Tag: Draymond Green

Warriors Use Three-Ball To Down Kings In Season Sweep.

Published on by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

USA Today photo Warriors Stephen Curry and Kings DeMarcus meet for Saturday’s battle at Sleep Train Arena

Sacramento refused to rollover easily against the Warriors on Saturday night, but sharp shooting down the stretch from Steph Curry secured Golden State’s fourth win of the season over the Kings with a 128-116 victory at Sleep Train Arena.

Scoring 14 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter, Curry’s sharpshooting skills from downtown helped to squash any notion of a late-game comeback from Sacramento, who trailed by just two at the half.

Curry-who dished out 11 assists while hauling in six rebounds to compliment his 38 points- had an impressive stroke from beyond the arc all night, putting through 8-of-14 attempts throughout the game.

But Curry wasn’t the only Warrior with the hot hand from downtown. Draymond Green earned 15 of his total 25 points from beyond the arc with a video game like line of 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Brandon Rush and Klay Thompson also scored in double-digits for the Warriors starting corp, putting through a combined 26 points between the two of them.

DeMarcus Cousins continues to solidify himself as one of the league’s top-big men, posting 33 points and 10 rebounds in 30-minutes of play. Rudy Gay had himself a solid showing as well, earning 23-points on 9-of-16 shooting. But the rest of Sacramento’s starters couldn’t match the pair’s offensive prowess, combining for just 19 points across the remaining starting unit.

Sacramento’s ability to score was on display tonight with an impressive 116 point total, but their defense continues to hamstring them, as the Warriors were able to shoot 56.3 percent from the field on the night, including 51.4 percent from beyond the arc for 57 of their total points.

After sweeping the season series, Golden State improved their record to 35-2, while Sacramento fell to 15-22 on the season, good for third in the Pacific Division. Next up for the Warriors is a matchup against the Miami Heat at Oracle Arena on Monday.

Warriors improve to 29-1 behind Curry’s triple double

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry overcame a slow start, but managed to pick up the pace by finishing with 23 points helping the Golden State Warriors improve to 29-1 with a 122-103 over the visiting Sacramento Kings Monday night in front of a sellout Oracle Arena crowd.

Curry finished with a career-high 14 rebounds and 10 assists, earning his sixth career triple double to help Golden State remain undefeated at home improving to 14-0, and extending their regular season home winning streak to 33 games dating back to last season.

Curry was held scoreless for 20:44 minutes to begin the game, but got red-hot in the second quarter scoring 17 points and nailing five 3-pointers.

Klay Thompson scored 29 points and Draymond Green finished with 25 points, helping Golden State to their 11th straight win over their Northern California rival, their longest losing streak since the Cincinnati Royals dropped 13 straight to the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959-60.

Omri Casspi scored a career-high 36 points (leading all scorers for the game), and tying a Kings’ record set by Mike Bibby with nine made 3-pointers.

Center DeMarcus Cousins, who was finally healthy in three games versus Golden State, was ejected in the third quarter by referee Monty McCutchen after arguing his fifth personal foul.

Once Cousins was ejected, the Warriors went on a 15-0 run that after being up by just two points to push their lead to 79-66. Another Curry 3-pointer just before the end of the third raised Golden State’s lead to 90-75.

Rudy Gay finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, Darren Collison had 13 points and 11 assists, while Rajon Rondo scored just four points and played just 17 minutes after picking up three fouls in the first quarter.

Sacramento (12-19), who lost 98-94 at home to the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday, have lost three of their last four games.

Warriors center Festus Ezeli left the game with a sore left foot and forward Harrison Barnes missed his 13th game with an ankle sprain.

Golden State travels to Texas for a two-game road trip, visiting Dallas on Wednesday and Houston on Thursday.

The Kings host Philadelphia on Wednesday.

 

 

 

Warriors hang tough, rally past Bucks to move to 26-1

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Klay Thompson scored a game-high 27 points and Stephen Curry added 26 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to help the Golden State Warriors avenge their only loss of the season with a 121-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night in front of a sellout Oracle Arena crowd.

Thompson shot 8 of 16 from the floor (2 of 9) on 3s, while Curry shot 7 of 14 including 2 of 6 on 3s.

Curry extended his streak to 100 games with at least one 3-pointer made.

The Bucks ended the Warriors 28-game winning streak dating back to last season in Milwaukee last weekend. Milwaukee came within an eyelash of  joining the Chicago Bulls as the last team to beat the Warriors at Oracle Arena.

