Tag: Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors Hold up the NBA Chmpionship Trophy as a Team

Warriors Stand on Championship Ground

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AP Photo/Tony Dejak

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Has the dawn of a Golden State Warriors Dynasty arrived? Will the Splash Brothers be on the front float of many a victory parade? Only time will tell, but for now Title number one is under the Dubs’ belt. But one can’t help but think of the future while watching Stephen Curry toss the rock into the crowd in the closing minutes of his first title reign.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday night in Cleveland to win the NBA Finals four games to two. The World Champions overcame a 12-point first quarter deficit before riding a 60-54 point second half to handedly top the Cavs for the Bay Area and it’s ardent supporters the first Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1975. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it right when he said “You’ve waited a long time” in his post-game speech.

The Warriors led the NBA from wall-to-wall, notching countless franchise records on the way to a 67-win season. They then swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, rallied from a 2-1 series deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies to win the Conference Semifinals and broke the wills of the Houston Rockets to claim the Western Conference crown in one of the most dominant playoff runs the league has seen.

Despite boasting the reigning Most Valuable Player in Stephen Curry, the Warriors were deemed the best team facing the best player in the World, LeBron James. The Warriors proved that team always wins out after receiving meaningful contributions up and down the bench Tuesday night.Head Coach Steve Kerr dialed all the right buttons in becoming the first rookie head coach to win the championship. No egos stood in the way, with former All-stars like David Lee and Andrew Bogut accepting diminished roles as the playoffs wore on.

Andre Iguodala went vintage after being given the starting nod, scoring a team-high 25 points. For his efforts, he was named Finals MVP, a feat special but not as great as being a champion for the first time in an 11-year career. Draymond Green, a star in the making after having to wait till the second round of the 2013 draft, converted the triple-double with a 16 point/11 rebound/ 10 assist line. The MVP scored 25 points as well on 8 of 19 shooting, earning his signature moment by hoisting the biggest trophy in the land. Shaun Livingston and Festus Ezeli earned their rings by contributing 10 points apiece off the bench.

James did his best to will the title-starved City of Cleveland to a game 7, coming an assist short of another NBA Finals triple-double. The King scored 32 points with 18 rebounds, but couldn’t will his ragtag troupe of title hopefuls. Despite losing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the playoffs, James still proved the toughest challenge for the Warriors.

What does the future hold for the Champs? First and foremost comes the parade. Then after that, it’s all about locking down Draymond Green, an upcoming free agent. After that, the Kerr will need to replace assistant coach Alvin Gentry. Gentry accepted the New Orleans head coach slot after the Warriors bounced the birds from the playoffs. If Kerr’s proven anything after his rookie year, it’s that the team is in good hands.

With general mananger Bob Myers building a young core that will keep Oracle Arena roaring for years to come and owner Joe Lacob committed to winning, the dark days of the Baron Davis-Gilbert Arenas Warriors are over. With one banner already on its way to the rafters, the Warriors are looking to claim the crown as the latest NBA dynasty, following the footsteps of the showtime Lakers, Russell or Bird’s Celtics and the Parker-Duncan-Ginobli Spurs. Perhaps in a few years these Warriors will be spoken of in similiar tones.

