Tag: David Lee

Dismal Shooting Dooms Dubs in Decisive 91-75 Defeat to Charlotte

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By Matthew Harrington

What a difference a month makes. The Golden State Warriors started January smack dab in the middle of what would be a 10-game win streak, the second-longest in franchise history. In Tuesday night’s 91-75 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats at Oracle Arena the Warriors opened the second month on the calendar on a far less meritorious note. A 75-point output courtesy of a 31.2 shooting percentage against Charlotte (22-28) represented single-game lows in both categories for Golden State this season. The usually sharp-shooting Warriors (29-20) nailed only four shots from beyond the arc on 20 attempts in a night when the home team hoop had an air-tight lid over it.

No Warrior reached double-digits in field goals, with Stephen Curry (8 for 18), Klay Thompson (5 for 13) and David Lee (3-13) all struggling to make the baskets fall in front of the sell-out crowd. Curry’s 17 points topped all Warriors player, while Thompson added 12.

Al Jefferson led the Bobcats to the win on a game-high 30 points and Bobcat-best 13 rebounds for the double-double and guard Gerald Henderson dropped 17. Warriors center Andrew Bogut pulled down 15 boards to lead all players.

Things appeared to be going the Warriors way early, with the home team leading 7-5 just under three minutes into play, but Charlotte held the hosts to only three field goals to close out the first quarter holding a 26-13 lead. Golden State struggled to gain ground in the second 12 minutes, cutting the deficit to nine points a handful of times, but couldn’t sustain momentum. They faced a 51-39 Bobcat lead at the half.

The second half was another 24 minutes of futility for the Warriors, as Charlotte outscored Golden State 40-36 to maintain the lead and sweep the season series against. Charlotte is now 10-9 in its last 19 meetings with Golden State.

The loss proved another example for Coach Mark Jackson who called out the Warriors, losers of 6 of their last 10, for playing down to the ability of a lesser opponent during the tough stretch. Dually disappointing for Jackson’s squad is the missed opportunity for the Warriors, despite their struggles to move past the Phoenix Suns into second place in the Pacific Division. Phoenix, entering play Tuesday night a half-game up on the Warriors, lost earlier in the night 101-92 at home to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls will travel further west to square off with Golden State at Oracle Arena Thursday night. After the Bulls come to town, the Warriors hit the road, heading to the desert to face the team directly above them in the standings for a Saturday night contest in Phoenix.

All-Star Snub Lee States Case As Warriors Dismantle Division-Leading Clippers

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By Matthew Harrington

Coach Mark Jackson accused his Golden State Warriors of playing down to their opponents amidst a stretch that has seen the Warriors drop six of their last nine, a cold streak that reached its lowest point with a Tuesday night 88-85 loss at home to the lowly Washington Wizards. His team played to the level of its opponent against Thursday night. Luckily for Jackson, the team on the opponents’ bench happened to be one of the best of the West. The Warriors (28-19) rebounded from Tuesday’s embarrassment in a big way, thumping the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Clippers 111-92 at Oracle Arena in a game where the outcome practically never came under doubt.

The Dubs big men manhandled their Southern California foes, with David Lee and Andrew Bogut combining for 36 points and 28 rebounds for their second-straight win over in-state rivals Los Angeles (33-16). The Warriors also downed the Clippers on Christmas day in a more physical 105-103 win and lead the season series 2-1.

Lee, making a statement after being overlooked for a reserve role on the Western Conference All-Star squad after spots were announced Thursday, tied Stephen Curry for a Warriors-best 22 points on the night and chipped in 11 boards for the double-double. Bogut connected on seven of eleven field goal attempts for 14 points, including a nifty desperation chuck with the shot clock expiring that drew a smile from the Aussie center, and pulled down 17 rebounds. His 17 boards were second only to Clippers center DeAndre Jordan who reeled 20 down off the rim. All-world talent Blake Griffin ended the contest with 27 points for Los Angeles to lead all scorers. Guard Darren Collison netted 22 starting in place of All-Star Chris Paul, out with a shoulder injury since January 3rd but expected to return as early as next week.

The Warriors raced out to an early 17-6 lead just under halfway through the first quarter then held the 11-point edge leading 32-21 to close the quarter. The home team continued to add to the lead in the second before the Clippers put together their best run off the night in the final five minutes of the half. Trailing Golden State 56-40, L.A. closed out the period outscoring the Warriors 16-8 to trail 64-56. The Clippers comeback ended prematurely with the Warriors smothering their visitors 26-11 then closed out the game despite being outscored 25-21 in the fourth quarter for the 111-92 final margin.

