Tag: Klay Thompson

NBA Finals: More from Durant and the defense will go a long way for Warriors’ title hopes

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — The basketball world was on pins and needles for the start of Round Three between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, and both teams lived up to the hype for the majority of Game 1 Thursday night before Kevin Durant and the Warriors took control and ran away with the victory, 113-91.

Durant, who many pundits questioned his decision to join a high-powered Warriors team that had already played in two Finals prior to his arrival, showed out in his first Finals game since 2012 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder; pouring in a game-high 38 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists to go along with zero turnovers on 14-for-26 shooting from the floor.

Not since the great Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz that a player had at least 30 points, five assists, and zero turnovers in a game before Durant’s acts in Game 1 according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

But an epic performance on the NBA’s biggest stage is what we expect from Durant, a former league MVP, is it not?

Golden State already has a two-time league MVP (and the only unanimous MVP in league history) in Stephen Curry, who looks healthier as ever at this time this year than he did in last year’s Finals after adding 28 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in Game 1, including 6-for-11 on 3s.

Add in Draymond Green (nine points and 11 rebounds), an odds on favorite to take home the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award this season after leading the NBA in steals per game (2.03), to go along with Klay Thompson, who despite shooting under 40-percent from both the floor (36-percent) and from beyond the three-point line (34-percent) during the postseason, was Golden State’s best defender in Game 1 holding would-be scorers to 1-for-12 shooting from the floor as the primary defender.

With all due respect to Harrison Barnes, who had a breakout season in Year 1 for the Mavericks averaging a career-high 19.2 points per game and was a fan favorite for all of Dub Nation, but his no-show during last year’s Finals (most notably in Games 5-7 where he scored just 15 points on 5-for-32 shooting (3-for-15 on 3s) after Golden State had a commanding 3-1 lead in the series still stings Warriors’ fans.

But Durant is clearly the difference-maker and much better upgrade from Barnes this year for the Warriors and will continue to be a huge match-up problem for Cleveland with Game 2 Sunday night at Oracle Arena at 5:00 p.m. PDT on the horizon.

And that’s even with first-ballot hall of famer LeBron James on the other side.

Circle back to Game 1: When Durant was on the floor, the Warriors out-scored Cleveland by 18, and in the 40 minutes that James was on the floor, the Warriors out-scored Cleveland by 22, with much of the damage coming in the second half for Golden State.

I counted at least six times in the first half of Game 1 where Cleveland’s defense just allowed Durant to cruise through the lane like he had a FasTrak embedded in his jersey for easy dunks.

At times in the game, it almost appeared that Cleveland were content on allowing Durant score at will and didn’t want to be burned by Golden State’s shooting.

Golden State shot 45-for-106 (42-percent) from the floor.

Making his NBA record seventh-consecutive Finals appearance, James was Cleveland’s most effective player, finishing with a team-high 28 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists, but made just 9-for-20 from the floor.

If James could’ve recorded two more assists, he would’ve tied Lakers’ legend and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in Finals history with eight, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Johnson led Los Angeles to nine Finals appearances and won five championships as the leader of the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s. Johnson’s teams were 5-4 in the Finals while James’s teams are just 3-4.

Outside of Kyrie Irving’s 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the floor, the defending NBA Champions’ supporting cast came up empty in Game 1.

Kevin Love did have 15 points and a game-high 21 rebounds, but shot just 4-for-13 from the floor.

The Warriors’ bench barely out-scored the Cavaliers’ bench 24-21.

Cleveland can’t let Golden State have their way with them in Game 2 as they did in Game 1  if they have any chance of gaining a split in Oakland before the series shifts to Northeast Ohio for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.

Golden State held the advantage in points-in-the-paint, out-scoring the Cavaliers 56-30 and dominating the fast-break, out-scoring Cleveland 27-9.

As a team, Cleveland shot 30-for-86 (34-percent) from the floor.

The 20 turnovers the Cavaliers committed that led to 21 points for Golden State was a testament to their superb defense they’ve collectively played all season long, forcing teams to shoot a league-low 43-percent from the field and finished tops in turnovers forced per game with 14.8 during the regular season.

In the postseason, Golden State is ratcheting up the defense intensity allowing just 41-percent from the floor through 13 games.

Not surprisingly, Golden State is 13-0 in the postseason this year, three wins from securing their second championship in three years.

Durant will have his fingerprints on the outcome of the Finals, believe that.

Win or lose.

NBA Finals with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Warriors-Cavs III: By the numbers

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James dons a cap after winning 135-102 against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals, on Thursday, May 25, 2017, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — Like the rest of the sports world, I myself can’t wait for the start of the NBA Finals between the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.

Both teams enter the Finals with a combined 24-1 record, first in NBA history.

Golden State buzz-sawed their way through the West seemingly untested by Portland, Utah, and San Antonio to a 12-0 record, the first team in NBA history to do so; while Cleveland went 12-1 in the East with their only loss coming in the conference finals against the young Boston Celtics, minus superstar Isaiah Thomas.

To be perfectly honest, both of these teams used the playoffs as a warmup for a Finals series that no true sports fan will miss a second of.

