Tag: Oakland

Lakers outplay the Warriors on both ends of the court for 127-101 blowout

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Los Angeles Laker, a team on the rise with the addition of LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Ivaca Zubac, thoroughly outplayed the defending NBA champions, the Golden Stae Warriors, Christmas night at Oracle Arena. The Lakers head coach, Luke Walton who was an assistant under Steve Kerr in 2015 and 2016, had his young and upcoming team outscore, outrebound, and out defense the Warriors. The Warriors, who had a record of 15-3 at Oracle this season lost by 26 points 127-101. All the Warrior losses at Oracle this year have been by more than twenty points. The Warriors need help. General Manager, Bob Myers, has work to do to get the team some players that can come off the bench to, hopefully, ignite the offense. One such player, who is a restricted free agent, is Patrick McCaw. It might be time for the team and the player mend the rift.

The two teams played a close game until late in the first quarter. The Laker went on a 12-2 run to finish the first period leading 32-25.  The Lakers, in the second quarter, continued to pressure Kevin Durant, Steph Curry. and Klay Thompson. They double-teamed the Big Three at every chance and gave opportunities for Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, and Andre Iguodala to pick up the slack. Iguodala responded by knocking down 16 in the first half. The Lakers held KD, Klay, and Steph to a total of 18 for all three. LeBron James and company raced out to a 65-50 halftime lead.  James had a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards in the first 24 minutes of action. The Lakers controlled the boards pulling down 27 while the Warriors total was 17. The Lakers Ivaca Zubac, filling in for former Warrior JaVale McGee, who was sidelined with a bout of pneumonia, proved to be too much to handle as he cleared the boards and added 8 points. The Lakers shot 58% from the floor, and they held the Warriors to 39%. The

The Warriors, who have been so good in the third quarter, failed to slow down the Laker onslaught. The Lakers increased the lead to 16 71-55. The Warrior then started a comeback. With the score 76-62, Steph Curry hit his first three-pointer of the night to make it 76-65. Steph hit another three, and the crowd at Oracle came alive. The Warriors closed the gap to two trailing 78-76. It was around this time the LeBron James suffered what appeared to be a groin injury, and he left the game. That was as close as the Warriors would come as the Lakers finished the quarter leading 91-82.

The Lakers refused to let the Warriors back in the game. The veteran guard, Rajon Rondo, took over the game for the Lakers and they increased the lead to fifteen 100-85 with nine minutes left in the game. The Warriors scored just three points in the first three minutes, and their doom was sealed. Warriors coach Steve Kerr raided the white flag and sent in the scrubs to finish the game.

Game notes and stats. The Warriors are now 23-12 for the year, but many people are worried that the team does not have the depth that they have had in the past. The three big men, Pachulia, McGee, and West, are gone. Kevon Looney’s play has improved, but he can’t do it alone. The Warriors are waiting for Demarcus Cousins to return from an Achilles heel injury suffered last January. Cousins has been working out with the Santa Cruz G-League and practicing in Oakland with the Warriors. The Warriors don’t want to rush him back too soon, but, hopefully, he will be ready soon. It will take a while for him to get back into game shape.

The numbers show the dominance of the Lakers. They had seven players in double figure. Zubac had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Rondo knocked down 15, and he recorded 10 assists. LeBron finished with 17 points and 13 boards. Kyle Kuzma had 19, Brandon Ingram 14, Josh Hart 12, and Lance Stephenson 11. The Lakers improved to 20-14.

Andre Iguodala had a season-high 23 points to lead the club in scoring. KD finished with 21, Steph had 15, and Klay, who is mired in a shooting slump, had a season-low 5 points.

The Lakers shot 55% from the floor. They made 13 three is 33 attempts. They outrebounded the Warriors 49-37. The Warriors shot 39% from the floor and made nine three in 36 attempts.

The Warriors face another tough opponent when they play the Portland Trailblazers at Oracle Arens Thursday night at 7:30 pm.

 

Raiders take down Broncos 27-14 in potential last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — In what may or may not have been the final game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Raiders provided Raider Nation some much needed joy on Christmas Eve with a 27-14 win over their AFC West rival Denver Broncos on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

Oakland (4-11) picked up their first division win of the season, the last team to win a game within their division. Additionally, the win snaps Oakland’s seven-game home losing streak on Monday Night Football, dating back to the 2002 season.