The win came at a desperate time for the Warriors, who were in danger of dropping back six games in the standings to the Clippers. The Dubs stand four games back in third place in the division after being leapfrogged by the red-hot Phoenix Suns, winners of four-straight and seven of their last ten. The Warriors have a prime opportunity to string together consecutive wins for the first time since their historic ten-game win-streak was snapped earlier in the month when they face the Utah Jazz, who boast the second-least wins in the Western Conference (16) Friday night in the second half of back-to-back games. For coach Jackson, the hope is that the Warriors can right a spin that has seen the Dubs go 4-6 over their last ten while playing above the level of their opponents, the Northeast Division’s last place Jazz.

Warriors offense falls flat, lose to Wizards 88-85

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By Gabe Schapiro

The Golden State Warriors (27-19) struggled for most of the game, losing to the Washington Wizards (22-22), 88-85, Tuesday night, at Oracle Arena. Neither squad looked particularly good, in a contest that quickly turned into an ugly offensive showing. Both sides failed to shoot above a 38% clip, and combined for 37 turnovers.

The contest remained close throughout in a very defense-oriented game, and ultimately came down to which side would make the least mistakes and hit the big shot when the opportunity presented itself.

For the Wizards it was their electric backcourt that saved the day, and nailed the last nail in the Warriors coffin. Washington held a slight one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Bradley Beal, who’s impact had been limited, came up big and sunk three straight from beyond the arc to open up a lead.

Golden State slowly scratched their way back. A tough David Lee lay-up in traffic tied the game up at 85-85 with 1:47 to play. Unfortunately, that would be the last points they could muster.

On the very next possession Beal finally missed a three-pointer, but an offensive rebound kept it alive for the Wizards. The pass quickly went to a wide-open John Wall, who nailed the trey. The basket would prove to be the game-winner. Stephen Curry had the final shot, but Trevor Ariza did an impressive job covering him, and all Curry could get off was an awkward heave that never had much of a chance.

For Golden State, Curry was their only consistent source of offense. Despite an off shooting night, he finished with a game-high 23 points, to go along with four assists and four steals. He was the only Warrior to reach double figures until Klay Thompson joined him in the fourth quarter. Thompson contributed 13, on 5-of-17 shooting.

Lee and Andre Iguodala both struggled. They combined to make just four-of-17 shots, for 16 points.

Golden State’s bench, which has struggled for much of the season, was the biggest bright spot. They combined to hit 11-of-20 shots, for 29 points. Jordan Crawford in particular played a big role in bringing the team back in the fourth quarter with several electric plays.

Beal led the way for Washington. He contributed a team-high 20 points, with seven rebounds and four assists. Wall came up big when he needed to, and had 15 points, eight boards, and five assists. Ariza and Marcin Gortat both finished with double-digit rebounds, with 11 and 12 respectively. As a team they out-rebounded the Dubs, 56-47.

It was a disappointing loss after such a strong win over the Portland Trail Blazers a couple of nights ago. They’ll look to rebound when the LA Clippers come to town, this Thursday.

Warriors snap home losing streak, smother Blazers 103-88

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By Gabe Schapiro

The Golden State Warriors (27-18) got back in the win column, easily beating the tough Portland Trail Blazers (33-12), 103-88, Sunday night, at Oracle Arena. They won this one thanks to strong team defense and the lethal Stephen Curry. The Trail Blazers came into the contest as the NBA’s top scoring offense, and the Warriors made them look helpless for several stretches. For Portland the 88 points are a season-low, to go with 33% shooting from the field, also a season-low.

With their poor play as of late, it was important for the dubs to come out of the gates strong, and they did just that. They established an early lead, and set the tone with smothering defensive play. The splash brothers started especially hot, combining to score 18 of the team’s first 20 points, on 3-3 from beyond the arc. Through 12 minutes of play they led 28-22.

In the second quarter, however, the Blazers swung the momentum back in their favor. They scratched their way back and eventually took back the lead, which they hadn’t owned since the opening moments of the game. They led by as many as seven, before the Warriors re-inserted most of their starters and made a strong late push before halftime. Heading into the locker room, Golden State trailed by one, 55-54. Thankfully, the second was basically the only blip on the radar.

