Tag: Golden State Warriors

Warriors Runaway With 111-96 Decision in Orlando

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors continued the franchise’s best start to a season, running their record to 11-2 following a 111-96 beat-down of the home team Orlando Magic. One night after cracking 40 points, Stephen Curry burned the Magic for 28 points on 9 of 13 shooting and four free throws.

The Warriors also received double-digit scoring from starters Harrison Barnes (16), Draymond Green (10) and Klay Thompson (12). Andre Iguodala (13), Marreese Speights(11) and Shaun Livingston (15) also joined the double-digit club coming off the bench. Center Andrew Bogut topped Golden State with 12 rebounds.

Magic Center Nikola Vuceic had a game-best 13 boards. Forward Tobias Harris scored 16 points for the Magic to lead the team Wednesday.

The Warriors outscored the Magic in every quarter except the fourth, but by then they’d built up a 92-65 lead. Despite outscoring the Warriors 31-19 in the fourth quarter, the Magic fell victim to the blowout loss 111-96.

The Warriors continue their road trip Friday in a homecoming for Stephen Curry. The Warriors travel to Charlotte to face the Hornets. It may be one of the last Warriors games Dish subscribers see. The television provider plans to remove Comcast Sports programming from its schedule in the coming year.

Splash Brothers Make Waves In Win Over Miami

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors continued their franchise-best start to a season, topping the host Miami Heat 114-117 to run their record to 11-2. Stephen Curry bounced back from a sub-par 15-point performance Sunday against the Thunder to score 40 points on 12 of 19 shooting to give the Warriors their sixth-straight win. The Warriors shot 57.3 from the field and turned the ball over just 11 times in the win.

Tuesday marked the seventh time in Curry’s career he cracked the 40-point plateau over his 37 minutes of play. The Warriors point guard hit an eye-popping 8 of 11 three-pointers. Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson pitched in with 24 points. Andrew Bogut led all players with ten rebounds after exiting Sunday’s contest in the first quarter with an apparent injury.

For the Heat (8-7), the final remaining member of the Big Three led the way. Center Chris Bosh scored 26 points on 10 of 19 from the field. He also topped the home team in rebounds with nine.

The Warriors trailed by as much as 16 in the second quarter but closed out the half on a 22-6 run to pull within one at 62-61. The two teams swapped the lead five times over the first 9:30 of the third quarter, but Golden State outpaced the Heat 11-7 down the stretch to take the lead one final time at 91-86. They then played their stingiest defense of the night, allowing only 11 points in the final frame to 23 of their own for the 114-97 final.

The Warriors won’t get much respite on the road, a place where they have been very successful this season. They’ll take their 6-1 record away from Oracle Arena to Orlando Wednesday night in game two of a Sunshine State back-to-back.

Warriors Beat Thunder, Lose Bogut and Barbosa

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By Matthew Harrington

News came in many forms Sunday night for the Golden State Warriors. In the affirmative, the Dubs escaped Chesapeake Energy Arena with a 91-86 over the host Oklahoma City Thunder. Dampening the excitement of victory for Bay Area fans is the fact that both Andrew Bogut and Leandro Barbosa exited the contest early with injuries.

The Warriors (10-2)hit a season-low 35.6 percent of field goals, going 32 of 90 from the floor. The Warriors starters account for only 15 of the 32 makes, including poor shooting nights from Stephen Curry (5 of 15) and Klay Thompson (6 for 20). Thompson scored 20 points to Curry’s 15. Marreese Speights did the heavy lifting for the Warriors, scoring 28 points for the winners.

The Thunder (3-13), still without Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, were led on the scorer’s sheet by Reggie Jackson’s 22 points. Jackson pulled down 11 rebounds for the double-double, while former Warrior Anthony Morrow had a game-high 12 boards.

The Warriors lead by as much as 10 points the first half, but found themselves only up 70-66 heading into the fourth quarter. Without Bogut and despite not hitting a three-pointer in the entire second half, the Warriors outscored the Thunder down the stretch 21-20 for the win.

The Warriors travel itinerary doesn’t get any lighter in the next few days. The Dubs play four straight on the road before month’s end, starting with a Tuesday-Wednesday Florida back-to-back. The Warriors head to Miami to face the heat before moving on to in-state opponent Orlando.

