaiah Cousins — who the Kings drafted in the second round — scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Cousins played his college basketball at Oklahoma with Buddy Hield who just joined the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade with New Orleans

The Dubs woes continue, Lose to the Bulls in Chicago 94-87

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, playing their first game since Kevin Durant was injured Tuesday night, lost to the Chicago Bulls 94-87. The Dubs NBA record of 146 consecutive wins with back-to-back losses ended. It was the first time since April 5th and April 7th, 2015 that the Warriors have recorded two losses in a row. Both of those losses came on the road in San Antonio and in New Orleans.

The Warriors finished the first half with a four-point lead 51-47. The Warriors usually play well in the second half, but that did not happen Thursday night. The Bulls behind Jimmy Butler and Bobby Portis held the Dubs to just 37 points. The Bulls outscored the Warriors 10-2 in the final 3 minutes of the game to ice the win. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson had a tough night from 3-point range. They attempted 22 but made just 3. They shot just 36.8% from the floor, and that will not get anyone a victory in the NBA.

Game Notes and Stats. The Dubs drop to 50-11. Kevin Durant will be reexamined in 4 weeks to determine if he can resume play. He suffered a Grade 2 strain of hid MCL(medial collateral ligament) and will not require surgery. He will, however, wear a knee brace night. Hopefully, the ligament will heal in 2 to 4 weeks. He also suffered a bone bruise to the top of the tibia. The bone injury could take longer to get better.. If all goes well, he could return to action the early part of April and be ready for the playoffs. The Dubs signed Matt Barnes to the vacancy on the roster. Barnes played 11 minutes and scored just 2 points and had no assists or rebounds.

Steph Led the team with 23. Klay had 13. Draymond Green, Patrick McCaw, and Andre Iguodala all were in double figures. The Bulls were led by Butler and Portis. The Warriors have to figure out a way to get back on track. They still have the best record in the NBA but are now in jeopardy of falling into the second seed which means that they will not haven home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They are a good team. They know how to win, but they need everyone to step up to make up for the loss of their superstar, Kevin Durant.

The Warriors face the New York Knicks Sunday in the Big Apple. Game time is at 12:30 pm.

Kings porous defensively, disjointed offensively in glaring loss to the woeful Nets 109-100

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Sacramento Kings Brooklyn Nets during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, March 1, 2017. The Nets won 109-100. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Not enough defense early, and far too little offense late would be a fair label for the reconfigured Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.  But a more bottom line analysis had its roots elsewhere on a night in which the NBA’s worst team snapped a 16-game losing streak, leading start to finish in a 109-100 victory at the Golden 1 Center.

Both the Kings and Nets should have been equally energized with their prospects for a rare victory enhanced by facing each other.  But the Nets alone seized that storyline from the game’s opening tip.  Consequently, King’s coach Dave Joerger could decipher his team’s malaise, but not prevent it.

“We didn’t come out with enough force to start the game and they physically manhandled us around the perimeter of the floor,” Joerger explained.

While the Nets made nine of their first 11 shot attempts and led 21-6 at one point, the Kings struggled to run their offense, and get out of each other’s way.   The Nets surprised with accurate three-point shooting–they made six from distance in a 35-point first quarter.  The Kings started slow personified by a pair of turnovers by surprise starter Skal Labissiere.

The Kings’ responded initially with offense; Aaron Afflalo contributed 10 points in the first quarter as the Kings sliced the Nets’ lead to four, 35-31, after one.  But the Kings would score just 69 points over a final three quarters littered with tentative play, over dribbling and stilted ball movement.  Sacramento finished with just 12 assists on 35 made baskets, and seven of the Kings that saw action failed to record a single assist.

“I don’t think we’re necessarily focusing on playing the right way,” said Darren Collison, who had the only two assists credited to the team’s five starters.  “I know we have a lot of guys who are unselfish but when you see a guy like DeMarcus Cousins, your best player out, a lot of guys try to take it upon themselves to score, to make a play, instead of just letting the game come to them.”