The Raiders are set to play in Las Vegas starting in 2020, but have no lease signed to play at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for the 2019 season. The city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the franchise contesting the move two weeks ago. The Silver and Black are looking into options for next season, including playing at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The NFL wants to have a resolution to the situation by early February, at the latest.

The franchise has called the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum home from 1966 through 1981, then in 1995 through now after spending 13 seasons in Los Angeles.Raiders quarterback Derek Carr finished 19-of-26 for 167 yards and most importantly, no interceptions in his last 325 passing attempts. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the third longest streak in NFL history by a quarterback.

Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in 10 games, dating back to Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Carr threw his eighth interception at the time into the waiting hands of linebacker Melvin Ingram in the end zone.

For the season, Carr has thrown 3,864 yards with 19 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Carr needs just 136 yards in Oakland’s season finale against the Chiefs in Kansas City for his first 4,000-yard season.

The Raiders jumped on the board early and gave their fans something to cheer about, after punt returner Dwayne Harris returned a punt 99 yards for the game’s first score. The Broncos failed to down the football at the 1-yard line and Harris alertly picked up the football, juked a few defenders and raced down the Broncos’ sideline for the score.

The 99-yard punt return for the touchdown, was the second-longest in NFL history according to the Elias Sports Bureau, tied with Patrick Peterson’s 99-yarder in 2011, and trailing Robert Bailey’s 103-yarder in 1994.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Harris ran 157.5 yards on his touchdown return, the longest distance covered by any ball carrier in the past three seasons.

With Oakland native Marshawn Lynch lighting up the Al Davis Torch before the game, fellow running back Doug Martin ran all over the Broncos on Monday night, rushing for 107 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.

Martin, who was born in Oakland, scored untouched on a 24-yard run before throwing up an “O” before Raider Nation to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.Oakland added a 43-yard field goal from rookie kicker Daniel Carlson to give the Raiders a 17-0 lead heading into halftime. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the 17-first-half points were the most by the Raiders since scoring 21 points in the first-half against the New York Jets in Week 2 of the 2017 season.

When watching the first-half, it felt like Oakland was playing more inspired football than Denver, who appeared to be ready for Christmas morning rather than a football game against one of their greatest rivals.

In six first-half drives, the Broncos punted five times and missed a 58-yard field goal from kicker Brandon McManus as time expired for halftime. Denver’s offense was nonexistent for the majority of the contest as penalties crippled them throughout the night as the Broncos were called for 11 penalties racking up 91 yards.

That’s not a recipe for success in the NFL.The Broncos didn’t get on the board until midway in the third quarter when quarterback Case Keenum threw a pair of touchdowns to rookie wide receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Courtland Sutton.

Oakland would quickly respond, thanks to a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Jalen Richard, but Keenum’s two fourth quarter interceptions to Marcus Gilchrist and Erik Harris sealed the victory for the Raiders.

Keenum completed 23-of-37 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Now at 6-9, the Broncos are assured of back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1971-72 which has put head coach Vance Joseph squarely on the hot seat.

Denver finished 5-11 last year in Joseph’s first season and entered this season with playoff aspirations, but have stumbled in 2018 and now have lost three-straight games following a 6-6 record.

Last week’s 17-16 loss at home to the Cleveland Browns eliminated the Broncos from postseason contention. Tonight’s performance by Denver could’ve possibly sealed Joseph’s fate, who is rumored to be fired at season’s end. The Broncos finish up the regular season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 in Denver.

Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the first half, joining Dominic Rhodes and LaGarrette Blount as the only undrafted rookies to rush for 1,000 yards in the Super Bowl era per the Elias Sports Bureau. Lindsay rushed for 46 yards before leaving the game with a right wrist injury and didn’t return.

With 1,037 rushing yards on the season, Lindsay needs just 68 yards to break Rhodes’ record (1,104) that was set in 2001 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

If this was the last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for the Raiders, it was a fitting send off.

