Tag: Warriors

Warriors Bury Nuggets, Win 16th Conescutive Home Game

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

James Michael McAdoo’s loyalty to the Golden State Warriors has paid off, possibly far sooner than the forward expected.

Just hours after singing a 10-day contract with the Warriors, McAdoo found himself on the court at Oracle Arena.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel started the season in training camp with the Warriors after going undrafted, but was ultimately waived as the Dubs trimmed their roster.

With multiple NBA offers on the table thanks to his impressive play with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League, the talented 22-year-old opted to return to the team that first put faith in him. In return, the coach Steve Kerr inserted him into the rotation during today’s 122-79 blowout of the Denver Nuggets.

McAdoo saw just 12:37 of game-time, collecting 11 points in his NBA Debut, but wasn’t asked to do the heavy lifting. That responsibility fell to the Splash Brothers, and deliver they did.
Stephen Curry (20 points) and Klay Thompson (22) combined for 42 points. The duo each went 7-for-13 shooting.
Reserves Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston chipped in 12 points apiece. As a team, the Warriors hit an impressive 54.3 percent shooting.

The Nuggets (18-23), losers of three-straight, scuffled in the face of the Warriors defensive presence, shooting just 34.5 percent from the field for the night. Golden State’s stout defending handed the home team a 55-28 lead at the half, allowing the Warriors to cruise through the final two quarters for the romp. The Nuggets cracked 20-plus points in only one quarter, scoring 32 in the third, while being held to 15, 13 and 19 points in the other three periods.

With the win, the Warriors (33-6) have now matched the franchise record in consecutive home wins with 16. The NBA-leadings Dubs get a chance to break the tie Wednesday night when they welcome the Houston Rockets to Oracle Arena.

Warriors Disappoint Against Lowly Lakers

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

For the first time in a successful debut season, rookie Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr cannot explain away a loss. It only took four times in the loser’s column for the Warriors (23-4) to final complete a game that, upon completion, had no silver lining.

The season’s first shortcoming against the Spurs proved a teaching moment for the then turnover-prone Dubs, but San Antonio is the defending champions for a reason. When the Warriors fell to the Phoenix Suns, it was a case of not having enough gas to truck through the second half of a back-to-back. The recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was a clash of the best of the Western Conference giants.

Tuesday night, the Warriors dropped a 115-105 decision to the lowly Los Angeles Lakers (9-19) at the Staples Center. Despite coach Byron Scott giving Lakers perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant a night off, the Warriors failed to stymy an offensive outburst from the home team. LA hit 46 of 89 field goals, good for 51.7 percent, turning Golden State’s routinely stout defense to Swiss cheese.

Seven Lakers cracked double-digit scoring, with Carlos Boozer (18 points) and starter Ronnie Price (17) leading the charge. Boozer went 8 for 11 from the floor in his 26 minutes of work, coming a rebound shy of a double-double.

Stephen Curry topped the Dubs with 22 points on 10 of 14 makes to attempts. Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson made six baskets and hit a pair of free throws, but also missed on another 11 shot attempts. In just his second game back from a hamstring injury, David produced 12 points in his 18 minutes of play off the bench.

The Warriors shot 46.4 percent as a team, just under two percent off their season mark and fell three rebounds shy of matching their foes at 42-39. Golden States’ downfall, aside from a loose defensive effort, was an inability to maintain possession. Kerr’s charges turned the ball over 19 times in LaLa land Tuesday, proving to keen to hand out gifts on the night before Christmas Eve.

The Warriors failed to outscore LA in a quarter until the fourth, but by then they were already down 95-73. A 32-20 Warriors fourth quarter turned the final score into a deceptively close margin of defeat.

The Warriors take Christmas Eve off before stealing center stage as the final Christmas Day game on the slate. With another SoCal rival, the Clippers, on the docket, it’s doubtful the Warriors will bring with them holiday cheer when they take the Staples Center court once again Thursday night.

Fab Five: Warriors Sweep Five-Game Road Trip With Win Over Detroit

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Make it a perfect five for the Golden State Warriors, who completed an undefeated quintuple-city road trip Sunday with a 104-93 win against the Detroit Pistons. Saginaw, Michigan Native Draymond Green collected a team-leading 20 points for Golden State. The Michigan State alum hit 5 of 8 from beyond the three-point line. Marreese Speights followed up his Friday night breakout with a 12-rebound performance to hand the Warriors (14-2) their ninth-straight victory.

