Tag: NBA

Buck Rumblings: Giannis nets 46 points Milwaukee in 9 pt win over Sac 133-124

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The Milwaukee Bucks Giannis  Antetokounmpo (34) drives past Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu (7) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (40-27) were back in action on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings were coming off an off day on Sunday after defeating the Phoenix Suns for the first time on Saturday night in Phoenix. The Kings played a great game on Saturday to defeat one of the best teams in the West. The win was a big statement for the Kings in the standings to keep pace in the Western Conference. On Monday, the best team in the NBA rolled into town to take on the Kings. That, of course, would be the Milwaukee Bucks (49-19) and Giannis.

GAME RESULT: In the first quarter, it was all Kings and Giannis. The Kings had a typical Kings showing on the offensive end of the floor as they scored 32 points in the first quarter. The Kings starters started hot, scoring 27 of the 32 points in the first. For the Bucks, Giannis was the only Buck with more than two points, as he scored 15 in the first quarter. The Bucks would almost certainly heat up on offense, and the Kings would look to keep them on earth. 

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to build their lead. The Kings were having their way on the offensive side of the court in the first half on Monday night. The Kings scored 30 in the second quarter en route to a nine-point 62-53 lead going into halftime. The Bucks scored 26 points in the second to try and stay in the game. Giannis was leading all scorers in the first half with 21 points doing everything in his power to keep the Bucks in reach. 

In the third quarter, it was all Bucks. The Kings offense struggled, and the Bucks took advantage of the weak Kings defense to roar back and take the lead. Led by Giannis, the Bucks scored 37 points in the third quarter to take a 90-87 lead going into the final quarter of play. In the third, the Kings only managed to score 25 points as fewer shots were falling for them. The Kings were showing little signs of life headed into the fourth. They would need a massive offensive fourth quarter to win the game. 

In the fourth quarter, the Kings battled but weren’t able to get the win. Giannis and the Bucks were just too much to handle. The Kings couldn’t handle the dominance of Giannis inside and ultimately lost the game. The Kings and Bucks showed their intensity in the final 15 seconds as Trey Lyles, and Brook Lopez got into it.

When the game finally ended, the Bucks secured a 133-124 victory. If not for Giannis, Domas Sabonis would have been the player of the game. Sabonis amassed a 23-point,17 rebound, and 15 assist night to lead the Kings. On the other hand, Giannis scored 46 points with 12 rebounds. It was a good game that showed the Kings heart, but they ultimately couldn’t finish the job after a dominant first half. 

Up Next: The Kings travel to take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday at 5 PM PST.

Warriors lead wire-to-wire to beat Suns 123-112; Golden State picks up 8th consecutive home victory

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, left, makes a 3-point basket against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Mar 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (36-33), coming off an exciting win over the Milwaukee Bucks (37-31) last Saturday, did not have a let down as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-112 Monday night at the Chase Center. The Suns had beaten the Warriors three times earlier in the season.

The Warriors wanted to win this game. Both teams were missing key players due to injury. The Suns’ Kevin Durant was out with an ankle injury. The Warriors did not have Jonathan Kuminga available, either. 

There’s a saying in the NBA that a team cannot win a game with a great first period. Teams can lose a game by not playing well. Behind Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, the Warriors raced out to an early 43-21 lead. Thompson led the Warriors with 18, and Curry added 12.

JaMychal Green, coming off the bench, pitched in with seven. The Suns got their offense going in the second quarter. Devon Booker and DeAndre Ayton started making buckets, and the Suns were able to win the quarter 37-32 to cut the deficit to 17, 75-58. 

As NBA fans know, many teams can overcome a 17-point deficit in the second half. The Suns needed to continue to play well on defense and get the Warriors to commit fouls. The formula worked. The momentum shifted to Phoenix for most of the third quarter. Thompson, who had 33 points in the first half, did not score in the quarter.

The Warriors made bad passes and turned the ball over several times. The Suns did not take three-point shots. They drove the ball to the basket. The Warriors committed four fouls early in the quarter, allowing the Suns to get to the free throw line. The Suns closed the gap to three, 87-84.