ABC, who has broadcasted the Finals since 2003, is hoping that Golden State and Cleveland provides another classic series for the ages.

According to viewership data obtained from Nielsen Ratings, the last two meetings in the Finals by Cleveland and Golden State have been the two-highest rated championship series broadcasted on ABC.

In 2015, an average of 19.94 million viewers per game watched Golden State win its first title in 40 years on the Cavaliers’ home floor by derailing LeBron James and Co. 4-2, with super-sub Andre Iguodala becoming an unlikely series MVP largely due to his defense on James.

Last season’s rematch did was no different, as an average of 20.28 million viewers per game tuned in to watch Cleveland return the favor by crawling back from a 3-1 deficit to steal the title from Golden State on the Warriors’ home floor in Game 7 last season.

Kyrie Irving’s dagger 3-pointer from the right side of the floor over Stephen Curry to seal the Cavaliers’ first championship in franchise history will forever live on in Finals’ lore.

Oracle Arena will no doubt be electric when the ball is tipped for Game 1 on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. PDT between the two teams that many of us thought would be playing for the Larry O’Brien for a record-setting third year in a row.

When you dive into the numbers for both teams journey through the playoffs, they are nearly identical.

Offensively, Golden State had no trouble scoring points as they led all teams with 118.3 points per game. Cleveland was second in playoff scoring with 116.8 points per game. The Warriors, who love sharing the ball, is averaging 27.8 assists per game in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers were tops in field goal percentage (50.7), while Golden State were second in shooting at 50.2 percent from the floor.

Even though the Celtics made more three-pointers in the playoffs than any other team with 229, Cleveland is second with 190, followed by Golden State with 145.

With all due respect to Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, the guy that Cleveland will need to stop will continue to be the aforementioned Curry, who in my estimation, is still the key that turns the engine on for the Warriors.

Think about this stat from NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, the Warriors have scored 122.5 points per 100 possessions with Curry on the floor and just 97.4 with him on the bench. The 25.1-point differential is the largest on-of differential among players who have logged at least 100 minutes in the playoffs.

Curry dropped 36 points in Golden State’s 129-115 victory in Game 4 of the conference finals against San Antonio that propelled the Warriors into their third straight Finals appearance.

For Cleveland, it usually begins and ends with James, who leads all Cavaliers players in points (32.5), assists (7.0), steals (2.2), and blocks (1.4), but Irving is just as vital to a Cleveland repeat as is James.

When James was forced to the bench with four fouls in the first half of Game 4 of the East Finals, Irving stepped up and took over the game like no other.

With James on the bench, Irving scored 19 points in under five minutes and 33 during a 19-minute stretch with an array of easy layups and pull-up 3s.

Even after rolling his left ankle in the game, Irving finished with a playoff career-high 42 points en route to a 112-99 victory that gave Cleveland a commanding 3-1 before ending the Celtics’ season in five games.

Cleveland’s 44-point win in Game 2 of the East finals at Boston is the highest margin of victory in the playoffs this year.

According to NBA.com, James (16) and Irving (12) have taken 28 of the team’s 35 shots in the clutch and are a combined 9-for-28 (2-for-10 from 3-point range). James is also just 4-for-9 on clutch free throws. His assist rate is more than twice as high in the first quarter (25.9 assists per 100 possessions used) than it is in the fourth (12.7). Irving’s assist rate is 23.0 in the first quarter and just 2.5 in the fourth. He has one assist in 59 fourth-quarter minutes.

It’s only four days away, but it feels like an eternity waiting for one of the biggest collisions in sports to arrive.

Take plenty of notes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Dribbles: Warriors complete sweep of Trail Blazers to advance to West semis; await Jazz/Clippers winner

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

PORTLAND — All five starters scored in double figures led by Stephen Curry’s game-high 37 points as the Golden State Warriors completed a four-game sweep to advance to the conference semifinals by dismantling the Trail Blazers with a 128-103 victory Monday night.

The Warriors improve to 12-1 in the first round over the past three postseasons, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

This is the third four-game sweep in franchise history for Golden State. The Warriors swept the Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals, and the New Orleans Pelicans in 2015 en route to the championship that season.

Even without head coach Steve Kerr, who is away from the team to deal with lingering affects from back surgery in 2015, and assistant coach Mike Brown moving into Kerr’s chair for the second straight game (and for the foreseeable future), the Warriors played the brand of basketball that has become must-see-television for the past three seasons under Kerr in Game 4.

Curry shot 12-of-20 from the field, including 7-of-11 on 3s to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds in 30 minutes.

Draymond Green added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 33 minutes. Green, who by all accounts is the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, leads all players with 4.7 blocks per game in the playoffs.

Klay Thompson, who struggled for most of the series shooting 37-percent from the field and 35-percent on 3s, bounced back in the clincher with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting (3-of-5 on 3s) in 30 minutes.

Kevin Durant returned back in the starting lineup, adding 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes.

Durant was sidelined in both Games 2 and 3 with a strained left calf, showed no signs of the injury whenever he drove the ball to the basket as evident of his dunk that increased Golden State’s lead to 22-3 at one point.