The Pistons (3-14), losers of eight straight, took a 24-21 lead in the first, but the Warriors dominated the second fourth of play with a 32-16 run to etch out a 53-40 halftime lead. The Pistons cut the lead by two following a 31-2 scoring edge in the third, but 22 points a side allowed the Dubs to cruise to the 104-93 win.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46.8 percent from the field. They limited the hosts to only 33 of 91 from the field for a 36.3 shooting percentage. Golden State turned the ball over 16 times, but went to the free throw line 27 times, hitting 21 from behind the charity stripe. The Motor City side struggled from behind the line, hitting just 16 of 24 free throws.

The Pistons back court combo of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (23) and Brandon Jennings (22) combined for almost half the Pistons’ points. Pitching in along with Green for the Warriors were Stephen Curry’s 16 points over a limited 28 minutes and Klay Thompson’s 15. Curry collected a double-double, dishing out 10 assists, but left the game early with a sore left ankle. X-rays taken Sunday were negative.

The Warriors return home for a brief two-game homestand, starting with Tuesday night’s tilt against the Orlando Magic then a Thursday showdown with Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. After that, the road beckons once more, with the Warriors starting a two-game roadie against the Chicago Bulls.

Speights’ Fourth Quarter Onslaught Takes Sting Out Of Hornets

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors stayed scolding hot, coming from behind 106-101 on the road against the Charlotte Hornets for their eight-straight victory. Marreese Speights topped the Warriors (13-2) with 27 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, to salvage the Dubs chances on a night when the starting five under performed.

Speights hit 12 of 20 field goals, was a perfect three for three from the free throw line and added five rebounds in 23 minutes of work against the overmatched Hornets (4-13). The Warriors needed every ounce of effort considering Stephen Curry hit only 1 of 10 three pointers in his 26-point homecoming performance. Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson also struggled, going 7 for 22 from the floor.

As a team, the Warriors hit 42 of 99 attempts, but went 15 for 16 from the charity stripe. Brian Roberts was the only Hornet to crack the teens in scoring, collecting only 20 points. Center Al Jefferson pitched in 18 points, while Cody Zeller added 15. Zeller completed the double-double on his 14 rebounds. Warriors starters Draymond Green (10) and Harrison Barnes (9) led the visitors in boards.

Golden State found themselves ahead 28-24 after one quarter, but were outscored 31-21 in the second to find themselves down 55-49 at the half. The differential didn’t change after 36 minutes of play were in the books with both teams producing 25-point third quarters. Speights’ huge fourth quarter capped a 32-21 Warriors fourth quarter run for the victory.

The Warriors take Saturday off for travel, heading to Detroit for a Sunday showdown with the Pistons. A win in Motown would make Golden State a perfect 5-0 on its current road trip. They’ll return home for a pair midweek before hitting the road again for a Saturday matchup with the Chicago Bulls.

Splash Brothers Make Waves In Win Over Miami

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors continued their franchise-best start to a season, topping the host Miami Heat 114-117 to run their record to 11-2. Stephen Curry bounced back from a sub-par 15-point performance Sunday against the Thunder to score 40 points on 12 of 19 shooting to give the Warriors their sixth-straight win. The Warriors shot 57.3 from the field and turned the ball over just 11 times in the win.

Tuesday marked the seventh time in Curry’s career he cracked the 40-point plateau over his 37 minutes of play. The Warriors point guard hit an eye-popping 8 of 11 three-pointers. Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson pitched in with 24 points. Andrew Bogut led all players with ten rebounds after exiting Sunday’s contest in the first quarter with an apparent injury.

For the Heat (8-7), the final remaining member of the Big Three led the way. Center Chris Bosh scored 26 points on 10 of 19 from the field. He also topped the home team in rebounds with nine.

The Warriors trailed by as much as 16 in the second quarter but closed out the half on a 22-6 run to pull within one at 62-61. The two teams swapped the lead five times over the first 9:30 of the third quarter, but Golden State outpaced the Heat 11-7 down the stretch to take the lead one final time at 91-86. They then played their stingiest defense of the night, allowing only 11 points in the final frame to 23 of their own for the 114-97 final.

