Tag: Oracle Arena

Warriors win sixth in a row after 131-121 defeat of the Pelicans

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who returned home to Oracle Arena after a successful 3-game road trip, defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 131-121 on Wednesday night. It wasn’t easy as the Pelicans entered the game as the highest scoring team in the NBA. The Warriors, who were backed by Steph Curry’s 37 points, failed to crumble. They moved the ball well and recorded 40 assists in a winning effort. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green also played well. Green was a force on defense, and the Warriors were able to hold the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis to just 17 points.

Both teams played an uptempo game in the first quarter. The lead changed hands several times, but the Warriors were able to end the period with a 6-point lead 43-37.  In the second period, the Pelicans trailed 49-40 when they went on an 11-0 run to regain the lead. The Warriors woke up and went on a 14-6 run to lead 64-56. The Pelicans regrouped and scored the next 7 points to trail by one 64-63. Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green scored the next 3 buckets, and the Warriors finished the first half leading 70-63.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, outscored the Pelicans 37-29 to take a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Curry led the charge, and he had help from the Warriors’ bench players Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, and Alfonzo McKinnie. The quarter ended with Golden State leading 107-92.

The Pelicans refused to quit. Davis led the Pelicans’ charge. Curry, Durant, Thompson, and Green were determined to not let the Pelicans overtake them. They met every challenge and did not wilt down the stretch. The Pelicans did win the quarter as they outscored the Warriors 29-24 but the 15-point deficit was too much to overcome. The Warriors won 131-121.

Game Notes: Steph Curry led the Warriors with 37 points. It was his sixth 30-point game of the season. Durant had 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Draymond Green almost had a triple-double as he recorded 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists. Green was clearly the player of the game for the Warriors. Klay Thompson finished with 18. The Warriors bench tallied 30 points. Jonas Jerebko had 10, Andre Iguodala 9, and Jordan Bell, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Kevon Looney added 11. Shaun Livingston did not play as he is recovering from a foot injury.

The Pelicans were led by Jrue Holiday’s 28 points. Nikola Mirotic knocked down 26 and snagged 12 rebounds in a losing effort. E’Twaun Moore pitched in with 21.

The Warriors are now 8-1 for the season, and the Pelicans drop to 4-3.

The Warriors held a moment of silence for Giants legend Willie McCovey, who passed away at the age of 80 on Wednesday.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had this to say about Big Mac: “For me, Willie McCovey represents a major figure from my childhood…Hearing Vin Scully talking about Willie McCovey and the Dodger/Giant rivalry. I’m well aware of how beloved Willie was here in the Bay Area and by the Giants family. We extend our condolences to Willie’s family and to the Giants family. Everybody here with the Warriors is thinking about them tonight.”

Up Next: The Warriors resume play Friday night at Oracle Arena when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 pm PT.

Jimmy Butler is expected to play. Butler has requested for the Timberwolves to trade him, but the team has not finalized a deal yet.

Warriors fall 117-109 to the Suns in preseason game at Oracle Arena

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By: Ana Kieu

Monday was game day for the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns at Oracle Arena. There was no reported cases of the Mondays in Oakland.

Prior to the game, Steph Curry spoke to the media on the support of Warriors fans, saying, “It’s a special place. The Bay has supported us. Oakland has supported us, and to know that these types of events, where you can bring some of these fans that might not get access to the games throughout the course of the season for whatever reason. You just want to enjoy that environment. You could see all the kids that came out, just going crazy for us just doing practice drills and what not and having some fun, bringing some kids on the court.”

The Warriors’ starters featured Kevin Durant, Kevon Looney, Damian Jones, Danuel House Jr. and Stephen Curry. The Warriors had their game faces on, but the final score–a 117-109 loss to the Suns–didn’t display that.

The Warriors made a statement in the first quarter with Curry’s three-pointers along with an astonishing moment where Curry refused to settle for three points and racked up a four-point play instead.

Despite Curry’s efforts, Golden State trailed Phoenix 40-32 at the end of the first.

Curry continued showing off his awesome skills in the second quarter, but Durant also shined as he moved without the ball with 5:18 left in the quarter. The Warriors merely outshot the Suns 25-21 in the quarter.

That being said, Golden State caught up, but they weren’t quite there yet, as they trailed Phoenix 61-57 at halftime.

Warriors’ second-year power forward and center Jordan Bell put in work in the third quarter. Bell attracted some attention to himself by putting some points and collecting some rebounds for the scoreboard. The Suns, however, poured in 38 points in the quarter, which seemed to perplex the Warriors, who were the home team tonight.

