OAKLAND — Stephen Curry scored 31 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to their 36th consecutive home win at Oracle Arena with a 111-103 over the visiting Miami Heat on Monday night.
Draymond Green dropped 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Klay Thompson added 17 points for a Warriors team who improved to an NBA-best (36-2) on the season.
Golden State overcame a cold shooting night by Curry from 3-point range, who missed seven of his first nine 3-point but got plenty of help as the Warriors tied the Philadelphia 76ers (1966-67) for the fourth longest regular-season home win streak in NBA history. Chicago holds the record of 44 set in 1996-97.
Dwyane Wade scored 20 points, while Chris Bosh and Gerald Green each scored 15 points for Miami (22-16), who entered Oakland winners of eight of their past 11 games at Oracle Arena.
Luol Deng finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Miami.
Andrew Bogut scored eight points to go along with nine rebounds for a Warriors team, that has won seven of their last eight games.
Golden State travels to Denver Wednesday to take on the Nuggets, while Miami heads to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Wednesday.
The Golden State Warriors lived by the 3-point basket on Saturday night versus the Sacramento Kings and it led them to a 128-116 victory. The Warriors connected on 19 of 37 3-point attempts (51.4-percent) and broke the back of the Kings in doing so.
Kings head coach George Karl said after game that great shooting is contagious. No one who watched the game against Golden State would be able to mount a defense to counter that notion.
The other area the Warriors dominated in the was rebounding. Golden State out-rebounded the Kings 48-34 in the game. Even though the Warriors played “small ball” most of the night, their ability to rebound the ball was almost uncanny.
There were two key plays that defined the game for the Kings. The first happened in the first period with 5:43 left to play. Rajon Rondo picked up his second personal foul and had to go to the Kings bench. The loss of Rondo and his assists denied the Kings the opportunity to build a lead. He would not return until the 7:37 mark of the second quarter. Rondo was limited to just 13 minutes of playing time in the first half. Another seven to 10 minutes of time on the floor could have been a difference maker in this game.
The second incident happened with 9:44 to go in the third quarter. That is when DeMarcus Cousins was charged with his fourth personal foul. Cousins had to sit down and would not return until the final period. The Kings cannot hang with a team like the Warriors without Cousins working the paint on both ends of floor.
Would the Kings won the game if Rondo and Cousins were able to keep playing rather than sitting on the bench with foul trouble? That is really difficult to project. What can be said is the Kings would have had a better chance to compete with Golden State if Rondo and Cousins had not been lost for extended periods of time.
It was entertaining game that energized the sellout crowd that included a large contingent of Golden State fans. The crowd was loud and loving the basketball they were witnessing on the floor.
The Kings record fell to 15-22 (10-10 at home). Golden State improves to 35-2 on the season and 18-2 on the road.
Kings
DeMarcus Cousins was the Kings leading scorer with 33 points. He recorded another double-double by hauling in 10 rebounds. Cousins shot 12 of 27 from the floor.
Rudy Gay was the “blue collar” workhorse for the Kings in the game. He played 38 minutes scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Even when shots were not falling for Gay, he continued to work hard.
Darren Collison was a star off the bench for Sacramento. Collison logged 31 minutes scoring 16 points and dishing out six assists. He went 5-for-10 shooting and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
Marco Belinelli had an “agony and ecstasy” game versus the Warriors. Belinelli shot 0-for-6 from the floor in the first half. He finished the game shooting 5-for-14 and went 3-for-7 from long range. Belinelli just could not find his range in the first half.
Willie Cauley-Stein returned to the Kings lineup putting up 10 points in just nine minutes off the bench.
The Kings shot 46.7-percent (43-for-92) from the floor. They hit on 8 of 23 (34.8-percent) of their 3-point attempts. Sacramento went 22-for-29 from the free throw line.
Sacramento distributed 27 assists in the contest reaching the 20-assists mark for the 33rd straight game.
The Kings took good care of the ball turning it over just 10 times.
Warriors
The reigning MVP of the association – Stephen Curry – led the Warriors in scoring with 38 points. He scored 19 in each half. Curry made it a double-double night by adding 11 assists.
Draymond Green came up big for Golden State again on Saturday night. Green scored 25 points. He shot 5-for-6 from downtown.
The other half of the “splash brothers” – Klay Thompson – had an interesting night. Thompson scored 15 points but shot just 1-for-7 from beyond the 3-point line. He shot 7-for-17 for the game.
Andre Iguodala added 13 points, Brandon Rush 11 and Harrison Barnes 10.
Golden State shot 56.3-percent (49-for-87) from the floor including the 19 3-pointers. The Warriors recorded 35 assists. Their one blemish was turnovers. The Warriors turned it over 18 times.
What they said after the game
“This video is going to be good. This film is going to be good, too many good things (happened),” said Kings head coach George Karl. “I think you can learn from playing a team like this. It doesn’t feel good, but in the 3-minute mark (left to go) we were in a basketball game. I actually think we made a couple good defensive plays, and they made better offensive plays.”