Warriors Bigs Center of Attention in Blowout Win over Lakers

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors flexed their offensive muscle for a second consecutive night, routing the host Los Angeles Lakers 136-115 Sunday night after romping over the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night. Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut each earned double-doubles for the Warriors, while Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 44 points for the struggling Lakers (1-8).

Curry topped the Warriors (7-2) with 30 points and 15 assists, hitting 10 of 19 field goals and five threes, but it was the Golden State bigs that stole the spotlight. Marreese Speights collected 24 points, including 8 from the field while pulling down nine rebounds off the bench. Starting center Andrew Bogut cracked double digits in points in the first quarter, finishing the night with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Even Ognjen Kuzmic and Justin Holiday, called up from the Warriors D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, saw playing time with coach Steve Kerr electing to rest his starters with the game out of hand early.

The Warriors hit 46 of 86 field goals, good for a 53.5 shooting percentage. While the turnover numbers were still somewhat high, the 16 committed Sunday are an improvement on the NBA-worst 20.1 the Dubs are averaging a game.

With Bogut on fire in the first quarter, the Warriors took a 34-23 lead. 21 of the 23 points came courtesy of Bryant, with the Mamba bent on passing Michael Jordan’s career points total this season. A 40-32 Warriors scoring margin in the second quarter put Golden State up 74-57. They put up 41 points in the third, while yielding only 24 to Los Angeles. With the reserves in, the Lakers outscored their visitors 36-21 in garbage time for the final score of 136-115.

After winning both ends of a back-to-back, the Warriors get a lengthy respite. They next take the Oracle Arena hardwood Friday night against the Utah Jazz to kick seven straight games against teams at or below the .500 winning percentage.

Suns hand Warriors First Loss of the Season

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Nobody’s perfect. That includes the Golden State Warriors. After starting the 2014-15 season off with a five game win-streak, the best start to a season since the mid-nineties, the Warriors (5-1) finally succumbed to an opponent Sunday night. In falling to the Phoenix Suns on the road 107-95, the Warriors were the last of the unbeaten teams to fall this season.

Golden State, missing David Lee for a second-consecutive contest due to a hamstring injury, also played without Klay Thompson. The shooting guard was pulled from the line-up suffering from a hand injury.

The Warriors were up 79-71 heading into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 36-16 in the final frame. For the second consecutive night, Golden State turned the ball over 26 times.

Stephen Curry was the highest scorer for a second straight night. The Warriors point guard notched a double-double, scoring 28 points to go along with 10 assists. He also turned the ball over a career-worst 10 times. Draymond Green, in the starting line-up as Lee’s substitute, put up 22 points.

Isaiah Thomas led the Suns (4-3) with 22 points off the bench, while starter Goran Dragic and reserve Gerald Green posted 19 points apiece.

The Warriors return home for a three-game homestand, with a contest against the scuffling defending champion San Antonio Spurs opening up the set on Tuesday. After that the Brooklyn Nets stop by Oracle on Thursday, then the Charlotte Hornets close out the trio of games Saturday.

Rockets Hand Warriors Second Loss of the Preseason

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

After winning the first four games, the Golden State Warriors dropped their second straight preseason contest Sunday. Golden State fell to the Houston Rockets 90-83 from State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas just two days after losing its first game of the tune-up season Friday against the Miami Heat.

Justin Holiday notched a game-high 18 points for the Dubs off the bench. Nemanja Nedovic, Sunday’s starting guard for the Warriors, added 16 on 6 of 10 shooting while fellow starter Harrison Barnes pitched in 13.

The best backcourt in the NBA, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, got the night off from coach Steve Kerr. The absence of two of their best shooters saw the Warriors (4-2) connect on only 33 of 79 field goals.

For the Rockets (4-1), starters Dwight Howard (11), Trevor Ariza (13), James Harden (15) and Patrick Beverley (11) all broke double-digits in scoring. The Rockets committed 14 turnovers to the Warriors 21.

Golden State now sits just two match-ups away from the start of the regular season. Both contests come on home turf, with the Warriors taking on the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday before a Friday night tilt against the Denver Nuggets.

Notes: Warriors Co-Executive Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob donated $1 million to Washington University to fund a Business of Sports program in the university’s school of business. Lacob will also deliver the first presentation in the Joseph S. Lacob Business of Sports speaker series….Sunday was the first time the Warriors didn’t break 100 points in a game this preseason…Andre Iguodala was the only expected Warrior starter who played more than 10 minutes Sunday…David Lee (10 minutes) and Andrew Bogut (9) didn’t crack the plateau, while the Splash Brothers sat out.

