Tag: NBA

Warriors Slammed in First Half Lose to Raptors 133-118; Barrett scores season high 37 pts in forth game for Toronto

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) defends against the Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Jan 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (17-19) lost to the Toronto Raptors(15-21) Sunday night at Chase Center 133-118. They were hammered in the first half losing the second quarter 40-21 and trailing at halftime 76-49. 

This team seems to be dealing with a multitude of interior problems as well as problems on the court. It is just not working right now and seems to continue to get even worse instead of better. There are some real problems in Warrior Land right now.

The Warriors took on the Raptors Sunday night at Chase Center. This team has been struggling for awhile now. It has not been a happy locker room lately and this team needs to turn things around before it really affects their season. 

It is getting out of hand. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have not been themselves and with the approaching return of Draymond Green, the starting roster may have to eventually deal with more changes. Right now it’s a team in turmoil and and with their fifth loss in their last ten games the Warriors are looking for a way out of this slump.

Game recap: The Raptors got right to work in the first quarter. They took a 36-28 lead and this was another slow start for Curry and the Warriors. It would not get any better for Golden State in the second quarter losing it 40-21 getting absolutely punched and trailing 76-49 at the half. It had been a disastrous first half for the Warriors and really indicated something going very wrong with this team.

The Warriors did make a nice bid in the third quarter winning it 38-25 but when you are trailing by 27 points at halftime, you had better have a huge fourth quarter. Golden State did not have a huge fourth quarter barely winning it 32-31 and the Warriors came up short in this game losing by the score of 133-118. Golden State got hammered in the first half and just was not able to repair the damage.

Just watching the Warriors bench the team looked angry, frustrated and disgruntled. This was an awful showing from Curry who finished with eight points hitting only two baskets. He was 2 of 14 from the floor and was 0 of 9 from downtown. 

The Raptors were all over Curry from start to finish. Thompson had the high for the Warriors with a nice game of 25 points and was 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. The high from the Golden State bench came from Moses Moody with 21 points. 

Trayce Jackson-Davis continues to impress with 11 rebounds and 16 points. The Warriors could not stop the Raptors RJ Barrett who had a field day finishing with 37 points. Barrett was a huge part of the Toronto win Sunday. Barrett has been with the Raptors for only four games and he led in scoring.

Golden State will get a few days off before taking on the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center. They have a lot to address after this loss. The Pelicans are playing some very good basketball right now and are coming off a win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Golden State will have to find their A-game if they want to get back on the winning track. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:30 next Wednesday night.

 

  

Kings Lose to Pelicans 133-100; McCollum leads Pelicans with 30 points in win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The New Orleans Pelicans Brandon Ingram (14) takes a jump shot over the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox(5) and Chris Duarte (3) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Jan 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings had not had a great season against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings entered Sunday with a 0-3 record against the Pelicans this year. On Sunday, the Kings looked to get their first win of the season against the Pels.

The Kings were coming off a tough stretch of game, albeit at home. The Pelicans came into town having last played on Friday against the Clippers. The Pelicans lost that game. The Kings last played on Friday night, where they defeated the Toronto Raptors 135-130.

The tip-off on Sunday was set for 3 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings would lose to the Pelicans by the final 133-100.

In the first quarter, the Kings offense started to get ice cold. The Kings had only managed 12 points at the 4:00 mark left to go in the quarter. On the other hand, the Pelicans found a rhythm early to put together a solid first quarter. The Pelicans outscored the Kings in the first quarter 33-21 to jump out to a quick lead. The Kings would need to take better care of the ball moving forward against a Pelicans team that refuses to lose to the Kings.

As the second quarter opened up, Kings fans were looking for better energy from the Kings. The Kings wouldn’t appear to be turning the page from the first quarter early in the second. The struggles shooting continued as the Pelicans shots were seemingly all falling.

The Kings would get blown off the floor for the rest of the quarter as they were outscored 39-26 in the second quarter. The Kings would take a 72-47 deficit into halftime. It was one of the more ugly halves of basketball this year in Sacramento.