Curry’s bucket put the Warriors ahead 90-84. Jordan Poole knocked down a three to make 93-84. The Warriors finished the third period leading by ten, 98-88.

Poole came to life in the fourth quarter. Poole hit a three to put the Warriors ahead by 14, 110-96. The Warriors offense kept the pressure on the Suns. Poole made a three and a two-pointer to give the Warriors a 16-point advantage, 118-12. Curry made a three to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat, 123-106. The Suns scored the last six points of the game in garbage time.

Game Notes: The Warriors won their eighth straight at the Chase Center. They are 29-7 at home. The Warriors improved to 36-33. The Suns fell to 37-31.

Thompson paced the Warriors with 38 points. Thompson had 33 in the first half and five in the second. Thompson recorded eight threes. Curry’s line was 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and he made four threes. Poole had 20 points, and he made four threes.

Draymond Green had four points, six rebounds, and four assists. Early in the fourth quarter, Draymond made an easy bucket when the Phoenix defense thought he would pass the ball. Draymond turned, and there was no one in his way and made the slam to give the team a 12-point lead. 

Booker led the Suns with 32 points. Booler did not make a three. The other big gun in the Suns’ offense, DeAndre Ayton, had a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Paul had a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists. Josh Okogie also had eleven.

The Warriors, who are 7-26 away from the Chase Center, begin a five-game road trip starting Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. They play the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, The Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. It will be the last back-to-back games of the year for the Warriors. They meet the Houston Rockets on Monday, the 20th, and the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the 22. The Warriors return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, the 24th. 

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors get a big win in OT against Bucks

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, right, shoots against Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr., left, and center Brook Lopez during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Warriors lost the last three games on their recent road trip to the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, And Memphis Grizzlies.

#2 The Warriors still needed the services of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has been gone for almost a month with family matters. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that as much as he would like to have Wiggins back, it needs to be clarified if he returns before the season ends.

#3 Kerr had to find a way to beat the Milwaukee Bucks (48-19). The Bucks entered the game with the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo was out due to a wrist injury. One team wanted to snap a three-game losing streak.

#4 With about two minutes left to play, the Bucks led by eight. Milwaukee was killing the Warriors from behind the three-point arc. Joe Ingles, Jrue Holiday, and Jevon Carter were making threes. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry got hot in the fourth quarter, and he kept the Warriors close.

#5 The Warriors host the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center Monday night. The Suns will be without Kevin Durant. Durant sprained an ankle and will be out for a month. The game will start at 7 pm.

Barbara Mason podcasts Warriors basketball Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barnes leads with 19 pts in Kings third straight win over Suns 128-119

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) pressures Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) during the first half at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sat Mar 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (40-26) traveled to Phoenix to take on the Suns (37-30). It was a battle between the second and fourth place teams in the Western Conference. The Kings picked up their third straight win 128-119.

The Kings fell behind early in the first quarter trailing 17-6 at 6:53. As the first 12 minutes came to an end, the Kings had made up a lot of ground trailing by a single point 32-31.

The Kings started the second quarter on a great note tying up the game at 36 in the early minutes of the quarter. The Kings would take the lead with nine minutes left in the half 39-38 and continue to maintain a slim lead throughout the remainder of the second quarter.

As the quarter wound down Sacramento extended their lead. They had turned the slow start around and led at the half 67-59. The Kings went to the line 26 times in the first half, forced turnovers and outshot the Suns from downtown 38% to the Suns 22%.

After two quarters the Kings bench was outstanding collectively scoring 37 points. De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes each had 8 points in the opening half.

The Suns began to chip away at the Kings lead in the third quarter. At 3:29 Phoenix took the lead 85-81. Sacramento had some untimely turnovers and empty possessions. With under three minutes left in the third the score was tied at 85. The Kings held onto a slim one point lead after three quarters 96-95. Malik Monk had 15 points going into the fourth quarter. He was three of four from downtown and was a huge part of the Kings lead.

The Kings have the best offense in clutch situations and they would go on to prove just that. This game continued to see-saw with both teams trading the lead. With seven minutes left the score was tied at 105. With 1:22 left in the game the Kings were clinging to a one point lead 119-118. Fox made a 17 foot jump shot to push the lead to 121-118 with 58 seconds left on the clock. Kessler Edwards hit a three-point jumper to seal the win 128-119.