James’ Triple-Double Gives Cavaliers Game 2 in Overtime

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington
Entering game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers had little cause for optimism. Already down one all-world player with Kevin Love sidelined, LeBron James and co. were dealt a devastating blow when all-star guard Kyrie Irving broke his knee in the game 1 overtime loss. Following game 2, the Cavaliers have found new life and a fresh start.
The Cavs bested the Golden State Warriors 95-93 in overtime at Oracle Arena Sunday, evening the NBA Finals at a win apiece. Despite missing the potential game-winner in regulation, LeBron James still dominated the contest. The Cavs superstar notched his 13th career playoff triple-double, scoring 39 points while pulling down 16 rebounds with 11 assists.
James might have had a case of déjà vu. With the score tied at 87 and 8 seconds left, the former Finals MVP had a chance at the game-winner. Just like in the waning moment of game 1, James came up empty, missing a lay-up at the rim to force OT.
In the extra session, the Cavs struck first, with Iman Shumpert hitting a trey. James then went to the line, sinking both free throw to put Cleveland up by 5 with 3:17 left. The Warriors scored the next six points, four on consecutive Draymond Green baskets and a pair of Stephen Curry free throw to take the 93-92 lead with 29 second left.
Following a timeout, James’ jumper was blocked by Green with Andre Iguodala picking up the rebound. Igoudala couldn’t maintain control of the ball though, turning the ball over while resetting the Cleveland shot clock with 18 seconds left. From there, Cleveland’s unlikely hero stepped up.
After another James jumper missed with 11 seconds left, St. Mary’s product Matthew Dellavedova reeled in the offensive rebound. He was then fouled by Harrison Barnes, hitting both free throws with 10 seconds left to put Cleveland up by one.
At the other end, Curry missed a jump shot that would have put the Warriors up. Barnes was then forced to foul James, who sunk one of two from the charity stripe to put Cleveland up 95-93 with four seconds left. The Warriors inbounded the ball quickly, but Curry turned the ball over to Shumpert to wrap up the loss for the home team.
Curry struggled throughout the night to find his scoring touch after being dogged by Irving’s replacement, the gritty Dellavedova. The current MVP scored only 19 points, going 5 for 23 from the field. Curry hit only 2 of 15 three-pointers on a night where the whole team went cold from downtown. Out of 35 attempts, only 8 treys went in for the Dubs.
Klay Thompson accounted for half the production from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 12. The second half of the Splash Brothers had a breakout contest, scoring 34 points on 14-28 shooting over nearly 46 minutes of play. Harrison Barnes (11) and Draymong Green (10) were the only other Warriors to reach double-digit scoring. For the Cavs, Timofey Mozgov (17) and J.R. Smith (13) joined James in double-figure.
Despite being the shorthanded team, the Cavaliers looked to have the game well in hand. They led the NBA’s regular season wins leaders by 11 points with five minutes left. Led by Curry’s 7 points, the Warriors outpaced the Cavs down the stretch 19-8.
Golden State opened up the game on an 11-6 scoring run and built a quarter-high 8-point lead at 20-12 with 3:12 left in the 1st quarter, but the Cavs closed out the half on an 8-0 run to pull even. Again the Warriors built a 6-point lead in the 2nd, leading 31-25 halfway through the frame but Cleveland went on a 15-2 run to take a 40-33 edge. The Warriors clawed back, often finding themselves only two points back or even, but never led again until the 93-92 advantage in overtime.
The series now shifts to Cleveland for Tuesday night’s game 3. After already setting history as the first Finals to have games 1 and 2 go to overtime, who knows what these two teams will have in store at Quicken Loans Arena in two days.

Harden’s Buzzer-Beater Blunder Lets Warriors Escape with Game Two Win 99-98

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

It was a dream situation for coach Kevin McHale with the second Most Valuable Player holding the rock with the chance at a game winning shot as the clock ticked off its final seconds.

It turned into a nightmare when James Harden failed to even hoist up a potential buzzer beater. Harden’s Houston Rockets instead fell to the Golden State Warriors 99-98 Thursday night at Oracle Arena and now trail the Western Conference Finals 2-0.

In game one the Warriors trailed early before mounting a comeback for the victory, but Thursday appeared to be a reversal of fortunes. Houston trailed by 12 51-39 with 5 minutes left in the first half but managed to outscore the hosts 16-4 down the stretch to head to the half tied at 55-all.

The Warriors outscored the Rockets 22-20 in an evenly played 3rd frame, building up to the drama of the 4th. Twice, Golden State built a six-plus point lead over the final 12 minutes, but couldn’t put away the visitors.

With just 1:39 left in regulation and Houston trailing 98-90, James Harden went on to score six consecutive Rockets points to only one made free throw by Draymond Green for the Dubs. With 33 seconds left, the architect of the near comeback Harden found Dwight Howard for an alley oop to put the Rockets down by just one.

The Warriors still maintained the final position and seemed content to drain the clock and force Houston to take the game winner after Harrison Barnes missed the lay-up with 7 seconds left. Harden rebounded the ball and streaked to the other end of the court seeking a mid-range jumper. Instead he lost possession of the ball, and ultimately a chance at the game winning shot.

Despite showing his frustration by knocking over a set of curtains on his way off the court, Harden performed exceptionally Thursday, coming an assist shy of a triple-double after scoring 38 points and pulling down 10 boards while only going to the free throw line 10 times. Howard, deemed good to go after Josh Smith landed awkwardly on his leg in game one, played 40 minutes and collected a double-double with 17 boards and 19 points.

The Rockets appeared to forget that Stephen Curry wears the crown as reigning MVP, because throughout the night the Human Torch found himself wide open from beyond the arch. He punished Houston to the tune of 33 points over 36 minutes, including 5 treys on 11 attempts. Andrew Bogut, named to the second-team all defense earlier in the day, rebound from what he dubbed a poor performance in game one to score 14 points. First-team all defense award winner Draymond Green pitched in 12, while All-Defense snub Thompson pitched in 13.

