Tag: Stephen Curry

Warriors overcome 27-point deficit, stun Raptors 112-103

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By Gabe Schapiro

On Tuesday night at Oracle Arena the Golden State Warriors (11-8) made a huge late comeback to steal one from the Toronto Raptors (6-11), 112-103. They trailed by as many as 27 points, before storming back with a 42-point fourth quarter. On a historic night the Warriors tied for the seventh greatest comeback in NBA history.

For Golden State it was a tale of two teams. At times they arguably looked as bad as they have all season. In the fourth quarter the light switch went on, and they became simply unstoppable.

The Warriors came out of the gates flat. They looked rusty and just didn’t execute anything particularly well. Through 12 minutes of play Jermaine O’Neal was the teams leading scorer with five points in just three minutes. They quickly dug themselves into a 17-point deficit.

In the second quarter it looked like they had begun to open their eyes. Slowly but surely they were correcting their mistakes, and started hitting some shots. Harrison Barnes was big in keeping them within shouting distance, scoring 14 points in the quarter. The Warriors had stopped bleeding-out, but at half time still found themselves down 17, 65-48.

Coming out of the locker room things got worse before they got better. The Raptors extended their lead to as high as 27 points, and it looked like they were hammering the final nails in the Warriors coffin. In the waning minutes of the third quarter, however, the spark was lit. Golden State ended the frame with a 9-0 run, but still had an 18-point sized mountain to climb. It looked like it was an honorable late push that would be too little too late.

The fourth and final quarter looked like an entirely different ballgame. The Warriors seemingly forgot how to miss, and Toronto seemingly forgot how to score. Golden State’s ace in the hole, their historical three-point shooting, had been failing them all night. In the fourth they found it.

They got contributions from everyone who stepped on the floor, but were led primarily by the splash brothers. The dynamic duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson started hitting shot after shot, and slowing took chunks out of the Raptors lead. With three minutes remaining, a Curry three completed the comeback, and gave Golden State their first lead since early in the first quarter. They took their 101-99 lead and kept piling on.

Toronto failed to score in the final 1:30 of the game, making the final score look almost like your average nine-point win. It was anything but. All told, the Warriors outscored the Raptors 42-15 in the fourth to complete the epic victory.

Curry finished with a double-double. He scored a game-high 27 points, to go along with 10 assists, and five steals. Thompson pitched in 22, on six-of-12 beyond the arc, and seven assists.

O’Neal was huge off of the bench for Golden State, making numerous big plays to keep them alive. He finished with 11 points and eight boards in 23 minutes. He was also a very telling, game-high, +30.

In the losing effort DeMar DeRozan led the Raports with 26 points. Amir Johnson had a double-double off the bench, putting up 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Golden State now hits the road, beginning with a matchup with the Houston Rockets this Friday.

Kings Lose Heartbreaker to Warriors 115-113

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

No matter who won the game, the opening paragraph was going to be the same. For one team it would be a well-deserved, hard fought victory and for the other team it would be a heartbreaking loss.

It was a well-deserved, hard fought 115-113 victory for the Golden State Warriors and a heartbreaking loss for the Sacramento Kings. The game literally came down to the final second on Sunday in Sacramento.

The fact that the game came down to last moment was a testament to the Sacramento Kings bench who did everything they were asked to do and more. With 2:08 left to play in the third quarter, the Kings trailed Golden State 88-72. Kings Head Coach Michael Malone said his team could have lost by 30 or fought back in attempt to win the game. The Kings fought back and Malone seemed very proud of his players.

The fourth quarter began with the Kings down by 10 points (GSW 90-SAC 80). Malone went with Patterson, Salmons, Thomas, Thornton and Hayes to start the period. That group closed the gap to six points. Green hit a 3-Pointer for the Warriors to make it a nine point lead as time was called with 8:13 to go in the game.

Coming out of the timeout, Cousins entered the game for Hayes. Cousins had an immediate impact with an assist and driving dunk that cut the Warrior lead to six.