Not only did the Raiders defeat one of its biggest rivals in the Broncos, who came into the game with the most victories (22) by a visiting team per the Elias Sports Bureau, but Oakland made the game feel like a celebration rather than a funeral as some suggested.

The Raiders will wrap up the 2018 regular season in Kansas City against the Chiefs where Derek Carr will try to earn his first win at Arrowhead Stadium where he’s 0-4 lifetime.

Warriors outlast the Clippers in a heart-pounding thriller 129-127

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors had their hands full as the Los Angeles Clippers made 13-of-16 3-point shots in the first half and 18-for-23 in the game. The 13 3s in the first half were a franchise (and NBA) record for the Clippers. The Clippers were raining down 3s on the Warriors, and the team had to find a way to play defense. The Warriors were facing a club that loves to run and were able to find men open to attempt the 3-point bombs.

The Clippers this year bear no resemblance to the Clipper teams of the past five years. All-Stars Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan are playing elsewhere. The Clipper offense now features Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris, Montrezl Harrell, and Lou Williams. Williams’ eyes light up when he plays the Warriors. The last time he played at Oracle Arena, he torched the Warriors for 51 points. The last time the Warriors played the Clippers in LA, they lost 121-116 in overtime. The Warriors wanted to even the score Sunday night. The Warriors did just that as they won a thriller 129-127.

The first half was a fast-paced affair. As mentioned earlier, the Clippers were raining down threes. The connected at a record pace as they made an NBA 13-in-16 attempts. The Warriors attempted 16 3s, but connected on five. What kept the Warriors in the first half was their ability to go to the free throw line. The Warriors did not miss a free throw, and they outscored the Clips 24-10 from the charity stripe. The game was tied at 48 when the Clips went on a 9-2 run to take a 7-point lead. The Clips increased the lead to 11 71-60. The Warriors went on a 7-0 run to finish the first half trailing 71-67.

The scoring leaders for LA were Gallinari with 14. He was 2-for-2 from three-point range. Tobias Harris knocked down 19, and he was 5-for-5 in 3-point attempts. Lou Williams, coming off the bench tallied 11, and he made one 3-pointer. The Clippers shot 52.2% from the floor and an astounding 81.2% from 3-point land.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 22. Kevin Durant had 14, Draymond Green had 11 and Klay Thompson added 7.

In the third quarter, as they have done so many times, the Warriors got their offense going, and their defense shut down the Clipper offense as they outscored them 36-23 to finish the third quarter leading 103-94.

The Clippers started the fourth quarter on an 8-0 to cut the deficit to 1. The fans were squirming in their seats as the Clippers appeared to have found the key to success.  The Warriors were able to match the Clippers until LA made a bucket to grab the lead 117-116. Durant hit a shot to put the Warriors ahead 118-117. Curry made a 3 and was fouled. He made the free throw to complete a 4-point play. Durant followed with a 3, and the Warriors led 125-117 with time running down. However, the Clippers would not capitulate. They came back to tie the game at 127. The clock was running out, and the Warriors had the ball for the last shot. The Warriors brought the ball down for the final shot. Curry drove down the lane and mad the layup with just 0.5 seconds left in the game. The Clipper called a timeout so that they could take the ball in the forecourt. They needed someone to make a catch and shoot. They tried, but their attempt failed, and the Warriors finished with the win 129-127.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry led the team with 40 points. Kevin Durant had another double-double with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Draymond Green finished with 14. Klay Thompson, mired in a mini-slump, added 14. Kevon Looney tallied 10 coming off the bench. Jonas Jerebko started in place of Looney and scored 7 points.

The Clippers were led by Tobias Harris’ 32 points and 9 boards. He made six 3s in seven attempts. Danilo Gallinari put in 25 and had 11 rebounds. He hit five 3s in five attempts. Lou Williams had 25, Avery Bradley had 12, Montrezl Harrel had 13, and Patrick Beverley added 10.

The Warriors shot 45.2% from the floor and made 14 threes in 40 attempts. The Warriors, on defense, made 9 steals and blocked 8 shots. They committed 7 turnovers compared to the Clippers’ 15. The Clippers shot 53.7% from the floor and made 18 3s in 23 attempts good for an amazing 78.3%

The Warriors improved to 23-11, and the Clippers fell to 19-14.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Lakers on Christmas Day at 5:00 pm. It will be the first meeting of the season for the Warriors and the rebuilt Lakers.

