Tag: Golden State

Kevin Durant introduced in a Warriors’ uniform

Published on by Eric HeLeave a comment
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

By: Eric He

OAKLAND–Kevin Durant received a grand Golden State welcome on Thursday afternoon at the Warriors’ practice facility in Oakland as he took the stage as a member of the Golden State Warriors for the first time.

“I know there’s going to be ups and downs,” he said, with General Manager Bob Myers on his left and head coach Steve Kerr on his right. “I know we’re expected to be perfect but that’s not realistic. I’m super excited. I’m pumped to get started.”

Durant agreed to sign with the Warriors on Monday in one of the biggest free agency decisions in NBA history. The 27-year-old spent the first nine years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he won the MVP award in 2014. He is a four-time scoring champion, seven-time All-Star and is averaging 27.4 points in his career.

The Washington D.C. native said the Warriors’ recruiting efforts — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala were in the meeting along with Kerr and Myers — helped persuade him to head to Oakland.

“I just felt like this group of guys, coming in to see me, everything felt real,” Durant said. “They were a huge family walking in. Everybody was excited. The conversation was real and it was a good fit.”

He continued: “When I met these guys, I felt as comfortable as I’ve ever felt. It was organic, it was authentic, it was real, and it was feelings I couldn’t ignore.”

Durant expressed remorse for the angst his decision caused in Oklahoma City.

“We live in this comic book world where you’re either a hero or a villain,” Durant said. “I can’t control that.”

Durant’s contract with the Warriors will be for two years and worth $54 million. If all goes according to plan, he will be in a Golden State jersey long after that contract is up.

“I don’t want to go through that again, so I plan on being here,” Durant said. “I’m committed.”

Warriors second half struggles lead to Game 6 loss

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

At the half, the score was tied at 61. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James each had a tremendous first half, but Klay Thompson kept the Warriors right in it.

Out of the half, James and Irving continued playing great on the offensive end of the court while the Warriors began to struggle. The Cavs shot over 60 percent from the field in the third quarter while the Warriors shot 29 percent.

And then in the fourth quarter, Cleveland only shot 42.1 percent but Golden State shot an abysmal 23.8 percent. After things had been close and both teams played tough, James and Irving kept playing like great players do in elimination games.

As Draymond Green was suspended from game 5, it seems as if James took advantage of facing anyone else but Green. Andrew Bogut also came out early in the third quarter with a knee injury, which effected the Warriors defensive presence.

In place of Green, Andre Iguodala had a solid game finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Thompson finished with a team high of 37 points as the forward was 11 for 20 from the field with six threes. Thompson was nine of nine from the charity stripe.

MVP Steph Curry scored 25, but the James and Irving were simply too much.

James and Irving became the first pair of teammates to score 40 or more points in a Finals game. With Kevin Love playing poorly, the duo was the reason Cleveland is sending the series to a game 6.

James and Irving scored 41 points apiece. James grabbed 16 rebounds and tallied seven assists shooting 16-30 from the field. James’ jumper looked smooth and the Warriors had no answer on the defensive end.

Irving also had six assists and incredibly knocked down  17 of 24 shots from the field.

As the final horn sounded, the Cavs defeated Golden State 112-97. Cleveland shot 53 percent from the field for the game and the Warriors just shot over 36 percent.

Tonight, the Warriors struggled to find their shot from beyond the arc, which is usually how they take the lead and maintain it.

Heading back to Cleveland, the Warriors should be excited to get after it in hopes of grabbing their second championship in as many years. Golden State will have Green back and more news is to come regarding Bogut.

The Warriors are going to need to find an answer to stop either James or Irving because if both play as well as they did it’s going to make difficult to finish off the series.

Tune in to ABC on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT and be prepared to watch a game full of offensive flurry. Golden State will look to try and finish off their historic season with the greatest prize the NBA has to offer.

Historic season not over yet, Dubs back in the NBA Finals

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

Down in the Western Conference Finals three games to one, the Golden State Warriors looked lost, worn out and defeated. While the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed unstoppable and their path to the NBA Finals appeared clear.

But did people forget that this Warriors team won a record setting 73 games? If anybody could come back down three games for just the tenth time in league history, it would be these guys. And the Warriors showed their resiliency and in game seven their fearless leader, Steph Curry showed that his second MVP selection, an unanimous decision, was no fluke.

The best player on the planet and his team defeated the Thunder, 96-88, in a tough game 7.

The first quarter was all Thunder as their defense was relentless and made Golden State take tough shots. The Warriors only scored 19 points, while Kevin Durant looked to be locked in. Oklahoma City showed up in the first and gave the impression that they had forgotten about the past two games.