Sabonis was terrific on the pick and roll defense. He finished the game with 8 rebounds and 15 points. The clutch player on the floor tonight and quite frankly almost every night Fox had 18 points and six assists. The bench was a huge part of this win with 65 points. Seven Kings scored in double digits in this game. The Kings just punched they’re 40th win of the season.

Monday night the Kings will be challenged as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center. The Bucks come into this game after losing in overtime to the Golden State Warriors Saturday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM

Warriors win thriller in OT beat Bucks 125-116; Giannis sits out with wrist injury

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) looks to pass the ball while being defended by Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was quite a night for the Golden State Warriors (35-33) they returned home to the friendly confines of the Chase Center. The Warriors lost the last three games on their recent road trip to the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, And Memphis Grizzlies.

In addition, Jonathan Kuminga sprained his ankle and was not in the lineup on Saturday. The Warriors still needed the services of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has been gone for almost a month with family matters. Steve Kerr said that as much as he would like to have Wiggins back, it needs to be clarified if he returns before the season ends.

Kerr had to find a way to beat the Milwaukee Bucks (48-19). The Bucks entered the game with the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo was out due to a wrist injury. One team wanted to snap a three-game losing streak.

The other team wanted to extend their nine-game win streak on the road. The question was not answered in regulation as the Warriors, trailed by eight with two minutes left to play, went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 111-111. In the five-minute overtime period, the Warriors outscored the Bucks 14-5 to win the game 125-116.

Both teams had little offense in the first half. The Bucks shot 34% from the floor, while the Warriors were slighty better at 35%. The Warriors finished the first half with a slight lead, 50-49. JaMychal Green, coming off the bench, led the Warriors with 13. Donte DiVincenzo was second with 12. Klay Thompson had four, and Stephen Curry had seven.

In the NBA, teams get their offense going in the second half. The Warriors won the third quarter 30-28 to finish the third period with a three-point lead, 80-77. The Bucks knew they had a chance to get the win. In the fourth quarter, Milwaukee looked like they would pin a loss on the Warriors.

With about two minutes left to play, the Bucks led by eight. Milwaukee was killing the Warriors from behind the three-point arc. Joe Ingles, Jrue Holiday, and Jevon Carter were making threes. The Warriors’ Curry got hot in the fourth quarter, and he kept the Warriors close.

However, the clock was not in the Warriors favor as they trailed by eight. Clay, Thompson, and DiVincenzo led the Warriors rally as they rallied to tie the game, 111-111. The Warriors defense stopped Jrue Holiday as he was going in to make the winning bucket. The Warriors got the ball back with 1.9 seconds. Curry inbounded the ball to Green. Green’s three-point shot was not good. The game went to overtime.

In the overtime period, the Bucks scored first, and the Warriors came back to tie the game. Curry led the offense, and the Warriors defense stepped up to hold the Bucks to three points in the five-minute overtime period. The Warriors won 125-116.

Game Notes- The Warriors improved to 35-33. The Bucks are now 48-19.
Curry was the offensive star for Golden State. Curry was everywhere on the court in the fourth quarter and the overtime period. Curry made one three-point shot in the first half. He made five in the second half. Thompson did not make a three in the first half.

Thompson knocked down four in the second half. The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the team with 36. Thompson had 22, and DiVincenzo had 20. DiVincenzo made six threes. DiVincenzo also had a double-double as he pulled down ten boards. JaMychal Green had 18, and Jordan Poole added 13. Draymond Green tallied five points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. Kevon Looney had seven points and 15 rebounds.

The Bucks had six players in double-figures. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 19 points each. Jrue Holiday added 18. Included in his 18 were four threes. Joe Inglis, who loves to kill the Warriors by making threes, continued his onslaught as he connected five times from three-point range. Bobby Portis helped the Bucks with 15.

The Warriors host the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center Monday night. The Suns will be without Kevin Durant. Durant sprained an ankle and will be out for a month. The game will start at 7 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Giannis and the Bucks match up with Kings Monday night at Golden 1

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Anteokoumpo (34) will pay the Sacramento Kings a visit this Mon Mar 13, 2023 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News file)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 On Tuesday, the New York Knicks (39-29) traveled to Sacramento to take on the Kings (39-26). In addition, the game was broadcast on TNT for the whole nation to watch. On Thursday, the Kings beat the Knicks 122-117.

