Curry leads with 37 points and Durant scores season low 19 as Warriors defeat Nets 117-99

Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden, right, and Kevin Durant (7) try and put a stop on the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Tue Nov 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

BROOKLYN— In a matchup of the NBA’s top two scorers – former teammate champions – at Barclays Center on Tuesday night, Golden State Warriors (12-2) star Stephen Curry came out on top with 37 points. Curry led his team to a 117-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets (10-5) and Kevin Durant, who scored his season-low 19 points.

At the end of the night, it was Curry who stood at half court and enjoyed “MVP! MVP! MVP!” chants.

“It’s fun for us but we appreciate the support. It’s nice to have that energy around when we’re traveling like that,” Curry said. “Doesn’t happen unless you win games, and you don’t win games by yourself.” Curry made nine 3-pointers and was 12 for 19 overall, boosting his average to 28.7 points per game.

Meanwhile Durant, who failed to hit 20 points for the first time this season and finished 6 for 19, dropped his average to 28.9 points per game.

Durant, who decided to leave the Warriors for the Nets more than two years ago, acknowledged that Curry is “a master at what he does… playing at an all-star, MVP, hall of fame level.”

The two players shared a warm embrace on the court after the game.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked whether Durant is a better player now than when he played for Golden State over three seasons, twice winning NBA Finals MVP.

“He was pretty damn good then, so he doesn’t look any different to me and that’s after an Achilles injury that kept him out for a year and a half,” Kerr said. “So that’s saying something. But I don’t think you can tell he had an injury, given his ability, his speed, his explosion.”

The game started out as a head-on duel. Brooklyn made their first six shots and took a 34-31 lead in the first quarter, with Durant and Curry scoring 12 points apiece.

Andrew Wiggins, who scored 19 points, hit triples for the last two baskets of the first half, including at the buzzer to give the Warriors a 63-58 lead.

The third quarter was when Golden State took control of the game, finishing with a 98-76 lead. The rest was history.

“This was a big game for us,” Wiggins said. “I felt like we came and showed the league that we’re here. That we’re deep and we’re here.”

The Warriors (11-2), leading the Western Conference, take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Tipoff is at 4:30 p.m.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Did Warriors look lethargic in loss to Charlotte?

The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) plays defense on the Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (20) Sun Nov 14, 2021 in Charlotte (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (11-2) lost their second game of the season to the Charlotte Hornets (8-7) snapping their seven game win streak in the game they looked awfully tired and their just starting the first of a four game road trip on Sunday night.

#2 Warriors top scorer Andrew Wiggins was getting his shot to fall scoring 28 points tops on the leaderboard and followed up by Warrior guard Stephen Curry 24 points.

#3 The Hornets Miles Bridges led with 22 points, LeMelo Ball 21 points and Terry Rozier 20 points as the top three scorers for the Hornets Sunday.

#4 Rozier said after the game that the Hornets are trying to get somewhere like the where the Warriors are and the Hornets put out their best efforts.

#5 The Warriors head to Brooklyn to take on former teammate Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets (10-4) tell us how you see this game Tuesday night at the Barclay Center.

Barbara Mason does the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors 7 game Winning Streak Comes To An End 106-102

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) looks to throw the ball inbounds over Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) Sun Nov 14, 2021 in Charlotte (AP News photo)

Warriors Winning Streak Comes To An End 106-102

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (11-2) missed far too many wide open looks from downtown against the Charlotte Hornets (8-7) losing 106-102. The Warriors shot 9-39 from long range and just the fact that they were in this game till the end was amazing in itself.

Sunday afternoon the Warriors faced the Hornets on the road. The Warriors will be minus one of their weapons and that is their fan base, one of the loudest crowds in the NBA. The Warriors are coming off an eight-game home stand in which they went 7-1 winning all seven games by double digits. Road games can be an entirely different challenge.

The Hornets will be looking for a little revenge after having lost to Golden State less than two weeks ago. The Hornets can be inconsistent but they can also heat up and give the Warriors some real trouble.