Defensively, the inbalance in the Kings’post-trade roster is glaring, with guard Ben McLemore routinely matched with bigger forwards in the Kings’ three-guard starting lineup.  With not enough bodies in the frontcourt, and Brooklyn’s Robin Lopez bullying his way to the hoop, the Kings suffered a huge disparity in points in the paint on Wednesday.   But the interior defense was just a part of it; the hot-shooting Nets finished with 11 made threes, at least one from eight different players.

Brooklyn had dropped 27 of 28 overall since winning at home the day after Christmas, and Wednesday marked only their third win this season on the road.  The Kings have dropped three straight since beating Denver in their impressive debut following the Cousins trade.

And whatever designs the Kings maintain on making the playoffs in Cousins’ absence took another blow.  With the loss, and the Timberwolves’ surprising, 27-point road win at Utah, the two teams are now tied for ninth, with three other teams just a game back.  Of the five teams looking to unseat the Nuggets for the final postseason spot in the West, the Trailblazers have the fewest road games (9) and the most recent–last season–playoff experience.

At least, the Kings do have a leg up in the “moronic” trade competition. The Pelicans registered their first win since trading for Cousins, but ironically did so without the former King, who was suspended for last night’s game against the Pistons for his ongoing accumulation of technical fouls.  So the standings are: Kings, Pelicans 1-3; Cousins 0-3 and still looking for his first victory in the Big Easy.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: With Durant out for a month W’s will have to depend on Barnes and back ups for help

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sunny95.com file photo: Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant in file photo with head phones is expected to miss at least one month of action according to doctors who worked on his sprained MCL and a bone bruise on his left leg an injury he received in Washington against the Wizards on Tuesday night

You might remember last post season in Portland the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry injured his ankle in the playoffs and when he returned from his injury he didn’t have the same burst and he didn’t have the ability like before to shake off the dribble. Curry had his moments in an overtime victory where he scored 17 points against Portland. Through the playoffs for Curry against Portland, Oklahoma City, and Cleveland he was not MVP Curry during that run. There were certain things missing from his game.

You always get concerned over anybody getting any kind of injury this time of year that said the injury could have been so much worse for Kevin Durant who suffered a sprained MCL and a bone bruise on his left leg against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night the Warriors Zaza Pachulia was pushed by the Wizards Marcin Gortat and Pachulia went into the back of Durant’s knee hyperextending it.

There’s much more on the Warriors podcast click on below with Dave for more information and each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

It’s Just My Opinion: KD’s absence puts speed bump on Warriors’ season

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AP photo file: Former Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes, right, goes to the basket over Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Barnes returns to Golden State in light of the Kevin Durant injury on Tuesday night (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — OK  Warriors fans you can breathe a bit easier this morning after hearing that forward Kevin Durant’s knee injury isn’t season-ending.

Durant injured his left knee in the first minute of Golden State’s 112-108 loss to the Wizards in Washington Tuesday night. The injury occurred on a loose-ball situation after Wizards center Marcin Gortat fouled Warriors center Zsa Zsa Pachulia, who then fell back on Durant’s left leg. Durant jumped back and tried to run off the injury, but was in obvious pain before walking off the court on his own power and into the locker room.

Durant will miss at least four weeks with a sprained MCL and bruised tibial bone in his left leg, the team announced Wednesday. The small forward will be out indefinitely, but will be re-evaluated.

Durant leads the team in scoring (25.3 points per game), free throw makes (5.5) and attempts (6.3) per game, rebounding (8.2 rpg) and blocks (1.6 bpg).

The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears received a text message from Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he is “relieved” by the diagnosis.

“I’m definitely relieved. I thought it would be way worse,” Green wrote. “Being away weeks sucks, but we will take that over what was initially thought.”

The Warriors (50-10) have the best record in the league and now with Durant’s injury, their perch atop the Western Conference could be in jeopardy with second-place San Antonio (45-13) hot on Golden State’s heels at just four games back.

San Antonio rocked Golden State 129-100 in Durant’s first game with Golden State at Oracle Arena after nine season with the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder organization.

The Spurs and Warriors meet up twice this month, both in San Antonio.

For Golden State, it will be second game of a back-to-back after playing in Minneapolis and Houston respectively the previous night.

The play of Green, and guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will need to step up their individual games even more. Durant’s absence will be felt, but it will be up to the Warriors other three All-Stars to lead Golden State down the stretch heading into the playoffs.

