Tag: Golden State Warriors

Barnes Buzzer Beater Gives Warriors 62nd Win

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

If Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to draw up one play to win a game, chances are he’d funnel the ball to potential Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry. Unfortunately for Kerr, Thursday night against at the Phoenix Suns the ball didn’t find Curry when the Dubs needed it to most. Instead, it came to an unlikely hero; Harrison Barnes.

With 4 seconds remaining and the Warriors trailing 106-105, Draymond Green’s inbound pass found Barnes cutting to the basket. After a few seconds, Barnes put up the game-winning lay-up with .4 ticks of the clock left. It was later ruled that time had expired, handing Golden State (62-13) their 62nd win (adding to the franchise record set this season) with a final score of 107-105.

The magic moment was almost for not in a frantic finish. In a mad scramble that started around the :30 mark of the fourth, the Warriors set up camp in the offensive zone. After three offensive rebounds and a steal, Klay Thompson fed Curry for a three to put Golden State ahead 105-104 with just 6 seconds left in regulation. The Suns answered back after an unguarded Eric Bledsoe drove to the hoop for the easy two points to hand Phoenix the one-point lead with just under 5 seconds left, setting up Barnes big moment.

Over 23 minutes, Barnes only collected four total points. Of course, Curry led the way offensively for the Warriors. The All-Star guard went 10-for-22 from the field, collecting a game-high 28 points to go with 8 boards and 5 assists. Thompson pitched in 16 points of his own. Bledsoe topped the Suns (38-38) with 18 points on 6 of 17 from the field.

Both teams shot around 46 percent on the night, with the Warriors winning the rebound battle 50-47. The Suns committed only 11 turnovers to Golden State’s 13 in an evenly-played contest.

The Warriors outscored Phoenix 55-44 in the first half, but were outpaced 62-52 over the second half to set up the tense final moments.

Next on the schedule for the Warriors is a tougher opponent than the .500 Suns. The Western Conference leaders will match-up with the 7th seed out West, the Dallas Mavericks. The two teams link up in a Saturday night showdown in the Lonestar State.

Warriors Win 60th Game, Clinch West

Published on by Eric HeLeave a comment

By: Eric He

Not since Gerald Ford was President have the Golden State Warriors been this good.

With a 108-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night, the Warriors won their franchise-record 60th game of the season and clinched the top seed in the West, ensuring them home-court advantage through the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs.

The last time the Warriors won more than 59 games and were the top seed in the conference was the 1975-1976 season.

After a rather sluggish first quarter, the Warriors pulled away in the second, dominated in the third, and coasted in the fourth for a comfortable win.

Stephen Curry’s 25 points led the way, and he maintained his torrid shooting from beyond-the-arc, hitting 6-of-9 three-point attempts. Klay Thompson, who finished with 21, scored 17 points in the third quarter that saw the Warriors outscore the Bucks 34-25 and extend a 10-point lead to 19.

Thompson made jumper after jumper, and scored nine consecutive points at one juncture to propel the Warriors’ advantage.

Back-to-back shots by Curry midway through the fourth put the Warriors up 99-78 and sealed the game.

Notes

The Warriors rested Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green on the back-end of a back-to-back. David Lee started in Green’s place … James Michael McAdoo contributed 12 points off the bench. … The Warriors held the Bucks to 37.9 percent shooting and 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from three-point range. … With their 26th road win of the season, the Warriors set yet another franchise record. … Next up for Golden State will be the Clippers on the road on Tuesday night.

Warriors Match Single-Season Franchise Wins Mark

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Stephen Curry continued his barnstorming campaign to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award Friday night, dropping 38 points on the Memphis Grizzlies to lead the Golden State Warriors to the 107-84 victory. The Western Conference leaders now have eighth-straight wins and have matched the franchise record for wins in a single season.

Curry went 12-for-22 from the field in 34 minutes of play, nailing 8 treys out of 12 attempted to push the Warriors passed the number two team in the conference handedly. The All-star guard also dished out 10 assists.

Klay Thomspon pitched in 28 points while Andrew Bogut matched Memphis’ Jeff Green with a game-high 8 rebounds. Green also topped the Grizzlies (50-21) with 16 points coming off the bench.

The Warriors (59-13) forced 19 Memphis turnovers while out-boarding one of the Association’s physical elite 43-40. Memphis did outshoot Golden State on its home court, shooting 44.7 percent to the Warriors’ 43.3.

The Warriors held a 7-point lead after the opening 12 minutes, putting up 31 points to Memphis’ 24. The Grizzlies cut into the Dubs lead with a 25-23 second quarter but a dominant third frame put Golden State up big. The Warriors scored 31 while limiting Memphis to 16 for an 85-65. The Dubs closed the game out with a 22-19 fourth for the 107-84 final score.

