Tag: Golden State Warriors

Warriors’ offense flounders in Phoenix, Suns win easily 114-93

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Hoping to earn their first three-game winning streak this season, the Golden State Warriors failed to generate enough offense to beat the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors trailed Phoenix by five at the half 52-47. The Warriors usually play better in the second half, but not Thursday night, as the Suns won both the third and fourth quarters to win 114-93.

The Warriors’ Kelly Oubre, Jr, James Wiseman, and Damion Lee all performed well against Minnesota Wednesday night. Their performances on Thursday was the exact opposite. Oubre finished with four points. He was 1-for-11 from the floor and did not make a three in five tries. Wiseman, who scored 25 against Minnesota, had five points and was 2-for-9 from the field.

Damion Lee did not score. He had 17 against Minnesota. The Warriors had three players in double figures. Steph Curry 27, Andrew Wiggins 16, and Eric Pascall 12. Seven Suns’ player had more than 10 points in the game.

The Suns were playing the last game of a four-game homestand. The visiting teams won all three very closely contested games. The Suns lost one in overtime, one in double-overtime, and one in regulation. They needed to beat the Warriors. They were without the star backcourt ace, Devin Booker, out with a hamstring injury. Dario Saric was not available due to COVID-19 protocol. The Suns found a way to win. They got off to a good start and were able to break down the Warriors’ defense as they outscored Golden State 36-29. 

The Warriors slowed down the Phoenix offense in the second quarter. They held the Suns to 16 points. Typically, the Warriors would have grabbed the lead. Thursday was not a typical night. The Warriors knocked down 18 to finish the first half trailing by five, 52-47. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins led the team with 13 and 12, respectively. Brad Wanamaker was third in scoring with six. 

Early in the third quarter, the Warriors closed to within one, 58-57. Phoenix went on an 11-0 run to make it 69-57. The Warriors could not generate any offense. They were toast. The Suns outscored them 33-24 to lead 85-71 after three quarters of play.

In the fourth quarter, Eric Paschall started making some baskets to keep the Warriors close. The Suns responded with an 11-2 run to lead 100-81. With five minutes left in the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted his bench players to finish the game. The Suns won 114-93.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 10-9 for the year. The Suns are now 9-8. 

The Warriors shot 38.9% from the floor. They made 11 threes in 38 tries. Phoenix shot 46.6% from the floor, and they made 11 threes in 32 attempts. 

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

Warriors grind out a 123-111 win over the Timberwolves

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-111 Wednesday night at the Chase Center.

The Warriors had their hands full with a young Minnesota team. Their point guard, D’Angelo Russell, and their best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, were not in the lineup. Russell is recovering from a quadriceps injury, and Towns has to sit out due to the NBA protocol for the coronavirus.

Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders was ready to play defense Wednesday night. The Warriors, no strangers to playing great defense, had to work hard to finish the first quarter with a meager two-point advantage 23-21. Warriors forward, Kelly Oubre Jr., had to go to the bench as he picked two fouls in the first minute of the game. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr picked Kent Bazemore to replace Oubre. Bazemore responded by scoring seven of the Warriors’ first nine points. 

Oubre returned to start the second quarter. He knocked down 16 points to lead the Warriors to a 58-51 lead at the end of the first half. Oubre had the highest-scoring quarter of his career. He was also a force on defense. He had two steals and a blocked shot. The Warriors needed Oubre’s offensive performance as Steph Curry was ice cold in the first half. Curry had two points on 1-for-9 shooting.

Warriors star rookie, James Wiseman, kicked in with 14 points. Wiseman was 3-for-3 shooting 3-pointers. Andrew Wiggins had 8.

Timberwolves rookie phenom, Anthony Edwards, showed the Warriors and the NBA why he was the number one pick in the NBA Draft this year. He finished with 15 points and connected on three 3s.