The series now shifts to Houston and the Toyota Center where the Rockets went 30-11 in the regular season. Game 3 tips off Saturday night a 6 p.m.

Randolph, Gasol Bully Warriors to 2-1 Series Lead

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

For the first time all season the Golden State Warriors are staring true adversity in the face. Following a 99-89 loss Saturday night in Memphis, the Warriors now trail the Grizzlies 2-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals.

For the second consecutive contest, the offensive juggernaut that was the Warriors shrank in the face of the bullish Memphis front. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson improved slightly off a dismal 13-for-34 night in Monday’s 97-90 loss at Oracle, combining to score 43 points (Curry 23, Thompson 20).

Curry struggled from the field, hitting 8 of 21 shots. The Most Valuable Player went just 2-of-10 from three-point land. As a team, the Warriors were held to just 6 treys on 26 tries, an identical figure to Monday night.

Memphis center Marc Gasol produced a double-double, scoring 21 while pulling in 15 boards. Fellow Twin Tower Zach Randolph came a pair of rebounds short of his own double-double, dropping 22 points on Golden State. Guard Mike Conley produced only 11 points one game after his game two 22-point return from an orbital bone injury.

While Curry and Thompson produced a more successful performance than their last display, the bigs of Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green struggled. The two came up with a pair of field goals, three free throws and a combined 8 points. Harrison Barnes played a Warriors-topping 40 minutes, scoring 16 in a breakthrough performance that can be viewed as a positive by Golden State fans.

The Warriors were up 15-10 early in the contest but were trailing 55-39 by the half after being outscored 32-19 in the second quarter. Golden State outscored the Grizzlies 50-44 over the final two quarters, but ran out of time to complete the comeback.

The Warriors now face unfamiliar territory heading into Monday night’s game four. It’s the first time on the campaign that the Warriors enter a road game on a two-game losing streak. Golden State lost two consecutive games four times, winning the next game at home all four times to go the entire season without a losing stretch of three games or more.

The Grizzlies pose a formidable threat at home at FedEx Forum where they won 31 games, tied for the fifth-most by a home team this season. Golden State earned the best road record at 28-13.

Thompson, Warriors Surge Past Pelicans Late to Double Up Series Lead at 2-0

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against the New Orleans Pelicans, topping the team from the Big Easy 97-87 Monday night at Oracle Arena.

Klay Thompson matched New Orleans’ Anthony Davis with a game-high 26 points. The All-Star guard went 11-of-17 from the field while fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry chipped in 22 points on 9-for-21 shooting. Draymond Green produced a double-double, scoring 14 while pulling down 12 rebounds.

A potential MVP pick, Davis notched a double-double of his own. The forward-center hybrid nabbed 10 rebounds to go with his 26 points. Teammate Omar Asik topped Davis with 13 rebounds, while the Warriors Aussie Andrew Bogut had a game-best 14.

Golden State trailed by as much as 13 points in the first quarter, finishing the period down 28-17. The Warriors clawed back in the second frame though, out-producing the eighth-seeded Pelicans 38-24. The run was punctuated by a Curry three-pointer, one of three treys hit by the surefire MVP, with 9 seconds left to put Golden State ahead 55-52.

The home team exploded out the gate in the third, scoring six of the first seven points for a 61-53 lead. New Orleans eventually knotted the game up 64-even with just under six minutes left till the 4th. The two teams ultimate headed into the fourth, deciding quarter tied 71-71.

From there, it was the Klay Thompson show. Thompson scored 14 of his 26 points in the final 12 minutes. Even with Thompson’s performance, the Warriors couldn’t distance themselves from the upset-minded visitors. The Pelicans trailed by just one point, with the scoreboard reading 85-84 with 5:34 remaining.

Thompson hit a three, but Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans responded with a lay-up at the other end. Back-to-back jumpers from Green and Thompson put some distance between the Dubs and Pelicans with 3:34 left. Thompson would score the next three points on a lay-up, converting the and-1 after an Evans foul. Then Bogut broke out the jam with just over a minute left to put the Warriors ahead comfortably 97-86. Evans would hit a free throw to wrap up the scoring.

The Warriors again struggled from the free throw line, hitting 12 of 19 from behind the charity stripe after going 21-for-34 in Saturday’s series opener. They did once again outrebound New Orleans 49-42 while holding the Pelicans to only 31 of 82 baskets attempted for a 37.8 shooting percentage. As a team, the Dubs shot 44.2 percent, making 38 of 86 would-be baskets.