After three quarters, Golden State trailed Phoenix 99-87.

The Warriors outshot the Suns 22-18 in the fourth quarter, but Golden State’s attempts for a comeback fell short as Phoenix took the game 117-109. Curry led six Warriors in double-figures with 23 points and four assists. Durant had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Damian Jones and Kevon Looney each had 11 points in their starting assignments. Thompson, Green and Andre Iguodala all had the game off to rest.

The Warriors lost to the Suns, but there was a bright spot, as Golden State got a great glimpse at the 2018 No. 1 draft pick Deandre Ayton. Ayton put on an impressive show with a team-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, seven rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes.

Notes: Tonight’s giveaway was a Curry bobblehead that featured the former Davidson Wildcat in his outfit from the 2018 NBA Championship parade alongside the three Larry O’Brien trophies he has played a role in capturing.

This upcoming season will mark Steph Curry’s 10th season as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Curry reportedly seems to think that his previous injuries are now behind him.

“It’s probably one of the best summers I’ve had in terms of my prep work going into a year,” Curry told NBA.com. “So I’m excited about what that’ll mean on the court.”

Up Next: The Warriors head to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to take on the Lakers in a nationally televised game on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:30 pm PT on ESPN.

Timberwolves beat the Warriors 114-110 in preseason game

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By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors opened up the 2018 NBA preseason with a home game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oracle Arena on Saturday.

Prior to Saturday’s game, Kevin Durant was presented with his 2017-18 Season-long NBA Community Assist Award.

Warriors basketball was back, and the Splash Party picked up where it left off. Stephen Curry started the Splash Party with a couple of 3-pointers and then Durant and Andre Iguodala followed suit. In addition, a sweet dish from Durant set up the slam by Kevon Looney. Despite the Warriors’ on-court successes, the Timberwolves led 37-36 at the end of the first quarter.

The Warriors bounced back in the second quarter and subsequently carried a 71-65 lead over the Timberwolves to the locker room at the end of the first half. Klay Thompson had 15 points and 4 rebounds. Curry had 14 points and 3 assists. Durant had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Jordan Bell had 10 points and 4 rebounds. Shaun Livingston had 6 points and 2 assists. Draymond Green had 6 assists, 2 points and 2 rebounds.

Durant threw down some dunks in the third quarter. And, to be fair, Durant’s dunks appeared to be in mid-season form. Durant was able to show off the handle as well as the mid-range.

The Warriors trailed the Timberwolves 94-92 at the end of the third quarter.

The Warriors’ rookie power was certainly a sight to see. Jacob Evans III notched his first career preseason bucket at the 10:11 mark of the fourth quarter. Marcus Derrickson followed up with two 3-pointers.

The two teams were tied with 3:05 left in the fourth quarter. Evans continued to put in work on the Warriors’ court. But Evans’ or anyone else’s efforts were disregarded as the Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 114-110.

The Warriors’ final statistics showed Curry with 21 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds, Thompson with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, Durant with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 rebounds, Bell with 10 points, 7 assists and 1 rebound, Derrickson with 10 points and 3 rebounds, and Looney with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 rebound.

Notes
Warriors’ starters: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Damian Jones. 

Up Next
The Warriors and Sacramento Kings will battle it out next Friday at 7:05 pm PT inside the KeyArena in Seattle in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

Warriors part ways with longtime PA announcer Matt Hurwitz

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Photo credit: newscenter.sdsu.edu

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors announced that Matt Hurwitz would not be coming back as the PA announcer at Oracle Arena next season. Hurwitz had held the job for the past 18 years and had seen the Warriors rise from being the NBA’s doormats to poster children who won three championships in the past four years.

It is unclear why the sudden change is being made. Hurwitz, a Bay Area native, maintained a low-key delivery. Moreover, the only thing made publicly known is that the Warriors want to go in a different direction.

But a 47-year-old Hurwitz tried his best to be consistent in his calls, even if Stephen Curry put on a spectacular show on a given night at Oracle Arena.

“My calls are situational-based,” Hurwitz said. “If Curry hits one or two 3-point plays, my call is different than if he hits four or five. The trouble is that he is hitting eight, nine and 10 threes, and I have to pace myself.”

Hurwitz has worked a variety of PA jobs. He does PA work for the NAIA’s Menlo College football games, and he has also been with the IHL’s San Francisco Spiders and the AFL’s San Jose SaberCats. He abides by a few steadfast self-imposed rules.