However, the second quarter was different and the Warriors went back to what they do best, shooting the three ball. Klay Thompson got off to a rough 0 for 7 start, but knocked down four triples in the second to help his team cut the Thunder’s lead, who looked poised to take a big lead.

At the half, OKC led Golden State, 48-42 and out of the half, the MVP reigned supreme.

Curry made three big triples in the third and the Warriors played tremendous defense. The defending champs outscored the Thunder, 29-12, in the third quarter. The third quarter was the turning point and the home team never looked back.

While Curry had a solid third quarter, his clutch performance in the fourth proved why he is currently the best player in the NBA. Curry went 5-6 from the field, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc for 15 fourth quarter points. Curry absolutely went off and made the big shots when the Thunder tried to make a come back of their own late in the game.

The Warriors lived by the three in tonight’s game, shooting 45.9 percent from behind the three point line. Their defense also did a great job of not allowing Durant the ball and holding their opponents to a shooting percentage of 38.2 percent.

Durant did finish with 27 points on 10 of 19 from the field for a team high and Russell Westbrook totaled 19 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. But Westbrook had difficulty shooting as he went 7 of 21 on the night.

Curry finished with a game high 36 points, hitting 13 fields goals on 24 tries with seven of those field goals coming from three point range. The Warriors win was definitely a collective effort as the team had to come together strong to make this incredible series come back. Thompson ended the game with 21 points of his own as the Splash Brothers once again guided their team to one of the franchise’s most important victories.

The Warriors spent a ton of energy on winning this series and that could be a factor as their next task begins on Thursday. But, the Warriors are headed to back to back finals. They have a player who won back to back MVP trophies. And now, repeating as champions is in plain sight.

The Cavs and LeBron James look better than the team the Warriors saw last year, but again do not count out the Western Conference Champions. History is unfolding right in front of our eyes, can the Warriors be historical once again?

Tune in to ABC on June 2 at 6 p.m, where Golden State and Curry will take on James and company at Oracle Arena in front of a rambunctious Oakland crowd.

 

Thunder roll past Warriors in game 3

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

After the Warriors 27 point blow out win in game 2, the momentum seemed to be in there in Golden State’s favor.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder made it seem like that game was in the very far past.

While the first quarter was close, OKC broke things open in the second quarter thanks  to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The big key for the Thunder in the game was that they were able to get to the free throw line and get easy points. In the second quarter alone, the Thunder went 17 of 18 from the charity stripe.

As everything went right for the Thunder, everything went abysmal for the Warriors who shot 22.6% from the field in the second quarter. Golden State also only made two three pointers in the quarter.

At the half, the Thunder led 72-45 and the third quarter was no different. Golden State showed a little more offensive life, but were still outscored by their opponent. The Thunder took their biggest lead in the game in the third quarter, going up by 41 points at one point in the game.

Golden State scored more than OKC in the fourth quarter, but it was a very lost cause. Oklahoma City blew out the defending world champs in dominate fashion. Durant and Westbrook both had huge games and the Thunder shot 50% from the field for the game.

Westbrook neared a triple double with 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Durant scored a game high 33 points and eight assists while going 10-15 from the field. The two All Stars played really well and collectively as a whole the Thunder played well.

Steph Curry had a team high for the Warriors with 24 points and Klay Thompson added 18. The Warriors just looked flat and were completely outplayed.

Draymond Green was not a factor in the game at all, which played a role in why the Warriors did poorly. Green also picked up a flagrant one foul after kicking Steven Adams in the groin, which he claims was inadvertent.

Whether it was or not, my guess is that Green will not pick up a suspension for the foul. In the end, the Thunder defeated Golden State, 133-105. OKC’s blowout victory was a point more than the Warriors game two win. After everybody thought the Warriors would have the momentum, Oklahoma City struck right back.

Can Durant and Westbrook continue their incredible play? With the Warriors down two games to one in the series, they will look to try to even the series on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on TNT.

Warriors send Rockets packing in dominating fashion

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit CBS 46 Atlanta

Well, Steph Curry did not play and yet the Warriors showed why they made history for the best record in NBA history. Normally, a team without their star player has a lot to worry about. The Warriors showed no problems minus the reigning MVP and proved why they are the team to beat besides the fact their last year’s champs. Golden State annihilated the Houston Rockets in a 114-81 victory at Oracle Arena.

Let’s be honest, there’s not much to say about this game. The game went exactly as most would have figured given that the Warriors routed Houston in game four and not to mention they’re the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors played great, the Rockets played atrociously, which is a recipe for disaster. The Warriors played with great togetherness and to nobody’s surprise, they shot out of this world. Golden State made it look easy as they finished with a 54.9 shooting percentage while Houston could not find a way to score with a 32.6 shooting percentage. Golden State played solid defense as they forced 18 turnovers for 25 points.