After the contest, the Warriors hopped on a flight for Milwaukee. They take on the Bucks in the second game of a back-to-back Saturday night, looking for win number nine in a row against a Bucks team hovering around the .500 mark.

Curry’s Health Not In Question After 32-Point Night Against Wizards

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

All it took was one game for Stephen Curry to alleviate Warriors fan’s concerns about a foot injury. After missing Golden State’s previous contest, the All-Star guard returned with authority Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. On the road at the Verizon Center Curry collected a game-high 32 points over 33 minutes of play, leading the Warriors (44-10) to a 114-197 win over their Eastern Conference foe.

The dark horse candidate for Most Valuable Player hit 11 of 18 field goals, including 5 of 9 from three-point land to lead the Dubs. Curry also came a pair of assists shy of a double-double. Washington’s Marcin Gortat (16 points, 11 rebounds) and John Wall (16 points, 11 assists) each earned double-doubles, while Paul Pierce scored a team-high 25 points.

For the Warriors, David Lee pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds but Golden State lost the board battle 45-29. The Dubs hit exactly half the shots they took, connecting on 45 attempts, while the Wizards shot 53.2 percent from the field. The biggest difference came in turnovers, with the Warriors defense forcing 26 turnovers out of their opponent while coughing up the rock on a miscue just 9 times.

Washington scored the first nine consecutive points of the contest but Golden State outscored them 30-19 to close out the first half up 30-28. The Warriors wouldn’t trail for the rest of the first half, heading to the locker room up 54-51.

The Wizards scored 22 of the first 40 points of the second half to take their first 2nd half lead 73-72 with just over five minutes left in the third, but Golden State wound up back on top 86-83 heading into the final 12 minutes. From there, the Warriors outscored the Wizards 28-24 to hand Washington (33-24) its fourth straight loss.

Curry’s next test of the foot comes in a prime match-up against the league’s best super star. LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers host the Warriors Thursday night on national television, with the game being broadcast on TNT.

Warriors Squeak Past Celtics Thanks to Thompson’s Encore

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

What would Klay Thompson do for an encore after dropping 37 points in a quarter Friday night? The All-star hopeful didn’t quite replicate the matching and drop 40 over 12 minutes, but he did produce a game-high 31 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 114-111 win over the Boston Celtics Sunday at Oracle Arena.

One game after setting the NBA points record in a quarter against the Sacramento Kings, Thompson hit 11 of 19 field goals (including three three-pointers) over 32 minutes to help the Dubs (36-6) extend their home winning streak to 19.
Thompson didn’t shoulder the burden alone. Fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry picked up his 15th double-double, scoring 22 while dishing out 11 assists. Andrew Bogut joined curry for a double double-double, scoring 13 while pulling down a game-best 13 rebounds.

The Celtics (15-27) rode a near double-double from Jared Sullinger to remain in contention against the NBA’s best. The former Ohio State Buckeye worked the Warriors defense for 26 points but came a rebound shy of double-digit totals. Guard Evan Turner produced an efficient shooting night, hitting 7 of 12 attempted shots from the floor for 19 points.

After taking a 3-2 lead, the Warriors never trailed in the first quarter, but couldn’t extend the lead more than seven points, ultimately settling for a 30-23 first quarter edge. The second quarter was more of the same with the tenacious Celtics hanging around to trail 56-49 at the half.

The Warriors appeared to be putting their potential draft lottery-pick bound opponents away, staking out as much as a twelve-point lead after an Andre Iguodala layup put the Warriors ahead 86-74, closing out the quarter ahead 89-77. The Celtics made the Warriors sweat it out though, scoring 34 fourth-quarter points to the Warriors 25, pulling one possession away from a chance to tie.

With a victory nearly stolen, the Warriors now face a tough test in the visiting Chicago Bulls. If the Warriors want to make it 20-straight at home, they’ll have to top the Central Division’s best Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.

Klay Thompson and Warriors crush the Kings 126-101

Published on by Charlie O. Mallonee1 Comment
Associated Press Photo
Associated Press Photo

by Charlie O. Mallonee

On Friday night in Oakland, it was Klay Thompson’s world and the rest of us were allowed to live in it.

Thompson did something against the Kings that no player had done in the history of the NBA. He scored 37 points in the third quarter of the game. No player in “the Association” has ever scored that many points in a quarter before Thompson did it on Friday night.

Not only did Thompson score 37 points in the third quarter, he was a perfect 13 for 13 from the field including nine 3-Pointers. Thompson scored 52 points for the game and he sat on the bench for most of the fourth quarter. He finished with 11 3-Point baskets just one short of Kobe Bryant’s NBA record of 12 3-Pointers in a game.