“First, respect the play on the court,” Hurwitz said. “I don’t talk when there is any action.”

Rule No. 2? Don’t get cute.

“I don’t do nicknames or catchphrases,” Hurwitz said. “That takes away from the game. It is a reflection of how our fans want to be treated. They are smart and loyal.”

Changing PA announcers in the NBA doesn’t happen very often. Since 2010, only four teams until Tuesday changed PA announcers. Those teams were the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the last team to change announcers was the Spurs, who made the change in 2013.

Bottom line is, everyone has to remember that there are no guarantees in life. Working for a professional sports franchise is great. However, when change inevitably comes, it can come without warnings. Players are traded with no notice. The same goes for employees who work for the team.

The Chinese have an age-old philosophy about this sensitive topic that goes like “One door closes and another door opens.”

So I am certain Hurwitz will be just fine.

Curry makes nine 3-point shots to lead Warriors to a 122-103 rout of Cavs

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors started the game with an intensity that was lacking in Game one of the Finals and the maintained it as the beat the Cavaliers 122-103 to take lead the Cavs 2-0 in the best-seven-series.

The Warriors came out smoking and raced to an early 15-6 lead. The Warriors never relinquished the lead. The Cavaliers made several runs to get back in the game but the Warriors defense would not let them. Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson were factors in stopping the Cavalier offense. Warriors coach Steve Kerr made a change in the starting lineup that paid dividends. He started JaVale McGee in place of Kevon Looney and McGee came through with a terrific performance. His stat line showed that he scored 12 points and had 2 rebounds, but he was tenacious on defense.

The Warriors raced out to a 32-28 lead after the first quarter. The Cavs, led by LeBron James, closed the gap to four at the end of the first period. They were hoping to take the lead in the second quarter, but the Warriors outscored them 27-18 to lead 59-46 at the end of the first half.

The Warriors, who usually blow away opponents in the third quarter, scored 31. The Cavs scored 34 to cut the deficit to 10 after three periods of play. Curry, Durant, Green, and Thompson decided to not allow the Cavs back into the game. Steph made several 3’s in the third and fourth quarters. He made the shot of the game in the fourth quarter when he made a three-pointer with Kevin Love draped all over him and the shot clock was about to expire. Steph’s legend grew as he made a shot that mere mortals could only dream of making. The Dubs outscored the Cavs 32-23 and Cavs’ coach Tyron Lue put in his bench with less than 4 minutes to go in the game. The Warriors win 122-103.

Game Notes- The Warriors, led by Draymond Green, unleashed their ferocious defense and kept the Cvs’ offense to 41% from the floor. The Cavs made nine 3-point shots in 27 attempts. Draymond Green had this to say about the team playing defense:”I don’t think we’re close to our ceiling, which is good for us. I think we can play so much better.”

Steph Curry finished the night with 33 points. Kevin Durant snapped out of his scoring slump with 26 points. KD also had 7 assists and 9 rebounds. Klay finished with 20. Draymond scored just 5, but he had 7 assists and 8 boards. Shaun Livingston, coming off the bench, had 10.

LeBron James, who scored 51 points Thursday, tallied 29. He had 20 in the first half and the Warriors defense held him to just 9 in the second. Kevin Love helped the Cavs with22. Tristan Thompson added 11, and George Hill knocked down 15. The Entire Cavs’ bench had just 21.

The Warriors shot a very impressive 57.3% from the floor and 41.7% from 3-point range. The Cavaliers outrebounded the Dubs 42-41. Cleveland again dominated the offensive boards as they had 16 while the Warriors had just 7.

Game Three will be played in Cleveland on Wednesday at 6 pm.

Cavs’ LeBron scores 51, but Warriors take Game 1 with 124-114 win

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Photo credit: @triplebszn

By: Ana Kieu

The rivalry continued as the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers met in the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year.

Dub Nation was excited to see their boys at Oracle Arena, and without a doubt, the players cleaned up nice before Game 1. Meanwhile, Wine and Gold Nation threw a watch party at the Quicken Loans Arena, courtesy of Budweiser.

Actress and San Jose, Calif., native Nayah Damasen, best known for her appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy” as Kimmie Park, sang the National Anthem. Damasen previously sung the anthem in the 2015 NBA Finals.

Steph Curry got the home crowd pumping with a 3-pointer to get the Warriors on the board. Curry later found Jordan Bell for the wide-open dunk.