As they have done so many times over the past six seasons, the Warriors won the third quarter 37-24. As everyone knows, Steph Curry can’t be bottled up all night. Curry started to make buckets. Damion Lee made two 3s, and Andrew Wiggins continued to drive the lanes to help the Warriors break open the game. The Warriors were leading 79-67 when they went on a 13-0 run to lead 90-67. They finished the third quarter with a 20-point advantage 95-75.

The Timberwolves continued to play hard. The Warriors refused to wilt. The Timberwolves cut the lead to 12 points, 112-100. The Warriors responded as they built the lead back to 16 points, 116-100. Steve Kerr pulled Curry off the floor. The Warriors held on to win 121-111. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 10-8 for the season. The Timberwolves are 4-13.

James Wiseman had a career-high 25 points to lead the team in scoring. Kelly Oubre had 20 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in 20 minutes of playing time. Andrew Wiggins continued to play well at both ends of the court. Andrew tallied 19 points and three boards. Steph Curry had 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and he made four three. Curry has made a three-point in 80 consecutive games. Draymond Green’s line was six points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Kevon Looney recorded ten rebounds in 11 minutes. Damion Lee had a season-high 17 points. Lee knocked down four threes.

The Warriors shot 53% from the floor and held the Timberwolves to 42.5%. The Timberwolves made 14 3s, while the Warriors made 15. The Warriors moved the ball well and recorded 32 assists.

One stat that Steve Kerr would not like is the number of turnovers committed. The Warriors turned the ball over 21 times. That number will get Kerr very grumpy.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday night. The game will start at 7 pm PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors could take two game series Wednesday against Minnesota

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (left) takes the ball in front of the Minnesota Timberwolves Jarrett Culver (right) during Mon Jan 25, 2021’s game at Chase Center in San Francisco in game 1 of the 2 game series (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Dave, the Warriors had absolute control of the Minnesota Timberwolves and got top scoring from Andrew Wiggins with 23 points and Stephen Curry with 36.

#2 Talk about Kevon Looney taking James Wiseman’s place at center do you see this being a permanent line up change or until Wiseman learns the ropes a little more?

#3 The Timberwolves have lost six of their last seven games and are struggling and the Warriors have had some strong wins talk about how you see this match up Wednesday night for game two?

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors down Timberwolves 130-108; Curry leads W’s offense with 36 points

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors led all scorers with 36 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mon Jan 25, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

 The Golden State Warriors bounced back after two straight losses to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-108. The Wolves did not have point guard D’Angelo Russell in the lineup Monday night.

Russell is recovering from a quadricep injury. He may be available Wednesday night when the two teams play again. The T-Wolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns was not available as he is under the NBA’s Covid-19 protocol. 

Having the most challenging schedule in the NBA for the first 16 games, the Warriors knew they had a chance to get back on the winning track Monday night. Head coach Steve Kerr wanted the team to get off to a good start against Minnesota.

They fell behind in the first quarter against the Knicks and the Jazz in the last two games, and it cost them as they lost both. Kerr tweaked the starting lineup by inserting Kevon Looney at the center slot instead of rookie James Wiseman.

The move paid off as the Warriors raced out to an early 19-4 advantage. The T-Wolves’ offense came to life, but they could not catch the Warriors. Golden State finished the first quarter 34-23.

Minnesota started the quarter with an 8-0 run. Behind Brad Wanamaker, Eric Paschall, and Kent Bazemore, the Warriors increased the lead to 46-33. The second unit played well, and the Warriors cruised to a 68-55 lead.

Although the Warriors led wire-to-wire, the T-Wolves made a run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to ten. They won the quarter 29-25 to make the game a little more interesting. The Warriors were able to maintain the lead, but Minnesota did not quit.

They kept playing hard. They ran the court, played defense to force turnovers, and the Warriors knew that Minnesota would be back in the game with one or two miscues. The Warriors, leading 93-83 at the start of the fourth quarter, saw Minnesota cut the lead to eight 103-95 with 6:45 to play.

 Curry re-entered the game at this point. Curry showed the T-Wolves and the NBA the reasons he was a two-time NBA MVP. Curry scored the Warriors’ next 12 points to put them ahead 115-101.