Curry and Thompson both have struggled to shoot the three-ball post the All-Star break.

Curry is really in a shooting slump, connecting on just 2-of-20 of his 3s in his last two games. The two-time league MVP was converted 41 percent of his 3s before the break, but is just shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc post break.

Thompson is shooting just 31 percent from 3 post break after shooting 42 percent before the break.

Before racking up 24 points, 25 assists, and 14 rebounds while shooting 11-for-21 from the field in his last two games, Green struggled in the two games prior, totaling 12 points, six assists, and 14 rebounds.

Golden State is expected to sign free agent forward Matt Barnes for the remainder of the season in the wake of Durant’s injury, per Chris Haynes and Marc Stein of ESPN.

The Warriors will reportedly first sign free agent Jose Calderon, fulfilling their pledge to the 12-year veteran, before adding Barnes to fill void vacated by Durant.

Barnes was averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with the Kings before being waived shortly before Thursday’s trade deadline last week.

This will be Barnes’ second go-around with Golden State.

Barnes played with Golden State from 2006-08 and was part of the “We Believe” Warriors team led by Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Jason Richardson that squeaked in the playoffs as an eight seed and knocked off the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2007.

Barnes told Spears of The Undefeated that his return to Golden State is “a dream come true.”

The versatile Barnes, who turns 37 on Mar. 9, brings another solid defender with toughness on the wing to go along with Green and swingman Andre Iguodala for Golden State.

The addition of Barnes isn’t a earth-shattering move by Golden State, but it does give the Warriors some flexibility to sustain Durant’s absence for the foreseeable future.

 

The Warriors not only lose game to the Washington Wizards, they lose Kevin Durant to an injury

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) walks to the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, in Washington. Durant hyperextended his left knee and exited the Golden State Warriors’ game at the Washington Wizards for good after all of 93 seconds Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Washington Wizards sent the Golden State Warriors down to their tenth loss of the season by a score of 112-108. The Warriors’ All-Star forward, Kevin Durant, had to leave the game just 93 seconds after the start of play in the first quarter. Durant, who was standing to the left of Zaza Pachulia was hurt when Pachulia crashed into his left knee having been thrown down by the Wizards’ big man Marcin Gortat. Durant winced when Pachulia hit him and a few seconds later hobbled off the court. He was diagnosed with a hyperextended knee, and an MRI was performed. Results of the MRI are not known at this time.

The loss of Durant appeared to affect the play of the Warriors. The Wizards were able to run up and down the court, and the Dubs didn’t seem to be able to stop them on defense. The Wizards’ Bradley Beal scored 16 points in the first quarter leading them to a 40-26 advantage after 12 minutes of action. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, kept urging the team to stay calm and focused. They started to play better in the second quarter, but they were only able to cut just 2 points off the lead and trailed 61-49 at the end of the first half. Klay Thompson was the only Warrior in double figures. He tallied 11. Steph had 6, Pachulia 4, David West 6, Shaun Livingston 6.

With the score 63-49, the Dubs went on a 10-0run to trail by just 4 points 63-59. The Wizard regrouped and kept the lead until late in the quarter. The Dubs, for the first time in the game, took the lead 80-79. Washington responded and finished the third quarter with a 3-point lead 85-82. The two teams went at it tooth and nail in the final 12 minutes of play. Neither team could pull away. However, with the score 110-108 in favor of Washington, Steph missed a three-point shot. Washington controlled the ball, and the Dubs committed a foul. The two free throws were made and the Dubs were toast. The Wizards win 112-108.

Game notes and stats- The Wizards, under head coach Scott Brooks, were 18-3 in the last 21 games before the All-Star break. They lost to Philadelphia on the road and to the Utah Jazz at home on Sunday. The Wizards currently reside in first place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference and are the third seed if the playoffs were to begin today.  The Warriors are now 50-10. Still, the best record in the NBA, and are the number one seed in the West.