Golden State’s hot three-point shooting was in true form in Game 4, as the team knocked down 17-of-29 (58.6-perecent) from beyond the arc. The team had 27 assists (with 10 turnovers) on 46 made baskets (53.5-percent) from the floor, while holding a 45-39 edge on the boards.

The Warriors jumped out early on the Trail Blazers, scoring 45 points in the first quarter tying an NBA record for most points in a single quarter (Portland had 22 at the end of the first quarter). The Houston Rockets scored 45 points against Golden State on May 25, 2015 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven conference semifinals, per ESPN Stats and Information.

Portland was hit with a massive uppercut by the Warriors in the first quarter that they never recovered from the rest of the game.

Golden State started off hot in the first quarter, going on a 14-0 run before Portland scored their first basket, a three-pointer by Evan Turner. Golden State shot 15-of-18 in the first quarter and led as much as 33 points in the game.

By halftime, the game was never in doubt when Golden State was leading 72-48.

But Portland’s season really came to an end when Curry drained a rainbow three-pointer from 31-feet that pushed the Warriors’ lead to 104-77 late in the third quarter that sucked the final breath out of the Trail Blazers.

Damian Lillard, Oakland’s native son, tried to will Portland as he’s done for most of the season, led the Trail Blazers with 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting to go along with six assists. Lillard was given a standing ovation by the remainder of the Moda Center crowd when he left the floor at the 6:12 mark in the fourth quarter.

Al-Farouq Aminu finished with 25 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes and Shabazz Napier scored 14 points off the bench for the Trail Blazers, who just completed their fourth-straight playoff appearance under head coach Terry Stotts.

Per ESPN Stats and Information, this is the first time since 1999 that the Trail Blazers have been swept in a best-of-seven series when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, who went on to win their first NBA championship in franchise history after the NBA players’ lockout shorten the season to 50 games.

The real dud of the night was the performance of shooting guard, C.J. McCollum in the biggest game of the season for Portland which was real head scratching to watch.

After averaging 28.0 points per game in the series, McCollum was nowhere to be found in as he couldn’t buy a basket for most of the game.

McCollum started the first half shooting 0-of-7 from the floor.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, that was McCollum’s second scoreless first half of the season. McCollum finished the game 2-of-12 from the floor for just six points.

With the Jazz-Clippers series tied at 2-2, Golden State won’t play another game until this weekend which will give the team a  chance to rest. Getting players like Shawn Livingston (right index finger sprain) and Matt Barnes (right ankle/foot sprain) additional rest will be key for Golden State.

Livingston hasn’t played since Game 1, while Barnes hasn’t been available for the entire series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Dribbles: Short-handed Warriors put 3-0 stranglehold on Trail Blazers

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

PORTLAND — Stephen Curry scored a game-high 34 points to go along with eight assists and Klay Thompson finished with 24 points and the Warriors erased a 16-point third quarter deficit to put the Trail Blazers on the brink of elimination with a hard-fought 119-113 victory Saturday night in Portland.

Both Curry (10-of-25) and Thompson (8-of-21) struggled in the first half before finding their respective strokes in the second half.

Andre Iguodala scored 16 points and Patrick McCaw (starting his second career postseason game), added 11 points.

Draymond Green had another stat-sheet filling night with nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and six blocks.

With the win, Golden State snaps a five-game postseason losing streak in Game 3s. Through the first three games, Golden State’s +47 combined win margin is the largest for any playoff series in franchise history.

Golden State can send the Trail Blazers fishing for the summer with a win in Game 4 on Monday night in Portland.

Without head coach Steve Kerr (illness), Kevin Durant (calf), Shaun Livingston (hand), and Matt Barnes (ankle),  the Golden State Warriors resembled more of the walking wounded rather than the NBA’s best team entering Game 3 of their best-of-7 series; but played smart and calm down the stretch that resulted in the victory.

Check out my takeaways below that led to Golden State’s win:

Golden State owned the third quarter: Trailing 82-66 after a Damian Lillard finger roll with 6:20 left in the third quarter, the Warriors stormed back with a 19-1 run, taking an 85-83 lead when JaVale McGee slammed through a lob with 2:01 left in the quarter.

Golden State overcame a 16-point hole and 52-42 rebounding edge by the Blazers to neutralize Portland to 30.4-percent shooting for the quarter. During their hot run, Golden State held Portland to 0-of-8 shooting, with three turnovers.

Per ESPN Stats and Information, Thompson made more 3s in the third (4) than total field goals made (3) in the first half.

The Warriors ended the third quarter on a 21-6 run.

Take another bow, McGee: There’s no question that Curry and Thompson were huge in Golden State’s second half comeback, but the play of McGee in Game 3 was just as vital.

McGee, who has been referenced as a “vertical spacer” by the Warriors’ coaching staff, has been just that against the Trail Blazers this series with his penchant for catching the lob pass for hammering dunks.

In 16 minutes on the floor tonight, McGee scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, to go along with four rebounds. The reserve center was +24 whenever he was on the court.