The Warriors have to have a fast start and control the turnovers. Charlotte is the worst defensive team in the NBA but they are also a high octane offensive team. The Warriors have to take advantage of the Hornets ineffective defense. They will also have to contain the trio of Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward.

The Hornets led at the end of the first quarter 30-27. They were up to their old tricks and had seven turnovers which robs them of a possible seven shot attempts. They will have to clean that up going forward in this game.

There were far too many turnovers by Golden State in this game and at the half this game was all tied up at 57. The two highest scoring teams in the league were living up to their reputations. In the third quarter the Warriors would have to contain Ball who already had 19 points and was 4-6 from downtown. They needed to convert those wide open looks that they were missing in the first half as well.

Mid-way though the third quarter this game was as tight as the Warriors have seen all season. They were tied up at 70 and the Hornets were giving the Warriors all they could handle.

28 points in 26 minutes for Andrew Wiggins was big for Golden State. The fourth quarter of this game saw lead changes every minute or two. This game was going down to the wire with both teams struggling offensively in the final three minutes of this game.

Would this be the game that saw the winning streak end for the Warriors? With 44 seconds left in the game it was all knotted up at 102. The Warriors were 9-39 from downtown which is something seldom seen from this team and could prove to be their undoing.

The Warriors continue their road trip on Tuesday night taking on the Brooklyn Nets. Tipoff is at 7:30PM.

Warriors prove elite status beating Chicago 119-93; Curry scores 40 in victory

Stephen Curry guard for the Golden State Warriors jumps for joy after converting one of his three point shots in the second half of action at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Chicago Bulls on Fri Nov 12, 2021 (AP News photo)

Warriors Prove Elite Status Beating Chicago 119-93

By Barbara Mason

After a horrific start in Friday night’s game, the Golden State Warriors (11-1) turned things around led by a Curry Flurry of epic proportion. They finished off the Eastern Conference leaders 119-93.

Friday night the Warriors finished their eight-game home stand against the Chicago Bulls (8-4) looking for their seventh win in a row. Their last six wins were by double digits although tonight they will be challenged by the Eastern Conference leading Bulls.

The Warriors will try to contain a Chicago team that is very good on both ends of the court. The Bulls do not take very many three point attempts, probably their only weakness but they are very good from mid-court range.

In the first quarter, the Bulls simply outplayed the Warriors forcing seven turnovers and taking the early lead 29-23. The Warriors were actually lucky to only be trailing by six points. It was an ugly start for the Dubs and against a team like the Bulls a start like this could prove very costly.

The Warriors really turned things around in the second quarter and limited the turnovers with only three. They took the lead at the half after trailing by ten points 48-43. The Warriors did a good job on the glass in the second quarter. This game had all the makings of a very close finish. Zach Lavine had 12 points for Chicago and Stephen Curry finished the half with 17 points, three of them from downtown.

The third quarter was a good one for the Warriors forcing turnovers and outplaying the Bulls. Curry continued his three point onslaught leading the team to a nineteen point advantage mid-way through the quarter. The Warriors defense forced the Bulls into three points attempts which did not go well for Chicago and at the end of three quarters the Warriors had a big-time serious lead 84-62.

The Bulls would need a monster comeback in the final quarter trailing by 24 points mid-way through the fourth quarter. Chicago began to hit some three’s trying to trim the Warrior lead. Every time the Bulls would make a run, the Warriors would answer. It had been all Golden State in the second half. The final of 119-93 proves without doubt that Golden State is indeed an elite team.

Curry had 40 points in this game and again Andrew Wiggins had an amazing game with 15 points and seven rebounds. The bench was equally amazing with Kuminga, Iguodala and Payton scoring eight points apiece. We can’t talk Warrior offense without talking defense and an amazing job by Draymond Green with nine rebounds and seven assists.

This game silenced those saying that the Warriors hadn’t played any real team yet. Well now they have and there is your answer. These guys are for real and are going to be very difficult to beat moving forward. Still they talk about improving all the time and we all look forward to those improvements because they look pretty invincible right now.

