Tag: Stephen Curry

Extra Dribbles: Warriors complete sweep of Trail Blazers to advance to West semis; await Jazz/Clippers winner

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

PORTLAND — All five starters scored in double figures led by Stephen Curry’s game-high 37 points as the Golden State Warriors completed a four-game sweep to advance to the conference semifinals by dismantling the Trail Blazers with a 128-103 victory Monday night.

The Warriors improve to 12-1 in the first round over the past three postseasons, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

This is the third four-game sweep in franchise history for Golden State. The Warriors swept the Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals, and the New Orleans Pelicans in 2015 en route to the championship that season.

Even without head coach Steve Kerr, who is away from the team to deal with lingering affects from back surgery in 2015, and assistant coach Mike Brown moving into Kerr’s chair for the second straight game (and for the foreseeable future), the Warriors played the brand of basketball that has become must-see-television for the past three seasons under Kerr in Game 4.

Curry shot 12-of-20 from the field, including 7-of-11 on 3s to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds in 30 minutes.

Draymond Green added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 33 minutes. Green, who by all accounts is the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, leads all players with 4.7 blocks per game in the playoffs.

Klay Thompson, who struggled for most of the series shooting 37-percent from the field and 35-percent on 3s, bounced back in the clincher with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting (3-of-5 on 3s) in 30 minutes.

Kevin Durant returned back in the starting lineup, adding 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes.

Durant was sidelined in both Games 2 and 3 with a strained left calf, showed no signs of the injury whenever he drove the ball to the basket as evident of his dunk that increased Golden State’s lead to 22-3 at one point.

Golden State’s hot three-point shooting was in true form in Game 4, as the team knocked down 17-of-29 (58.6-perecent) from beyond the arc. The team had 27 assists (with 10 turnovers) on 46 made baskets (53.5-percent) from the floor, while holding a 45-39 edge on the boards.

The Warriors jumped out early on the Trail Blazers, scoring 45 points in the first quarter tying an NBA record for most points in a single quarter (Portland had 22 at the end of the first quarter). The Houston Rockets scored 45 points against Golden State on May 25, 2015 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven conference semifinals, per ESPN Stats and Information.

Portland was hit with a massive uppercut by the Warriors in the first quarter that they never recovered from the rest of the game.

Golden State started off hot in the first quarter, going on a 14-0 run before Portland scored their first basket, a three-pointer by Evan Turner. Golden State shot 15-of-18 in the first quarter and led as much as 33 points in the game.

By halftime, the game was never in doubt when Golden State was leading 72-48.

But Portland’s season really came to an end when Curry drained a rainbow three-pointer from 31-feet that pushed the Warriors’ lead to 104-77 late in the third quarter that sucked the final breath out of the Trail Blazers.

Damian Lillard, Oakland’s native son, tried to will Portland as he’s done for most of the season, led the Trail Blazers with 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting to go along with six assists. Lillard was given a standing ovation by the remainder of the Moda Center crowd when he left the floor at the 6:12 mark in the fourth quarter.

Al-Farouq Aminu finished with 25 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes and Shabazz Napier scored 14 points off the bench for the Trail Blazers, who just completed their fourth-straight playoff appearance under head coach Terry Stotts.

Per ESPN Stats and Information, this is the first time since 1999 that the Trail Blazers have been swept in a best-of-seven series when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, who went on to win their first NBA championship in franchise history after the NBA players’ lockout shorten the season to 50 games.

The real dud of the night was the performance of shooting guard, C.J. McCollum in the biggest game of the season for Portland which was real head scratching to watch.

After averaging 28.0 points per game in the series, McCollum was nowhere to be found in as he couldn’t buy a basket for most of the game.

McCollum started the first half shooting 0-of-7 from the floor.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, that was McCollum’s second scoreless first half of the season. McCollum finished the game 2-of-12 from the floor for just six points.

With the Jazz-Clippers series tied at 2-2, Golden State won’t play another game until this weekend which will give the team a  chance to rest. Getting players like Shawn Livingston (right index finger sprain) and Matt Barnes (right ankle/foot sprain) additional rest will be key for Golden State.

Livingston hasn’t played since Game 1, while Barnes hasn’t been available for the entire series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Dribbles: Short-handed Warriors put 3-0 stranglehold on Trail Blazers

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

PORTLAND — Stephen Curry scored a game-high 34 points to go along with eight assists and Klay Thompson finished with 24 points and the Warriors erased a 16-point third quarter deficit to put the Trail Blazers on the brink of elimination with a hard-fought 119-113 victory Saturday night in Portland.

Both Curry (10-of-25) and Thompson (8-of-21) struggled in the first half before finding their respective strokes in the second half.

Andre Iguodala scored 16 points and Patrick McCaw (starting his second career postseason game), added 11 points.

Draymond Green had another stat-sheet filling night with nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and six blocks.