The second half of this game doesn’t even deserve per-quarter breakdowns. This game was just a pathetic showing from the Kings from start to finish. The Kings had no energy on the defensive end, and that translated to the offensive end.

The Kings were outscored 31-14 in the third quarter as the game ballooned to a 50-point deficit for the Kings. Yes, you read that right, 50 points. The Kings would need to do some serious soul-searching after the atrocious performance.

The Kings had three tough losses, all in the last couple of weeks. The Kings losses to Portland, Charlotte, and now New Orleans were tough to swallow, all for their own reasons. In the fourth quarter, the Kings got a bit of life from the bench by outscoring the Pelicans 39-30. The Kings would lose the game 133-100.

Up Next: The Kings will go on the road to take on the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at 4 PM PST.

Kings Defeat Raptors 135-130; Sabonis unstoppable scores second triple double for Sac two games in a row

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night after taking on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. The Kings expended a lot of energy in the game on Wednesday as it went to double overtime. The Kings ultimately won the game by the final of 138-135.

On Friday, the Kings were set to welcome in the Toronto Raptors. It was an exciting matchup for the Kings, with all the trade speculation swirling of a trade between the Kings and the Raptors. Prior to tip-off, it appeared the talks between the teams had cooled, and nothing appeared to be possible.

Time would tell if the two teams could get a deal done. The tip-off against the Raptors was set for 7 PM PST on Friday. The Kings defeated the Raptors 135-130 on Friday night at Golden One Center.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out playing well. The Kings shots were falling on the offensive end, and the defense was paying well on the other end of the floor. The Kings outscored the Raptors 36-27 in the first quarter to build a quick lead.

In the second quarter, the Kings did more of the same to expand the lead going into halftime. The Kings outscored the Raptors in the second quarter 41-30 to go up big going into halftime. The Kings would lead 57-77 going into halftime as they built a sizable lead. Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes led the Kings in the first half with 12 points. RJ Barrett and Dennis Schroder each had 11 in the first half.

In the third quarter, the Kings took a regression in the game. The Kings defense faltered in the quarter as they allowed the Raptors to score 40 points. It was a defensive meltdown for the Kings, who would look to tighten things up in the final quarter to maintain the lead. The Kings scored 30 points in the third quarter to go into the fourth with a 10-point 107-97 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the game would turn into a dogfight. The Kings were trying their best to maintain the lead. However, some of the Kings found themselves in foul trouble. Sabonis would foul out of the game with just over a minute to go.

The Kings went to Chris Duarte in place of Javale McGee. The Kings would get outscored in the final quarter 33-28. However, the Kings would still hold on for the win 135-130. It was a tough-fought win for the Kings, who once had a 20-point lead.

The Raptors best performances came from Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, who both scored 20 points. The Kings best performance came from Sabonis, who had a 24-point, 15 rebound, and 10 assist game.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at 3 PM PST in Sacramento.

Despite Struggles Golden State Beats Detroit Pistons 113-109; Paul fractures left hand will need surgery next week

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warrior guard Chris Paul will need surgery on his left hand after fracturing it against the Detroit Pistons on Fri Jan 5, 2024 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Detroit Pistons (3-32) put quite a fight but Golden State (17-18) met the challenge and came away with the win 113-109. The Warriors handed the Pistons their 32nd loss of the season.

Game recap: The first quarter was a close one with the Warriors leading after the first twelve minutes 22-20. The turnovers were mounting for Golden State and through 1 1/2 quarters they already had nine. Through the same 1 1/2 quarters Warriors guard Stephen Curry had not scored a single point getting another very slow start. 

At 4:35 in the second quarter, Curry scored three free throws and at 3:26 scored his first basket of the game followed by a three point jumper. A Curry flurry was exactly what the Warriors needed as the first half began to wind down. The Warriors led at the half 50-46 after having led by nine points in the second quarter. The Pistons were not backing down refusing to go away.