The Warriors head out on the road to take on the Hornets (7-7) Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Golden State Wins Sixth Game In A Row 123-110

Golden State Warrior Andrew Wiggins (top) throws down against the Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guard Patrick Beverley (22) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Nov 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

An explosive game by Kevon Looney with 15 rebounds led Golden State to their sixth win in a row 123-110. Offensively Andrew Wiggins had 35 points against his former team.

Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors (10-1) took on the Minnesota Timberwolves (3-7) in a quest for their sixth win in a row.

The Timberwolves came out strong in the first quarter but how long could they keep pace with the Warriors? It was not surprising because Minnesota is very good in the first half of their games, in fact second best in the league but they are near the bottom of the heap in the second half.

The Timberwolves got far too many offensive rebounds in the quarter but despite that the Warriors led 31-28 after the first quarter. Anthony Edwards kept Minnesota in this game with 16 points in the opening quarter. Andrew Wiggins led the way for Golden State with 11 points.

Golden State put the Timberwolves out of the second quarter extending their lead to 47-34 at 7:51. The great start that Minnesota had in the first quarter was vanquished by the explosive play of the Warriors. At the half Golden State led 69-54. Kevon Looney had a great first half with nine points and nine rebounds. Wiggins was all over the court finishing the half with 22 points. He set the tone in this game, something he really wanted to do against his former team.

The expected collapse by Minnesota in the third quarter did not materialize. Golden State had led by twenty points in the quarter that was cut to four in the late minutes of the third. Draymond Green took a shot to the knee and had to leave the court and that was when the Timberwolves got very hot. The score after three quarters was 93–84 in favor of the Warriors. Golden State would have to hunker down in the absence of Green in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors outside shooting had gone cold in the fourth quarter letting Minnesota back into this game. Anthony Edwards was having a great game for Minnesota shooting 50% from downtown. The Warriors had to somehow slow down Edwards who was on a real roll with 43 points and five minutes left in the game.

Minnesota was double teaming Curry and with no Green on the floor it was crunch time for Golden State. The Warriors forced numerous turnovers in the final minutes of the fourth quarter which helped to seal this game for Golden State.

Wiggins finished the game with 35 points and four rebounds. Curry had 25 points with three shots from downtown. In an electric performance Looney had 17 rebounds and 11 points.

Friday night we will get to see the Chicago Bulls (8-3) take on the Warriors in the final game of this long home stand. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Will A’s consider hiring Ron Washington as manager?/ Wash would entertain job offers

Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington during batting practice before game 1 of the 2021 World Series in Houston on Tue Oct 26, 2021. The big question was raised will Washington get a chance to manage the Oakland A’s where the job is open once again for Wash (AP News file photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commetary:

#1 How serious should the Oakland A’s get about bringing Ron Washington back to Oakland and making him their manager?

#2 The A’s missed the boat on having Wash as their manager and his coming off coaching a World’s Champion team the Atlanta Braves is all the reason why the A’s should consider him.

#3 Washington has taken the Texas Rangers to World Series as manager twice in 2010 and 2011and A’s team vice president Billy Beane knows Wash’s body of work but will he even give Washington an interview and most importantly hire him as the A’s new skipper?

#4 Turning to NBA basketball the Golden State Warriors are 8-1 and have won five straight games and have been rock solid consistent it looked like they were going to have problems since last year they didn’t make post season and struggled but this year they look like one of those teams they used to have that made the finals.

#5 The San Jose Sharks (6-4-1) have lost three straight games and have seven players out with Covid 19 protocols including head coach Bob Boughner the Sharks are in Calgary tonight to start a five game road trip and without most of their key players want to start this road trip with a win.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s on flaghsip station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Curry Lights up the Night 50 pts; As Warriors Beat Atlanta 127-113

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry exults in the second quarter on the way to scoring 50 points for the night against the Atlanta Hawks on Mon Nov 8, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Curry Lights Up the Night As the Warriors Beat Atlanta 127-113

By Barbara Mason

Despite a 15 point deficit in the second quarter Golden State (9-1) battled back and handed the Atlanta Hawks (4-7) their fourth loss in a row. Stephen Curry spurred the comeback finishing with 50 points in an amazing second half performance.