With the win, Golden State snaps a five-game postseason losing streak in Game 3s. Through the first three games, Golden State’s +47 combined win margin is the largest for any playoff series in franchise history.

Golden State can send the Trail Blazers fishing for the summer with a win in Game 4 on Monday night in Portland.

Without head coach Steve Kerr (illness), Kevin Durant (calf), Shaun Livingston (hand), and Matt Barnes (ankle),  the Golden State Warriors resembled more of the walking wounded rather than the NBA’s best team entering Game 3 of their best-of-7 series; but played smart and calm down the stretch that resulted in the victory.

Check out my takeaways below that led to Golden State’s win:

Golden State owned the third quarter: Trailing 82-66 after a Damian Lillard finger roll with 6:20 left in the third quarter, the Warriors stormed back with a 19-1 run, taking an 85-83 lead when JaVale McGee slammed through a lob with 2:01 left in the quarter.

Golden State overcame a 16-point hole and 52-42 rebounding edge by the Blazers to neutralize Portland to 30.4-percent shooting for the quarter. During their hot run, Golden State held Portland to 0-of-8 shooting, with three turnovers.

Per ESPN Stats and Information, Thompson made more 3s in the third (4) than total field goals made (3) in the first half.

The Warriors ended the third quarter on a 21-6 run.

Take another bow, McGee: There’s no question that Curry and Thompson were huge in Golden State’s second half comeback, but the play of McGee in Game 3 was just as vital.

McGee, who has been referenced as a “vertical spacer” by the Warriors’ coaching staff, has been just that against the Trail Blazers this series with his penchant for catching the lob pass for hammering dunks.

In 16 minutes on the floor tonight, McGee scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, to go along with four rebounds. The reserve center was +24 whenever he was on the court.

When you combine his performances from Game 1 (6 points on 3-of-4 FG) and Game 2 (15 points on 7-of-7 shooting) with his line from Game 3 (14 points on 6-of-8 shooting), McGee has scored 35 points on 16-of-19 shooting.

Portland’s backcourt is fun to watch and aren’t the problem: Through the first three games, Lillard and C.J. McCollum have made life difficult for the NBA’s second-ranked defense during the regular season with their ability to score nearly at will. Outside of Game 2, Portland’s electrifying backcourt has torched Golden State:

In Game 1: 75 of Portland’s 109 points on 38-of-54 shooting (7-of-15 3FG).

In Game 2: 23 of Portland’s 80 points on 9-of-34 shooting (1-of-7 3FG).

In Game 3: 63 of Portland’s 119 points on 20-of-46 shooting (10-of-22 3FG).

McCollum led all Trail Blazers with 32 points and Lillard finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in Game 3, where Portland was feeding off of its raucous crowd.

Portland did get center Jusuf Nurkic back in the starting lineup for Game 3 after missing the first two games of the series with a non-displaced fracture in his left leg he suffered late in the season that caused him to miss the final seven games.

Nurkic finished with two points and 11 rebounds in 17 minutes of action and was a non-factor.

Al-Farouq Aminu had 14 points and nine rebounds to lead Portland’s bench, while Noah Vonleh added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Allen Crabbe, whose struggled in the series shooting just 33-percent from the floor, scored eight.

Golden State held the edge in points in the paint (46-38) and fastbreak points (22-6).

Extra Dribbles: Without Durant, Warriors wallop Trail Blazers in Game two 110-81

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 19, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images via AP, Pool)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — Even without star forward Kevin Durant, who didn’t play due to a left calf strain, the Golden State Warriors were able to impose their will in dominating fashion to take a 2-0 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers 110-81 Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Portland.

Check out my takeaways below that led to Golden State’s win in the best-of-7 first-round series:

The Splash Brothers were just damp in Game 2

Stephan Curry (6 of 18 FG) led Golden State with 19 points and Klay Thompson (6 of 17 FG) added 16 points, but the duo combined to shoot just 12 of 35 from the floor (7 of 20 3FG).

Curry couldn’t find the bottom of the basket in the first half, shooting 2 of 10 from the floor with 6 points and 4 assists, while Thompson started cold in the first half, knocking down just 3 of 9 from the floor for 8 points.

Patrick McCaw, who started in place of Durant, had nine points and five rebounds.

I don’t expect the Warriors prized backcourt to have another slow shooting night, especially in Portland, where Golden State will be greeted by a rabid Moda Center in prime time.

Golden State jumped out to a 33-17 lead in the first quarter, shooting 13 of 22 from the field on 11 assists, before finishing with a 31 to 17 assist advantage over the Trail Blazers.

The Warriors turned up the defense in the opening frame, holding Portland to just 6 of 21 from the field.

Golden State’s biggest lead of the game was 32 points 96-64 midway through the fourth quarter.

Draymond Green is always on time: Although he didn’t score 19 points tonight as he did in Game 1 finishing with just 6, Green was up to his old tricks again filling up the stat sheet.