#2 The Kings scored 30 points in the first quarter to jump out to a quick seven-point lead. The Knicks scored 23 points in the first quarter. Domantas Sabonis started the game hot, getting whatever shot he wanted in the first quarter with 11 points.

#3 In the second quarter, the Kings went on a run. The Kings put up a massive second quarter scoring 39 points. On the other hand, the Knicks didn’t have an awful quarter, as they scored 30 points. 

#4 The Kings were outscored by the Knicks 33-31 in the final quarter. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the lead the Kings had built during the game.

#5 Jeremiah the Kings are rolling having won eight of their last ten games. The Kings host the Milwaukee Bucks (48-18) and who occupy first place in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks have won nine of their last ten games. How do you see this match up Monday night in Sacramento.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Sabonis 24 pts helps defeat Knicks 122-117

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By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night in Sacramento. The Kings last played on Monday night when the New Orleans Pelicans came to town. It was an important game for the Kings, who took care of business and beat the Pelicans 123-108. On Tuesday, the New York Knicks traveled to Sacramento to take on the Kings at 7 PM PST. In addition, the game was broadcast on TNT for the whole nation to watch. On Thursday, the Kings beat the Knicks 122-117.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out of the gate strong. The Kings played solid defense in the first as the Knicks were struggling to find the bottom of the net. The Kings scored 30 points in the first quarter to jump out to a quick seven-point lead. The Knicks scored 23 points in the first quarter. Domantas Sabonis started the game hot, getting whatever shot he wanted in the first quarter with 11 points.

In the second quarter, the Kings went on a run. The Kings put up a massive second quarter scoring 39 points. On the other hand, the Knicks didn’t have an awful quarter, as they scored 30 points. However, the power of the Kings offense was too much to handle as they went into halftime with a 69-53 lead over the Knicks. If the Knicks wanted to keep the game within reach, they would need to slow down the Kings offense in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings took their foot off the gas. They allowed the Knicks to get right back into the ballgame. The Kings were outscored by the Knicks 31-22 in the quarter as the offense went silent for the Kings. The Knicks did well with a sustained offensive attack in the quarter to close the deficit.

The Kings would go into the fourth quarter with a 91-84 lead over the Knicks. However, the Knicks had all the momentum over the Kings. Another important note was De’Aaron Fox had four fouls, and Sabonis had three going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, it was a typical fourth quarter this year in Sacramento. The fans were absolutely insane, and the game came down to the wire. The Kings were outscored by the Knicks 33-31 in the final quarter. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the lead the Kings had built during the game. The Kings won the game 122-117 against the New York Knicks.

It was a wild game at Golden One Center, with every fan on their feet in the last minutes. Fox took over the game in the fourth to lead the Kings to victory. The Kings were led in scoring by Sabonis, who had 24 points. In defeat, the Knicks were led by R.J. Barrett, who had 25 points in the game.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Grizzlies Pound Golden State 131-110

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) in the first half in Memphis on Thu Mar 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

Grizzlies Pound Golden State 131-110

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (34-33) took on the Memphis Grizzlies (39-26) in Game three of their most recent road trip in a continuing effort to figure out how to win on the road. It has been an ongoing nightmare and they have not been able to figure out jut what is going so terribly wrong. The just couldn’t figure it out again dropping their

The Grizzlies were without Ja Morant, out for at least six games. This could prove to be a golden opportunity for the Warriors to win a third game over the Grizzlies this season

The first quarter of this game was more of the same with Memphis all over the Warriors scoring 48 points their highest opening quarter of this season. They won the quarter 48-28. Again the Warriors trailed by double digits as they have done in every game on this road trip.

The Warriors made a move in the second quarter pulling to within four points 57-53 with just over four minutes left in the first half. The Grizzles swallowed up the Warriors bid thanks in part to some horrific defense from Golden State. Numerous sloppy turnovers did nothing for the Warrior’s cause. They had four in a row in the final minutes of the half giving Memphis a 20-6 run. Memphis led at the half 77-59.