Monday night the Golden State Warriors took on an angry, hungry Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have not only lost three games in a row but their last game against the Suns was a very close contest. The Hawks lost that game by four points and Atlanta had no intention of losing a fourth game. The Hawks fight as hard as they may couldn’t catch the Warriors and did end up losing their fourth straight game 127-113.

In the first quarter the Warriors trailed by two points 34-32 and they were being outplayed at times throughout the quarter.

In the second quarter the Hawks brought more than the Warriors could handle. The Hawks began doing whatever they wanted and they were completely outplaying Golden State. The Warriors were down by 15 in the quarter which is the most they have trailed any team all season.

It seemed that the only Warrior that was scoring was Curry. Kevon Looney had three personal fouls and had to sit out the quarter. The Warriors were down by four points at the end of the half after trailing by 15, 65-61. It was all Curry already shooting 24 points in the half. The Hawks were pushing them to their limits. The third quarter should be a dandy as Golden State was starting to come around as the second quarter ended.

Golden State had to hit more shots in the second half of this game. It was of course great to see Curry’s shot production at the half but he needed support from the rest of the team. Probably the most pressing issue was containing the duo of Trae Young and John Collins who was six of six for 18 points in the first half. They had to put the stops on both of these guys.

We saw a different team in the third quarter as Golden State was able to not only tie the game but take a five point lead 87-82 at 3:38. They were all over Young and Collins and as the third quarter came to an end Golden State was playing at a furious pace leading 102-85. The Warriors had gone on a 19-3 run in a complete reversal of roles. Golden State had taken control of this game rendering the Hawks ineffective. Again we saw how this team rises to the occasion in the second half.

Going into the fourth quarter the one thing we knew was that the Hawks were not going to roll over. They are a talented team and they can put up points in a hurry. This game was without doubt a tale of two halves. In the fourth quarter we saw a complete turnaround. It was Atlanta who was playing catch up, missing shots, turning the ball over and playing flat and sloppy. It was the consistent defensive effort by Golden State that turned this game around, wearing the Hawks down.

Next up for the Warriors will be the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors host struggling Hawks tonight at Chase Center in SF

Golden State Warrior defenders guard Stephen Curry (30) and Andrew Wiggins (22) try to stop Houston Rockets Kevin Porter Jr (center) on Sun Nov 7, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, there seems like there is just simply no way to put a stop to the Golden State Warriors (8-1) as they handled the Houston Rockets (1-9) 120-107 at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday night.

#2 With the win Golden State picked up their fourth straight win on this current home stand and the way they’ve been going it seems like there’s no stopping them.

#3 The Rockets on the other hand have been struggling the loss to Golden State on Sunday night was their eighth straight loss and they just don’t seem like anything close to the same club since the James Harden days.

#4 For Golden State Jordan Poole lead with 25 points and the ball has been passed to him quite a bit lately as he’s been appearing on the top of the leaderboard for the Warriors.

#5 The Warriors host the struggling Atlanta Hawks (4-6) who have lost three games in a row including a loss to the Phoenix Suns (5-3) on Saturday night 121 -117. Barbara give us a preview how you see tonight’s contest at the Chase Center between these two clubs.

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Continues Their winning Ways hand Houston eighth straight loss 120-107

Houston Rockets head coach Paul Silas (left) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) acknowledge the fans after Sun Nov 7, 2021’s game at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Golden State Continues Their Winning Ways – 120-107

By Barbara Mason

Nemanja Bjelica led the Golden State Warriors to a 120-107 win over the Houston Rockets shooting a flurry of shots from downtown sending the Chase Center into hysteria. His play was electric as was the entire Golden State bench.