With the win,  Golden State has now won 30 straight games at home.

Golden State (26-1) yielded a season-high 70 points in the first half, but turned on the defense in the second half by limiting Milwaukee to just 42 points the rest of the way. The Warriors found themselves down by as much 15 points in the third, and trailing by 11 points with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Draymond Green nailed a huge 3-pointer from straight away to pull the Warriors within three at 100-97 and after being fouled on a 3-point attempt, Curry sunk three free throws to tie the game midway in the fourth quarter.

Green finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, but Andre Iguodala’s 3-pointer from the corner pushed Golden State’s lead to seven cementing the Warriors’ victory.

The made 3-pointer by Iguodala was his only points of the game.

Festus Ezeli who played the majority of the game in place of starting center Andrew Bogut, finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Bogut left the game in the first quarter with a back injury and never returned.

Michael Carter-Williams led the Bucks with 24 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in 20 points for Milwaukee (10-18), who have dropped five of their last six games but have provided Golden State with its stiffest competition so far this season.

Greg Monroe had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists for the Bucks, who were out-rebounded 46-41 but shot a blistering 62 percent from the floor in the first half.

Khris Middleton added 16 points and Jabari Parker scored 14 points.

So much trash talk was voiced between both squads leading up to their rematch tonight and even after the final whistle, the trash talk couldn’t be stopped.

Green and O.J. Mayo had some heated words when exiting the court, prompting security and fellow players having to come in between the two before heading into the locker room.

Mayo scored just 12 points off the bench after scoring 18 points as a starter in the previous meeting in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee head to Phoenix Sunday, while Golden State doesn’t play until Wednesday when the Utah Jazz visit Oracle Arena.

 

Golden State Resumes Winning Ways With 128-103 Thrashing of Suns

Published on by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

Returning to action for the first time since their winning streak came to an abrupt end, the Golden State Warriors resumed their winning ways with a dominating 128-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Oracle Arena on Wednesday.

With three days of rest under their belt, the Warriors had to shake off some first quarter rust, shooting under 40 percent from the field while playing in to the Suns’ strategy of making the contest more of a derby race than a basketball game. The result was a first quarter marathon that saw 50 total shots hoisted up between the two teams, with the Suns assuming a two-point advantage over the Warriors at the end of the first.

But the Warriors would not stay down for long, cleaning up their play on both sides of the ball while dictating the flow of the game in the second quarter to take a 13-point lead heading into the locker room. It would be the last time the Suns were even in contention.

The Warriors started the second half with a scorching offensive display, led by Klay Thompson, who scored 27 of his game-high 43 points in the third quarter. Steph Curry backed up his teammate with a mini-clinic of his own, putting through 13 points of his own to further the Warriors lead. The two Splash Brothers combined for 40 of the Warriors 46 third quarter points, effectively shutting the door on the Suns before the final frame even commenced.

Not to be outdone by their backcourt mates, Golden State’s big-men also got the job done for the Warriors in their dominating third quarter outburst. C Andrew Bogut continued to gobble up boards en-route to his 12-rebound night, while Draymond Green produced his fourth triple-double of the season by the sound of the whistle. He would finish the night with 16 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds.

With no answer for the Warriors dominance on both ends of the court, the Suns were outscored 79-37 during the middle portion of the night’s contest, paving way for what was essentially a victory lap of a fourth quarter.

The Suns would come out shooting, putting up a game-high 38 points in the final quarter, but it would be too little, too late, as the Warriors would put the cap on the beginning of a possible new win-streak.

In a game between the league’s number one -the Warriors- and number three- the Suns- three point shooting teams, it was Golden State who used the deep ball to their advantage, scoring 45 of their points from behind the arc on 15 of 32 shooting. The Suns were uncharacteristically bad from downtown, putting through just 5 of their 22 attempts while trying to play catch up.

With the win, the Warriors were able to keep alive at least one winning streak, as they’ve now won 29 straight games at Oracle Arena. Ominously enough, the Milwaukee Bucks- who were responsible for snapping the Warriors 24 game streak on Saturday- will come to Oracle Arena on Friday to face Golden State for the second time in under a week.

Curry’s 31 points gives Warriors upper hand over Clippers

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND, Calif — In a game between the only undefeated teams in the Western Conference, Stephen Curry scored 31 points to lead keep the Golden State Warriors past their bitter rival, the Los Angeles Clippers 112-108 in front of a sellout crowd at Oracle Arena Wednesday night for their fifth straight win to begin the season.