Green recorded 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 2, a nice follow up to his 19 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Game 1.

Center of attention: There are still times where I scratch my head and wonder how are the Warriors making lemonade out of their weakest position, center?

JaVale McGee actually led Golden State in scoring at halftime, piling up 15 points on 7 of 7 shooting. Granted, a bunch of those shots were putbacks and one spin-move that left Trail Blazers center Noah Vonleh’s head spin.

McGee scored 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting in Game 1 before coming alive for the Warriors in Game 2.

Throw in Zsa Zsa Pachulia’s 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting, James Michael McAdoo’s 7 points on 2 of 5 shooting, and Damian Jones’s free throw, Golden State’s big men contributed 33 points on 14 of 20 shots from the floor.

The Warriors controlled the paint, outscoring Portland 50 to 36 inside and held a 54 to 47 rebounding edge.

There is no secret that the loss of center Jusef Nurkic has been a glaring hole for Portland, who are hoping that the big man could suit up when the Trail Blazers return home for Games 3 and 4.

After gigantic performances in Game 1, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were duds in Game 2: Look, the writing is on the wall for the Trail Blazers. Portland has a backcourt that is comparable to the Splash Brothers, but they can’t do it by themselves.

After combining for 75 points on 52% shooting (7 of 15 3FG) in Game 1, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum couldn’t carry Portland in Game 2 as Lillard and McCollum combined for 23 points on 9 of 34 from the floor.

Golden State put the clamps on Portland’s dynamic backcourt after the pair were virtually un-guardable in Game 1.

McCollum finished with a career playoff-high with 41 points while draining four 3-pointers, but was just 4 of 17 from the floor.

Lillard was missing in action as the Warriors held the Oakland product to just 12 points on 5 of 14 shooting.

Lillard and McCollum are fantastic scorers, but it was forward Maurice Harkless who led Portland with 15 points and eight rebounds in Game 2.

Shabazz Napier was the only other Portland player in double digits with 10 points. Allen Crabbe shot just 3 of 10 in Game 2, finishing with just 6 points and was 0 of 4 from beyond the arc.

This was Golden State’s 12th win in their last 13 meetings with Portland in the postseason. The last time Portland defeated Golden State in the playoffs, it was in Game 3 of last season’s Western Conference Semifinals.

 

 

 

Extra Dribbles: Durant shows he’s ready for long postseason run with Warriors

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates during the second half of Game 1 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, April 16, 2017. The Warriors won 121-109. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The whole basketball world knows that the only way that it’s championship-or-bust for the Golden State Warriors this season.

Even after leading the NBA in wins for a third-straight season (67-15), if the Warriors don’t bring home their second Larry O’Brien trophy in three years, the 2016-17 season will be considered a failure.

Period.

But forward Kevin Durant and the top-seeded Warriors look like they are ready to claim their rightful place as the best team in the NBA at the end of June, after holding off the visiting eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers 121-109 victory Sunday in front of frenzied, sold out Oracle Arena in Game 1 of the first-round series.

Here are a few of my takeaways from Golden State’s win:

Durant is big time: Durant finished with a team-high 32 points to go along with 10 rebounds in his playoff debut with Golden State. Durant shot 12 of 20 from the floor and showed no signs of a player who missed 19 games in the second half before returning for the Warriors’ final three games of the season due to a recent knee injury.

“The game ratchets up when you get into the playoffs,” Durant said after the game. “I definitely felt good out there.”

Entering Sunday’s playoff game, Durant is averaging 28.8 points and eight rebounds per game in 91 career playoff games, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Another day at the office for Mr. Green: Draymond Green continues to be the heartbeat of the Warriors and it was business as usual for Green after recording a near triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocked shots (two that kept Oracle buzzing), and three steals.

With all due respect to Durant, Stephen Curry (29 points, 9/19 FG, 5 REB, 4 AST) and Klay Thompson (15 points, 6/16 FG, 1/6 3FG), Green is vital for Golden State to win the title this year. Green is the emotional leader of the team, the guy who brings his lunchbox and hard hat to work game-in, game-out, and possibly, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but not much more: McCollum tied a Trail Blazers franchise record for most points in the first half of a playoff game with 27, and Damian Lilliard scored 21 points as Portland’s backcourt combined to score 48 of the team’s 56 points at half time.

McCollum finished with a playoff career-high 41 points on 16 of 28 and eight rebounds, while Lillard scored 34 points on 12 of 26 shooting and five rebounds.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Lillard and McCollum are the first Trail Blazers teammates to score 34 or more points in a playoff game since Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter on May 19, 1992. Their 75 points were two off the franchise playoff record by teammates.

That sounds all good,  but Portland won’t win a game in the series if their star-studded backcourt has to continue to shoulder the load and not get any help from the role players.