When you combine his performances from Game 1 (6 points on 3-of-4 FG) and Game 2 (15 points on 7-of-7 shooting) with his line from Game 3 (14 points on 6-of-8 shooting), McGee has scored 35 points on 16-of-19 shooting.

Portland’s backcourt is fun to watch and aren’t the problem: Through the first three games, Lillard and C.J. McCollum have made life difficult for the NBA’s second-ranked defense during the regular season with their ability to score nearly at will. Outside of Game 2, Portland’s electrifying backcourt has torched Golden State:

In Game 1: 75 of Portland’s 109 points on 38-of-54 shooting (7-of-15 3FG).

In Game 2: 23 of Portland’s 80 points on 9-of-34 shooting (1-of-7 3FG).

In Game 3: 63 of Portland’s 119 points on 20-of-46 shooting (10-of-22 3FG).

McCollum led all Trail Blazers with 32 points and Lillard finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in Game 3, where Portland was feeding off of its raucous crowd.

Portland did get center Jusuf Nurkic back in the starting lineup for Game 3 after missing the first two games of the series with a non-displaced fracture in his left leg he suffered late in the season that caused him to miss the final seven games.

Nurkic finished with two points and 11 rebounds in 17 minutes of action and was a non-factor.

Al-Farouq Aminu had 14 points and nine rebounds to lead Portland’s bench, while Noah Vonleh added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Allen Crabbe, whose struggled in the series shooting just 33-percent from the floor, scored eight.

Golden State held the edge in points in the paint (46-38) and fastbreak points (22-6).

Extra Dribbles: Without Durant, Warriors wallop Trail Blazers in Game two 110-81

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 19, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images via AP, Pool)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — Even without star forward Kevin Durant, who didn’t play due to a left calf strain, the Golden State Warriors were able to impose their will in dominating fashion to take a 2-0 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers 110-81 Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Portland.

Check out my takeaways below that led to Golden State’s win in the best-of-7 first-round series:

The Splash Brothers were just damp in Game 2

Stephan Curry (6 of 18 FG) led Golden State with 19 points and Klay Thompson (6 of 17 FG) added 16 points, but the duo combined to shoot just 12 of 35 from the floor (7 of 20 3FG).

Curry couldn’t find the bottom of the basket in the first half, shooting 2 of 10 from the floor with 6 points and 4 assists, while Thompson started cold in the first half, knocking down just 3 of 9 from the floor for 8 points.

Patrick McCaw, who started in place of Durant, had nine points and five rebounds.

I don’t expect the Warriors prized backcourt to have another slow shooting night, especially in Portland, where Golden State will be greeted by a rabid Moda Center in prime time.

Golden State jumped out to a 33-17 lead in the first quarter, shooting 13 of 22 from the field on 11 assists, before finishing with a 31 to 17 assist advantage over the Trail Blazers.

The Warriors turned up the defense in the opening frame, holding Portland to just 6 of 21 from the field.

Golden State’s biggest lead of the game was 32 points 96-64 midway through the fourth quarter.

Draymond Green is always on time: Although he didn’t score 19 points tonight as he did in Game 1 finishing with just 6, Green was up to his old tricks again filling up the stat sheet.

Green recorded 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 2, a nice follow up to his 19 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Game 1.

Center of attention: There are still times where I scratch my head and wonder how are the Warriors making lemonade out of their weakest position, center?

JaVale McGee actually led Golden State in scoring at halftime, piling up 15 points on 7 of 7 shooting. Granted, a bunch of those shots were putbacks and one spin-move that left Trail Blazers center Noah Vonleh’s head spin.

McGee scored 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting in Game 1 before coming alive for the Warriors in Game 2.

Throw in Zsa Zsa Pachulia’s 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting, James Michael McAdoo’s 7 points on 2 of 5 shooting, and Damian Jones’s free throw, Golden State’s big men contributed 33 points on 14 of 20 shots from the floor.

The Warriors controlled the paint, outscoring Portland 50 to 36 inside and held a 54 to 47 rebounding edge.

There is no secret that the loss of center Jusef Nurkic has been a glaring hole for Portland, who are hoping that the big man could suit up when the Trail Blazers return home for Games 3 and 4.

After gigantic performances in Game 1, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were duds in Game 2: Look, the writing is on the wall for the Trail Blazers. Portland has a backcourt that is comparable to the Splash Brothers, but they can’t do it by themselves.

After combining for 75 points on 52% shooting (7 of 15 3FG) in Game 1, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum couldn’t carry Portland in Game 2 as Lillard and McCollum combined for 23 points on 9 of 34 from the floor.

Golden State put the clamps on Portland’s dynamic backcourt after the pair were virtually un-guardable in Game 1.

McCollum finished with a career playoff-high with 41 points while draining four 3-pointers, but was just 4 of 17 from the floor.

Lillard was missing in action as the Warriors held the Oakland product to just 12 points on 5 of 14 shooting.

Lillard and McCollum are fantastic scorers, but it was forward Maurice Harkless who led Portland with 15 points and eight rebounds in Game 2.