“We’re better than we were last year,” said Curry after the game to ESPN’s J.A. Adande. Curry nailed 7-for-11 three-pointers, including the go-ahead three with a minute left to go.

Curry’s 25 made threes are the most made by a player in his first five games to start a season in NBA history. His 179 points are the most through five games since Michael Jordan’s 182 points during the 1991-92 season.

Golden State (5-0) overcame a 10-point lead with just a little over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to Harrison Barnes who went on a 8-1 run in 38 seconds highlighted by his back-to-back threes. Barnes finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in a game that had a playoff-type atmosphere to it.

Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Festus Ezeli, starting for injured center Andrew Bogut, finished with 10 points. Ezeli’s block on Blake Griffin’s dunk attempt in the first quarter sent shock waves through Oracle Arena.

Draymond Green chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.

Chris Paul led the Clippers with 24 points and nine assists on 9-for-15 shooting, but four points came just after halftime. Paul also missed two crucial free throws late in the fourth quarter.

Blake Griffin finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, but went scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles (4-1), came into the game winners of four straight, just like the Warriors but dropped their eighth straight game in Oakland and find themselves looking up at Golden State in the Pacific Division.

Let’s face it, these teams don’t like each other. Golden State feels the Clippers don’t respect them or the NBA Championship the Warriors won last year; while Los Angeles believes that Golden State are arrogant and were “lucky” to even win the franchise’s first title in 40 years.

With the win, Golden State becomes the first defending NBA Champion since the 2010-11 to start the next season 5-0.

Golden State will try to add to its 21 straight home victories Friday night when they will host the Denver Nuggets.

Both teams will meet each other three more times, with the next installment coming up Nov. 19 when Golden State heads to Los Angeles.

Curry, Warriors ease by Grizzlies by 50 points

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — The Golden State Warriors are putting the NBA on notice: it’s going to be tough to beat them.

Reigning league MVP Stephen Curry scored 21 of his game high 30 points in the third quarter helping the Warriors dismantle the Memphis Grizzlies 119-69 Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. It’s Golden State’s 20th straight win at home, a first in franchise history and their third 50-point win in franchise history.

Curry, who won Western Conference Player of the Week honors after averaging 39.3 points per game during the opening week, shot 10 for 16 from the floor, with four 3-pointers, and three assists.

In three of the team’s first four games, Curry has scored at least 20 points in a quarter.

Klay Thompson finished with 14 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 11 shooting.

Festus Ezeli, starting for the injured Andrew Bogut, scored 11 points and 10 rebounds. Draymond Green nearly had a triple double, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Golden State shot a blistering 51 percent from floor (43 for 84) and 44 percent from 3-point range (11 for 25). Green knocked down 3 of 4 3-pointers.

The Warriors held Memphis to just 27 percent shooting form the floor (26 of 96) and out-rebounded the Grizzlies 65-44. Memphis was outscored 72-27 between the second and third quarters.

Memphis’ starting lineup combined to shoot 11 for 45 from the floor, with center Marc Gasol leading the Grizzlies with 13 points and nine rebounds. Point guard Mike Conley was the only other Grizzly to score in double figures with 10 points.

Golden State (4-0) has defeated their first four opponents by 10 points or more for the first time in franchise history, while Memphis has dropped their last three straight in Oakland.

Memphis (2-2) wanted to extract some revenge on a Golden State Warriors team that eliminated the Grizzlies in six games during last season’s playoffs in which the Warriors captured their first championship in forty years, but Golden State’s stingy defense stymied the Grizzlies.

The two teams will meet each other again on Nov. 10 when Golden State travels to Memphis.

Golden State continues its three-game home stand Wednesday with the hated Los Angeles Clippers visiting Oracle Arena.

Warriors raise championship banner, drop Pelicans in season opener

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND, Calif — Talks of a championship hangover for the Golden State Warriors were quickly put to rest behind Stephen Curry’s 40 points, leading the reigning NBA Champions to a 111-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night to begin their title defense.

Curry was blistering hot in the first quarter, knocking down seven of his first nine shots, including four 3-pointers, en route to 24 points in the opening period. The Warriors point guard finished 14 for 26 from the floor, with seven assists and six rebounds for his 10th career 40-point game.

The Warriors raised their championship banner and received their rings in a pregame ceremony. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who is out indefinitely while recuperating after offseason back surgery, was on hand and got a huge roar from the sold out Oracle Arena crowd. Assistant coach Luke Walton is serving as interim head coach until Kerr returns.