Maurice Harkless was the only other Trail Blazer who had double-digit shot attempts (5/13 FG) and finished with 11 points. Evan Turner scored 12 points.

Portland’s bench was missing in action, scoring just nine points, while reserve guard Ian Clark scored 12 of Golden State’s 22 points off the bench.

The Trail Blazers were without center Jusuf Nurkic, who missed the game with a non-displaced fracture in his right leg.

Game 2 is Wednesday back in Oakland. Golden State is hoping that reserve forward Matt Barnes, who didn’t play in Game 1 due to an ankle injury, is ready to go.

Golden State held the rebounding edge (45-38) and shot 53.1% (43/81 FG) from the floor, while holding Portland to 43% shooting (40/93 FG) for the game.

 

 

 

It’s Just My Opinion: KD’s absence puts speed bump on Warriors’ season

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AP photo file: Former Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes, right, goes to the basket over Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Barnes returns to Golden State in light of the Kevin Durant injury on Tuesday night (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — OK  Warriors fans you can breathe a bit easier this morning after hearing that forward Kevin Durant’s knee injury isn’t season-ending.

Durant injured his left knee in the first minute of Golden State’s 112-108 loss to the Wizards in Washington Tuesday night. The injury occurred on a loose-ball situation after Wizards center Marcin Gortat fouled Warriors center Zsa Zsa Pachulia, who then fell back on Durant’s left leg. Durant jumped back and tried to run off the injury, but was in obvious pain before walking off the court on his own power and into the locker room.

Durant will miss at least four weeks with a sprained MCL and bruised tibial bone in his left leg, the team announced Wednesday. The small forward will be out indefinitely, but will be re-evaluated.

Durant leads the team in scoring (25.3 points per game), free throw makes (5.5) and attempts (6.3) per game, rebounding (8.2 rpg) and blocks (1.6 bpg).

The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears received a text message from Warriors forward Draymond Green said that he is “relieved” by the diagnosis.

“I’m definitely relieved. I thought it would be way worse,” Green wrote. “Being away weeks sucks, but we will take that over what was initially thought.”

The Warriors (50-10) have the best record in the league and now with Durant’s injury, their perch atop the Western Conference could be in jeopardy with second-place San Antonio (45-13) hot on Golden State’s heels at just four games back.

San Antonio rocked Golden State 129-100 in Durant’s first game with Golden State at Oracle Arena after nine season with the Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder organization.

The Spurs and Warriors meet up twice this month, both in San Antonio.

For Golden State, it will be second game of a back-to-back after playing in Minneapolis and Houston respectively the previous night.

The play of Green, and guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will need to step up their individual games even more. Durant’s absence will be felt, but it will be up to the Warriors other three All-Stars to lead Golden State down the stretch heading into the playoffs.

Curry and Thompson both have struggled to shoot the three-ball post the All-Star break.

Curry is really in a shooting slump, connecting on just 2-of-20 of his 3s in his last two games. The two-time league MVP was converted 41 percent of his 3s before the break, but is just shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc post break.

Thompson is shooting just 31 percent from 3 post break after shooting 42 percent before the break.

Before racking up 24 points, 25 assists, and 14 rebounds while shooting 11-for-21 from the field in his last two games, Green struggled in the two games prior, totaling 12 points, six assists, and 14 rebounds.

Golden State is expected to sign free agent forward Matt Barnes for the remainder of the season in the wake of Durant’s injury, per Chris Haynes and Marc Stein of ESPN.

The Warriors will reportedly first sign free agent Jose Calderon, fulfilling their pledge to the 12-year veteran, before adding Barnes to fill void vacated by Durant.

Barnes was averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with the Kings before being waived shortly before Thursday’s trade deadline last week.

This will be Barnes’ second go-around with Golden State.

Barnes played with Golden State from 2006-08 and was part of the “We Believe” Warriors team led by Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Jason Richardson that squeaked in the playoffs as an eight seed and knocked off the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2007.

Barnes told Spears of The Undefeated that his return to Golden State is “a dream come true.”

The versatile Barnes, who turns 37 on Mar. 9, brings another solid defender with toughness on the wing to go along with Green and swingman Andre Iguodala for Golden State.

The addition of Barnes isn’t a earth-shattering move by Golden State, but it does give the Warriors some flexibility to sustain Durant’s absence for the foreseeable future.

 

Sacramento Kings Saturday game wrap: What a difference a day makes – Kings beat the Warriors 109-106 in OT

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Darren Collison drives past Klay Thompson Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–There is an old song that Dinah Washington made famous (that’s for all of my readers who have lived a little) titled “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”. That would be a fitting title for the Sacramento Kings 109-106 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

On Friday night, the Kings dropped a last second decision to the Phoenix Suns when Devin Booker banked in a jump shot at the final buzzer to hand Sacramento a painful 105-103 loss.