Following an Isaiah Thomas steal and a Marcus Thornton 25 foot jump shot, the Warrior lead was down to one.

The Kings took the lead on a Thomas 3-Pointer off an assist from Cousins 104-102.

The game continued to see-saw back and forth. With 47.8 seconds to play, the game was tied at 111-111. Draymond Green put the Warriors back on top with a put-back of a Curry missed jumper.

After a 20 second timeout, Cousins hit a five foot jump hook to re-tie the game at 113-113. Salmons fouled Curry who hit both of his free throws to put the Warriors back in front 115-113.

Isaiah Thomas missed a lay-up with 1.8 seconds left to play. Bogut grabbed the rebound and the game was over. Golden State had defeated the Kings 115-113.

After the game Head Coach Michael Malone said, “Our guys have a ‘no quit’ attitude. I challenge them a lot. I never want them to be a team that just rolls over. What I like about our guys is that it could’ve been a 16 point deficit that turned into 30 but it turned into a two point lead and giving ourselves a chance. We were only one defensive rebound away from winning that game. The challenge that we have as a team is to stay together and find ways to close things out. Yes, we play the toughest schedule in the NBA but the reality is that we have another team coming in Tuesday night that’s not going to feel sorry for us. We have to do a better job at taking care of the ball and defending at a much higher level.”

The Kings came into the needing to shoot better on offense and to do a better job of defending the other team especially from beyond the 3-Point line. They accomplished one of those two goals on Sunday.

The Kings took advantage of a Warriors team that does not play great defense. Sacramento shot 52.6% (40/76) from the field and shot an impressive 47.4% (9/19) for 3-Pointers. As a team, they shot 85.7% (24/28) from the Free Throw Line. On offense, the Kings did a great job.

Their defense however let them down. The Kings allowed Golden State to shoot 51.2% (42/82) overall and an incredible 60.0% (15/25) from 3-Point land. Stephen Curry scored 38 points with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson scored 28 points and 24 of his points came off of eight 3-Point goals.

DeMarcus Cousins led all Sacramento scorers with 24 points. Marcus Thornton scored 21 coming off the bench including five 3-Point goals. Patrick Patterson shot 100.0% (8/8) scoring 18 points in his off the bench role. Isaiah Thomas scored 19 points. The Kings bench scored 65 points on Sunday night against the Warriors.

POST GAME NOTES:

The Kings fall to 4-11 overall and 3-7 at home. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Kings.

DeMarcus Cousins 24 point game was his ninth 20 point plus game of the season.

The Warriors are now 10-6 overall and 5-6 on the road.

Golden State has won both games with the Kings this season.

The Warriors and Kings will play again on Wednesday 2/19/14 in Sacramento.

 

Curry Returns But Warriors Drop a Chippy 113-101 Contest to Trailblazers

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By Matthew Harrington

The Golden State Warriors became another victim in the Portland Trailblazers’ 10-game unbeaten streak, suffering a 113-101 loss at Oracle Arena Saturday night. The Trailblazers (12-2) rallied in the closing minutes of the third and start of the fourth quarter to come from behind in a chippy affair that saw three ejections, 53 combined personal fouls and seven technical fouls.

LaMarcus Aldrige had his third career 20-20 game, dropping 30 points on the Warriors while reeling in 21 rebounds. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30 points before fouling out in the fourth while Stephen Curry added 22 points on 8 of 21 shooting in his return to the lineup. Andre Iguodala did not play for the short-handed Warriors (8-6) after straining his left hamstring in Friday night’s loss to the Lakers.

Golden State held a 54-49 lead at the half, but a third-quarter scuffle sparked a Portland comeback. The Warriors held a 77-63 lead when Aldridge was leveled to the court. Wesley Matthews received a technical foul after taking exception to the play and in the aftermath the Trailblazers’ Joel Freeland and Andrew Bogut began jawing and shoving each other, sending both benches into chaos. The referees restored order, handing out six technical fouls and ejecting Draymond Green from the game along with Portland’s Mo Williams and Matthews.