The Golden State Warriors (36-6) rode Thompson’s coattails to a 126-101 win over the Sacramento Kings (16-27).

Marreese Speights put up 19 for the Warriors off the bench to go with 11 from Draymond Green and 10 from Stephen Curry.

Golden State shot 47.9-percent (45 for 94) from the field while going 17 for 40 (42.5-percent) from beyond the 3-Point arc. They were 19 for 22 (86.4-percent) from the free throw line.

The Kings were led in scoring by DeMarcus Cousins’ 28 points in 35 minutes of playing time. Darren Collison added 15 points, Quincy Miller 13, Nik Stauskas 11. Rudy Gay was held scoreless after he was ejected from the game for back-to-back technical fouls at the 8:15 mark of the second quarter.

Sacramento shot 41.5-percent (34 for 82) from the floor and 23.5-percent (4 for 17) from 3-Point range. The Kings shot 85.3-percent (29 for 34) from the charity stripe.

Neither team took good care of the ball. The Warriors turned the ball over 18 times (21 points) while the Kings gave the ball back 22 times (21 points).

Golden State out-rebounded Sacramento 46 to 43.

The Warriors threatened to runaway with the game in the first quarter when they went on a 20-2 run. The Kings did not give up and closed the gap to just nine points by the end of the quarter.

The Kings continued to chip away at the Warriors in the second quarter even after Gay’s ejection. Sacramento took advantage of a cold shooting streak by the Warriors to cut the lead to just five points (56-51) at the half.

The Kings opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run and took the lead 58-56. Moments later Klay Thompson caught fire and literally history was made on the court.

The Kings have now lost six consecutive games. They are 0-3 versus the Warriors this season. Sacramento is now 0-1 on their five game road trip.

Up next:

Kings at New York Knicks on Monday 1/26

Boston visits Golden State on Sunday 1/25

Warriors Tie Franchise Record with 15th Home Win In A Row, Beat Heat 104-89

Published on by kahlilnajar7Leave a comment
OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 14: The Golden State Warriors huddle before the game against the Miami Heat on January 14, 2015 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – JANUARY 14: The Golden State Warriors huddle before the game against the Miami Heat on January 14, 2015 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Kahlil Najar

OAKLAND – In a big news day around the Bay Area the Golden State Warriors (31-5) made sure their names were in the headlines as the tied a franchise record with their 15th straight home win with a victory over the Miami Heat (17-22) 104-89. Stephen Curry led all players with 32 points which included a seven of ten night from beyond the arch. Andre Iguodala lead the team with 7 assists and David Lee and Marreese Speights both had a team high six rebounds.

For Miami, Chris Bosh had 26 points and seven rebounds while Luol Deng added 19 points of his own. Dwayne Wade was held out of tonight’s contest with a strained left hamstring.

Curry and Klay Thompson got the Warriors off to a great start as the scored the teams first 14 points and led the Warriors to a 26-18 after the first quarter. In the early second quarter, head coach Steve Kerr sent in the second unit to face the Heat and they helped build the lead from 8 points to 17 to end the first half with a 55-38 lead.

“I thought that was the key point in the game. Our defense really kicked in and it was nice that the defense came from the group that maybe you didn’t expect it from,” said Kerr. “David (Lee) was terrific and I loved his energy. Andre was always in the right place and handled the ball for us. That group was really good for us.”

The Heat turned up the pressure in the second half when they outscored the Warriors 51 to 49 but the Warriors defense came up big and stopped the Heat before they were able to start a run. With a little over nine minutes left in the game the Heat’s Shawne Williams made a 27-foot three pointer to bring the Warriors lead down to nine points. However the always impressive Justin Holliday scored five points in under 40 seconds and brought the lead back up to 14.

The Warriors are now 13-0 over Eastern Conference teams and off to their best start in years. With the amazing start by the Warriors Steve Kerr had this to say on the rest of the season.

“I think this is the beginning of the dog days in the NBA. Now until the All Star break is when it gets hard. The newness of the season is over and we’re on this great run and we’re not even halfway through and guys are getting tired. We’re trying to get through that and if we’re able to pick up wins then that’s great.”

The Warriors head to Oklahoma City and try to extend their win streak to nine on Friday night to take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder.

Thompson Outpaces Pacers, Scores 40 in Warriors 13th-Straight Home Win

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 117-102 at Oracle Arena Wednesday night, extending their home winning streak to 13 games. Klay Thompson came a point shy of matching his career-high of 41 points to lead the team atop the NBA standings to the second-longest lossless stretch at home since the Warriors (28-5) won 15-straight at home in 1989-90.