The way the Kings responded to that loss and the effort they would put forth versus the team with the best record in “the Association” was really critical for how this team would play for the rest off the season. They also had to face a Golden State franchise that had won the last 13 consecutive meetings between the two teams. All in all, the odds looked stacked against Sacramento.

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do by coming out and starting the game strong. Cousins scored 12 points in the opening 12 minutes and the Kings needed those points as Warriors superstar Steph Curry posted 14 points of his own in the opening quarter. Sacramento took a 31-27 lead after the first period.

The second quarter brought new stars to the floor as the second units came into the game. Kings reserve center Willie Cauley-Stein scored 12 points hitting on 6-of-8 shooting in 11-minutes of playing time. Klay Thompson took over the offense for the “Dubs” scoring 11 points for his squad.

At the end of 24 minutes, the game was tied at 56-all.

The third period brought more of the same high-pace scoring action that had been seen in the first half. The Warriors scored 26 points behind outstanding 3-point shooting (6-for-12, 50-percent). It was the traditional “Splash Brothers” tandem of Thompson (11) and Curry (9) that led the attack for the Warriors.

Sacramento also posted 26 points in the third quarter shooting 50-percent from the field (9-for-18) and going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Cousins (9), Collison (8) and McLemore (6) handled most of the scoring for the Kings.

At the end of three periods, the score was Golden State 82-Sacramento 82.

There was one other important incident in the third quarter. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was ejected from the game with 3:34 remaining in the period for arguing a foul call with the officials. Kerr was issued the first technical foul and that enraged him enough that he ran unto the floor after the referee. Needless to say, the second “tech-foul” was issued immediately.

“I was mad about a lot of things, but I got what I deserved. I deserved to be ejected, so I had no complaints. I was really angry about some calls and like I said, I got mad and I deserved to get kicked out”.

On to the fourth quarter which if you had to give it a title would be known as the “Ugly Quarter”. Both teams had difficulty executing. Golden State shot 28.6-percent (6-for-21) and went 1-for-8 from 3-point range in the period. The Warriors scored just 16 points.

The Kings shot 33.3-percent (7-for-21) and hit 2-of-4 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Sacramento did not go to the free throw line one time in the period. The Kings put 16 points in the book.

At the end of regulation, the Warriors and Kings were tied at 98-98.

The Kings roared into overtime like they owned it by going on a 7-0 run. The Warriors first point in OT came off a made free throw by Draymond Green with 2:39 to go in the extra period.

The Warriors cut the Kings lead to one point when Green scored on a fast break dunk with 41.1 left on the clock. Cousins missed a 15-foot jump shot and the Curry missed a layup opportunity off the Warriors rebound.

Following a Golden State timeout, Curry missed a jump shot that Collison rebounded and who was fouled immediately. Curry fouled Darren Collison on the inbounds play with 2.5 to play. Collison converted both free throws and sealed the win for the Kings 109-106.

The OT win ends some very negative streaks for the Kings (20-31)

  1. The win ended a 13-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors. The last time the Kings had defeated the Warriors was on March 27, 2013.
  2. The overtime victory also ended a four-game home losing streak. The Kings have yet to establish a true homecourt advantage in their new Golden 1 Center home. This win could be a foundational victory that helps establish a “not in my house” attitude.
  3. This big win also stopped a three-game losing streak that carried over from the Kings “eight-game road trip from hell” with losses in Philly and Houston.

The loss ended a very positive streak for the “Dubs” (43-8)

  1. The Warriors had won five games in a row prior to the overtime loss to the Kings on Saturday night.
  2. The loss also ends a steak of incredible of domination over another professional franchise

Who did what in the game

Kings

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Cousins takes to the rack Photo NBAE
  • DeMarcus Cousins scored a team-high 32 points to with 12 rebounds to record a double-double. He was one assist – nine – shy of a triple-double. He also had two steals and one blocked shot. “Big win. It shows this team has a lot of character, a lot of fight, especially coming off the loss we had last night. Complete team effort – I think this was our most complete game of the season.”
  • Darren Collison recorded 18 points and three assists. He shot 8-for-13 from the field.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein put 14 points in the book in just 17-minutes on the floor. He also had four rebounds and two steals.
  • Ben McLemore had another good night as a starter scoring 10 points in 29-minutes of playing time.
  • The Kings bench scored 45 points compared to just 16 points for the GSW bench.
  • Sacramento shot 44.9-percent from the field (43-for-88) and hit 7-of-23 from 3-point land in the game. They converted 16-of-19 free throws (84.2-percent).
  • The Kings outscored the Warriors 56-34 in the paint.