The skirmish inspired the Trailblazers to go on a run for the remainder of the quarter, cutting the Golden State lead to 84-81 before completing the comeback on a 12-2 run to open the final stanza, coasting for a victory from there.

The Warriors now face unusual territory this season, sputtering through a three-game losing streak, including a two-game winless stretch at home. Last season, the Warriors only lost consecutive home games once, falling to the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee backs in both ends of a back-to-back. The Warriors have not lost more three games or more in a row at home since a five-game skid to end the 2011-12 season.

Golden State do not receive an opportunity to defend home-court until December, going on a four-game road trip with stops in New Orleans, Dallas, Oklahoma City before a return to California for clash with the Kings in Sacramento.

Tuesday’s tilt against New Orleans will give the Warriors their first look at the newly-branded Pelicans as well as a chance to try to regain a tie atop the Pacific Division standings with the Los Angeles Clippers. Golden State sits one back of first while New Orleans stands in dead last in the Southwest Division with a 6-6 record, tied for third-worst in the Western Conference.

As Curry Sits, Warriors Drop 11th Straight to Memphis in OT

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew Harrington

One streak came to an end while another continued on strong in after 88-81 overtime defeat for the Golden State Warriors at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies (7-5) Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. With Stephen Curry sitting due to what is being termed a concussion, the Warriors were handed their first loss in six homes games this season, continuing a string of 11-straight losses to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Klay Thompson dropped a game-high tying 21 points on 9 of 19 shooting, while David Lee added 18 points on 9 field goals in 17 attempts. Andre Iguodala notched 14 assists in Curry’s absence. Zach Randolph scored 21 points to tie Thompson for the game best while pulling down 12 rebounds, most by any side Wednesday night. Marc Gasol also nabbed a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The Warriors (8-4) raced out to a 26-16 lead and held a ten-point lead at the midway point for a 44-34 halftime score. Memphis outscored Golden State 25-13 in the third quarter to take a two-point 59-57 lead in to the fourth.

The wild fourth quarter saw the Warriors storm back from an early six-point deficit to chisel away at a 63-57. Thompson capped the comeback with a 3-pointer with 7:20 left to give Golden State the 68-66 lead. From there, the lead would change four more times before the quarter ended in a 75-75 deadlock.

Memphis controlled the overtime session, outscoring the Warriors 13-6. Mike Conley had five points in the extra frame and Tayshaun Prince added a pair of daggers on two contested desperation jump shots that hit their mark.

The Warriors coughed up 14 turnovers to Memphis’ 6. Golden State was limited to only 4 fast break points, struggling without the normal starting point guard against a stout Grizzlies defense.
Another Warrior went down with injury as Ognjen Kuzmic injured his right arm on the backboard during the first quarter. He now joins Toney Douglas, Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Curry as wounded Warriors.

Golden State travels to Los Angeles to face the Lakers Friday night in a rematch of the opening night 100-95 victory. Tip-off is at 7:30 pm.

Warriors Cruise Past Utah 102-88, Thompson Drops 25 Points on Jazz

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By Matthew Harrington

The Golden State Warriors maintained their unblemished record at home Saturday night, besting the Utah Jazz 102-88 at Oracle Arena to improve their record to 7-3 on the season, keeping pace atop the Pacific Division standings with the Los Angeles Clippers. Klay Thompson led the warriors with 25 points on 9 of 14 shooting. Thursday’s hero Andre Iguodala pitched in 16 points and Stephen Curry added 15 to go with a game-high 11 assists. Derrick Favors lead the Jazz with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Andrew Bogut led all players with 11 boards.