“This is an unbelievable day,” Curry said. “We would not have been able to do what we did last year with your guys’ support.”

Andrew Bogut had 12 points and five rebounds before leaving the game in the third quarter with a right eye laceration following an inadvertent headbutt from Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham. Bogut was already wearing a protective face mask after breaking his nose during the preseason.

Festus Ezeli chipped in 13 points off the bench, while Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green combined for 18 points on 6 for 24 shooting. Earlier in the day, Barnes and the Warriors broke off talks for a new contract extension but left on “amicable terms” according to Warriors GM Bob Myers.

Golden State never was really threatened by the Pelicans, building a 10-point halftime lead and never looked back. The Warriors dominated the Pelicans on the boards, holding a 56-33 edge.

Anthony Davis, who terrorized Golden State last season, shot just 4 for 20 from the field finishing with a team-high 18 points. Golden State played great defense on the Pelicans center, who scored the majority of his points from the free throw line (10 for 15).

Ish Smith scored 17 points and dished out nine assists for the Pelicans, who had just nine players in new head coach and former Warriors assistant coach Alvin Gentry’s debute. The Pelican were without stars Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and Omer Asik.

Curry had the second-most points by a reigning MVP in an opener since 1963-64, according to STATS. Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 41 on Oct. 13, 1972, against Phoenix.

The Golden State Warriors Hold up the NBA Chmpionship Trophy as a Team

Warriors Stand on Championship Ground

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

AP Photo/Tony Dejak

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Has the dawn of a Golden State Warriors Dynasty arrived? Will the Splash Brothers be on the front float of many a victory parade? Only time will tell, but for now Title number one is under the Dubs’ belt. But one can’t help but think of the future while watching Stephen Curry toss the rock into the crowd in the closing minutes of his first title reign.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday night in Cleveland to win the NBA Finals four games to two. The World Champions overcame a 12-point first quarter deficit before riding a 60-54 point second half to handedly top the Cavs for the Bay Area and it’s ardent supporters the first Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1975. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it right when he said “You’ve waited a long time” in his post-game speech.

The Warriors led the NBA from wall-to-wall, notching countless franchise records on the way to a 67-win season. They then swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, rallied from a 2-1 series deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies to win the Conference Semifinals and broke the wills of the Houston Rockets to claim the Western Conference crown in one of the most dominant playoff runs the league has seen.

Despite boasting the reigning Most Valuable Player in Stephen Curry, the Warriors were deemed the best team facing the best player in the World, LeBron James. The Warriors proved that team always wins out after receiving meaningful contributions up and down the bench Tuesday night.Head Coach Steve Kerr dialed all the right buttons in becoming the first rookie head coach to win the championship. No egos stood in the way, with former All-stars like David Lee and Andrew Bogut accepting diminished roles as the playoffs wore on.

Andre Iguodala went vintage after being given the starting nod, scoring a team-high 25 points. For his efforts, he was named Finals MVP, a feat special but not as great as being a champion for the first time in an 11-year career. Draymond Green, a star in the making after having to wait till the second round of the 2013 draft, converted the triple-double with a 16 point/11 rebound/ 10 assist line. The MVP scored 25 points as well on 8 of 19 shooting, earning his signature moment by hoisting the biggest trophy in the land. Shaun Livingston and Festus Ezeli earned their rings by contributing 10 points apiece off the bench.

James did his best to will the title-starved City of Cleveland to a game 7, coming an assist short of another NBA Finals triple-double. The King scored 32 points with 18 rebounds, but couldn’t will his ragtag troupe of title hopefuls. Despite losing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the playoffs, James still proved the toughest challenge for the Warriors.

What does the future hold for the Champs? First and foremost comes the parade. Then after that, it’s all about locking down Draymond Green, an upcoming free agent. After that, the Kerr will need to replace assistant coach Alvin Gentry. Gentry accepted the New Orleans head coach slot after the Warriors bounced the birds from the playoffs. If Kerr’s proven anything after his rookie year, it’s that the team is in good hands.

With general mananger Bob Myers building a young core that will keep Oracle Arena roaring for years to come and owner Joe Lacob committed to winning, the dark days of the Baron Davis-Gilbert Arenas Warriors are over. With one banner already on its way to the rafters, the Warriors are looking to claim the crown as the latest NBA dynasty, following the footsteps of the showtime Lakers, Russell or Bird’s Celtics and the Parker-Duncan-Ginobli Spurs. Perhaps in a few years these Warriors will be spoken of in similiar tones.