Memphis had more rebounds, more shots from downtown and shot at 56% from the field compared to the Warriors 44.4%. The Grizzlies had outplayed the Warriors at every turn. Head Coach Steve Kerr was visibly upset with what he saw on the court from the Warriors defensively.

Golden State continued to hang around and with 4:19 left in the third quarter had pulled to within five points 89-84. Every time the Warriors challenged, Memphis answered continuing to extend their lead. With 4:15 left in the third the Grizzlies led 92-84. Despite winning the third quarter 33-22 the Warriors continued to trail 99-92 going into the fourth quarter.

With 6:39 left in the game the Grizzlies continued to surge leading 115-100. The final was 131-103 in favor of the Grizzlies. WIth the Western Conference so bunched up in second all the way through tenth place, every game is critical and Golden State is just not playing like it’s critical.

What does a coach do? This brand of defense is totally deserving of ranting and raving but to what end? It just seems that this lack of defense on the road is so deeply imbedded in the players heads that nothing short of surgery is going to fix it.

Stephen Curry finished with the high shooting for 29 points. Jordan Poole had 22 points with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson both in double digits. It was just the lack of defense that decided this game.

Saturday night the Warriors will take on the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. They will be looking to get back on the winning track. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors in Memphis tonight; Golden State trying to snap two game loss streak

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots in front of Golden State Warriors forward JaMychal Green, center, and forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) in the first half in Memphis on Tue Mar 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1  Unfortunately for Golden State it was more of the same and they trailed after the first 12 minutes 40-30 and couldn’t hold on in the end losing to the Thunder 137-128.

#2 The Warriors began to turn things around in the second quarter and when all was said and done had shot ten three’s. They still trailed at the half but it was a manageable 68-64.

#3 Golden State took a slim lead in the third quarter as this game remained very tight mid-way through the quarter 83-82 in favor of OKC. The Thunder were beasts from downtown with 14 shots made and five minutes left in the quarter. 

#4 The Warriors needed stops and they needed to make shots. It just didn’t happen and the Thunder rode comfortably across the finish line.

#5 Golden State has one more game left on this short road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30.

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

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Another Road Loss For Warriors – Lose to Thunder 137-128

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo, right, defends in the first half at Oklahoma City on Tue Mar 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Another Road Loss For Warriors – Lose to Thunder 137-128

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (34-32) took on the Thunder in Oklahoma City (31-34). The Warriors are still looking to turn things around as they enter another road game searching for a winning formula that has so far eluded them this season. Anthony Lamb did not play in this game with foot soreness and Andrew Wiggins remains out.

The Warriors did not want to fall into an early hole in this game. The Warriors have seen this over and over in the first quarter of these road games. Unfortunately for Golden State it was more of the same and they trailed after the first 12 minutes 40-30 and couldn’t hold on in the end losing to the Thunder 137-128.

The Warriors began to turn things around in the second quarter and when all was said and done had shot ten three’s. They still trailed at the half but it was a manageable 68-64. Stephen Curry had 16 points and Klay Thompson had the high with 17. A real shift in favor of the Warriors could be sensed as the “Splash Brothers” got things rolling in the first half.

Golden State took a slim lead in the third quarter as this game remained very tight mid-way through the quarter 83-82 in favor of OKC. The Thunder were beasts from downtown with 14 shots made and five minutes left in the quarter. The Warriors were getting some great looks but could not connect and with 1:37 left in the quarter were faced with an 11 point deficit 101-92.

After three quarters OKC led 105-99. The Warriors have not won a game when trailing after three quarters. The good news however was that Curry was seven of eight from beyond the arc going into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors needed stops and they needed to make shots. It just didn’t happen and the Thunder rode comfortably across the finish line 137-128. You had a game with Curry scoring 40 points, seven assists and Thompson with 23 and Kuminga with 21?

Golden State hit 20 shots from beyond the arc, shoots at almost 53% and still lost. It all points squarely at the defense. With that said, the Warriors did miss too many open shots and had to many turnovers and fouls. It’s yet another road lose as this scourge continues.

Golden State has one more game left on this short road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30.