The series now shifts to New Orleans, with the Warriors looking to sweep the series by winning Thursday and Saturday’s contests in the Big Easy. The Pelicans seek to escape the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the season the Pelicans won the Southwest division. That year marks the only time in team history that New Orleans advanced past the opening round, with the then-hornets falling to the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals. The Pelicans have been in the playoffs 5 times since the team relocated to New Orleans in 2002.

 

Curry Breaks Own Record, Warriors Clinch Best Record

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Stephen Curry’s Most Valuable Player campaign received a massive boost Thursday night with the All-Star guard scoring 45 points in a 116-105 Golden State Warriors victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. Curry also dished out 10 assists to pick up the double-double.

Curry hit 17 of 23 shots attempted, including an 8-for-13 night from behind the 3-point line. One of those eight treys helped Curry to set the new record for three’s in a season, eclipsing the previous mark of 272 in a campaign also set by Curry two seasons ago. He now sits at 276 on the year.

As a team, the Warriors (64-15) hit 48 of 90 field goals for a 53.3 shooting percentage. Klay Thompson supported Curry with 26 points, while Draymond Green picked up a double-double of his own with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

LaMarcus Aldrige topped the playoff-bound Blazers (51-28) with 27 points while Damian Lillard added 20 of his own.

With the win, Golden State has now clinched the best record in the NBA. It also ended a losing streak of two-straight games for the Warriors. The only downside is that the Warriors, considered one of the best defensive teams in the association, have now given up 100-plus points in six consecutive games.

Golden State can buck that trend when the Dubs host the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night. The T-Wolves currently only hold 16 wins on the season.

 

Barnes Buzzer Beater Gives Warriors 62nd Win

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

If Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to draw up one play to win a game, chances are he’d funnel the ball to potential Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry. Unfortunately for Kerr, Thursday night against at the Phoenix Suns the ball didn’t find Curry when the Dubs needed it to most. Instead, it came to an unlikely hero; Harrison Barnes.

With 4 seconds remaining and the Warriors trailing 106-105, Draymond Green’s inbound pass found Barnes cutting to the basket. After a few seconds, Barnes put up the game-winning lay-up with .4 ticks of the clock left. It was later ruled that time had expired, handing Golden State (62-13) their 62nd win (adding to the franchise record set this season) with a final score of 107-105.

The magic moment was almost for not in a frantic finish. In a mad scramble that started around the :30 mark of the fourth, the Warriors set up camp in the offensive zone. After three offensive rebounds and a steal, Klay Thompson fed Curry for a three to put Golden State ahead 105-104 with just 6 seconds left in regulation. The Suns answered back after an unguarded Eric Bledsoe drove to the hoop for the easy two points to hand Phoenix the one-point lead with just under 5 seconds left, setting up Barnes big moment.

Over 23 minutes, Barnes only collected four total points. Of course, Curry led the way offensively for the Warriors. The All-Star guard went 10-for-22 from the field, collecting a game-high 28 points to go with 8 boards and 5 assists. Thompson pitched in 16 points of his own. Bledsoe topped the Suns (38-38) with 18 points on 6 of 17 from the field.

Both teams shot around 46 percent on the night, with the Warriors winning the rebound battle 50-47. The Suns committed only 11 turnovers to Golden State’s 13 in an evenly-played contest.

The Warriors outscored Phoenix 55-44 in the first half, but were outpaced 62-52 over the second half to set up the tense final moments.

Next on the schedule for the Warriors is a tougher opponent than the .500 Suns. The Western Conference leaders will match-up with the 7th seed out West, the Dallas Mavericks. The two teams link up in a Saturday night showdown in the Lonestar State.

Warriors Match Single-Season Franchise Wins Mark

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Stephen Curry continued his barnstorming campaign to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award Friday night, dropping 38 points on the Memphis Grizzlies to lead the Golden State Warriors to the 107-84 victory. The Western Conference leaders now have eighth-straight wins and have matched the franchise record for wins in a single season.

Curry went 12-for-22 from the field in 34 minutes of play, nailing 8 treys out of 12 attempted to push the Warriors passed the number two team in the conference handedly. The All-star guard also dished out 10 assists.

Klay Thomspon pitched in 28 points while Andrew Bogut matched Memphis’ Jeff Green with a game-high 8 rebounds. Green also topped the Grizzlies (50-21) with 16 points coming off the bench.

The Warriors (59-13) forced 19 Memphis turnovers while out-boarding one of the Association’s physical elite 43-40. Memphis did outshoot Golden State on its home court, shooting 44.7 percent to the Warriors’ 43.3.