After a Brad Wanamaker’s bucket, Curry connected on another three to give Golden State a commanding lead 121-103. Curry scored 15 points in three minutes and 20 seconds of play. He was four for five and made three threes. The game was over as the Warriors cruised to a 130-108 win.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 9-8 for the season. The T-Wolves are 4-12. 

The Warriors had five players in double figures Monday night. Curry led the team with 36 points, four rebounds, three assists. Curry made seven threes. Andrew Wiggins continued to play well at both ends of the court.

Wiggins, facing his former team since the trade last year, knocked down 23 points. He connected on two threes. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 14, Draymond Green 10, and James Wiseman 13.

Minnesota’s offensive leader was Malik Beasley, with 30. Jarred Vanderbilt had 12, Naz Reid 11 points and ten rebounds, and Jordan McLaughlin 15. The T-Wolves star rookie, the number one pick in this year’s NBA draft, Anthony Edwards, tallied 15.

The same two teams meet Wednesday night again at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Jazz hit all the right notes blast Warriors 127-108; Third loss in five games for Golden State

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

The Utah Jazz Donavon Mitchell (45) is defended by the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) on Sat Jan 23, 2021 in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Utah Jazz (12-4) sent a message to the Golden State Warriors (8-8) and the rest of the NBA that they are one of the elite teams in the Western Conference of the NBA. They entered the game with a seven-game winning streak and a record of 11-4. The Jazz improved on that streak extending it to eight with a convincing 127-198 win over the Warriors. 

Their roster includes the two-time defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert. The veteran Michael Conley and Donovan Mitchell form an outstanding backcourt. Royce O’Neale and sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic are the forwards. The Jazz has two outstanding reserves in Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson. 

The Warriors, smarting from the loss to the New York Knicks last Thursday, hoped to start well against Utah Saturday night. Alas, that did not happen. Utah jumped off to an early 14-0 lead. They increased the lead to 17, 19-2 before the Warriors could get the offense working.

The Warriors started putting points on the board. They scored 30 points in the quarter. Their problem was the Jazz scored 39. The Warriors started the second quarter, hoping to get back in the game.

The Jazz had other thoughts. They continued to make three-point shots while the Warriors’ offense floundered. The Jazz outscored the Dubs 38-119 to finish the first half with a 30-point advantage,77-47.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 13 points and made three threes. Curry tied Reggie Miller for second place for most three is a career with 2560. His next three would put him into second place all by himself.

Curry’s first bucket of the third quarter was a three. He now has 2561 threes and is second place for most threes in a career. Ray Allen holds the record with 2973 threes. Curry is on track to break the record in the next two or three years. As for the game, things continued to head south for the Warriors. The Jazz continued to punish Golden State. The led 108-72 with 12 minutes left to play.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr chose to play his reserves for the entire fourth quarter. Utah coach Quin Snyder pulled his starters. The Warriors won the period 36-19, but it was too little, and too late. 

Game Notes and Stats:  Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. He made five threes in ten tries. James Wiseman had 15 points and five boards. Andrew Wiggins 13, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 5. Bench reserves Jordan Poole had 10, Nico Mannion eight, including two threes, and Damion Lee nine.

The Jazz had six players in double figures. Donovan Mitchell had 23, Michael Conley 17, Rudy Gobert 11 points and 14 rebounds, Bojan Bogdonavic14. Joe Ingles knocked down 13, and Jordan Clarkson added 14.

The Jazz connected on 23-point shots. The Warriors made 14. The Jazz outrebounded the Dubs 69-41. With the win, the Jazz are 12-4. The Lakers are 13-4, and the Clippers are 12-4. The Jazz are making a statement that they are to considered an elite team. Time will tell. 

The Warriors are now 8-8 for the year. The Warriors return home to play two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, January 23rd, and Wednesday the 25th. The game time will start at 7 pm at Chase Center in San Francisco.