Shabazz Napier was the only other Portland player in double digits with 10 points. Allen Crabbe shot just 3 of 10 in Game 2, finishing with just 6 points and was 0 of 4 from beyond the arc.

This was Golden State’s 12th win in their last 13 meetings with Portland in the postseason. The last time Portland defeated Golden State in the playoffs, it was in Game 3 of last season’s Western Conference Semifinals.

 

 

 

Extra Dribbles: Durant shows he’s ready for long postseason run with Warriors

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates during the second half of Game 1 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, April 16, 2017. The Warriors won 121-109. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The whole basketball world knows that the only way that it’s championship-or-bust for the Golden State Warriors this season.

Even after leading the NBA in wins for a third-straight season (67-15), if the Warriors don’t bring home their second Larry O’Brien trophy in three years, the 2016-17 season will be considered a failure.

Period.

But forward Kevin Durant and the top-seeded Warriors look like they are ready to claim their rightful place as the best team in the NBA at the end of June, after holding off the visiting eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers 121-109 victory Sunday in front of frenzied, sold out Oracle Arena in Game 1 of the first-round series.

Here are a few of my takeaways from Golden State’s win:

Durant is big time: Durant finished with a team-high 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds in his playoff debut with Golden State. Durant shot 12 of 20 from the floor and showed no signs of a player who missed 19 games in the second half before returning for the Warriors’ final three games of the season due to a recent knee injury.

“The game ratchets up when you get into the playoffs,” Durant said after the game. “I definitely felt good out there.”

Entering Sunday’s playoff game, Durant is averaging 28.8 points and eight rebounds per game in 91 career playoff games, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Another day at the office for Mr. Green: Draymond Green continues to be the heartbeat of the Warriors and it was business as usual for Green after recording a near triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocked shots (two that kept Oracle buzzing), and three steals.

With all due respect to Durant, Stephen Curry (29 points, 9/19 FG, 5 REB, 4 AST) and Klay Thompson (15 points, 6/16 FG, 1/6 3FG), Green is vital for Golden State to win the title this year. Green is the emotional leader of the team, the guy who brings his lunchbox and hard hat to work game-in, game-out, and possibly, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but not much more: McCollum tied a Trail Blazers franchise record for most points in the first half of a playoff game with 27, and Damian Lilliard scored 21 points as Portland’s backcourt combined to score 48 of the team’s 56 points at half time.

McCollum finished with a playoff career-high 41 points on 16 of 28 and eight rebounds, while Lillard scored 34 points on 12 of 26 shooting and five rebounds.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Lillard and McCollum are the first Trail Blazers teammates to score 34 or more points in a playoff game since Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter on May 19, 1992. Their 75 points were two off the franchise playoff record by teammates.

That sounds all good,  but Portland won’t win a game in the series if their star-studded backcourt has to continue to shoulder the load and not get any help from the role players.

Maurice Harkless was the only other Trail Blazer who had double-digit shot attempts (5/13 FG) and finished with 11 points. Evan Turner scored 12 points.

Portland’s bench was missing in action, scoring just nine points, while reserve guard Ian Clark scored 12 of Golden State’s 22 points off the bench.

The Trail Blazers were without center Jusuf Nurkic, who missed the game with a non-displaced fracture in his right leg.

Game 2 is Wednesday back in Oakland. Golden State is hoping that reserve forward Matt Barnes, who didn’t play in Game 1 due to an ankle injury, is ready to go.

Golden State held the rebounding edge (45-38) and shot 53.1% (43/81 FG) from the floor, while holding Portland to 43% shooting (40/93 FG) for the game.

 

 

 

It’s Just My Opinion: KD’s absence puts speed bump on Warriors’ season

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AP photo file: Former Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes, right, goes to the basket over Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Barnes returns to Golden State in light of the Kevin Durant injury on Tuesday night (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — OK  Warriors fans you can breathe a bit easier this morning after hearing that forward Kevin Durant’s knee injury isn’t season-ending.

Durant injured his left knee in the first minute of Golden State’s 112-108 loss to the Wizards in Washington Tuesday night. The injury occurred on a loose-ball situation after Wizards center Marcin Gortat fouled Warriors center Zsa Zsa Pachulia, who then fell back on Durant’s left leg. Durant jumped back and tried to run off the injury, but was in obvious pain before walking off the court on his own power and into the locker room.

Durant will miss at least four weeks with a sprained MCL and bruised tibial bone in his left leg, the team announced Wednesday. The small forward will be out indefinitely, but will be re-evaluated.

Durant leads the team in scoring (25.3 points per game), free throw makes (5.5) and attempts (6.3) per game, rebounding (8.2 rpg) and blocks (1.6 bpg).

The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears received a text message from Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he is “relieved” by the diagnosis.

“I’m definitely relieved. I thought it would be way worse,” Green wrote. “Being away weeks sucks, but we will take that over what was initially thought.”

The Warriors (50-10) have the best record in the league and now with Durant’s injury, their perch atop the Western Conference could be in jeopardy with second-place San Antonio (45-13) hot on Golden State’s heels at just four games back.

San Antonio rocked Golden State 129-100 in Durant’s first game with Golden State at Oracle Arena after nine season with the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder organization.