The Lakers’ all-star forward, LeBron James, has had this date circled on the calendar ever since he signed with the after the end of last season.

Durant, Jerebko lead the Warriors to a 120-116 win over the Mavericks

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Photo credit:@warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, humbled by the Utah Jazz Wednesday night in Salt Lake City as they made a season-low 18 assists, found their mojo Saturday night as Kevin Durant, Jonas Jerebko, and Steph Curry all played well as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 120-116 at Oracle Arena. The Warriors trailed 61-58 at the end of the first half, but they put their game into gear in the third quarter behind a sterling effort from Jerebko. The Warriors finished the third quarter on a 17-6 run to lead 94-87.

The Warriors went on a 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter. They led 111-93 after Jerebko scored his 23rd point of the night and it looked as if the game was over. However, this is the NBA, and the Mavs refused to quit. With the score 113-102, the Mavs started to cut into the deficit as they went on a 13-2 run. The Warriors led by one point, 117-116, when Kevin Durant hit a 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left in the game. Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr was yelling to his team to get the ball to Durant. Durant responded with the big bucket, and the Warriors escaped with the win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors improve to 22-11 for the season, and Dallas falls to 15-16. Dallas has been unbeatable at home this season but has only two road wins. The Warriors were led by Wesley Matthews 25 points. Matthews made 7 3-point shots to keep his team in the game. 19-year-old phenom Luka Doncic tallied 19 points, and he made three treys in six attempts. Former LA Clipper DeAndre Jordan kicked in with 12 points, but he was a monster off the boards as he pulled down 23 rebounds. J.J.Barea, Jalen Brunson, and Dorian Finney-Smith finished in double figures.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Kevin Durant finished with a double-double. He scored 29 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Durant connected on three 3-pointers in 5 attempts. Draymond Green also had a double-double with 14 points, 10 boards, and 5 assists. Curry had 22, Thompson had 14, and Jonas Jerebko had a career-high 23 points and six rebounds. He made two 2-pointers and was all over the court making plays in the third and fourth quarters. He gave the Warriors a huge lift coming off the bench.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the LA Clippers Sunday afternoon at Oracle Arena at 5:30 pm.

Raiders battle Broncos on Christmas Eve in home finale at the Coliseum

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Photo credit: broncoswire.usatoday.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders return to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in what will be the team’s home finale to a rough 2019 season. The Silver and Black will host the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve in a AFC West matchup on Monday Night Football with the kickoff set for 5:15 p.m. PT on ESPN.

Oakland holds a 62-52-2 all-time record against the Broncos, with the Raiders looking to make it three in a row over Denver at home.

Last week, the Raiders (3-11) traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, but lost 30-16 at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 15.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr continued to move up the franchise record book. Carr passed Rich Gannon for the most consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception against the Bengals. Now sitting at 299 attempts, bested Gannon’s mark of 277 set back in 2001.

In fact, Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in nine-straight games after throwing for 263 yards on 21-of-38 passes and one touchdown. Through 14 games, Carr has 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Entering Monday night’s game with 3,697 passing yards, Carr is 303 yards shy from his first 4,000-yard passing season.

Wide receiver Jordy Nelson led the Raiders with six catches for 88 yards.

Lee Smith, who is better known for his blocking, has been more of a scorer in recent weeks, hauling in a touchdown for the third-straight game.

Defensively, safety Karl Joseph led the team with eight tackles (six solo) and his first sack of the season. Fellow safety Erik Harris recorded his first-career interception.

The Broncos (6-8) enter Week 16 losing to the Cleveland Browns 17-16 at home last Saturday. The slim loss eliminated Denver from playoff contention in the AFC, and puts them one loss away from back-to-back losing seasons. Denver finished 5-11 in 2017.

Denver is looking to complete the season sweep over Oakland, after defeating the Raiders 20-19 at Denver Stadium at Mile High in Week 2. The Broncos rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit, capped off by kicker Brandon McManus’ 36-yard game-winning field goal just inside the right upright with 6 seconds to play.