New York Knicks’ defense sends Warriors down to defeat 119-104

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gets some parting words in with the officials after he got ejected in the first half of the game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Jan 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The visiting New York Knicks used their NBA best defense to stun the Warriors 119-104 Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors, playing their third game in four nights, could not get their offense working against New York.

The Knicks, the lowest-scoring team in the NBA with about 101 points per game, scored 40 points in the first quarter. The Warriors scored 31 but trailed by nine after the first 12 minutes. The Warriors had to scramble to put points on the board as New York’s defense was too tough to crack.

The Warriors second unit started the second quarter. Eric Paschall tallied the Warriors first eight points. The Warriors’ defense was able to slow down the Knicks’ offense. Slowly, Golden State clawed their way back.

The Knicks led 55-50. Steph Curry knocked down a three and followed by a two-point bucket to tie the game at 55. The Warriors didn’t know at the time that it would be the closest they would come to take the lead.

New York scored the next six points to lead 61-55 with 1:04 left in the first half. With the Warriors on defense, the referees called a technical foul on Draymond Green. Green was not near anyone.

It was Draymond’s second technical, and by NBA rules, he had to leave the game. The Warriors learned that Green was yelling at James Wiseman and not the referee. Even though it was a mistake, Draymond was finished for the night.

The Warriors hoped they could get the offense going in the second half without him. The Warriors missed his presence as they looked out of sync. The Knicks were able to cruise to victory. 

The Knicks won the third quarter 26-19. Curry did not score in the quarter. New York increased the lead to sixteen in the fourth quarter. They led 97-81. The Warriors could not catch up. The Knicks win 119-104.

Game Notes and Stats: The Knicks, as mentioned above, are the lowest-scoring team in the NBA. They are the best team in the NBA as they allow just 102.7 points per game against them. They have the best three-point defense in the league, too.

The Warriors were nine-for 38 from behind the three-point arc. The referees had their whistles blowing all night. They called the teams for 55 fouls. The Knicks committed 29 and the Warriors 26. The Knicks had 41 free throws from the line and the Warriors 39. 

Curry led the Warriors with 30 points. Andrew Wiggins had 17, James Wiseman 15, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 7, Eric Paschall 12. Draymond tallied three points and had eight assists. He has one of the best basketball IQs in the game. Once he left, the Warriors offense fell by the wayside.

All five Knicks’ starters were in double figures. R.J. Barrett had a career-high 28 points. Julius Randle missed a triple-double. Randle had 16 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. Mitchell Robinson had 18 points and eight rebounds. Reggie Bullock, who averages 28% on three-point shots, connected on four threes. Elfrid Payton had 15. Former Warrior, Alec Burks, had 11 in helping the Knicks defeat his old club. 

With the loss, the Warriors are 8-7 for the year. The Knicks are now 8-8.

The Warriors meet the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon. The game will start at 2 pm.

Warriors rout Spurs 121-99; Spurs have lost three of last nine games

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray (5) drives on the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) on Wed Jan 20, 2021 in San Antonio (@FrostBank/#GoSpursGo photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, coming off a thrilling 115-113 win over the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, blew away the visiting San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night 121-99. 

The San Antonio coach, Greg Popovich, now in his 25th year as the man in charge, was facing his pupil. Warrior coach Steve Kerr once again. Wednesday’s game was the 20th time the two coaches, mentor, and pupil squared off. Popovich led 10-9 in the games between the two coaches. The series is now tied at ten each. 

The Warriors owned the first half. Steph Curry and Draymond Green led the young Warriors to a 64-45 advantage at halftime. They played the best first 24 minutes of the season in the first half. They never trailed in the game.

They won the first quarter 36-24. The Spurs opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run. San Antonio closed to within five 43-38. It was at this point, the Warrior offense got rolling again as they went on a 16-0 run to lead 59-38.

 Curry paced the team with 20 points. Three other starters, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and James Wiseman, were all in double figures. The Warriors moved the ball well and attacked the basket. They played solid defense and contested San Antonio’s three-point shots. The Warriors shot 53.5% from the floor and held San Antonio to 32.7%. The Warriors made eight three in 16 attempts. San Antonio connected on three threes in 21 tries.