Steph Curry led the Dubs with 25 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds. Klay Thompson had 16, Zaza added 12 and Draymond Green was the star of the night for Golden State. Green had another double-double with 14 points and 14 assists. He also pulled down 8 boards and had one blocked shot. Shaun Livingston knocked down 14. He Also blocked two shots. McCaw had 8, David West 7 and Andre Iguodala 4. The Wizards had six players in double figures. Beal 25, Markieff Morris 22, Otto Porter 14, Marcin Gortat 12, Bogan Bogdanovic 16, and John Wall had 12 and a career-high-tying 19 assists.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor but just 28.6% from behind the arc. The Wizards shot 45.% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. The Teams were just about even in assists, steals,blocks, and turnovers. The Dubs face the Bulls in Chicago Thursday evening. Game time will be at 5 pm.

 

 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings have now lost two since Cousins departure; Divac will step down if Cousins trade backfires

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Sacramento Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein, right, blocks the shot of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Gorgui Dieng during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The game that everybody well remembers is when the Denver Nuggets came into town and everything came off the hook this was the Kings first game since DeMarcus Cousins was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings won that game but the Kings played way over their heads. Willie Cauley Stein scored 29 points they played together as a team they played up tempo. They really surprised Denver and Michael Malone and they won that game you saw Kings owner Vivek Ranadive high fiving at his seat during that game.

Then on Saturday the Charlotte Hornets came in the Hornets had been on a slide and they came into Golden One having lost five games in a row but they seemed much like the Kings had a shot at post season in a sense because they were still in the hunt for a playoff spot and the Hornets came in and played gritty basketball. The Hornets are a big team and they’re able to push a lot of people around and the Kings were not in that game and lost. The Kings lost their second game since the Cousins trade on Monday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-88.

Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Steph Curry has an off-night, the Warriors are still able to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-108

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started a five-game road trip in Philadelphia by beating the Sixers 119-108. Steph Curry made 11 attempts to make a three-pointer and missed on all 11 shots. He finished the night with 19, but he was totally out of rhythm. The Sixers, coached by Brett Brown, were determined to not let Steph beat them. They defended him very well but Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Zaza Pachulia picked up the slack, and the Dubs were able to win their 50th game of the season. The Sixers’ Joel Embiid was not available as he was experiencing soreness and swelling in his left knee and is out indefinitely.

The Dubs finished the first quarter leading 32-31. Klay Thompson led the Dubs to a 45-35 lead, but the Sixers went on a 9-0 run to close the gap to just one. Steph made a bucket to put the Warriors up by three. The Sixers came back to tie the game at 54 near the end of the first half. The Warriors finished the quarter with a three-point advantage 59-56. Klay led the Dubs with 15, and Kevin Durant had 12. Curry managed just 9 points.

The Warriors, once again, played well and increased the lead to 71-59. Zaza Pachulia had three key buckets in the quarter. Klay Thompson hit a trey that seemed to ignite the Dubs three-point offense. With 4:55 left, head coach Steve Kerr inserted Ian Clark and James Michael McAdoo into the game. The move paid off as Clark nailed a three and McAdoo made a deuce to increase the lead to twelve once again. The Warriors finished the third quarter leading 93-90. The Warriors, behind the stellar defensive play of Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, were able to keep the Sixers from closing the gap. The Warriors win 119-108.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors improved their record to 50-9. The Warriors have reached the 50-win plateau 8 times in their history, and they have done it the last four years in a row. The Dubs shot 45% from the floor, but they made just 6 3-point shots in 29 attempts. The Sixers committed a lot of fouls and the Dubs recorded thirty-three points from the charity stripe. Golden State had another game with more than 30 assists, and they excelled on defense once again. They had 14 steals and 4 blocked shots. All five Warrior starters were in double figures. Kevin Durant led the way with 27 points, 4 assists, 8 boards and one block. Thompson had 21. Draymond Green was all over the court and was the player of the game. Draymond had another double-double. He had 14 points, 6 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals. Zaza Pachulia pitched in with. Dario Saric led the Sixers with 21. Five other Sixers were in double figures. Gerald Henderson had 16, Robert Covington,15, Richaun Holmes 15, Nic Staukas 10, and Sergio Rodriguez 10.

The Warriors meet the Washington Wizards Tuesday night in Washington. The Wizard reside in first place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. Game time will be at 4:00 pm.