Sunday evening the Golden State Warriors (8-1) continued their 8-game home-stand taking on the Houston Rockets(1-9).

The Warriors have been playing lights out basketball cruising past a solid Charlotte followed by obliterating the New Orleans Pelicans.

In tonights game the Rockets will be counting on Jae’Sean Tate and Daniel Theis. Alperen Sengun is also a threat off the bench. The Warriors will continue to try and handle the turnovers and continue with the solid offensive and defensive effort they have been show-casing all season; an effort that has them at the top of the Western Conference.

The Rockets came out strong in the first quarter playing the Warriors very close. As the game wore on it became apparent that Houston was playing very well, and the Warriors would have to bring their A-game for this one. Of course as has been the case all season, Golden State brings their best stuff in the second half. That’s when they close out these games, in some cases they are blow outs. After the first quarter the score was 37-32 in favor of the Warriors.

At the half the Warriors had extended their lead 69-61. The consistency from Golden State was wearing the Rockets down. Houston came out strong but they would have to continue a high level of play in the second half if they would have any chance at all. The third and fourth quarters are when Golden State is the most dangerous.

As expected the Warriors came unglued in the third quarter extending their lead to 103-83. The Warriors lived up to all expectations in the second half and then some. Golden State closed out this game 120-107 although Houston made a weak bid to make this a close game at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Warriors had five players in double figures with Jordan Poole leading the starters with 25 points. Off the bench Gary Payton II had double digits but it was Otto Porter Jrs. who had the high with 15 points. This win sent the Warriors to an 8-1 record leading the pack in the Western Conference. The Warriors did what they needed to do to win this game. They stopped the fouls that they were committing in the first half. They went on to stick to their formula because it is working to perfection.

Tomorrow, Monday evening the Warriors will face the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Annihilates Pelicans 126-85 at Chase Center

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) spreads his wings and shows he can fly as he led Golden State with 26 points against the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Nov 5, 2021 (AP News photo)

Golden State Annihilates Pelicans 126-85

Golden State (7-1) blasted the New Orleans Pelicans (1-9) in a runaway 126-85. Jordan Poole had another high for the game with 26 points and Andre Iguodala had a record high 10 assists.

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (7-1) took on the New Orlean Pelicans (1-9). This would prove to be an interesting match-up. The Warrior offense would be tested by the impenetrable Jonas Valanciunas, however New Orleans will be dealing with injuries that will hurt the team with Brandon Ingram out due to a right hip contusion and of course Zion Williamson’s return is still murky. Coming into this game the Pelicans have lost five in a row.

Golden State will be heavily counting on Kevon Looney, Otto Porter Jr., and Nemanja Bjelica, the Warriors who can almost match 6’11” Valaciunas in height. The Warriors are highly favored in this matchup.

The Pelicans got a quick start in the first quarter leading early but Golden State got their offense going and erased that lead to even the score 16-16 mid-way through the quarter. Golden State had a 38-31 lead after one quarter.

The Warriors had a nice start to the second quarter. They were having alot of success dropping three’s and already were 9 of 19 in early play. The only true weapon that the Pelicans had in this game was Valaciunas.

Although leading by fifteen points in the second quarter, Golden State went cold and led by a slim margin at the half 54-50. Missing three 3’s in a row is something that we seldom see from Golden State, but we saw it in the second quarter. The Warriors will need a lot more successful offensive effort in the second half.

The Warriors got that effort and extended their lead in the third quarter leading 88-66.

Golden State really went to town in the final quarter rendering the Pelicans helpless. New Orleans was unable to get anything going offensively or defensively. A four point lead for the Warriors at the half turned into a 126-85 final.

Poole, Curry, Wiggins, Payton and Bjelica all shot in double digits and Green led in rebounds with 8. This team was on fire and fans at Chase tonight got a real show.

The Warriors will be back on the court Sunday taking on the Rockets. Two teams with opposite records – the Warriors with a 7-1 record and the Rockets with a 1-7 record. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.