 

Warriors

  • Steph Curry scored a game-high 35 points and added nine assists in the game. He hit on 8-of-14 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
  • Klay Thompson made “the Splash Brothers” effect present by adding 25 points against the Kings. He hit on 10-of-25 shots from the floor including sinking four 3-pointers.
  • Draymond Green put up 16 points in the contest. He also had eight rebounds and six assists
  • Kevin Durant had what has to called a “quiet” night. KD put just 10 points in the book and grabbed nine rebounds.
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Cauley-Stein goes sky high versus the Warriors Photo NBAE

Coaches analysis of the game

Kings head coach Dave Joerger

  • That’s a good win – heck of a basketball game.
  • Second night of a back to back for us and guys competing and staying together and being rewarded for staying together and battling through.
  • It is a happy locker room and they should feel really good.

Warriors head man Steve Kerr

  • It was one of the worst games we’ve played all season.
  • We had no purpose.
  • The ball didn’t move.
  • I didn’t recognize our team out there tonight.

Up next on the schedule

  • The Warriors are off until Wednesday, February 8th when they will host the Bulls in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
  • The Kings host the Bulls on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center.

 

 

 

The Warriors do it again, race past the Hornets for another victory

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors never trailed in the game against the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday Evening at Oracle Arena. The Dubs came out with guns blazing as they started strong and sent the Hornets down to their sixth straight loss 126-111. The Dubs led by as much by 30 but head coach Steve Kerr rested his regulars in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors were without the services of three key players Wednesday night. Center Zaza Pachulia injured his right shoulder Sunday night in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers as he dove to the floor trying to get control of a loose ball. He has a strained rotator cuff and will be out for a week. David West, who has been out for two weeks with a broken thumb, was not available and should be ready soon. Backup forward/guard Shaun Livingston did not play either. None of this mattered as Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson put on a show in the first half. Steph scored 26 in the half and made 7 3-point shots. Klay also had 26, and he made 4 3-pointers. Kevin Durant had just 7 in the first 24 minutes of play, and the Warriors led 77-56 at the intermission. They outscored the Hornets by 20 in the first quarter as they led 41-21. The Dubs scored 36 in the second quarter but the Hornets found some rhythm, and they kept pace scoring 35 points.

The Warriors kept it going in the third quarter. Steph continued to make 3-point shots, and the Hornets could not keep pace as Golden State led by thirty 96-66 at one point in the period. The Hornets cut the deficit to 25, but the game was well in hand as the quarter finished with the Dubs comfortably leading 108-83. As mentioned earlier, Kerr removed the starters from the game. The backups made a few turnovers and Charlotte outscored the Dubs 28-18 to cut the deficit to 15. The Warriors win 126-111.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors number one draft pick, Damian Jones, scored his first points ever in the NBA. He took a pass from James Michael McAdoo and made the layup for the bucket. The Warriors bench was all smiles. Jones scored two more for a total of four for the night. /Steph finished the night with 39 points,8 assists, and 5 rebounds in just 31 minutes of action. Klay Thompson also had a big night with 29 points, 8 assists, and 5 boards. Kevin Durant had 18 and had 8 assists and 8 rebounds as he was superb on defense again.Draymond Green’s lime was 8 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. JaVale McGee, starting in place of Pachulia, knocked dow 9 and he, too, had 4 blocked shots. The Warriors bench contributed 23 points in helping win the game. The Warriors shut down the Hornets’ leading scorer Kemba Walker holding him to just 7 points. Scoring leader for the Hornets was big Frank Kaminski. Kaminski did not start, but he was able to score 24 and was a force on defense. Marvin Williams had 14, Nicolas Batum 13, and former Warrior Marco Belinelli added 12.

The Warriors shot 49% from the floor. They made 21 3-point shots good for 43.8% They Hornets shot 44.3% from the floor and made 9 three-point shots in thirty-one attempts. The Warriors defense had 9 steals, 11 blocks, and 47 rebounds. The Dubs scored 38 fast break points and outscore the Hornets 42-40 in points scored in the paint.

The Warriors improve to 42-7 while Charlotte drops to 23-27. The Warriors play another back-to-back game Thursday night as they travel to LA to face the Clippers. Hame time is at 7:30 pm.

 

The Warriors do it again, win their sixth in a row over the Houston Rockets 125-108

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors are on a roll. They beat the Houston Rockets in Houston by a score of 125-108. The Warriors continue to play great defense as the held the Rockets All-Star James Harden to just 17 points. The Warriors led by five at the half 62-57. However, as they have done so often this season, they put it into gear and outscored the Rockets 37-22 to lead by twenty at the end of three periods of play.

They continue to shine on defense. They blocked seven shots and had eight steals. They continue to lead the NBA in both those categories. The big block of the night came in the fourth quarter when Kevin Durant blocked Eric Gordon’s 3-point shot. Gordon was 2-for-14  from the floor and ended the night with just six points.