“We played them pretty well for about 38 minutes, (Then) they turned it up in the end and made some tough shots (and) moved the ball around,” explained Rudy Gay. “They make you pay on everything. So, they’re a great team. They’re a championship team and they’ve been there before. That’s probably why they execute so well.”
“We did a better job engaging in the game (after the first quarter),” said Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton. “The first quarter we were turning the ball over. Just awful turnovers – like not even forced. Just throwing it away. This team – Sacramento – is a good team and they’re fighting for a playoff spot. We’ve beaten them three times already so there’s pride they have. Nobody wants to get swept by another team. They came out and they wanted it more than us. They were playing harder than us to start the game but out guys did a great job of getting reengaged and kind of slowly,slowly taking control of the game again.”
When asked about shooting 51-percent from the 3-point line Draymond Green said, “Yeah we were able to get something going. I think we really moved the ball and got good open shots. We got the shot. Guys knocked them down so we kind of took advantage of out ball movement.”
Up next
The Kings are off until Wednesday night when they will host the New Orleans Pelicans in the final game of this home-stand.
The Warriors will host the Miami Heat in Oakland on Monday night.
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.
The Golden State Warriors played a textbook game by their standards on Friday night, routing the Portland Trail Blazers 128-108 on the road on Friday night.
Klay Thompson paced the Warriors with 36 points, making 7-of-10 three-pointers. Stephen Curry added 26 points while Brandon Rush dropped 20. Draymond Green recorded his eighth triple-double of the season with 11 points, 10 assists, and 13 rebounds.
The Blazers cut into a 22-point Warriors’ halftime lead, starting the third quarter on a 10-4 run. But the Warriors responded with a 14-2 spurt to extend the lead back up to 25 at 92-67. Rush finished off the spurt with a couple of baskets.
Curry knocked down a three to end the third quarter, and the Warriors took a 106-87 lead into the fourth, a comfortable advantage they held throughout the fourth for another big win.
In a highly efficient first half, the Warriors shot 11-of-17 from beyond-the-arc, helping contribute to a 74-point half. The Blazers played relatively well, but the Warriors’ offensive was relentless. Thompson drilled a three in the final minute of the second quarter to give the Warriors a 24-point lead. They led 74-52 at halftime.
The Warriors jumped out on top early, holding the Blazers without a field goal for nearly the first five minutes of action. Two three-pointers by Rush put them up 15-4 midway through, and then Thompson took over.
Thompson poured in 19 points in the first stanza alone, scoring the Warriors’ final 14 points of the quarter. He made all five of his three-point attempts, and a jumper at the buzzer gave the Warriors a 38-21 advantage after one.
With a short lineup, the Golden State Warriors were blown out by the Mavericks, but responded a day later with an impressive 114-110 win over the Houston Rockets on the road on Wednesday.
To wrap up 2015, the Warriors delivered an impressive and hard-fought win to advance to 30-2. Without Stephen Curry, Harrison Barnes, and Leandro Barbosa, Klay Thompson picked up the slack with 38 points, while Draymond Green recorded yet another triple-double with 10 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors entered the fourth quarter up 90-82, and several key baskets by Thompson down the stretch helped seal the victory. Thompson outdueled James Harden, who went for 30 points, but could not lead his Rockets to a fourth quarter comeback.
After falling behind 12-4 early, an 11-3 run featuring nine points from Thompson helped Golden State take a 20-17 advantage. The Warriors led 33-30 after one and went into halftime with a 61-59 lead.
Houston took a brief lead in the third quarter. But the Warriors took advantage of a momentum swing midway through, going on a 10-0 run to take a 80-78 deficit into an 88-80 lead. Following a three by Thompson, James Michael McAdoo earned a dunk off a steal to cap off the run.
The Warriors will look to heal up and head into Saturday’s home game against Denver healthy.
The Sacramento Kings committed four turnovers in their first seven possessions on Sunday night versus the Portland Trail Blazers. By the end of the game, the Kings had turned the ball over 23 times.
The Kings lack of value for the ball clearly frustrated their coach and he said so after the game.
“The first four turnovers were crazy. The beginning of the game was crazy,” said George Karl in his postgame press conference. “We’re trying to throw Aaron Rodgers passes in the window from 30 feet. It’s basketball! You’re supposed to throw a pass that has a 95 – maybe 98-percent chance of getting completed.”
Karl was brutally honest about his team’s performance. “We’ve got to value possessions. I don’t think we’re a talented enough basketball team not to put more value on every possession we play on both ends of the floor.”
Karl ended the press conference by standing and saying, “I’m done. I’m frustrated.” Then, the Kings head man walked back to his office.
The situation does not get easier for the Kings who have to travel to Oakland for a Monday night game with the Golden State Warriors. The Kings need to show a concerted effort versus the Warriors or there will be hell to pay from Karl.
The Kings have two home games following the Golden State contest. Philadelphia comes in on Wednesday and Phoenix visits Sacramento on Sunday. Those two games are really must wins for the Kings. The Sixers and Suns are the type of teams the Kings have to beat if the playoffs are even a remote possibility.
The Golden State Warriors fought their way past the Cleveland Cavaliers in a marquee Christmas Day matchup, defeating the Cavaliers 89-83 on Friday afternoon.