The Warriors held a 7-point lead after the opening 12 minutes, putting up 31 points to Memphis’ 24. The Grizzlies cut into the Dubs lead with a 25-23 second quarter but a dominant third frame put Golden State up big. The Warriors scored 31 while limiting Memphis to 16 for an 85-65. The Dubs closed the game out with a 22-19 fourth for the 107-84 final score.

After the contest, the Warriors hopped on a flight for Milwaukee. They take on the Bucks in the second game of a back-to-back Saturday night, looking for win number nine in a row against a Bucks team hovering around the .500 mark.

Curry, Warriors silence Jazz

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry scored 11 of his game-high 24 points in the second quarter and Leandro Barbosa finished with a season-high 19 points helping Golden State pickup its 56th win of the season with a 106-91 win over the Utah Jazz Saturday night after disposing the New Orleans Pelicans at home Friday night.

The Warriors take the season series from Utah, 3-1.

Curry had his jump shot going, finishing with 8-of-18 from the floor (3-of-6 on 3s) to go along with three assists and three steals in 32 minutes of action. The Warriors’ league MVP candidate was struggling with his shot, shooting just 35 percent from the floor in five previous five games.

Barbosa, who has been huge for Golden State this season, played 28 minutes off the bench.

Draymond Green scored 15 points (11-of-13 from the free throw line), while Harrison Barnes chipped in with 12 points, and Andre Iguodala finished with 13 points off the bench for Golden State, who dominated Utah on fast break points, 25-6.

Justin Holiday, who has started the last three games in the place of All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson, finished with just seven points.

“L.B. has been magnificent this season,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “His defense has been tremendous for us, he’s a worker, a wonderful teammate.”

“We’re a deep team,” said Curry. “It goes to show you what our record (56-13) is. Everyone is playing great and contributing to the team’s success.”

Andrew Bogut was aggressive in the paint tonight scoring eight of Golden State’s game high 46 points in the paints (Utah finished with 36 points in the paint), and played great defense against Jazz promising young center Rudy Gobert. Gobert finished with just five points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes.

“Bogut played a great game tonight,” Kerr said of Bogut, who finished with eight of Golden State’s 37 rebounds. “He was a rock in the paint for us, and that is what I’m looking from him every night.”

Derrick Favors finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Trey Burke scored 20 points (5-of-11 on 3s) for the Jazz, who drop to 31-35 on the season.

Before Golden State dropped 106 points tonight, Utah didn’t allow 100 points in 12 consecutive games. Opponents were averaging just 86 points per game during that span.

Utah was 12-3 since the All-Star break, which was tops in the league.

Golden State continues to pile up wins at Oracle, improving to an NBA-best 33-2 in front of arguably the best homecourt advantage in all of basketball and are beating teams by an average of 15 points per game at home.

When holding teams to under 100 points, Golden State are a staggering 37-0.

With just three more wins, Golden State can tie the 1975-76 Warriors team for the most wins in franchise history with 59. The Warriors’ magic number to clinch the Pacific Division is down to two games.

The Warriors can finish their six-game homestand Monday 6-0 (and extend its current five-game winning streak) with a win over the visiting Washington Wizards.

Golden State will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organization’s last championship that night, which was won against Wizards (formally the Bullets).

 

Warriors Spoil Pelicans Playoff Push with 112-96 Triumph

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Despite a poor shooting night from Stephen Curry, the Golden State handedly topped an Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans squad 112-96. Curry went just 4 of 17 from the field, finishing the night with just 16 points, but Harrison Barnes continued his run of torrid play to beat the playoff-hopeful Pelicans in front of the Oracle Arena crowd.

Barnes, getting the starting nod from coach Steve Kerr, finished the night with 9 made shots in 13 attempts for 22 points. He now has back-to-back 20-point games for the first time since his breakout 2013 playoff campaign .

The Pelicans saw 6 different players post double-digit scoring totals Friday headlined by Norris Cole’s 16 off the bench. Quincy Poindexter and Alexis Ajinca added 15.

Golden State hit half their shots, sinking 44 of 88 Friday while New Orleans to a 42.3 shooting percentage knocking down 33 of the 77 would-be baskets.

The Warriors built a slim 30-26 lead after the first quarter, but outscored the Pelicans 56-42 over the middle two frames for the 86-68 edge heading into the final 12 minutes. New Orleans (37-32), two games back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, outscored the Warriors 28-26 in the fourth. By then it was too late, as Golden State rolled to its 55th victory.

The Warriors (55-13) now sit just four games shy of matching a franchise record in wins. A win Saturday over the visiting Utah Jazz Saturday night could move them one step closer.