With the win, the Warriors are now 37-6 for the season. The Rockets drop to 33-13 and are 2 games back of the San Antonio Spurs in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. All five Warrior starter were in double figures. KD had a big night with 32 points,7 assists, 4 boards, and 2 blocked shots. Steph Curry made 5 three-point shots and ended the night with 24 points and he, too, had 7 assists. Klay Thompson knocked down 16. The Dubs’ defensive whiz, Draymond Green continued his excellent season with 15 points, 7 assists,8 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.

Zaza Pachulia, who seems to be getting better as he gets used to the Warriors’ offense, recorded 10 points, 2 assists, and 9 rebounds. Andre Iguodala had 5 points, 2 assists, and 9 big rebounds helping the Dubs to the win. Patrick McCaw and James Michael McAdoo, who is filling in for the injured David West, each had 8 points. James Harden had a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists. Harden also committed 7 turnovers.Clint Capela scored 22, Sam Dekker 17, Patrick Beverly,13, and Trevor Aziza 12.

The Warriors have recorded 30 or more assists for the fourth game in a row and the 30th time this season. No other team in the NBA has had more than 8 games with 30 or more assists.

The Warriors have now beaten three of the five teams that have defeated them so far this year. They evened the series with a convincing win over the Cleveland Cavaliers last Monday. They beat the Lakers in November after an embarrassing early season loss in LA. They now defeated the Rockets to get a measure of revenge as the Rockets beat the Dubs in double-overtime at Oracle Arena in December. The Dubs now have to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, and San Antonio Spurs to get even. They play Memphis twice in February, once in Memphis and once at Oracle. They play the Sputs two more time, and both games will be in San Antonio.

The Warriors fly to the Sunshine State to play the Orlando Magic. Game time is at, gulp, 9 am Sunday morning. They play the Miami Heat on Monday.

Golden State outruns the Kings 117-106 upping their win streak to 13 over SAC

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

Golden State Warriors v Sacramento Kings
Rudy Gay attacks the basket versus the Warriors Photo:NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento — The Golden State Warriors played their first game in the new Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sunday night and found the new arena to their liking. The Warriors – who were coming off an overtime loss on Friday to Memphis – started the game slowly but recovered in the second half to post their 33rd victory of the season with a 117-106 win over the Sacramento Kings (15-22). The Kings have now lost three games in a row on this current homestand.

The Kings started the game with a high energy performance. Sacramento outscored the Warriors 33-24 in the first quarter behind a 15-point opening period barrage put on by Rudy Gay. Gay shot 6-for-8 from the floor including one 3-point basket. The Kings shot 54.2-percent (13-for-24) from the field and hit 4-of-10 shots from behind the 3-point line.

The Warriors began to work their way back into the game in the second quarter behind Klay Thompson’s 10 points. The Warriors won the second period 27-25 but the Kings went to halftime with a 58-51 lead having never trailed Golden State in the first 24 minutes of play.

The real Golden State Warriors showed up in the third quarter. The Warriors followed the lead of Stephen Curry who scored 12 points while shooting 5-for-7 including two 3-pointers in the period. Golden State hit 60-percent of their field goals (15-for-25) and 50-percent of 3-point tries (4-of-8) en route to outscoring the Kings 39-22 in the quarter. The Warriors defense also tightened up holding DeMarcus Cousins to just three points and limiting the Kings to a 31.3 field goal percentage. Golden State led 90-80 at the end of three quarters.

The Kings tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter but while they shot very well (57.1-percent 8-for-14) Sacramento was unable to put together any type of run which is what they needed to really cut into the Golden State lead. The Warriors defense did an impressive job of keeping DeMarcus Cousins from becoming a factor holding him to just four points and two rebounds in the final period.

Golden State sets more records

The Warriors have now gone 124 consecutive regular-season games without a back-to-back loss which is an NBA record. Golden State has now won their last 17 regular-season games after loss with their victory on Sunday.

The win was also the Warriors 13th consecutive victory over the Kings. That is Golden State’s longest active win streak over any opponent. This win streak is the fourth-longest active win streak against one opponent in NBA history.

Top performers

Rudy Gay was the Kings star of the game in his second start since coming of the injury list with a hip flexor problem. The major portion of Gay’s production came in the first half, but he had a strong overall performance in his 35-minutes of playing time. Gay scored 23 points, had two assists and added two blocked shots. He went 9-for-17 from the floor including two 3-point baskets.

While this may seem cold, the Kings management has to be pleased with Gay’s performance because it has to make his trade value increase. Gay has already declared that he is going to opt-out of the final year of his contract with Sacramento. Several teams including the OKC Thunder have been rumored to be interested in the veteran forward. The Kings cannot afford to let a player of Gay’s talent go and not get something in return.

Would it painful to see him go? Yes. Does it have to happen? Virtually every expert observer of the game says the Kings must get something in return for Gay.

Picking the top performer for Golden State is easy. I’m sorry … excuse my yawn. Yes, it’s Stephen Curry. Curry scored 30 points, had six assists and added two steals to his box score. The MVP shot 11-for-22 overall and 5-for-11 from 3-point land. Simply put, the man is just incredible.