Broncos rookie running back Phillip Lindsay, who was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team on Tuesday, rushed for 107 yards on 14 carries against the Raiders in Week 2.

On the season, Lindsay has rushed for 991 yards to go along with nine touchdowns on 182 carries in 14 games (seven starts) for the Broncos.

Linebacker Von Miller continues to be a terror on defense. The former Defensive Player of the Year leads the the team with 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, and was voted to his eighth Pro Bowl team. Fellow linebacker Bradley Chubb is second on the Broncos with 12.0 sacks and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.

Chubb, the Broncos’ top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, is 2.5 sacks away from tying Jevon Kearse’s (14.5) NFL record for rookies, set in 1999 with the Tennessee Titans.

Warriors use team effort to take down Grizzlies 110-93

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors needed a game in which the bench played a significant role. That is what the team got Monday night at Oracle Arena as they led all the way to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 110-93.

The Warriors’ bench players: Jonas Jerebko, Andre Iguodala, Jordan Bell, and Alfonzo McKinnie–all helped as their efforts took the pressure of the Big Three scorers. Those three tallied 95 points in the 130-125 win over Sacramento Friday night. The NBA defenses were keying on those three and forcing the Warriors to use their bench.

The Warriors won the first quarter 30-22. The Warriors led 13-12 before going on a 17-10 run to finish period leading by eight. Kevon Looney knocked down 7, and Jonas Jerebko made two 3-pointers. The Grizzlies tried to slow the game down and use its half-court offense to stay to close. Their strategy didn’t work as the Warriors’ offense clicked in the second quarter as they scored 31 points and the defense held the Grizzlies to just 16 points. The Warriors finished the first half leading 61-38. Thompson, Curry, and Durant each had 10 points. Jerebko made another three and finished with 9 for the half. Andre Iguodala made two 3s and he finished with 7.

The Grizzlies came to life in the third quarter. They outscored the Warriors 29-23 in the period and trailed 84-67 after 36 minutes of action. The Grizzlies could not close the gap in the fourth quarter. Omri Casspi, who played for Golden State last season, was on fire for Memphis. He scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the final stanza. Each team scored 26 points in the quarter, and the Warriors won 110-93.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ Kevin Durant passed Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list, and Steph Curry passed the 15,000 point plateau in the game.

The Warriors improved to 21-10, and the Grizzlies fell to 16-14.

Durant led the Warriors with 23. Curry had 20 and Klay Thompson finished with 16, Jonas Jerebko was in double figures with 16, and Andre Iguodala 10. The Warriors mad 12 3-point shots and when they make more than 10 in a game, they are 20-3.

Casspi led the Grizzlies with 20. Marc Gasol had 15, Kyle Anderson 14, and Garrett Temple 13.

The Grizzlies shot 36% from the floor in the first half, but ended the night shooting 45.9%. The Warriors finished the game shooting 43.% The Warriors, on defense, made 9 steals and blocked 5 shots. They forced the Grizzlies into making 15 turnovers, and the Warriors committed 10.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz Wednesday night at 6 pm PST.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Coliseum says there will be no coming back for Raiders in 2019; Players have nothing but respect for former GM McKenzie

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nbcsports.com file photo: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis (right) have a laugh. The Raiders will be leaving Oakland despite the city of Oakland’s lawsuit suing the Raiders

On the Raiders podcast with Joe:

#1 With the lawsuit by the city of Oakland against the Oakland Raiders, could it mean that the Raiders will need to seek the team’s relocation site in either Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, UNLV in Vegas or Qualcomm in San Diego or will the Raiders and the city settle on the Coliseum?

#2 Oakland Coliseum Authority executive director Scott McKibben said there no will be proposal. “There’s no longer a lease extension in play, lawsuit or no lawsuit” McKibben said.

#3 Taking a look at some of the Raiders’ choices to play in the 2019 season: Oakland Coliseum, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Sam Boyd Stadium at UNLV, Stanford, Cal, SJSU or San Diego.

#4 Raider players have voiced their respect for former general manager Reggie McKenzie. The players agree that McKenzie had built a team that had the potential to go far in the postseason. This season, much of that team that McKenzie had built had been dismantled.