The turnovers for Golden State were a problem in the first half with 12. Detroit was protecting the ball very well with only five turnovers which accounted for some of the success they were having in this game.

At halftime, bench player Dario Saric , had the high score with 12 points and starter Jonathan Kuminga had 11 points. The team would be looking for some production in the second half from not only Curry but also from Klay Thompson. The good news for Golden State was the late half action from Curry.

As the third quarter came to an end, the Pistons were making a move pulling to within four points. After three quarters the Warriors were clinging to a four point lead 79-75. 

In the final seconds of the third quarter, Detroit had pulled to within one point proving to be a very real threat. There were five more turnovers for the Warriors in the quarter now with a total of 17 through three quarters.

The Pistons continued to hang around and with 3:45 left in the game, the Warriors were hanging on by a single point 95-94. With 1:56 left in the game it was all tied up at 100. With 1:32 left in the game the Pistons took their first lead of the half 103-102. 

Curry finished off this game with a couple of free throws and a 28-foot jump shot followed by a second 28-foot shot. The final was 113-109 and the Warriors were lucky to get this win. Detroit put up quite a fight pushing Golden State to their limit.

Both the third and fourth quarters of this game finished in a tie. The Pistons pulled out all the stops but the Warriors proved to be just a little too much. Curry had the high for the team with 26 points and Thompson finished with 19.

 It was not the Warriors finest offensive nor defensive effort. They have been struggling on defense and it really showed in this game. They had 19 turnovers just when it seemed that they were turning it around.

Post game notes: Friday night the Warriors took on the Pistons after losing a heart-breaker last night against the Denver Nuggets who pulled off a Nikola Jokic buzzer beater 130-127 for the win. Jokic hit a 39-foot three pointer with 0.1 left on the game clock. With 4.1 seconds on the clock, Curry turned the ball over making this loss an especially tough pill to swallow. 

The Pistons who are having a miserable season. At one point they had lost 28 straight games for the longest losing streak in NBA history. That streak ended last Saturday at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit with a narrow 129-127 victory.

Warriors guard Chris Paul fractured his left hand Friday night against the Pistons and will need surgery sometime next week. Warrior head coach Steve Kerr made the announcement right after the game. Paul went 23 minutes scoring eight points, six rebounds and had four assists before having to leave with the fracture.

Sunday evening the Warriors continue their home stand taking on the Toronto Raptors. They will be looking for a better offensive and defensive effort and then there are those pesky turnovers to deal with.

The Warriors have a lot to clean up. Toronto comes to Golden State after losing to the Sacramento Kings Friday night 135-130. The Kings had a 20 point lead in the third quarter of the game and Toronto came roaring back. Golden State has a lot to address; they cannot afford another game like Friday night’s. Tipoff for the game Sunday is scheduled for 5:30 PM. 

 

   

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host 12th place Raptors tonight at Golden 1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Orlando Magic forward Pablo Banchero (5) tries to defend against a Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) shot during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah. the Orlando Magic were shorthanded but the Sacramento Kings were still able to persevere and win out in double overtime on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center 138-135.

#2 The Kings got help from Domantas Sabonis who chalked up another triple double, 22 points, 23 rebounds and 12 assists.

#3 Malik Monk went all out with 37 points and he did it off the bench for the Kings. The 37 points for Monk made him the team leading scorer for the evening. Making every basket that Monk could spare valuable as the Kings did whatever they could to win this one.

#4 The Magic’s power forward Pablo Banchero was just outstanding and difficult to defend finishing with game leading 43 points. For the Magic he was the key that kept them in this game forcing double overtime.

#5 The Kings came away with the win on Wednesday night and now host the Toronto Raptors who occupy 12th place in the Western Conference. The Raptors have won four of their last ten games and have won two games in a row coming into Sacramento on Friday night for a 7:00pm PT tip.