Klay Thompson suffered what appeared to be a left lateral leg contusion, but he was re-taped and cleared to return to the game.

Both teams played their hearts out, but the Warriors trailed the Cavs 30-29 after the first quarter.

Thompson hit a three to help the Warriors grab the lead. With that three, Thompson (293) passed Kobe Bryant (292) for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time postseason threes list.

The clock was winding down, but Curry made a 30-foot buzzer beater from downtown. The Warriors evened the score 56-56 to end the first half.

At the half, Curry led all scorers with 18 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds. Kevin Durant had 11 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Thompson had 8 points. Draymond Green had 5 points, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Bell had 4 points.

The Warriors opened the second half with a 10-3 run. JaVale McGee then made a 2-point field goal look easy and followed up with an incredible dunk.

Neither team played defense to the best of their respective abilities, but that was seemingly okay as both teams were tied 68-68 with about 5.5 minutes left on the clock.

The game remained fairly close as the Warriors led the Cavs 84-78 after three quarters.

The Cavs cut the deficit to just 1 with 8:52 left in regulation, thanks to Jeff Green and Kyle Korver. Cleveland was 12-17 from the line at that time.

Curry’s three put the Warriors up by six for a 100-94 lead with 4:37 left remaining. This astonishing moment came just minutes after LeBron James had his eighth 40-point game in the playoffs and third in his last five.

The Cavs had a chance to escape with a one-point win, but George Hill made just one of two free throws. The game went into overtime.

The Warriors went on a 7-0 run to start the extra period. Golden State took a 114-107 lead in less than two minutes.

The Warriors were up by 8 with 2.6 seconds left.

The Warriors took Game 1 with a 124-114 victory over the Cavs.

In the end, Curry led all scorers with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Durant had 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. Thompson had 24 points and 3 rebounds. Green had 13 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. Shaun Livingston had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Kevon Looney had 8 points and 4 rebounds. Bell had 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. McGee scored 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 block.

Notes
Warriors’ starters: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Steph Curry.

Cavs’ starters: George Hill, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

Up Next 
The Warriors and Cavs meet again in Oakland Sunday at 6:00 pm PST on ABC.

Rockets hold off Warriors 95-92 in Game 4, tie West finals at 2-2

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, May 22, 2018

On the heels of Houston’s most lopsided NBA playoff loss in team history, the Rockets withstood powerful runs from Golden State and outlasted the Warriors 95-92 in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Oracle Arena Tuesday night.

It was the first home court loss for Golden State since 2016. The best-of-seven is tied at 2-2. Game 5 is Thursday at Toyota Center in Houston.

The Rockets surged ahead at 2:27 of the fourth quarter on Eric Gordon’s 3-pointer, as Houston finished with a 21-4 run. Golden State had a chance to tie the game with 0.5 seconds remaining, but Steph Curry’s catch-and-shoot attempt rimmed out at the horn.

Houston held the Warriors to 12 points in the fourth quarter, as Golden State shot a miserable 3-of-18 from the field (17 percent, plus six missed 3-pointers) – its worst shooting quarter of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Info. It also tied the team-low for any postseason quarter since the shot clock was introduced in 1954.

Meanwhile, Paul scored eight of his 27 points in the fourth – 13 in the second half. Harden scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half.

Golden State opened the game with a 12-0 run, but the Rockets’ Chris Paul and James Harden outscored the Warriors 29-18 in the second quarter. Houston led by seven at halftime.

The Warriors, Curry in particular, roared out of the halftime break, outscoring Houston 34-17 in the third quarter, a stretch sparked by five 3-pointers by Curry. Two minutes into the fourth, Golden State led 82-70, but the Warriors also committed 16 turnovers.

Curry led Golden State with 28 points, including 6-of-13 on 3’s. Kevin Durant was next with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Draymond Green was two assists shy of a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block.

The Warriors were without Andre Iguodala, who was held out due to a left leg contusion. There’s no word on Iguodala’s status for Game 5.

Curry finds his mojo as Warriors blast Rockets by 41 points to take a 2-1 series lead

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry, in particular, had it all going for them Sunday night at home as they beat the Houston Rockets 126-85 at Oracle Arena Sunday.