The Warriors raced out to an early 27-13 lead after the first quarter in front of the sell-out crowd and by the half the advantage had increased to 51-34. The Jazz outscored Golden State in only one quarter, 29-23 in the third frame, to draw as close as down six points. The Warriors coasted to the victory though with a 28-25 final quarter for their fifth-straight win at home this season.

Victory came with a price for the Warriors. Backup center Jermaine O’Neal sprained his right knee and strained his right knee going to the basket with 11:26 left in the fourth. He was helped off the court and did not return.

Golden State will next head to Salt Lake City for a Monday night tilt that will have the Jazz seeking revenge for the Saturday night loss. Tip-off begins at 6 p.m.

Iguodala buzzer beater tops Thunder, 116-115

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By Gabe Schapiro

Welcome to Oakland Andre Iguodala.

On Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (6-3) won in thrilling fashion, 116-115, over the Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3). Iguodala was already making a name for himself with the Warriors, and anyone he hadn’t already won over is officially on board now. With 2.3 seconds remaining and the team down two, the ball went to Iguodala who nailed a three from the corner to beat the buzzer, sending the crowd into a frenzy, and sending the crowd home happy.

In this one both teams hit the ground sprinting. The first quarter featured few missed shots from either side, as the Thunder started particularly hot, shooting and incredible 68.4% from the field. They were also totally owning the boards, hauling in 16 rebounds compared to Golden State’s four. The Warriors kept the game close, however, thanks to eight Oklahoma City turnovers and some nice shooting of their own. Klay Thompson had an early nine points to lead the way, as Golden State got points from eight different players in the first frame. After 12 minutes, which saw 11 lead changes, the Thunder had a slight 33-32 lead.

The second quarter saw both teams slowly come down to earth a bit, but the same fast paced and close action continued. David Lee started to come alive, chipping in 10 in the quarter. Thompson stayed hot and added seven more to his total. Stephen Curry started to catch fire, contributing six points and four assists. In another extremely evenly played quarter, the teams were dead-locked at 62-62 heading into halftime.

Coming out of the locker rooms the Warriors grabbed the momentum and started to pull away. Curry took over the game for stretches, as Golden State led by as many as 14. Heading into the final frame the Warriors held a 95-86 lead.

At the start of the fourth Golden State seemed to almost be coasting, as they had little trouble maintaining a comfortable lead. With about six minutes remaining, however, the Thunder started to make a run. They got hot and the Warriors got cold. Golden State managed to hold onto their lead despite their struggles and the occasional miscue, up until Russell Westbrook stuck a dagger into the hearts of Warriors fans, hitting a deep three with 2.3 seconds left to give them the two point lead. All was not lost, however, as in stepped Iguodala to save the day. On a quick in bounds pass from Thompson, Iguodala turned and hit the fade-away three-pointer from the corner, over the out-stretched arm of the defender. Nothing but net.

Iguodala finished with 14 points and nine assists. Thompson had team-high 27. Curry just missed a double-double with 22 points and nine assists. Harrison Barnes had a great game off the bench, contributing 16 points in 23 minutes.

In the losing effort Westbrook had a game-high 30 points to go along with nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Serge Ibaka had a double-double, posting 27 points and 13 boards. Keving Durant, who was relatively quiet by his standards, had 20 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.

Warriors make easy work of Pistons, win 113-95

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By Gabe Schapiro

Tuesday night at Oracle Arena the Golden State Warriors (5-3) looked like they were playing a junior varsity squad in the Detroit Pistons (2-5), in a thorough dismantling that mercifully ended at a final score of 113-95. In what was a true team effort from the start, seven Warriors finished with eight or more points. With the win Golden State has now won five straight matchups against Detroit.

The Warriors domination started from the tip-off. In the first quarter six players scored four or more points, and they moved the ball around brilliantly. They dished out 13 assists, two off of the club record for a single frame. David Lee led the way with eight early points to go along with four rebounds. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson contributed seven points and three assists apiece. For the quarter they shot 60.9% from the field, and led 35-16.