The Warriors thoroughly dominated the third quarter, and early portion of the fourth. At one point, during a 16 minute span, they outscored the Trailblazers 35-10, eventually building a 21-point advantage.  Portland had one last gasp in them. They went on a 16-3 run late in the fourth, momentarily making Golden State sweat a little. The Warriors weren’t going to let this one slip away, however, and closed it out strong.

Curry finished with a game-high 38 points, to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds. David Lee had a prototypical David Lee game, posting 17 points and 12 boards. Andre Iguodala notched his second double-double of the season, with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Klay Thompson had an off shooting night, hitting just 6-of-21 shots, but still contributed 17 points and fantastic defense.

The theme of the night, however, was of course their superb defense. LeMarcus Aldridge lit up the Warriors in their last meeting, and tonight they held him to just 2-of-14 from the field. He still managed to finish with a double-double, but ultimately didn’t have much of an impact on the contest. They also held star point guard Damian Lillard at bay. He finished with 16 points, 5-of-16 from the field, and five assists.

Tonight was a textbook look into how the Warriors need to play to compete with the league’s best. Hopefully they can springboard off of this win and continue this kind of play.

Golden State’s home stand continues this Tuesday, when they will be taking on the Washington Wizards. The game begins at 7:30 pm.

Last second shot downs Warriors, lose 121-120 to Wolves

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By Gabe Schapiro

The Golden State Warriors (26-18) lost a hectic back-and-forth contest to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 121-120, Friday night, at Oracle Arena. The game featured a ton of offense, and seemed to come down to which side would blink first. The Warriors grabbed a late lead, before a Kevin Martin 20-foot jumper with eight seconds left ultimately put the Timberwolves ahead for good. Three Minnesota players finished with 20+ points in the win.

The fast pace was set early on, as both squads combined for 72 points in the first quarter alone, deadlocked at a 36-36 tie. The foes continued to go blow-for-blow, with neither establishing a significant lead. The Timberwolves opened up the game with a 6-0 run, but that would be the biggest advantage either would enjoy until the third quarter.

Heading into the locker rooms at half time, they remained tied, 63 all.

Late in the third quarter, Golden State finally made a bit of a run. Minnesota failed to score for the final 2:53, sending the Warriors on a 10-0 tear, and a seven-point lead, heading into the fourth. It appeared as though the dubs could fight them off, but the rollercoaster ride wasn’t over.

In the fourth the momentum slowly swayed back in the Wolves favor. With 5:54 remaining in the contest, a Martin three-pointer had erased Golden State’s lead, and had taken back a one-point lead of their own. They continued to trade punches down the stretch. With 27 seconds left a pair of Andre Iguodala free-throws gave the Warriors their last lead of the game, 120-119. With eight ticks left, Martin played the game-changer again, sinking a jumper. Harrison Barnes had one last shot at the buzzer, after a double-teamed Stephen Curry passed the rock his way, but his attempt clanged off the rim.

In all five Warriors finished in double figures. Curry led all scorers with 33 points, including six three-pointers, to go along with 15 assists. David Lee pitched in 23 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Bogut set a Warriors season-high with seven blocked shots, to highlight his line of eight points and 11 boards. Klay Thompson had 18, Iguodala finished with 16.

Kevin Love led the way for Minnesota, filling up the stat sheet with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Martin did plenty of damage as well, chipping in another 26 points. Center Nikola Pekovic scored 22, and hauled in 14 rebounds. Ricky Rubio led the team with 12 assists.

Golden State will look to get back to their winning ways this Sunday, when they take on the tough Portland Trailblazers, back at Oracle. The game begins at 6:00pm.

Curry, Lee carry Warriors past Pelicans

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By Joe Hawkes

NEW ORLEANS — Stephen Curry had 28 points and eight assists, while David Lee added 22 points and eight rebounds helping the Golden State Warriors rebound from their loss in Oklahoma City Friday night, with a 97-87 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night at New Orleans Arena.

Curry shot 10-for-22 from the field, but 2-for-9 from 3-point range. Andrew Bogut scored 10 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in 34 minutes, and Jordan Crawford added 10 points off the bench for Golden State (26-16), who picked up their seventh straight victory over New Orleans.

Klay Thompson had a tough night from the field, scoring eight points on 3-for-14 shooting, 2-for-7 shooting from 3-point range.

Anthony Davis led all scorers with 31 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, his seventh straight game with at least 20-plus points.