Jeremiah does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Nuggets come back to beat Warriors with Jokic buzzer beater in devastating loss 130-127

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokioc (15) hits a three point game winning shot over the Golden State Warriors Kevon Looney (5) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Jan 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024

Chase Center, San Francisco, California

Denver Nuggets 130 (25-11)

Golden State Warriors 127 (16-18)

By Stephen Ruderman

The Denver Nuggets came back late to beat the Warriors on a buzzer beater by Nikola Jokic, who led the way with 34 points, as Golden State fell, 130-127, to suffer their fourth loss in their last five games.

The Warriors snapped their three-game losing streak with a win over the Orlando Magic in San Francisco on Tuesday night, and they were looking to build off of that tonight. The Nuggets, meanwhile, had come in winning 10 of their last 12 games. It was a rematch of a neck-and-neck matchup between the two teams on Christmas in Denver that saw the Nuggets beat the Warriors, 120-114.

The Warriors got off to a quick start in Thursday night’s match, as they won the opening tip, and got on the board on a dunk by Jonathan Kuminga. The Nuggets quickly responded with a jumper by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to get on the board, but the Warriors pounced, and eventually opened up a 21-11 lead just under five minutes into the game.

The Warriors led it 27-18 with 5:33 to go in the first quarter, but Jokic made a pair of layups to cut the score to cut the Warriors’ lead to 27-22, and that was the start of 16-6 run for the Nuggets, which took them to a 34-33 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Nuggets kept that momentum into the second quarter, as they held a small lead over the first four minutes. Klay Thompson hit a three-ball to put the Warriors back ahead at 44-42, but the Nuggets responded with a three by Michael Porter Jr., as the teams seesawed their way through the next several minutes. The Nuggets then pulled away a bit, and went into the half with a 70-63 lead.

Jokic started the third quarter with a three-ball to extend Denver’s lead to 73-63, but the Warriors slowly chipped away at that lead, as they tied it at 84-84 with six minutes to go in the third quarter, as Kuminga hit a jumper, and hit the free throw after being fouled on the play.

The Nuggets quickly retook the lead on a pair of free throws by Jokic, but the Warriors continued their onslaught, as they outscored the Nuggets in the third quarter, 44-24, to go into the fourth quarter up 107-94.

Andrew Wiggins hit a three to start the fourth, and put Golden State up 110-94. The Warriors would maintain that steady lead throughout the first half of the fourth quarter, as they led it 123-105 with just 6:51 remaining, following a jumper by Wiggins.

However, the Nuggets suddenly started coming back. Jokic hit a hook shot, and Gordan hit a pair of free throws, as well as a three ball to cut the deficit to 123-112 with 5:14 to go. Gordon then tipped one, and made a pair of free throws, followed by a pair of free throws by Jokic to suddenly make it 123-118 with 3:23 to go.

Stephen Curry was fouled, and made two from the line to give the Warriors a brief reprieve, as they extended their lead to 125-118. Gordon then hit another pair of free throws for the Nuggets, and the Golden State responded with a layup by Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Peyton Watson hit a three Jokic alley-ooped to Gordan, who dunked it, and the Nuggets had remarkably made it just a two-point game at 127-125 with just 1:08 remaining. Jokic then hit a jumper to tie it with 26 seconds to go.

Curry had the ball for the Warriors, and he slow-walked it, as he wanted to run the clock down to prevent the Nuggets from winning it in regulation. However, a pass from Curry was stolen by Jamal Murray with four seconds remaining. 

Timeout was called, and then when the ball was passed in to Jokic, he shot one from almost halfcourt that he certainly didn’t expect to go in, but it hit off the backboard and in to deal the Warriors a devastating 130-127 loss right at the buzzer.

Jokic was mobbed by his teammates, as well as his head coach, Michael Malone. The camera then panned to Stephen Curry, who chewed away at his mouthguard in utter astonishment. Curry scored 30 points tonight, and even with that performance the Warriors still could not hold on.

The Warriors have now lost four of their last five, as they fall to 16-18, and they have also fallen a half-game back of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 10th seed in the Western Conference.