The Spurs and Warriors meet up twice this month, both in San Antonio.

For Golden State, it will be second game of a back-to-back after playing in Minneapolis and Houston respectively the previous night.

The play of Green, and guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will need to step up their individual games even more. Durant’s absence will be felt, but it will be up to the Warriors other three All-Stars to lead Golden State down the stretch heading into the playoffs.

Curry and Thompson both have struggled to shoot the three-ball post the All-Star break.

Curry is really in a shooting slump, connecting on just 2-of-20 of his 3s in his last two games. The two-time league MVP was converted 41 percent of his 3s before the break, but is just shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc post break.

Thompson is shooting just 31 percent from 3 post break after shooting 42 percent before the break.

Before racking up 24 points, 25 assists, and 14 rebounds while shooting 11-for-21 from the field in his last two games, Green struggled in the two games prior, totaling 12 points, six assists, and 14 rebounds.

Golden State is expected to sign free agent forward Matt Barnes for the remainder of the season in the wake of Durant’s injury, per Chris Haynes and Marc Stein of ESPN.

The Warriors will reportedly first sign free agent Jose Calderon, fulfilling their pledge to the 12-year veteran, before adding Barnes to fill void vacated by Durant.

Barnes was averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with the Kings before being waived shortly before Thursday’s trade deadline last week.

This will be Barnes’ second go-around with Golden State.

Barnes played with Golden State from 2006-08 and was part of the “We Believe” Warriors team led by Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Jason Richardson that squeaked in the playoffs as an eight seed and knocked off the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2007.

Barnes told Spears of The Undefeated that his return to Golden State is “a dream come true.”

The versatile Barnes, who turns 37 on Mar. 9, brings another solid defender with toughness on the wing to go along with Green and swingman Andre Iguodala for Golden State.

The addition of Barnes isn’t a earth-shattering move by Golden State, but it does give the Warriors some flexibility to sustain Durant’s absence for the foreseeable future.

 

Sacramento Kings Saturday game wrap: What a difference a day makes – Kings beat the Warriors 109-106 in OT

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
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Darren Collison drives past Klay Thompson Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–There is an old song that Dinah Washington made famous (that’s for all of my readers who have lived a little) titled “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”. That would be a fitting title for the Sacramento Kings 109-106 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

On Friday night, the Kings dropped a last second decision to the Phoenix Suns when Devin Booker banked in a jump shot at the final buzzer to hand Sacramento a painful 105-103 loss.

The way the Kings responded to that loss and the effort they would put forth versus the team with the best record in “the Association” was really critical for how this team would play for the rest off the season. They also had to face a Golden State franchise that had won the last 13 consecutive meetings between the two teams. All in all, the odds looked stacked against Sacramento.

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do by coming out and starting the game strong. Cousins scored 12 points in the opening 12 minutes and the Kings needed those points as Warriors superstar Steph Curry posted 14 points of his own in the opening quarter. Sacramento took a 31-27 lead after the first period.

The second quarter brought new stars to the floor as the second units came into the game. Kings reserve center Willie Cauley-Stein scored 12 points hitting on 6-of-8 shooting in 11-minutes of playing time. Klay Thompson took over the offense for the “Dubs” scoring 11 points for his squad.

At the end of 24 minutes, the game was tied at 56-all.

The third period brought more of the same high-pace scoring action that had been seen in the first half. The Warriors scored 26 points behind outstanding 3-point shooting (6-for-12, 50-percent). It was the traditional “Splash Brothers” tandem of Thompson (11) and Curry (9) that led the attack for the Warriors.

Sacramento also posted 26 points in the third quarter shooting 50-percent from the field (9-for-18) and going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Cousins (9), Collison (8) and McLemore (6) handled most of the scoring for the Kings.

At the end of three periods, the score was Golden State 82-Sacramento 82.

There was one other important incident in the third quarter. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was ejected from the game with 3:34 remaining in the period for arguing a foul call with the officials. Kerr was issued the first technical foul and that enraged him enough that he ran unto the floor after the referee. Needless to say, the second “tech-foul” was issued immediately.

“I was mad about a lot of things, but I got what I deserved. I deserved to be ejected, so I had no complaints. I was really angry about some calls and like I said, I got mad and I deserved to get kicked out”.

On to the fourth quarter which if you had to give it a title would be known as the “Ugly Quarter”. Both teams had difficulty executing. Golden State shot 28.6-percent (6-for-21) and went 1-for-8 from 3-point range in the period. The Warriors scored just 16 points.

The Kings shot 33.3-percent (7-for-21) and hit 2-of-4 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Sacramento did not go to the free throw line one time in the period. The Kings put 16 points in the book.

At the end of regulation, the Warriors and Kings were tied at 98-98.

The Kings roared into overtime like they owned it by going on a 7-0 run. The Warriors first point in OT came off a made free throw by Draymond Green with 2:39 to go in the extra period.

The Warriors cut the Kings lead to one point when Green scored on a fast break dunk with 41.1 left on the clock. Cousins missed a 15-foot jump shot and the Curry missed a layup opportunity off the Warriors rebound.