Co-stars of the game

For the Kings, it has to be DeMarcus Cousins. He posted another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He also had five assists, two steals and two blocks in the game. Only Cousins could have line like this and have people say that he had an off-game. The Warriors defense did make it a very tough night for the Sacramento all-star center.

The Golden State defense gets the nod for their co-star of the game. When you can take DeMarcus Cousins out of the game, a defense has done something right. They used the double-team to perfection while still covering the potential open shooters and were very physical with Cousins. Zaza Pachulia proved he can hold his own down low against star centers.

Kevin Durant get honorable mention with 28 points, six assists and four blocked shots.

Key stats that made a difference in the game

  • Points in the paint: Warriors 52 Kings 36 – this is an area the Kings usually do not lose
  • 2nd chance points: Warriors 10 Kings 2 the next stat will explain this one
  • Rebounds: Warriors 46 (13 offense) Kings 31 (1 offense) another category the Kings do not lose
  • Fast break points: Warriors 28 Kings 3

Cousins technical foul

DeMarcus Cousins was called for a lose ball foul with 4:14 left to go in the first half of the game. As with most lose ball fouls, if you are a Warriors fan, it was a righteous call. If you are a Kings fan, it was a complete injustice.

Cousins thought it was a complete injustice. He let referee David Guthrie know what he thought of the call. Cousins then went to the bench and beat up a chair (Bobby Knight had to be so proud). Referee John Goble felt sorry for the chair and called a technical foul on Cousins – his 10th of the season. While not pretty, I am not sure the incident was worthy of a “tech”.

chair-gsw
Cousins vs the chair Video capture from CSN

There was a feeling by some observers that Cousins play was still affected by the incident into the third quarter. His coach Dave Joerger did not agree. Joerger felt it was a combination of a strong Golden State defensive scheme and fatigue that influenced Cousins production in the second half.

Up next on the schedule

The Kings head back to the court on Tuesday when they will host the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons beat the Trail Blazers 125-124 in double-overtime on Sunday.

The Warriors will also go back to work on Tuesday when they will host the Miami Heat.

The Warriors rebound from the loss to the Grizzlies as they defeat the Sacramento Kings 117-106

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Sacramento- The Golden State Warriors traveled the I-80 to Sacramento Sunday night to face the Kings at the new Golden 1 Arena. The Warriors, still smarting from their stunning loss to Memphis Friday night, did not get off to a good start against the Kings. The Kings, behind red-hot Rudy Gay and Ty Lawson, led the Warriors by 16  two-thirds of the way in the second quarter. The Kings’ big man, DeMarcus Cousins committed his third foul with 4:14 left in the half. Cousins came out of the game. As he went to the bench, he lost his temper and pounded his chair. He was charged with a technical foul.The Warriors started to play defense and were able to cut the deficit to 7 as they trailed 58-51 at the end of 24 minutes of play.

The Warriors, as they have done so may times this season, owned the third quarter. They started the period with a 19-7 run and took the lead for the first time with 7:34 left in the quarter. They outscored the Kings 39-22 to finish the third quarter leading 90-80. The Dubs, behind the superb defensive skills of Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Andre Iguodala, did not let the Kings back into the game. The Warriors outscored the Kings 27-26 and won the game by a final score of 117-106.

Game Notes- Steph Curry led the Dubs with 30 points. Steph made 5  3-point shots and had 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Steph has now scored 30 or more points in his last 3 games. Kevin Durant knocked down 28 to go along with six assists, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. Zaza Pachulia scored 10, and it was his fourth straight game in double figures. Draymond Green had 10 assists for the 12th time this season and the third time in his last four games.  Draymond kicked in with nine points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Andre Iguodala posted 8 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Warriors had 30 assists in a game for the 26th time this season. The Kings had six players in double figures. Rudy Gay had 23, DeMarcus Cousins 17, Anthony Tolliver 16, Darren Collison 14, Garrett Temple 14, and Ty Lawson 15.

The Warriors shot 50.6% from the floor and made 10 3-point shots. They Warriors outrebounded the Kings 46-31 and had 13 offensive rebounds. The Dubs blocked 6 shots and had 11 steals.They turned the ball over 17 times, and the Kings were able to score 24 points off those turnovers. The Dubs excelled in the paint as they scored 52 points. They also outscored Sacramento 28-3 in fast break points.

The Warriors defeated the Kings for the 13th straight time. The last time the Kings beat the Dubs was March 27th, 2013 and the last time the Dubs lost in Sacramento was on December 19th, 2012. The Warriors have now played 124 games without back-to-back losses.

The Warriors return home to face the Miami Heat Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm. They play the Detroit Pistons Thursday night at Oracle and then meet the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday Night January 16th (Martin Luther King Day) at 5:00 pm.The game will be on National TV.