In the third quarter, San Antonio was not able to cut into the Warriors 19 point lead. They started to make a move when they were able to force two Warrior turnovers into four points. The Warriors answered. The Warriors maintained the 19 point advantage 90-71 at the end of three periods. 

The Warriors’ second unit started the fourth quarter. Kelly Oubre and Andrew Wiggins were on the floor with Eric Paschall, Brad Wanamaker, and Damion Lee. The Warriors put the game out of reach when Wiggins hit two threes, followed by a Brad Wanamaker three to lead 110-86. The Warriors coasted the rest of the way to a comfortable 121-99 victory.

Game Notes and stats: Curry led the team with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie James Wiseman played the best game as a Warrior Wednesday night. Wiseman was on the floor for 25 minutes of action. He was eight-for 11 from the floor and ended with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Andrew Wiggins had 18, Oubre 16, and Draymond Green nine. Eric Paschall had seven. Jordan Poole knocked down three threes to finish with nine. 

DeJounte Murray led the Spurs with 22. DeMar DeRozan had 15, Keldon Johnson 12, Rudy Gay 11. LaMarcus Aldridge was held to four points.

The Warriors shot 50.5% from the floor. They made 15 threes. The Spurs shot 37.6 from the floor and made four threes in 34 attempts. The Warriors outrebounded the Spurs 65-51. For the second game in a row, the Warriors recorded 31 assists that indicated they were moving the ball well and finding the open man. 

The Warriors improved to 8-6 for the season. San Antonio is now 8-7.

The Warriors host the New York Knicks Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Knicks, coached by Tom Thibodeau, are 6-7 for the season and play well on defense. Expect the Knicks to double team Curry early in the game. The game will start at 6 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Despite getting double teamed Curry leads Warriors in scoring against Lakers

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) pounds the ball down against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Mon Jan 18, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors played a never give up game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Monday night getting a two point win. Some teams might be intimidated by the Lakers or the Lakers just come in a take over a game what did the Warriors do to keep up with the Lakers?

#2 The Lakers had the Warriors Steph Curry double teamed and this has been the pattern in the last few games where Curry was held to under 20 points but Curry led the team with 26 points despite getting double teamed.

#3 The Warriors are in San Antonio tonight against the Spurs. The Spurs have won six of their last eight games including their last game against the Portland Trailblazers 125-104. Dave tell us about tonight’s match up in San Antonio?

Catch David each Wednesday morning for the Warriors podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors come from behind stun Lakers 115-113

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) has company defending him the Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (23) and Dennis Schroder (17) on Mon Jan 18, 2021 at Staples Center in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors tipped off against the defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, at the Staples Center Monday night. The Warriors had lost their last two games against the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets. Their game against the Phoenix Suns  Friday night was postponed due to Phoenix not putting eight men on the roster. The Warriors just edged the Lakers on Monday night with a 115-113 two point win. 

Thet did not have an enviable task. They had to beat the Lakers on their court in LA. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers felt they would put another win on the board. The Lakers jumped out to a 34-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. They led 34-15 until late in the quarter when the Warriors scored the last seven points to trail 34-22. 

The Warriors played better in the second period. Kelly Oubre, Jr. played well. He led the club in scoring with 16 points in the first half. Eric Paschall, coming off the bench, added nine. The Warriors cut the deficit to five 42-37. The Lakers responded by going on an 18-7 run to finish the first half leading 64-48. 

The Warriors won the third quarter 33-28 to trail by eleven 92-81 with just one quarter left to play. The Warriors climbed back into the game when they went on a 17-2 run. Andrew Wiggins made three consecutive three-point shots. Kevon Looney made a corner three, and Steph Curry followed with another three. They trailed 70-68 at this point in the game. The Lakers refused to wilt. They finished the quarter on a 13-2 run.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors played like the five-year run team that saw them win three championships and play in five consecutive NBA finals. They played well on both ends of the court. The defense made the Lakers work to get open.