Following a Golden State timeout, Curry missed a jump shot that Collison rebounded and who was fouled immediately. Curry fouled Darren Collison on the inbounds play with 2.5 to play. Collison converted both free throws and sealed the win for the Kings 109-106.

The OT win ends some very negative streaks for the Kings (20-31)

  1. The win ended a 13-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors. The last time the Kings had defeated the Warriors was on March 27, 2013.
  2. The overtime victory also ended a four-game home losing streak. The Kings have yet to establish a true homecourt advantage in their new Golden 1 Center home. This win could be a foundational victory that helps establish a “not in my house” attitude.
  3. This big win also stopped a three-game losing streak that carried over from the Kings “eight-game road trip from hell” with losses in Philly and Houston.

The loss ended a very positive streak for the “Dubs” (43-8)

  1. The Warriors had won five games in a row prior to the overtime loss to the Kings on Saturday night.
  2. The loss also ends a steak of incredible of domination over another professional franchise

Who did what in the game

Kings

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Cousins takes to the rack Photo NBAE
  • DeMarcus Cousins scored a team-high 32 points to with 12 rebounds to record a double-double. He was one assist – nine – shy of a triple-double. He also had two steals and one blocked shot. “Big win. It shows this team has a lot of character, a lot of fight, especially coming off the loss we had last night. Complete team effort – I think this was our most complete game of the season.”
  • Darren Collison recorded 18 points and three assists. He shot 8-for-13 from the field.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein put 14 points in the book in just 17-minutes on the floor. He also had four rebounds and two steals.
  • Ben McLemore had another good night as a starter scoring 10 points in 29-minutes of playing time.
  • The Kings bench scored 45 points compared to just 16 points for the GSW bench.
  • Sacramento shot 44.9-percent from the field (43-for-88) and hit 7-of-23 from 3-point land in the game. They converted 16-of-19 free throws (84.2-percent).
  • The Kings outscored the Warriors 56-34 in the paint.

 

Warriors

  • Steph Curry scored a game-high 35 points and added nine assists in the game. He hit on 8-of-14 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
  • Klay Thompson made “the Splash Brothers” effect present by adding 25 points against the Kings. He hit on 10-of-25 shots from the floor including sinking four 3-pointers.
  • Draymond Green put up 16 points in the contest. He also had eight rebounds and six assists
  • Kevin Durant had what has to called a “quiet” night. KD put just 10 points in the book and grabbed nine rebounds.
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Cauley-Stein goes sky high versus the Warriors Photo NBAE

Coaches analysis of the game

Kings head coach Dave Joerger

  • That’s a good win – heck of a basketball game.
  • Second night of a back to back for us and guys competing and staying together and being rewarded for staying together and battling through.
  • It is a happy locker room and they should feel really good.

Warriors head man Steve Kerr

  • It was one of the worst games we’ve played all season.
  • We had no purpose.
  • The ball didn’t move.
  • I didn’t recognize our team out there tonight.

Up next on the schedule

  • The Warriors are off until Wednesday, February 8th when they will host the Bulls in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
  • The Kings host the Bulls on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center.

 

 

 

The Warriors do it again, race past the Hornets for another victory

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors never trailed in the game against the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday Evening at Oracle Arena. The Dubs came out with guns blazing as they started strong and sent the Hornets down to their sixth straight loss 126-111. The Dubs led by as much by 30 but head coach Steve Kerr rested his regulars in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors were without the services of three key players Wednesday night. Center Zaza Pachulia injured his right shoulder Sunday night in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers as he dove to the floor trying to get control of a loose ball. He has a strained rotator cuff and will be out for a week. David West, who has been out for two weeks with a broken thumb, was not available and should be ready soon. Backup forward/guard Shaun Livingston did not play either. None of this mattered as Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson put on a show in the first half. Steph scored 26 in the half and made 7 3-point shots. Klay also had 26, and he made 4 3-pointers. Kevin Durant had just 7 in the first 24 minutes of play, and the Warriors led 77-56 at the intermission. They outscored the Hornets by 20 in the first quarter as they led 41-21. The Dubs scored 36 in the second quarter but the Hornets found some rhythm, and they kept pace scoring 35 points.

The Warriors kept it going in the third quarter. Steph continued to make 3-point shots, and the Hornets could not keep pace as Golden State led by thirty 96-66 at one point in the period. The Hornets cut the deficit to 25, but the game was well in hand as the quarter finished with the Dubs comfortably leading 108-83. As mentioned earlier, Kerr removed the starters from the game. The backups made a few turnovers and Charlotte outscored the Dubs 28-18 to cut the deficit to 15. The Warriors win 126-111.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors number one draft pick, Damian Jones, scored his first points ever in the NBA. He took a pass from James Michael McAdoo and made the layup for the bucket. The Warriors bench was all smiles. Jones scored two more for a total of four for the night. /Steph finished the night with 39 points,8 assists, and 5 rebounds in just 31 minutes of action. Klay Thompson also had a big night with 29 points, 8 assists, and 5 boards. Kevin Durant had 18 and had 8 assists and 8 rebounds as he was superb on defense again.Draymond Green’s lime was 8 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. JaVale McGee, starting in place of Pachulia, knocked dow 9 and he, too, had 4 blocked shots. The Warriors bench contributed 23 points in helping win the game. The Warriors shut down the Hornets’ leading scorer Kemba Walker holding him to just 7 points. Scoring leader for the Hornets was big Frank Kaminski. Kaminski did not start, but he was able to score 24 and was a force on defense. Marvin Williams had 14, Nicolas Batum 13, and former Warrior Marco Belinelli added 12.