Tyreke Evans finished with 14 points, after missing the previous three games with a left ankle sprain for the Pelicans (15-24), who have lost seven straight games. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 12 points, but New Orleans finished shooting 38.6 percent (32 of 83), including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. The Warriors shot 44 percent (37 of 84), hitting 6 of 22 from deep.

Golden State needed this victory in the worse way, as they host the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers Monday at Oracle Arena and didn’t want to face a tough Pacers team on a three-game losing streak.

 

Durant’s Career Night Overshadows Curry in Warriors 127-121 Loss

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By Matthew Harrington

In a battle of two of the top stars of the NBA, Stephen Curry’s Warriors dropped a 127-121 shootout to Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder (30-10) Friday night from Chesapeake Energy Arena. Curry collected his fifth-career 30 point, 10 assist game for the Warriors (25-16), but Durant’s career night spoiled Curry’s performance.

Most Valuable Player candidate Durant accounted for over a third of the Thunder’s baskets, torching the Warriors for a career-best 54 points on 19 of 28 shooting and 11 free throws. Curry led the Warriors with 37 points on 11 of 18 shooting, including six three-pointers, and added 11 assists to complete the double-double. Back court mate Klay Thompson nailed six treys to add 26 points of his own, while Thunder forward Serge Ibaka produced 21 points over 35 minutes of play. Thunder center Kendrick Perkins led all players in rebounds with 12, while David Lee reeled in nine for the Warriors. In total, the Thunder out-boarded the Warriors 41-33.

The two sides played it neck-to-neck to open the first nine minutes of play with Golden State leading with a slim 25-23 lead. The Thunder then went on a 14-7 run to close out the first leading 39-32. The Dubs took their first lead of the second quarter after Curry knocked down a shot from the charity stripe on a technical foul to give the Warriors a 56-55 lead with 3:48 left in the half. The Thunder closed out the half on a 16-9 run to hold a 71-65 lead at the midway point.

The home team expanded their lead 101-91 after the first 12 minutes of the second half before breaking the game open for a game-high 14 points lead, 123-109, with 2:45 left. Golden State outpaced their hosts 12-4 down the stretch for a respectable seven-point defeat to the third-place Thunder.

The Warriors hit the hardwood again tomorrow night, traveling to New Orleans for a Saturday night tip-off against the New Orleans Pelicans in Golden State’s sixth road game of the month.

Robinson, Nuggets slow down Warriors

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By Joe Hawkes

OAKLAND — Nate Robinson scored 24 points off the bench, with 14 coming in the crucial final quarter, and the Denver Nuggets defeated the Golden State Warriors,  123-116 Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

Wilson Chandler and Ty Lawson scored 22 points each, and Randy Foye added 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-7 from behind the arc. J.J. Hickson scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds. Lawson dished out 11 assists.

Denver out-rebounded Golden State 46-24.

Denver (20-18) has won six of their last seven games.

David Lee finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds and Stephen Curry finished with 24 points and seven assists in Golden State’s first game after a four day layoff. Golden State (25-15) hasn’t played since defeating the Boston Celtics last Friday night at home.

Klay Thompson had 21 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the field. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Harrison Barnes scored 15 points off the bench for Golden State, who was 11-1 in their last 12 games.

Speaking of the bench, Golden State acquired swingman shooting guard Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks from the Boston Celtics  as part of a three-team trade Wednesday, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.

Golden State sent backup point guard Toney Douglas to the Miami Heat, and the Heat sent veteran center Joel Anthony to Boston.

Crawford is averaging 13.7 points per game in 39 games with the Boston Celtics this season and should give Golden State a guy who can create his own shot, not named Curry.

Brooks, a 6’5″ point guard, is a former lottery pick of the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets in 2011 out of Providence.

Golden State is in Oklahoma City Friday to take on the Thunder.

Curry’s Heroics Hand Warriors First Win At Home In 2014

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By Matthew Harrington

For the first time in 2014, the Golden State Warriors (25-14) took the Oracle Arena court in front of blue-and-gold clad fans and the Dubs did not disappoint in their first look of the new year Friday night. In a thrilling finish, Stephen Curry nailed a jumper with 2.1 seconds left to seal a 99-97 win over the visiting Boston Celtics (13-24) in the Warriors’ first home game since a win over the Phoenix Suns December 27.