James Harden was the only Rockets’ player to show any offensive life finishing with 35 points. Besides Harden, Michael Beasley was the only other Houston player to finish the game in double figures.

Klay Thompson did his best to fill Curry’s shoes and finished with 27 points. Thompson knocked down seven buckets from behind the arc on 11 shots and finished 10 of 14 from the field overall. Draymond Green was tremendous overall as usual and totaled 15 points, grabbed nine boards and dropped eight dimes.

Shaun Livingston had a good game on offense as well and scored 16 points on seven of eight shooting. The Warriors looked just as good as they always are and bounced the Rockets out of the playoffs.

Throughout the game, Curry showed incredible excitement from the bench and supported his teammates like no other. And this is why the Warriors are so dangerous, they have some of the greatest team chemistry I have witnessed in my lifetime.

The Warriors won the series and only allowed the Rockets to win one game, which came down to the wire.

Golden State will either face the Los Angeles Clippers who are without Chris Paul and Blake Griffin or the Portland Trailblazers. Portland won game five in their series to go up 3-2 and it appears like they will be Golden State’s semifinal opponent.

Whoever the Warriors play, fans are hopeful that Curry can make his way back into the playoffs. But, with the way Golden State played tonight, let Curry take as much time as he needs to get ready for the Western Conference Finals. I am knocking on wood though, so the whole Bay Area doesn’t freak out on me and say I jinxed them.

 

Kings forget how to box out in loss at home

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Luke Cheng/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO- The Kings were down five players tonight. Omri Casspi and Marco Belinelli were out because of injury while Rudy Gay, Kosta Kofous and Darren Collison sat on the sideline just to rest. This might have played a factor in the loss tonight as Sacramento was out hustled and out rebounded.

The Kings’ biggest fault in tonight’s game was giving up offensive rebounds and way too many second chance opportunities. Portland score 26 second chance points and had 19 offensive rebounds. Somehow, the Kings lost while shooting over 50% in the game.

DeMarcus Cousins started off the game and dominated with 18 first half points. Cousins finished the game with 30 points to tie Mitch Richmond for the most 30 point games in a season with 26.

Rajon Rondo had a huge night himself with his sixth triple double of the season to set the all time Sacramento record. Rondo recorded a season high 27 points, 12 assists and 10 boards. However, the big nights from the Kings top players was just not enough. Even though the Blazers made less field goals than Sacramento, they made nine more free throws. Portland gave themselves way more opportunities than the Kings to score on the offensive end and yet again Sacramento’s defense was below par.

Not to mention, the Kings turned the ball over 19 times, which led to 24 points in Portland’s favor. As the final buzzer sounded, Portland won 115-107.

The Kings gave a pretty good effort against the playoff bound Blazers and even cut the lead down to one with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter. The Kings got themselves in trouble thanks to a Cousins’ technical foul, his 17 of the season, as well as a tech on Quincy Acy.

On an inbounds pass, Acy pointed from the bench and the ball hit his hand causing interference and a technical.

Portland’s Maurice Harkless played a huge role in the Blazers’ win with a great second half. Harkless scored all of his 20 points in the second half. The Kings were up 57-51 at the half, meaning Harkless half was pivotal to the win. Damian Lilliard added 20 for the game.

CJ McCollum, who was once on the Kings draft radar, had a game high 30 points going 11-20 from the field and 5-10 from behind the arc. McCollum continues to improve and solidify him and Lilliard’s case as one of the best starting backcourts.

Sacramento will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at 7 p.m. Minnesota just defeated the Golden State Warriors tonight. The Kings will played their second to last game ever at Sleep Train Arena and hopefully they can get a couple more wins in the historical arena.

Warriors Win Over Denver Punches Their Ticket To The History Books.

Published on by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

We’ve all known that the Golden State Warriors were good. You don’t become the reigning NBA champions, boasting the league’s MVP with a slew of talented young supporting cast members by being just alright. But on Sunday night, they weren’t good, they weren’t even great- they were historic.

Powering their way to a 118-105 win over the Denver Nuggets, the 15-0 Golden State Warriors cemented themselves in the history books for the best start to a season since the 1993 Houston Rockets and the 1948 Washington Capitols.

The march to the history book was solidified by an overall team effort, with five warriors scoring in double-digits throughout the course of the game. Klay Thompson led the team with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, while Steph Curry followed up with 19 of his own points. The total was Curry’s lowest of the season.