Golden State will be right back at it Friday night, as they will welcome the Detroit Pistons to Chase Center for a 7 p.m. tip.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Curry’s scoring once again saves Warriors; Payton out with hamstring injury; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry takes a three point shot as he’s fouled by the Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) in the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Jan 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night with 36 points in the Warriors victory over the Orlando Magic 121-115 it was a win that snapped Golden State’s three game losing streak.

#2 Jerry, Curry was instrumental scoring two three pointers and assisted two other baskets in the third quarter that help the Warriors take the lead which the Orlando Magic was able to build in the second quarter.

#3 Curry’s offensive show continued with the last 8:33 left in the game which help put the Warriors up 101-97. Curry hit a step back three pointer that got the Warriors up 104-97.

#4 Jerry, with the win the Warriors moved up to .500 at 9-9. Without Draymond Green in the line up in the last ten days. Green has not been contact with the team. There has been no date when he would return although it was mentioned that he could be back during the first week in January. “We’ve been giving him his space, he’s been giving us ours,” said head coach Steve Kerr.

#5 Jerry, Gary Payton got a hamstring injury in the third quarter and didn’t get back in the game. Payton had missed four to five weeks. Payton according to Kerr had worked hard to get back in the line up and said with the hamstring this impacts the line up and Kerr said he has no idea when Payton will get back.

Join Jerry for the Warriors podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Join Jerry Feitelberg for the Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings defeat Magic 138-135 in double overtime at Golden 1 Center

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) tries to work his way around the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings were set to play the second night of a back-to-back after playing on Tuesday. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Kings in the first game of the back-to-back 111-104. The Kings would look to pick up their first win on back-to-back affairs this season. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST from Golden One Center. The Kings would defeat the Magic on a second night of a back-to-back 138-135.

In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a slow start. Similar to the game against the Hornets, the Kings energy wasn’t present to start the game. Keegan Murray was the exception to this bad start, as he scored ten points in the first quarter. The Magic outscored the Kings in the first quarter 30-27 as they jumped out to the early lead in the game.

In the second quarter, the Kings battled. The Kings got down early in the second but managed to take the lead at the 8:31 mark. The Kings would get a spark from Malik Monk as they pulled ahead. For the rest of the quarter, the Kings continued to push the pace.

The Kings had a big quarter as they outscored the Magic 40-25 to take the lead going into halftime. The Kings would lead the Magic 67-55 at halftime as they looked to bounce back from Tuesday night’s game.

In the third quarter, the Magic came roaring back on the Kings. The Magic outscored the Kings 34-24 in the third quarter to pull within two points of the Kings. The Kings led 91-89 going into the final quarter after a total meltdown in the third.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings were in trouble. The Kings led by 16 at one point in the game and slipped all the way to trailing by three points with 6:17 in the game.

The Kings would need to take much better care of the ball in the final six minutes if they hoped to win the game. The game would go back and fourth but no result after the quarter. Regulation would end tied at 118.

The Kings would end up prevailing in the second overtime quarter by the final of 138-135. The Kings were led by Monk who had 37 points in the game. The Magic received their best performance from Paulo Banchero who scored 43 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday at 7 PM PST.

Kings lose to Hornets 111-104; Rozier leads Charlotte with 34 pts at Golden 1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier right drives the lane on the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) in first quarter action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Jan 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Sacramento. The Kings lost a tough one to Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday after returning from a quick road trip. The Kings last played on Sunday in Memphis.

The Kings defeated the Grizzlies to finish the road trip 2-1. On Tuesday, the Hornets came into Golden One Center ready for tip-off at 7 PM PST. The Kings would fall to the Hornets 111-104 in shocking fashion on Tuesday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings played terribly. The Kings offense was off from the jump, and they were really never able to get it going. On the other hand, the Hornets were able to get a bit going towards the end of the quarter as they scored 25 points. The Kings scored 21 points in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the offense came alive a bit, but it still wasn’t up to par. The Kings got their first contributions from De’Aaron Fox in the second quarter, as he scored nine points. The Kings would outscore the Hornets 29-20 in the second quarter to take the lead into the break.