The 41-point margin of victory was the largest in NBA playoff history. The Warriors, who were routed by Houston last Wednesday, looked like an entirely different team as they played exceptionally well on defense. Curry and Kevin Durant paced them on offense. Curry did not look like himself in the first two games of the series. He had missed several weeks of action due to ankle and knee injuries and was slow to return to form. Curry showed the fans at Oracle and all those watching on television knew that he was back. He got off to a slow start in the first half of the game, but got it going in the third quarter. He scored 18 points and was 7-for-7 from the floor as the Warrior blew open the game.

The Rockets came into town having won the second game of the series by routing Golden State in Houston. They appeared to have found the recipe for beating the Warriors and were eager to pull an upset by winning Game 3. The Warriors could not stop James Harden. Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, and P.J.Tucker had it all working for them in Game 2.

The Warriors had to figure out a way to stop the vaunted Houston offense and their 3-point excellence. They did it. The Rockets and Warriors both got off to slow starts. The Rockets led 22-21 when the Warriors went on an 11-0 run at the end of the first quarter to complete the first 12 minutes of play with a nine-point lead 31-22.  The second quarter was also pretty even. The Warriors won the quarter 23-21 and finished the first half leading 54-43.

Curry and Durant each scored five points each to give the Warriors a 21-point advantage. The Warriors again owned the third quarter, and Curry was the ringleader with 18 points and three 3-pointers. The Warriors finished the quarter, leading 88-67.

The Warriors refused to let the Rockets get back in the game. The defense continued to force Houston turnovers as they continued to increase the lead. Steve Kerr rested the starters with less than five minutes to play and the bench, led by Quinn Cook’s 11 points, increased the lead to 41. The Warriors win 126-85.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors made NBA history as they won their 16th consecutive home playoff win to break the mark of 15 that was set by the Chicago Bulls.  The Rockets have played 295 playoff games and it was their worst loss ever. Steph Curry made 11-of-13 shots in the second half and ended the night with 35 points, six rebounds, and five 3-point shots. Kevin Durant added 25 points to go along with six rebounds, and six assists. Draymond Green knocked down 10 and was a monster on the boards as he pulled down 17 rebounds. Klay Thompson had 13, and Andre Iguodala added 10. All five starters were in double figures.

James Harden led the Rockets with 20. Chris Paul and Clint Capela had 13 each. Eric Gordon was the only other Rocket in double figures with 11.

The Warriors shot 52.25% from the floor and held the Rockets to 39.5%. The Rockets made 11 3-pointers. However, the Dubs made 13. On defense, the Warriors made 11 steals and blocked seven shots, and they forced Houston to commit 19 turnovers. The Warriors committed just eight.

The Warriors and the fans observed a moment of silence for the victims of the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. The Warriors introduced Run TMC to the crowd during a timeout in the first period. On hand were Chris Mullen, Mitch Richmond, and Tim Hardaway. The trio received a standing ovation from the fans. Hardaway is being installed in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame Monday night. Mullen and Richmond were inducted earlier.

Warriors were missing the Big Three and ended up falling to Kings 98-93

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors received bad news Friday when it was announced that Kevin Durant suffered a broken rib in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday.

Durant joined Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on the sidelines as the Warriors had to face the young Sacramento Kings. The Kings were hoping to beat the Warriors at Oracle for the second time this season, and that was exactly what happened as they went on a 9-3 run late in the fourth quarter to win 98-93 on Friday night.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr shuffled his starting lineup once again. Quinn Cook and Nick Young started in the backcourt for the second game in a row. Andre Iguodala started at forward in place of Durant, and Draymond Green returned from a shoulder injury to resume his usual spot at the other forward position. Kerr chose to start Zaza Pachulia at center Friday night.

The two teams played a very up-tempo first quarter. The Warriors got off to a good start, and they finished the period leading 36-29. Cook scored 10 points to lead the Warrior attack.

The Warriors increased the lead to 50-39, but things went south as the went over five minutes without a bucket and at one point committed five turnovers in six possessions. Sacramento went on a 12-0 run to regain the lead.

The Warrior offense woke up late in the period, but they were outscored 28-23 and finished the first half with a 59-57 advantage. Cook led the Warriors with 18, and Andre Iguodala added 10.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 14 points. The Warriors’ Omri Casspi suffered a right ankle sprain in the period, and he did not return.

The Warriors could not get anything going in the second half. The Kings weren’t much better, but they were able to outscore the Warriors 18-16, and the game was knotted up at 75 after three quarters of play.

The game was nip and tuck the rest of the way. The biggest lead the Warriors had was by three points after Cook sank a trey to lead 90-87. It was at this point when Sacramento went on a 9-3 run to win it.