Andre Iguodala broke out for 22 points with 7 assists and three steals, including a pivotal steal in the waning seconds of the game to build a Warriors lead with 19 seconds left. The hero of the night Curry dropped 19 on the struggling Celtics, losers of 10 of their last 11, while Klay Thompson (17), David Lee (16) and Marreese Speighs (13) also broke double-digits in scoring. For the visitors, forward Jeff Green had a game-high 24 points, Kris Humphries had one of two double-doubles of the game with game-best 14 boards and 16 points. Celtics forward Jared Sullinger joined Humphries with 11 rebounds and 21 points.

The Warriors got out front with a 24-21 first quarter but trailed at the half 49-47 courtesy of a Celtics 28-23 second frame. The Dubs drop 25 points on Boston in the third to 18 Celtics tallies. The Celtics entered the final 12 minutes trailing 74-67 but managed to outscore the home team 30-25 to force a 97-97 tie with just 11 seconds on the clock. Curry, currently on the bench, checked in the game for Draymond Green after Jeff Green hit the game-tying shot to force a Warriors time-out. Curry would use a Lee screen to create space and knock down the game-winner with aplomb.

The Warriors, fresh off a 6-1 road trip, receive a welcome respite before facing the Denver Nuggets at home Wednesday night. They then hit the road once again, taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night before a meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday.

Warriors Four Minutes Shy Of History In Brooklyn, Nets Snap Streak At 10

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By Matthew Harrington

The Golden State Warriors fell just over four minutes shy of history Wednesday night, getting tangled up by the Brooklyn Nets (14-21) at the Barclays Center 102-98 to snap a 10-game win streak, including winning the last six consecutive road games. A victory would have matched the longest streak in Warriors history, set during the 1971-72 season. The ’71-’72 team got just 5 of their 11 wins on the road while the current Warriors (24-14) boasted seven-straight road victories, including a win in Denver December 23rd before returning home for a pair then returning to the road again for the current stretch of travel. It also would have been the NBA’s first 7-0 uninterrupted road trip.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson dueled for the game-high in points, with Curry coming out on top with 34 points to Johnson’s 27. David Lee netted 20 points for the Warriors and Andray Blatche grabbed 17 off the bench for Brooklyn. Nets forward Mirza Teletovic had a game-best 10 rebounds, while Andrew Bogut’s nine led the Dubs.

For the second time in two nights, the Warriors struggled to establish dominance against a struggling team. The Warriors came back from an early Milwaukee lead Tuesday to complete a 101-80 blowout for their 10th-straight win, matching the most wins in a row by a Warriors team since the 1975 championship team. In Brooklyn Wednesday night the Warriors again flirted with disaster, spotting the Nets, who entered the game with an 8-9 record at home, to a 59-52 halftime lead.

Golden State managed to chip away at the Nets lead, outscoring the home team 24-16 in the third quarter. A Harrison Barnes three-pointer with just 32 seconds left in the third frame gave the Warriors their first lead of the second half 76-75. Kevin Garnett put the Nets back on top on a lay-up 12 seconds in to the final quarter. Garnett, fouled on the play by Draymond Green, converted the and-one for a 78-76 edge.

The two teams went shot-for-shot down to the wire, with no team making consecutive field goals for the first eight minutes in the final 12 minutes of regulation. The Warriors gained ground and took a one-point lead after Andrei Kirilenko missed a second free throw after hitting the first. Curry took a driving layup to the lane for the 88-87 lead with 6:48 left of game time. The Warriors lead grew to a second-half high of four points at 93-89 when Klay Thompson nailed a trey off a David Lee feed with 4:05 to go. Brooklyn outscored the Warriors 13-5 down the stretch, all but two Nets points coming on free throws, to halt the Warriors winning ways in the final game of the road trip. The Warriors ended the night with 27 personal fouls to the Nets 20.

The Warriors return home for a Friday night tilt against the Boston Celtics for the first game at Oracle Arena in the New Year. It’s also Golden State’s first game following a loss since a December 21st they demolished the Lakers 102-83 after suffering an embarrassing 102-104 loss to the short-handed Spurs just two earlier. It’s also the Warriors first home game since December 27, before they started their longest road trip of the season spanning seven cities in 11 days. When the Dubs last took the Oracle court just days after a win in Denver for a Christmas showdown with the Clippers, the Warriors were barely in the playoff picture, standing at eighth place in the Western Conference. By virtue of nine wins in their last ten, the Warriors now sit a game back of the Los Angeles Clippers for the Pacific Division lead and a fourth-place ranking.