The Warriors shot 49% from the floor. They made 21 3-point shots good for 43.8% They Hornets shot 44.3% from the floor and made 9 three-point shots in thirty-one attempts. The Warriors defense had 9 steals, 11 blocks, and 47 rebounds. The Dubs scored 38 fast break points and outscore the Hornets 42-40 in points scored in the paint.

The Warriors improve to 42-7 while Charlotte drops to 23-27. The Warriors play another back-to-back game Thursday night as they travel to LA to face the Clippers. Hame time is at 7:30 pm.

 

The Warriors win a thriller in Portland as they hold on to win

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, without their All-Star guard Steph Curry, faced-off against the Trailblazers in Portland Sunday night. Steph, who was sidelined with the stomach flu, was not able to play and Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to juggle the starting lineup. He inserted Shaun Livingston at point guard, and the rest of the starters remained the same. The result was the same as the Dubs won 113-111.

The Blazers took an early 8-4 lead in the first quarter. The Dubs went on a 16-2 run to lead 20-10. Kevin Durant was the man in the quarter as he led the team with 11 points. The Dubs led 33-24 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Warriors’ defense was terrific in the period as they held the Blazers to just 24 points. The Warriors’ first bucket in the quarter was a play that should make anyone’s highlight reel. Shain Livingston made a great play by stealing the ball. He ran the court and then made a bounce pass to Andre Iguodala coming down the court on the right side.

Andre swooped in a made the layup and was fouled in the process. He completed the three-point play when he made the free throw. The Warriors led 37-24. They increased the lead to 51-30 about halfway through the quarter. The Warriors offense went ice cold at that point in the game. They continued to play great defense, but they could not buy a bucket. The Blazers took advantage and finished the quarter on a 20-2 to trail by 3 at the end of the half 53-50. KD led the Dubs with 15, Klay Thompson and Zaza Pachulia each had 10. The Blazers’ scoring leader was C.J. McCollum with 14. Big Mason Plumlee had nine.

The third quarter was very close. The Blazers tied the score twice but could never take the lead with the score at 68 apiece, the Dubs finished the period on a 16-4 run to take a 10-point lead heading into the final 12 minutes of play. Draymond Green missed most of the quarter as he was saddled with 4 fouls, but the Dubs still were terrific on defense as they   outscored the Blazers 33-26. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors could not shake the Blazers. Portland kept coming back, and they tied the game at 93. At this point, Andre Iguodala hit a three-point shot that was immense at the time. The Dubs kept answering every Portland challenge until they took a 7-point lead 106-99 with just 37.5 seconds left to play.

The Blazers decided to foul the Dubs every time they touched the ball in the hopes that they could either tie the game or win it at the buzzer. The feel was similar to the situation in Miami when the Dubs lost at the buzzer. The strategy worked as the Blazers closed to trail by 2 111-109. Klay made 2 free throws to give the Dubs the lead 113-109. They let the Blazers make an easy layup with just 5.6 seconds left on the clock.The Warriors almost made a fatal mistake when they were taking out the ball. Kevin Durant was charged with a foul when he pushed off trying to get free. The ball went to Portland, and the Warriors escaped when Evan Turner, a 30% three-point shooter, missed from the corner. The Dubs hold on to win 113-111.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ big man, Kevin Durant was the player of the game. He had a double-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and six assists Klay Thompson, who was couldn’t make a shot in the second quarter, finished with 27. Zaza Pachulia had a big night with 14. JaVale McGee added 7. Draymond Green scored 5points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds. The third star of the night went to Andre Iguodala, Andre knocked down 12 points to go along with 5 assists and three boards. Andre made 4 3-point shots in the game.

Scoring leaders for Portland were McCollum with 25. Oakland native Damian Lillard had 19, Evan Turner,18, Mason Plumlee 15, and Maurice Harkless, off the bench, added 10. On defense, Warriors had 13 steals and 6 blocked shots. Portland outdid them in three categories. Portland scored 22 points off turnovers while the Dubs could manage just 18. The Blazers held a 60-32 advantage in points scored in the paint and they had a one-point advantage 18-17 on fast breaks.

The Warriors improve to 41-7 while Portland falls to 21-28. The Warriors snapped Portland’s modest three-game winning streak.

After the game, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had this to say about the win:”we survived.” “Our guys didn’t have a ton of energy” as the played another back-to-back game.” “We gutted it out.”

The Warriors do not play until Wednesday. They play the Charlotte Hornets at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30. The Warriors travel to LA to face the Clippers Thursday night to start a six-game road trip.