#5 Will the move of the Raiders in 2019 and the firing of McKenzie impact the team going into Cincinnati for this Sunday’s game?

Joe Hawkes Beamon does the Raiders podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: It’s a soap opera at the Raiders team leaving after this season and GM fired, can they win another game this Sunday?

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Photo credit: @BR_NFL

On the Raiders podcast with Tony:

#1 Did anyone see the firing of Reggie McKenzie coming? Was Tony surprised about the firing?

#2 Who was more to blame for the Raiders 3-10 record this season, McKenzie or head coach Jon Gruden?

#3 Gruden said he doesn’t have any general managers in mind right at the moment.

#4 The city of Oakland is suing the Oakland Raiders for loses of revenue and upkeep at the Coliseum that’s been unpaid. The Raiders owner Mark Davis said if the city sues, then he would play the 2019 season elsewhere.

#5 With the firing of McKenzie and the possible move of the Raiders out of the Coliseum, how distracting is this for the Raiders going into their next game?

Tony does the Raiders podcasts each Thursday at sportsradioservice.com

 

Raptors rout the Warriors 113-93 at Oracle Arena

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Toronto Raptors shackled the Warriors offense at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night as they routed them by a score of 113-93. The Raptors were without the services of Kawhi Leonard, but that did not stop them as they outplayed the Warriors in all facets of the game.

The Warriors, who lost in overtime in Toronto 131-128, were back at full strength with Steph Curry and Draymond Green back in the lineup. The Raptors moved the ball well, made the baskets, and forced the Warriors into committing 19 turnovers, and the Warriors usually lose if the team makes more than 15 in a game.

The Raptors outrebounded the Warriors, and Golden State did not have anyone to counter the Raptors’ big men Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas left the game with a dislocated finger, but he was a force in the middle and on the boards for Toronto. Toronto swept the season series from the Warriors and won at Oracle for the first time since 2004.

The Raptors snapped the Warriors’ four-game winning streak. The Raptors appear to be an elite team that will contend for the NBA title. The Warriors have to be concerned that the NBA might have caught up to them and they will have to figure out how to get back on track as they seek their third NBA title in a row and fourth in the last five seasons.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 30 points. Klay Thompson had 14 and Curry recorded 10. The only other Warrior in double figures was Quinn Cook with 13. No other sub had more than seven for Golden State. All five Toronto starters were in double figures.

Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 23 points and Serge Ibaka added 20. If these teams are to meet in the NBA Finals, the Warriors are going to need DeMarcus Cousins to be back in the lineup and playing at his All-Star best.

The Warriors’ record now stands at 19-10 and the Raptors improved to 23-7, which is the best record in the NBA.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Sacramento Kings Friday night at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Game time will be at 7:00 pm PST.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Shakeup at Raiders team being sued, won’t be back in Oakland after this season; GM fired this week

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yahoosports.com: Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis (left) and former general manger Reggie McKenzie in 2012 photo parted company Sunday and the City of Oakland is suing the Raiders for lost revenue caused by the Raiders moving to Vegas

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Former Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie was fired on Sunday and not even allowed to finish the season with just three games left. Which scenario would you call this firing an honorable discharge or dishonorable discharge?

#2 When head coach Jon Gruden got on the scene, was that pretty much writing on the wall for McKenzie?

#3 Gruden stated until the last Raiders game in a presser that he and McKenzie got along just fine and there was no problem.

#4 Former Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is this winter’s top prospect his agent. Scott Boras is still shopping for a team for Harper and apparently the Giants general manager Farhan Zaidi will be talking with Boras during this week’s Winter Meetings. Harper has been touted as a LeBron-like commodity in the free agency sweepstakes.

#5 The A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie is reportedly asking too much in free agency and the A’s might seek free agent DJ LeMahieu. Lowrie is asking for $10 million a year and a multi year deal. LeMahieu could join the A’s for one season at $10 million and the A’s won’t have to worry about a multi-year deal since the $10 million would be coming from his final year of his deal with the Colorado Rockies. Also, the A’s are looking at Troy Tulowitzki–he’s from Sunnyvale and likes that the A’s who are a post season contending team the Jays are paying his remaining $38 million salary and the A’s would pay the extra $600,000 to Tulowitski.

London does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com