Harden’s Buzzer-Beater Blunder Lets Warriors Escape with Game Two Win 99-98

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

It was a dream situation for coach Kevin McHale with the second Most Valuable Player holding the rock with the chance at a game winning shot as the clock ticked off its final seconds.

It turned into a nightmare when James Harden failed to even hoist up a potential buzzer beater. Harden’s Houston Rockets instead fell to the Golden State Warriors 99-98 Thursday night at Oracle Arena and now trail the Western Conference Finals 2-0.

In game one the Warriors trailed early before mounting a comeback for the victory, but Thursday appeared to be a reversal of fortunes. Houston trailed by 12 51-39 with 5 minutes left in the first half but managed to outscore the hosts 16-4 down the stretch to head to the half tied at 55-all.

The Warriors outscored the Rockets 22-20 in an evenly played 3rd frame, building up to the drama of the 4th. Twice, Golden State built a six-plus point lead over the final 12 minutes, but couldn’t put away the visitors.

With just 1:39 left in regulation and Houston trailing 98-90, James Harden went on to score six consecutive Rockets points to only one made free throw by Draymond Green for the Dubs. With 33 seconds left, the architect of the near comeback Harden found Dwight Howard for an alley oop to put the Rockets down by just one.

The Warriors still maintained the final position and seemed content to drain the clock and force Houston to take the game winner after Harrison Barnes missed the lay-up with 7 seconds left. Harden rebounded the ball and streaked to the other end of the court seeking a mid-range jumper. Instead he lost possession of the ball, and ultimately a chance at the game winning shot.

Despite showing his frustration by knocking over a set of curtains on his way off the court, Harden performed exceptionally Thursday, coming an assist shy of a triple-double after scoring 38 points and pulling down 10 boards while only going to the free throw line 10 times. Howard, deemed good to go after Josh Smith landed awkwardly on his leg in game one, played 40 minutes and collected a double-double with 17 boards and 19 points.

The Rockets appeared to forget that Stephen Curry wears the crown as reigning MVP, because throughout the night the Human Torch found himself wide open from beyond the arch. He punished Houston to the tune of 33 points over 36 minutes, including 5 treys on 11 attempts. Andrew Bogut, named to the second-team all defense earlier in the day, rebound from what he dubbed a poor performance in game one to score 14 points. First-team all defense award winner Draymond Green pitched in 12, while All-Defense snub Thompson pitched in 13.

The series now shifts to Houston and the Toyota Center where the Rockets went 30-11 in the regular season. Game 3 tips off Saturday night a 6 p.m.

Randolph, Gasol Bully Warriors to 2-1 Series Lead

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

For the first time all season the Golden State Warriors are staring true adversity in the face. Following a 99-89 loss Saturday night in Memphis, the Warriors now trail the Grizzlies 2-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals.

For the second consecutive contest, the offensive juggernaut that was the Warriors shrank in the face of the bullish Memphis front. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson improved slightly off a dismal 13-for-34 night in Monday’s 97-90 loss at Oracle, combining to score 43 points (Curry 23, Thompson 20).

Curry struggled from the field, hitting 8 of 21 shots. The Most Valuable Player went just 2-of-10 from three-point land. As a team, the Warriors were held to just 6 treys on 26 tries, an identical figure to Monday night.

Memphis center Marc Gasol produced a double-double, scoring 21 while pulling in 15 boards. Fellow Twin Tower Zach Randolph came a pair of rebounds short of his own double-double, dropping 22 points on Golden State. Guard Mike Conley produced only 11 points one game after his game two 22-point return from an orbital bone injury.

While Curry and Thompson produced a more successful performance than their last display, the bigs of Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green struggled. The two came up with a pair of field goals, three free throws and a combined 8 points. Harrison Barnes played a Warriors-topping 40 minutes, scoring 16 in a breakthrough performance that can be viewed as a positive by Golden State fans.

The Warriors were up 15-10 early in the contest but were trailing 55-39 by the half after being outscored 32-19 in the second quarter. Golden State outscored the Grizzlies 50-44 over the final two quarters, but ran out of time to complete the comeback.

The Warriors now face unfamiliar territory heading into Monday night’s game four. It’s the first time on the campaign that the Warriors enter a road game on a two-game losing streak. Golden State lost two consecutive games four times, winning the next game at home all four times to go the entire season without a losing stretch of three games or more.

The Grizzlies pose a formidable threat at home at FedEx Forum where they won 31 games, tied for the fifth-most by a home team this season. Golden State earned the best road record at 28-13.