The Cavaliers closed on a 10-point Warriors advantage in the fourth, but Stephen Curry sliced to the rim for a couple of layups to keep the Warriors ahead. His layup put the Warriors in front 85-80 with a minute to play.
Golden State knocked down its free throws, finishing off one of the signature wins of the season thus far and advance its record to 28-1.
Draymond Green was the best player on the court with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Curry added 19 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds.
With a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Warriors maintained the slim advantage, playing Cleveland’s halfcourt style of offense but still outscoring the Cavaliers. A dunk by Shaun Livingston in transition put the Warriors ahead 77-69 midway through the fourth. Livingston was key off the bench with 16 big points.
Out of a timeout, Green’s layup gave the Warriors a 10-point lead, their first double-digit advantage of the night.
However, the Cavaliers answered with a 6-0 run, fueled by James to claw within four at 81-77. J.R. Smith knocked down a three to make it a one-possession game at 83-80.
The Warriors started off the second half well. Thompson connected on some jump shots and a dunk by Green put the Warriors up 54-46 and forced a timeout. Curry’s three-point play on a layup inside gave the Warriors a 57-49 advantage.
But the Cavaliers answered, and a three by Smith cut the lead to three. With both teams playing tight, the Warriors took a 64-59 lead into the fourth quarter.
After a slow offensive start, the Warriors went on a 19-5 run to end the first quarter and take a 28-19 lead into the second. Green had a big first quarter with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Livingston made a couple of jumpers to extend the Warriors’ advantage at the end of the quarter.
Curry retreated to the locker room early in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury, but returned a few minutes later after he was cleared to play. Meanwhile, the bench unit allowed the Cavaliers to go on a 9-0 run and tie the game at 31-31.
In a low-scoring first half, the Warriors scored eight of the final 10 points to enter halftime with a 45-42 lead. Despite the injury, Curry still had 10 points, although the Warriors’ 45 points was tied for their lowest in a first half this season.
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.
photo credit: AP Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry hangs head after loss to Milwaukee
It took 25 games, but the Golden State Warriors finally suffered their first loss, a 108-95 defeat on the road to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
The Warriors trailed 80-77 at the start of the fourth, but the Bucks opened on a 11-2 run to take a 12-point lead with under seven minutes to play, taking advantage of the Warriors’ bench lineup.
Golden State was never able to recover from the deficit, despite Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green re-entering the game midway through the fourth.
A dunk by Michael Carter-Williams sealed the deal on the Warriors’ first loss.
The Warriors entered the night 24-0, hoping to become the first team in history to sweep a seven-game road trip. But their record-breaking start to the season was stopped short by an energetic Milwaukee squad.
Curry led the way with 28 points, while Green had 24 points. Greg Monroe led the Bucks with 28 points as well.
The Warriors started the third quarter on a 15-3 run, which ended with a dunk by Brandon Rush that cut the advantage to 7-69. A couple of layups by Jabari Parker pushed the lead back up to eight, and the Warriors trailed 80-77 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Bucks began the game on a spurt and led 14-5 early on after a couple of jumpers by O.J. Mayo. The Warriors ended the quarter on a 10-0 run to draw within 30-28 after one.
But the Warriors were outscored by nine in the second quarter. After they took a 33-30 lead, the Bucks went on a 12-2 run to take a seven-point advantage. The Warriors struggled from the floor as the Bucks poured it on. A three by Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Bucks ahead 56-42 late in the second.
Some thought the Golden State Warriors’ undefeated start to a season would be stopped by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
But the Warriors put big numbers on the board in a 131-123 win over the Pacers on the road to advance to 23-0 and continue their record-breaking campaign.
Klay Thompson erupted for a season-high 39 points, making 10 three-pointers. Stephen Curry added 29 points as the Warriors controlled the game from the start.
A 79-point first half set the tone for a high-paced affair, featuring 29 first-half points from Thompson. Shaun Livingston and the bench played well to start the second, with Livingston’s jumper putting the Warriors up 62-42.
The Pacers went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 62-51, but Thompson answered with 12 points on four three-pointers to end the quarter as the Warriors responded with a 17-7 spurt. Thompson went 8-of-10 from beyond-the-arc in the first half alone and the Warriors led 79-60 at halftime.
Golden State began the half with three straight lobs to Andrew Bogut and went on an 11-3 run midway through the quarter, with Thompson bottoming a shot to give them 100 points at the 3:56 mark of the third. Curry added a setback jumper to end the quarter, which put the Warriors up 111-83 heading into the fourth.
With the bench playing the fourth, the Pacers made a little run, cutting the lead to 11 with four minutes to play. That forced Luke Walton to put Curry and Thompson back in. Chase Budinger’s layup made it a 127-120 game with under a minute to play, but Curry answered with a layup on the other end to put the game away.
The Warriors scored 44 points in the first quarter, and overcame a slow start with the help of a 19-0 run after being down 21-15 midway through. Thompson had 17 points in the quarter, including a three that gave the Warriors a 23-21 lead. Curry’s three-pointer with under two minutes to play put the Warriors ahead 37-21.
The Warriors led 44-28 after the first quarter and tied their season record for most points in the quarter.