The defense may have left a little to be desired, but the Warriors more than made up for it from the field, as they shot 52.8 percent from the field overall, while doing most of their damage from beyond the arc with a torrid 15 triples made, good for 51.7 percent.

It wasn’t smooth sailings for the Warriors, as they led by just six points in the third quarter. But on a night where they were immortalized as a historic team, they used a team effort to break away in the later stages of the game, keeping their perfect season in tact.

The good news for Golden State- only the lowly Los Angeles Lakers stand in their way of claiming sole possession of a historical best 16-0 start. The game, which will take place at Oracle Arena on Tuesday, will be sure to match the team’s previous playoff run in intensity.

 

Warriors Take UCLA’s Kevon Looney with 30th Pick in the NBA Draft

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

With the 30th and final pick of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft last night, the Golden State Warriors selected UCLA forward Kevon Looney. The 19-year-old freshman fell into the Warriors lap after being projected as a lottery pick mid-season. A balky hip that won’t affect his ability to be ready for the start of the season helped Looney’s draft slide.

Looney produced one of the best freshman campaigns a storied program like UCLA has ever seen. The Milwaukee, WI native became a nightly threat for a double-double, average 11 points and 9 rebounds per game. His ability to get to the rim put Looney 2nd in the Pac-12 in rebounds. He led the conference with 122 offensive rebounds. He led all freshmen nationally with 15 double-doubles and was second in total rebounds with

The 6-foot-9, 220 pound power forward still has some developing to do before his body and his game are NBA-worthy, but that shouldn’t be a concern for the World Champions. The Warriors return most of the deep core that led them to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which means playing time with the big club will be limited. This gives Looney a chance to hone his skills in the D-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors for a season or two until he’s ready to play a physical role against NBA caliber players. At the 30th pick, he represents a low risk-high reward profile for a team with no real weaknesses at the moment.

Thompson, Warriors Surge Past Pelicans Late to Double Up Series Lead at 2-0

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against the New Orleans Pelicans, topping the team from the Big Easy 97-87 Monday night at Oracle Arena.

Klay Thompson matched New Orleans’ Anthony Davis with a game-high 26 points. The All-Star guard went 11-of-17 from the field while fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry chipped in 22 points on 9-for-21 shooting. Draymond Green produced a double-double, scoring 14 while pulling down 12 rebounds.

A potential MVP pick, Davis notched a double-double of his own. The forward-center hybrid nabbed 10 rebounds to go with his 26 points. Teammate Omar Asik topped Davis with 13 rebounds, while the Warriors Aussie Andrew Bogut had a game-best 14.

Golden State trailed by as much as 13 points in the first quarter, finishing the period down 28-17. The Warriors clawed back in the second frame though, out-producing the eighth-seeded Pelicans 38-24. The run was punctuated by a Curry three-pointer, one of three treys hit by the surefire MVP, with 9 seconds left to put Golden State ahead 55-52.

The home team exploded out the gate in the third, scoring six of the first seven points for a 61-53 lead. New Orleans eventually knotted the game up 64-even with just under six minutes left till the 4th. The two teams ultimate headed into the fourth, deciding quarter tied 71-71.

From there, it was the Klay Thompson show. Thompson scored 14 of his 26 points in the final 12 minutes. Even with Thompson’s performance, the Warriors couldn’t distance themselves from the upset-minded visitors. The Pelicans trailed by just one point, with the scoreboard reading 85-84 with 5:34 remaining.

Thompson hit a three, but Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans responded with a lay-up at the other end. Back-to-back jumpers from Green and Thompson put some distance between the Dubs and Pelicans with 3:34 left. Thompson would score the next three points on a lay-up, converting the and-1 after an Evans foul. Then Bogut broke out the jam with just over a minute left to put the Warriors ahead comfortably 97-86. Evans would hit a free throw to wrap up the scoring.

The Warriors again struggled from the free throw line, hitting 12 of 19 from behind the charity stripe after going 21-for-34 in Saturday’s series opener. They did once again outrebound New Orleans 49-42 while holding the Pelicans to only 31 of 82 baskets attempted for a 37.8 shooting percentage. As a team, the Dubs shot 44.2 percent, making 38 of 86 would-be baskets.

The series now shifts to New Orleans, with the Warriors looking to sweep the series by winning Thursday and Saturday’s contests in the Big Easy. The Pelicans seek to escape the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the season the Pelicans won the Southwest division. That year marks the only time in team history that New Orleans advanced past the opening round, with the then-hornets falling to the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals. The Pelicans have been in the playoffs 5 times since the team relocated to New Orleans in 2002.

 

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.