Warriors Stumble in Fourth Quarter, End Unbeaten Preseason Streak

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

A Bay Area team lost in Kansas City Friday night, but don’t expect the shortcoming to make the evening news. In fact most people won’t notice at all, just the true diehards. That’d be diehards of the Golden State Warriors.

With game the San Francisco Giants in town preparing for game one of the World Series, the Bay’s best took to the hardwood, not the diamond, with the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat playing a preseason exhibition at Kansas City’s Spirit Center. The 2014 Eastern Conference champion Heat downed the Warriors 115-108 to hand the Dubs their first loss in the five tune-up games played in preparation for opening night October 29th. Miami had gone four preseason games without a victory entering Friday.

David Lee’s shooting touch was on display, with the Warriors forward going 11 of 11 from the field for 24 points. Klay Thompson scored a game-high 29 points, making 10 of 21 shots over 32 minutes of play. The only ice cold Warrior was Stephen Curry who only connected on a pair of shots for seven points total. In total, the Warriors went 38-for-78 for a .487 shooting percentage.

Chris Bosh led the Heat in scoring with 21 points, while Luol Deng and Shawne Williams chipped in 19 apiece. The “home” team went 39 of 70 on field goals made versus attempted.

Golden State held a 95-83 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 32-13 down the stretch.

The next stop for the Warriors preseason tour is a showdown with the Houston Rockets Sunday. This game will be played in Hidalgo, Texas at the State Farm Arena.

Curry’s Triple-Double, Romping of Lakers Clinches Playoff Berth for Warriors

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By Matthew Harrington

The Golden State Warriors locked in their spot in the 2014 NBA Playoffs Friday night at the Staples Center, riding a Stephen Curry triple-double to a 112-95 dismantling of the host Los Angeles Lakers. By matching or outscoring the Lakers (25-54) in all but one quarter the Dubs clinched their second-consecutive playoff berth under coach Mark Jackson and their first back-to-back postseason qualifications since 1992.

Warriors All-Star Curry fired off 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds over 34 minutes for his fifth-career triple-double. Klay Thompson and reserve Marreese Speights finished with 16 points apiece. David Lee joined Curry in double-digit rebounded with 10 boards.

Nick Young paced the forum purple with 25 points, and Jordan Hill and Ryan Kelly pitched in 18 and 14 respectively. Hill also had a game-high 12 points.

Golden State (49-30) nailed 48.9 percent of shots attempted, including a 13-for-25 clip from beyond the arc. The injury-riddled Lakers hit 39.3 percent of their field goals including only 9-of-28 from downtown. The Warriors dominated the glass with 57 rebounds to LA’s 42.

Both sides finished the first 12 minutes with 26 points. The Warriors rode a huge second quarter to pull ahead 58-42, notching 32 second-quarter points to Los Angeles’ 17. Golden State survived a Lakers 26-25 third quarter scoring margin before finishing off the home team with a 29-26 run to wrap up a playoff bid.

For now, the Warriors sit 1.5 games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for sixth-place in the Western Conference with Golden State boasting a game in hand. The Portland Trailblazers sit 2.5 games ahead of the Warriors with three games remaining for the Dubs meaning in all likelihood, Golden State will be returning to Los Angeles and the Staples Center to face the third-seed Clippers when the playoffs begin. For now, the task at hand for Jackson’s side is a showdown with the Blazers on Sunday in Portland before the second half of a back-to-back against Minnesota at Oracle. The Warriors then get a chance to wrap up the regular season with revenge against the Denver Nuggets, 100-99 winners in a April 10th showdown in Oakland.

Warriors lose heartbreaker to Mozgov, Nuggets, fail to clinch playoff birth

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By Gabe Schapiro

The Golden State Warriors (48-29) lost the Denver Nuggets (34-44) in ugly fashion, 100-99, Thursday night, at Oracle Arena. Losing by one point doesn’t look so bad on it’s face, but the Warriors let a 20-point lead slip away, got out-worked for long stretches, were thoroughly dominated on the glass, and couldn’t convert on their first chance to seal a playoff birth. Stephen Curry nearly saved the day with a last-second floater, but wouldn’t be outdone by Kenneth Faried, who followed with one of his own.