The second quarter was more of the same. Lee’s hot start continued, adding nine more points to his total. Jermaine O’Neal had a quick seven points off the bench. Andre Drummond was doing his best to keep the Pistons within striking distance, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven boards, but he wasn’t getting much help. Golden State extended their lead out to 21 points, leading 62-41 heading into the locker room.

Coming out of half time any hopes the Pistons had at making this one interesting were quickly squashed. The Warriors hot hands didn’t skip a beat. The third turned into the Curry show, adding 12 points and dishing out a couple of beautiful passes. Heading into the final quarter Golden State had once again extended their lead to 94-71.

In a game that was essentially already locked up the fourth quarter consisted largely of garbage time, which allowed the final score to look closer than the game ever was. Golden State’s reserves got a lot of play as they coasted their way to the victory.

Curry led all scorers with 25 points. He also chipped in eight assists. Iguodala filled up the stat sheet, finishing with eight points, 11 assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Lee finished just shy of his customary double-double, posting 17 and nine.

The Splash Brothers drown Kings, Warriors win 98-87

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By Gabe Schapiro

On Saturday night the Golden State Warriors (2-1) made easy work of their intrastate rivals, the Sacramento Kings (1-2), winning 98-87 at Oracle Arena. Klay Thompson led the way with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-8 beyond the arc.

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. A little over a minute into the second quarter a layup from the Kings Jason Thompson brought them within nine points, but that would be the last time Golden State’s lead wasn’t in the double digits.

To open the second half Sacramento made a strong push, going on an 8-0 run, but their momentum was squashed just as quickly as it started, when the Warriors found their shot again and responded with a 15-0 run of their own.

Heading into the fourth quarter Golden State had built a 20-point lead. From there they eased off the gas pedal and gave the end of their bench some playing time. As a result the Kings had their best quarter, but it was far too little too late, as the Warriors coasted to the victory in a game that was more lopsided then the final score would indicate.

The other half of the ‘Splash Brothers,’ Stephen Curry, had another strong game, finishing with a double-double. He scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, five-of-eight from long distance, and dished out 12 assists.

David Lee, last year’s league leader in double-doubles, did it again for the 295th time of his career, contributing 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Andrew Bogut had a relatively quiet night on the stat sheet with six points and six rebounds, but on the defensive end he held DeMarcus Cousins at bay, and also chipped in four blocks.

For Sacramento it was their bench who did the most damage, with four of them finishing with double-digit points, led by rookie Ben McLemore, who scored a team-high 19.

Dismal second half drowns Warriors, lose 90-74 to the Trail Blazers

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By Gabe Schapiro

In their final preseason tune-up, in what wasn’t a particularly well-played game for either side, the Golden State Warriors were defeated by the Portland Trail Blazers, 90-74. The Warriors had a solid first half, but the wheels fell off from there, doing more damage then they could overcome. Golden State finishes the preseason with a 3-4 record.

Coming out of the gate it was the Warriors who looked more crisp and ready to play. Portland was extremely sloppy, thanks in part to strong defensive play from Golden State, turning the ball over seven times and shooting just 33% from the field in the first quarter. The Warriors, on the other hand, turned the ball over just once. They made a few mistakes but as a whole played well. Klay Thompson led the way with eight points. Andre Iguodala chipped in another five. Damian Lillard was the only thing keeping the Trail Blazers in the game with seven points. At the end of one the Warriors had a 23-16 lead.

The second quarter saw both benches get extended play. The Trail Blazers started finding their shot and chipped away at the lead, but never managed to overtake it. Golden State’s starters returned and grabbed a hold of the momentum again. Curry caught fire, scoring eight points in the quarter including a big three-pointer in the waning seconds that lifted the fans to their feet. For Portland it was Mo Williams’ turn to keep them in the game, coming off the bench to the tune of 11 points in the quarter. It wasn’t enough, however, and through 24 minutes of play, the Warriors maintained their seven-point lead, 48-41.