Thompson went 14 of 25 from the field, including six three-pointers, over his 40 minutes of the play. The NBA All-Star hopeful also went six-for-six from the free throw line and pitched in two assists and four rebounds.

Splash Brother Stephen Curry played the perfect sidekick, collecting a double-double on 21 points and 15 assists. Center Andrew Bogut returned after missing 12 games, playing 14 minutes off the bench, but his replacement in the starting five Marreese Speights proved adequate, chipping in 18 points. Draymond Green matched Indiana’s Lavoy Allen for the game-high in rebounds with 9 each.

Despite being a game and half out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers (14-23) gave the Warriors the early test. They had the home team down by as much as 11 points in the first half, but the Warriors found a way to tie the game at 50-all at the half. A 34-26 Warriors run in the third Quarter gave the Dubs a cozy 8-point lead, while a 33-26 fourth quarter helped ice the win for Golden State.

The Warriors could be primed for home win no. 14 when they next take the court. Golden State welcomes the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers to Oracle Arena Friday night, with newly acquired Timofey Mozgov expected to make his Cavs debut after coming over from the Denver Nuggets for a pair of first-round picks Wednesday.

Notes: Klay Thompson’s 40-point game was his second of his career. He also scored 41 points against the Lakers on November 1st of this season …Stephen Curry hit his 1,000 career three-pointer. His 369 games are the fewest played to reach that milestone…Indiana center Roy Hibbert left Wednesday’s game with an injury after only five minutes of play….Wednesday Night was Asian Heritage night at Oracle Arena. Fans with special event tickets received an Asian Hertiage night t-shirt while everyone in attendance was entertained by an on-court performance presented by the Thai Cultural Council of Berkeley and Fremont.

Warriors Stay Dominate, Kings Continue To Slide.

Published on by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

The Golden State Warriors dominated the Sacramento Kings in Monday night’s Bay Area battle, cruising their way to a 128-108 victory.

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Kings were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game by the Warriors, who currently own the NBA’s best record at 23-3 on the season.

The lone bright spot for Sacramento was C DeMarcus Cousins, who excelled in Andrew Bogut’s absence, leading the team with 22 points on the night. Darren Collison followed the big man with 17 of his own.

The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson, whose 25 points led all scorers for the contest. Steph Curry was limited to just 12 points, but tallied 11 assists on the night. In place of Bogut, Festus Ezeli notched a career high 15 points while adding six rebounds.

After losing the lead early in the first quarter following a 25-9 run for Golden State, the Kings were unable to fight their way back into contention, as the Warriors maintained a comfortable lead throughout the game.

The Warriors received a big boost from their bench, who outscored Sacramento’s bench 62-39 on the night.

The loss now drops Sacramento to a 12-16 record, good for fourth in the Pacific Division. The Kings continue their season skid, losing 11 of their last 14 games.

Fab Five: Warriors Sweep Five-Game Road Trip With Win Over Detroit

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Make it a perfect five for the Golden State Warriors, who completed an undefeated quintuple-city road trip Sunday with a 104-93 win against the Detroit Pistons. Saginaw, Michigan Native Draymond Green collected a team-leading 20 points for Golden State. The Michigan State alum hit 5 of 8 from beyond the three-point line. Marreese Speights followed up his Friday night breakout with a 12-rebound performance to hand the Warriors (14-2) their ninth-straight victory.

The Pistons (3-14), losers of eight straight, took a 24-21 lead in the first, but the Warriors dominated the second fourth of play with a 32-16 run to etch out a 53-40 halftime lead. The Pistons cut the lead by two following a 31-2 scoring edge in the third, but 22 points a side allowed the Dubs to cruise to the 104-93 win.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46.8 percent from the field. They limited the hosts to only 33 of 91 from the field for a 36.3 shooting percentage. Golden State turned the ball over 16 times, but went to the free throw line 27 times, hitting 21 from behind the charity stripe. The Motor City side struggled from behind the line, hitting just 16 of 24 free throws.

The Pistons back court combo of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (23) and Brandon Jennings (22) combined for almost half the Pistons’ points. Pitching in along with Green for the Warriors were Stephen Curry’s 16 points over a limited 28 minutes and Klay Thompson’s 15. Curry collected a double-double, dishing out 10 assists, but left the game early with a sore left ankle. X-rays taken Sunday were negative.

The Warriors return home for a brief two-game homestand, starting with Tuesday night’s tilt against the Orlando Magic then a Thursday showdown with Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. After that, the road beckons once more, with the Warriors starting a two-game roadie against the Chicago Bulls.