The Warriors played well out of the gate. They quickly built a double-digit lead, a lead that grew to 20 just four minutes into the second quarter. From there the momentum swung to Denver’s favor, and for Golden State it all went down hill. The Nuggets kept chipping away, as the Warriors play slipped. Denver finally grabbing their first lead of the contest half way through the fourth.

Curry did his best Superman impression to try and salvage the win, but came up just short. He scored the Warriors last eight points to bring them back, very briefly giving them the lead. The last two of those points were a thing of beauty. With less then a minute to play, Curry somehow came down with a rebound, took it the length of the court weaving through several defenders, and floated a shot over Denver’s big front court. The shot gave Golden State a 99-98 lead with five seconds to play.

Unfortunately for Curry and the Warriors, Faried countered with his best Kryptonite impression. In those five remaining seconds he received an inbound pass, backed down Draymond Green, got up a floater of his own that he would sink to drown Golden State’s hopes for a win.

Faried may have hit the game winner, but the night belonged to Timofey Mozgov. The big center scored 23 points to go along with a career-high, and an NBA-high this season, 29 rebounds. He also had three blocks and a steal. Faried chipped in a big double-double as well, adding 18 points and 17 boards.

In the losing effort, Curry was the standout, but did struggle with his shot for much of the night in the face of heavy pressure from the Denver defense. He had a team-high 24 points, six assists, and four steals. Klay Thompson was their only other consistent offensive option, contributing 21 points.

Unfortunately Golden State’s other three starters had very poor nights. Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green combined for 14 points, on six-of-15 shooting.

The Warriors will have another shot at clinching tomorrow night in Los Angeles, when they will be facing off with the Lakers at the Staples Center. The game begins at 7:30 PM.

Warriors crush Kings 102-69

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Image

Photo credit: Rocky Widner

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento and Golden State played a basketball in Oakland on Friday night. Unfortunately for Kings’ fans, their team spent most of the night in the “Twilight Zone”. The Warriors beat up on the Kings 102-69.

The Kings knew they were in trouble early in the game. DeMarcus Cousins picked up two personal fouls in less 1:30 played in game. For Sacramento to have any chance to compete in the game, they needed a strong effort from Cousins. With their star center on the bench, things went downhill quickly for the Kings.

Klay Thompson led the Warrior attack by being aggressive in taking the ball to the hoop. Golden State scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter. The Kings were not going to the basket and were cold shooting from the perimeter. Sacramento shot just 18.0-percent in the quarter while Golden State shot just 36.0-percent from the field. The Kings turned the ball over a season high nine times in the quarter.

After one quarter, the Warriors led the Kings 25-14.

Golden State went on a 7-0 run to begin the second quarter. The Kings had virtually no ball movement and opened the quarter by going 0 for 7 shooting. Just as the Kings looked like they might be ready to wake up and challenge the Warriors, Golden State went on an 11-0 run.

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Golden State was leading the Kings 59-27.

The Kings shot 17.9-percent (7 for 39) for field goals. Sacramento turned the ball over 12 times and had just four assists. The Warriors shot 48.0-percent (24 for 50) from the field and 46.2-percent from beyond the 3-point line. Golden State had 16 assists and just five turnovers.

The Warriors came out in the third quarter still on fire and went on an 11-2 run. DeMarcus Cousins tried to pick up his team by scoring 14 points in the third, but it was too little, too late. After three, the Warriors led 84-50.

The teams played the fourth quarter because they were required to play it, but the outcome of the game was already known to all. Golden State emptied their bench and rested their starters. Sacramento did the same with about six minutes left to play in the final quarter. The Kings did outscore the Warriors 19-18 in the fourth.

The final score was Golden State 102 Sacramento 69.

The Kings shot just 32.1-percent for the game and just 10.0-percent from beyond the 3-point arc. The young Sacramento backcourt played very young versus the Warriors.

Cousins led the Kings with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Rudy Gay and Jason Thompson scored 10 points each.

Klay Thompson led the scoring for Golden State with 21 points. The Warriors had seven players score in double-figures.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone spoke about it being a disappointing night with a disappointing effort. He noted that his team could not respond to the Warriors dominate effort in the paint and on the glass. Malone expressed concern over how his team would respond on Sunday versus Dallas.

The Kings will face a tough Dallas Mavericks team on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento. The Mavericks are in a three team race for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.