They forced turnovers. The offense came to life. Eric Paschall was a force on both ends of the court. The Lakers were leading 108-101 when Curry knocked down a deuce and was fouled on the play. He made the free throw to make it 108-104.

On the Warriors next possession, the Lakers fouled Curry again. He made both free throws to make it 108-16. When the Lakers tried to inbound the ball, Kelly Oubre caused the Lakers to commit a turnover. The Warriors tied the game on Oubre’s bucket.

The Warriors went ahead 110-108 with 2:38 left to play. It was the first Warrior lead of the night. The referees called traveling on LeBron James to give the ball back to the Warriors. They scored to make it 112-108.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis got two back. Curry answered with a three to give the Warriors the lead 115-110 with 1:02. James made two free throws, Dennis Shroder one to make two it  turned out to be a 115-113 thriller. 

Game Notes and Stats: Eric Paschall and Kelly Oubre had season-highs in scoring. Oubre played his best game as a Warriors. Kelly finished with 23 points and four rebounds. He was a force on defense and caused the Lakers to commit several turnovers.

Paschall finished with 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Curry was double-teamed all night, came to life in the second half and recorded 26 points and seven assists. He connected on three threes in 12 tries.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. He knocked down 18 points and made three threes in a row in the third quarter. Draymond Green made two big buckets in the fourth quarter that helped secure the victory. Green’s line was seven points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. 

Dennis Shroder led LA with 25 points. LeBron had 19, Anthony Davis had a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Montrezl Harrell had 17 points and eight boards. Kyle Kuzma had a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds.

The Warriors had their motion offense working well Monday night as they recorded 31 assists. The Warriors shot 50.6% from the floor, and they made twelve threes.

The Warriors improved to 7-6 for the year. The Lakers dropped to 11-4.

The Warriors return home to face the improved New York Knicks Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Jokic paces Nuggets to victory over Warriors 114-104

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) gets a reverse slam on Golden State Warrior center James Wiseman (33) during Thu Jan 14, 2021 game at Denver (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors’ three-game road trip started with a thud Thursday night as they fell to the Denver Nuggets 114-104. Eric Paschall rejoined the club after he tested negative for Covid-19. He missed Tuesday’s game due to a false-positive test. While the Warriors were happy to have him back, his presence didn’t affect the game’s outcome.

The Nuggets, although they didn’t know it at the time, won the game in the first quarter. The Nuggets finished the first 12 minutes of action with a 37-24 advantage. From that point on, the Warriors were playing catch up. No matter what they did, they could not get any closer. They trailed 65-54 at the end of the first half. 

The Warriors cut the deficit to five 79-74 when Kelly Oubre, Jr. hit a three. Denver finished the quarter with an 11-2 run to lead 90-76 at the end of three. Denver’s Nikola Jokic led the run for the Nuggets.

The Warriors won the fourth quarter 28-24, but it was not enough to win. Stephen Curry, James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre, and Andrew Wiggins tried, but Denver had an answer to thwart the Warriors offense. Denver holds on to win 114-104.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 6-6 for the year. The Nuggets improved to 6-6.

 Curry had a big note for Golden State. Curry scored more than 30 points for the sixth time this year. The Warriors won the first five. Steph had a double-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists.

He was 14-for-23 from the floor and 5-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc. Rookie sensation James Wiseman knocked down 18, and he had five boards. Andrew Wiggins had 16, Kelly Oubre 14. Oubre had three threes. Eric Paschall had eight. The Nuggets’ bench outscored the Warriors bench 41-20.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished the night with a triple-double. Nokic tallied 23 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists. Will Barton and Jamal Murray each had 17 for the Nuggets. 

The Warriors turned the ball over 19 times. Head coach Steve Kerr has to have the team improve in that department.

The Warriors’ game with  the Phoenix Suns Friday night was postponed as the Suns do not have enough players to perform due to contact tracing after a game with the Washington Wizards. The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night at the Staples Center in LA.