Coming out of the locker room Golden State scored a quick three points to give them their biggest lead of the game at 11. From there, however, they completely lost their shot and things got ugly. Portland went on a 22-0 run, fueled in large part by Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, before the Warriors finally found the bottom of the net again with a little over two minutes to play in the quarter. After out-scoring Golden State 25-9 in the third, the Trail Blazers had grabbed a 66-57 lead.

The Warriors made a small push in the fourth quarter, at one point going on a 7-0 run, but they would never seriously threat re-taking the lead. Fans started heading for the exits in packs with several minutes remaining, as the Trail Blazers eased their way to victory.

Lillard had a game-high 21 points. Aldridge (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Nicolas Batum (10 points, 15 rebounds) both finished with double-doubles.

For Golden State Curry led the scoring with 17 points and a game-high six assists. Thompson finished with 16 points and five rebounds.

For the Warriors the regular season begins next Wednesday, October 30 when they will be taking on the LA Lakers at Oracle Arena.

Curry’s 23 points leads Warriors over Kings, 94-81

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By Gabe Schapiro

In the second game of the preseason schedule, the Golden State Warriors (1-1) picked up a convincing victory, 94-81, over the Sacramento Kings (0-1) at Oracle Arena. While the outcomes obviously don’t count, the preseason remains very important for figuring out depth charts and building team chemistry. And of course, above all else it’s just about getting into game shape without getting hurt.

The Kings got off to a fast start in this one, hitting a groove early and nailing 62% of their shots in the first quarter. The Warriors looked a bit rusty, and trailed by as many as nine points. Stephen Curry kept them within striking distance, however, with seven of the teams 21 points, to go along with three assists through one. The highlight of the quarter was an impressive lob from Curry just past half-court to a streaking Andre Iguodala for a thunderous slam dunk. Although it’s just the preseason that was likely a glimpse of what we may be seeing quite often this season.

The momentum swung Golden State’s way in the second, capturing their first lead of the game with eight minutes remaining in the first half. David Lee, Klay Thompson, and Marreese Speights came alive, contributing eight, eight, and six points respectively by halftime. Lee also had a team high eight rebounds.

The Kings made a late charge, however, and retook a 44-39 lead heading into the locker rooms. Isaiah Thomas led the way for Sacramento with nine points and six assists.

By the third quarter both sides were predominantly playing their reserve players. Not to say that isn’t important as we get our first extended looks at the Warriors remolded bench, which will be one of their keys to success this season.

The two teams traded leads several times throughout the quarter, with Golden State mostly dominating play by the end of it. They out-scored the Kings 23-18, and outshot them .500-to-.313. Ultimately they erased their half time deficit, and headed into the fourth all tied up at 62-62.

The Warriors continued their strong play, and started running away with the game in the fourth quarter. In the last few minutes they emptied their bench, and eased their way to the win.

Possibly the biggest thing to keep an eye on through the preseason is how the competition for the fifth starting spot shakes out. Curry, Iguodala, Lee, and Andrew Bogut are pretty well entrenched as starters, leaving the final spot up for grabs between Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson. Barnes started tonight, but struggled early, failing to record a point, and was never re-inserted into the game after playing the first six minutes. Thompson, on the flip side played nearly 30 minutes on the night, and finished second on the team with 17 points to go along with four rebounds, two blocked shots, and a steal.

Curry had a nice outing, contributing a game high 23 points. Lee had a double-double, 14 points and 13 rebounds. Iguodala filled up the stat sheet, adding seven points, three rebounds, three assists, and a whopping five steals.

The preseasons schedule continues tomorrow in Utah at 6:00 PM.

 

Game Notes: Ognjen Kuzmic made his Warriors debut, playing five minutes…Speights had six points, three rebounds, and three blocks in 14 minutes off the bench…Seth Curry scored his first points as a Warrior, a buzzer-beating three pointer to end the game