The Kings led 93-90 until Green nailed a three-pointer to tie the game. It was all Kings after that as they scored the last five points in the game to seal the victory.

Game Notes and Stats: Cook had the best game of his NBA career. He scored 25 points. He made five three-point shots in seven attempts.

Green has a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He blocked two shots.

Nick Young helped out with 16 and Iguodala finished with 11. Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 22. Hield made five 3-point shots in 10 attempts.

Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only Kings starter in double figures with 11. Usually, the starters on a team led the club in scoring. The Warriors’ starters outscored the Kings’ starters 70-39, but the Sacramento bench blasted the depleted Golden State bench 59-23.

The Warriors made announcement on the Big Three’s injuries. Durant will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Curry will be checked out on Tuesday–and if his ankle is healed–he may return to action sometime next week.

Thompson will see the doctors on Thursday, and they will check out his fractured thumb.

There was no news on the severity of Casspi’s sprain, and it is unknown how long he will be out.

West and Green returned to action after missing some time due to injury.

The Warriors drop to 52-16 while the Kings improve to 23-47.

Up Next: The Warriors play in Phoenix this Saturday and San Antonio next Monday.

Curry drops 34 points to lead Warriors to a 114-101 win over Nets

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their sixth game in a row Tuesday night as they defeated the Nets 114-101 at the Oracle Arena. The Warriors needed a win to keep pace with the Houston Rockets as the Rockets downed the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this evening. The Warriors remain half a game behind the Rockets in the race for the best record in the NBA.

The Warriors, who have been trying to get off to good starts in the first quarter, seemed to have forgotten how to do it. They fell behind early with a 12-6 deficit before they went on a sensational 29-2 run to take a 35-16 lead just before the end of the first quarter. In fact, at one point in the run, they went 25-0 for the first time in team history.

The Nets hit a three just before the buzzer to make it 35-19.

The second quarter was a nightmare for Steve Kerr and the Warriors. They did everything wrong. They scored just four points in the first 5:44 of the quarter. They failed to play defense, and turned the ball over eight times in the quarter.

The Nets took advantage of the Warriors’ miscues as they went on a 13-2 run to grab a five-point lead of 36-31. The Warriors regained the lead 42-39 when Curry nailed a 3-pointer. Brooklyn kept coming back and led 53-48 at the end of the first half.

The Warriors scored just 13 points in the second 12 minutes of action. It was the fewest points in any quarter this season. They committed 12 turnovers in the half, and they are 12-9 when they commit 16 or more turnovers in a game.

JaVale McGee gave the team some energy when he tallied eight points early in the third quarter. Brooklyn matched the Warriors shot-for-shot until late in the quarter. Curry came back about halfway through the period, and he took charge of the offense. He made two consecutive 3-pointers, and the Warriors outscored the Nets 38-27 to finish the third quarter with a six-point lead of 86-80.

The Warriors increased the lead to 95-81 to complete a 22-5 run. Klay Thompson found his shot and Andre Iguodala made two key buckets to put the Warriors up 101-85. The Nets were finished as the Warriors were relentless on defense and they were able to pound the visiting team 114-101.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors won their 50th game of the season. The Warriors have won 50 or more for five straight seasons. In the first 67 years of existence of the franchise, the team had won 50 or more game just four times.

The Warriors are now 50-14 for the year, and the Nets are 20-45. The Nets have lost four in a row and 12 of the last 13.

Scoring leaders for Brooklyn were D’Angelo Russell with 22, DeMarre Carroll 19, Spencer Dinwiddie 13, and Caris LeVert 10.

The Nets’ bench outscored the Warriors 34-15.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 34. Klay Thompson had 18, Kevin Durant, 19, JaVale McGee 12, Draymond Green 16. The Warriors committed 17 turnovers and improved to 13-9 in games in which they have made 16 or more turnovers.

Jordan Bell had to leave the game when he re-injured his right ankle. X-Rays were taken and turned out to be negative.

The Warriors are 10-0 when JaVale McGee starts the game at center.

“Nothing is set in stone at that position,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “JaVale has done a good job. We kind of played center by committee here for a while now and there is no telling how the rotations will work. It’s based on matchups and based on how things are going, but I will definitely lean on all those guys at some point.”

They are 23-3 vs. the Eastern Conference and 10-2 at home.

David West, Zaza Pachulia, and Omri Casspi did not play.

Up Next: The Warriors host the San Antonio Spurs Thursday night at 7:30 pm PT.