The Kings would lead 50-45 going into halftime. The leading scorer for the Kings was Domantas Sabonis, who had 13 points. Leading scorer for the Hornets in the first half was Terry Rozier, who scored 15 points.

In the third quarter, neither team differentiated themselves much. The Kings and Hornets traded baskets in the third as the Hornets were able to cut the deficit by two points. The Hornets outscored the Kings 30-28. The game would go into the fourth quarter with the Kings leading 78-75.

In the fourth quarter of action, the Kings meltdown materialized in defeat. The Hornets outscored the Kings in the fourth quarter 36-26 to seal the deal and snap their 11 game losing streak. The Kings fans in attendance were stunned in defeat as Las Vegas had the Kings as 15.5 point favorites going into the game.

The Kings could never get a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball all game. The Kings were led in defeat by Fox who scored 30 points in the game. The Hornets snapped their losing streak behind a 34 point performance from Rozier.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Orlando Magic on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Warriors hold on to down Magic 121-115; Golden State ends 3 game skid

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) hits a three point shot against the Orlando Magic at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Jan 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (16-17) had to work extra hard to beat the Orlando Magic (19-14) Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The Magic, with the best record in the Southeast Division, 19-13, had rebuilt the team via the draft.

The Magic had four players over six feet ten inches tall. Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero, is a force to be reckoned with. The Warriors assigned Klay Thompson to guard him Tuesday night. It wasn’t easy, but Thompson did the job even though Banchero scored 27 points.

The Warriors had to find a way to stop Moritz and Franz Wagner the young men from Berlin, Germany, were both six-feet ten. The center, Bitadze, measured six feet eleven inches. The Warriors’ tallest players were Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who were six feet nine inches tall. 

The Warriors had lost three in a row and knew beating the young, tall, and talented Magic squad would be a struggle. The game was a nip-and-tuck affair until late in the fourth quarter. The Magic had an early nine-point lead in. the first quarter.

The Warriors got their game going to finish the first quarter with a two-point advantage, 30-28. The Warrior’s biggest lead in the second quarter was 47-42. The Magic kept coming back. They made a three at the end of the first half to tie the game, 55-55.

Orlando’s big men outrebounded the Warriors 33-25. The Magic had 13 offensive rebounds to help keep them in the game. The Warriors had a rough first half at the free-throw line. The Magic, not a good free-throwing team, made thirteen free throws. The Warriors made seven in 14 threes. 

Stephen Curry and Thompson propelled the Warriors to a six-point lead 87-81 in the third quarter. Curry started to connect from three-point land. Thompson started to make buckets. The one sad note was Gary Payton II appeared to suffer a leg injury. Payton went to the locker room and did not return.

The Magic erased the six-point lead to start the fourth quarter. Thompson, Curry, and Jonathan Kuminga paced the offense for Golden State. Moritz and Franz Wagner made shots to keep the Magic in the game. Curry made a deuce and a trey to give the Warriors the lead, 104-97. Thompson and two buckets by Kunimga had the Warriors leading, 110-101. The Warriors’ defense did the job, and the Warriors were able to win the game 121-115.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak, and improved to 16-17 for the season. The Magic dropped to 19-14.

All five of the Warrior starters were in double figures. Curry led the team with 36 points and made four threes. Kuminga had 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Thompson had 15 points. Thompson made three threes. Chris Paul had 12 points, and he also made three threes. Jackson-Davis, Andrew Wiggins, and Brandin Podzienski each had ten. Wiggins was once again excellent on defense for the Warriors.

Banchero paced the Magic with 27 points, 12 boards, and six assists. Franz Wagner had 25. Bitadze had 13, Moritz Wagner had 12, and Jalen Suggs had ten.

The Warriors cut down on fouls in the second half. The Magic made just six free throws. Turnovers were not an issue for Golden State Tuesday night. The Warriors did a good job, as they committed just 12 turnovers.

The Warriors meet the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors will be looking to avenge the loss to the Nuggets on Christmas day in Denver. The game will start at 7 pm.