The Warriors won’t get much respite on the road, a place where they have been very successful this season. They’ll take their 6-1 record away from Oracle Arena to Orlando Wednesday night in game two of a Sunshine State back-to-back.

Warriors Bigs Center of Attention in Blowout Win over Lakers

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Golden State Warriors flexed their offensive muscle for a second consecutive night, routing the host Los Angeles Lakers 136-115 Sunday night after romping over the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night. Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut each earned double-doubles for the Warriors, while Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 44 points for the struggling Lakers (1-8).

Curry topped the Warriors (7-2) with 30 points and 15 assists, hitting 10 of 19 field goals and five threes, but it was the Golden State bigs that stole the spotlight. Marreese Speights collected 24 points, including 8 from the field while pulling down nine rebounds off the bench. Starting center Andrew Bogut cracked double digits in points in the first quarter, finishing the night with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Even Ognjen Kuzmic and Justin Holiday, called up from the Warriors D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, saw playing time with coach Steve Kerr electing to rest his starters with the game out of hand early.

The Warriors hit 46 of 86 field goals, good for a 53.5 shooting percentage. While the turnover numbers were still somewhat high, the 16 committed Sunday are an improvement on the NBA-worst 20.1 the Dubs are averaging a game.

With Bogut on fire in the first quarter, the Warriors took a 34-23 lead. 21 of the 23 points came courtesy of Bryant, with the Mamba bent on passing Michael Jordan’s career points total this season. A 40-32 Warriors scoring margin in the second quarter put Golden State up 74-57. They put up 41 points in the third, while yielding only 24 to Los Angeles. With the reserves in, the Lakers outscored their visitors 36-21 in garbage time for the final score of 136-115.

After winning both ends of a back-to-back, the Warriors get a lengthy respite. They next take the Oracle Arena hardwood Friday night against the Utah Jazz to kick seven straight games against teams at or below the .500 winning percentage.

Suns hand Warriors First Loss of the Season

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

Nobody’s perfect. That includes the Golden State Warriors. After starting the 2014-15 season off with a five game win-streak, the best start to a season since the mid-nineties, the Warriors (5-1) finally succumbed to an opponent Sunday night. In falling to the Phoenix Suns on the road 107-95, the Warriors were the last of the unbeaten teams to fall this season.

Golden State, missing David Lee for a second-consecutive contest due to a hamstring injury, also played without Klay Thompson. The shooting guard was pulled from the line-up suffering from a hand injury.

The Warriors were up 79-71 heading into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 36-16 in the final frame. For the second consecutive night, Golden State turned the ball over 26 times.

Stephen Curry was the highest scorer for a second straight night. The Warriors point guard notched a double-double, scoring 28 points to go along with 10 assists. He also turned the ball over a career-worst 10 times. Draymond Green, in the starting line-up as Lee’s substitute, put up 22 points.

Isaiah Thomas led the Suns (4-3) with 22 points off the bench, while starter Goran Dragic and reserve Gerald Green posted 19 points apiece.

The Warriors return home for a three-game homestand, with a contest against the scuffling defending champion San Antonio Spurs opening up the set on Tuesday. After that the Brooklyn Nets stop by Oracle on Thursday, then the Charlotte Hornets close out the trio of games Saturday.

Warriors Last of the Unbeatens Left Standing

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The list of the unbeaten in the NBA has been trimmed down to one. In a battle of teams with unblemished records, the Golden State Warriors topped the hosting Houston Rockets 98-87. Stephen Curry collected a double-double, scoring a game-high 34 points for the Warriors while reeling in 10 rebounds.

Curry hit 13 of 19 field goals and dished out five assists to hand the Rockets (6-1) their first loss of the 2014-15 season. Andre Iguodala pitched in 15 points off the bench while starter Draymond Green collected 14.

The Dubs (5-0) turned in their best defensive performance to date this year, holding the rockets to a .349 shooting percentage. Houston hit only 30 of 86 shots attempted. James Harden (22 points) and Isaiah Canaan (21 points) topped the Rockets in scoring.

The Rockets managed to outscore the Warriors 56-48 in the first half before the Warriors turned on the defense. The Dubs allowed a scant 21 points down the final 24 minutes while scoring 50 of their own for the victory.

Golden State puts its perfect record on the line in the second game of a back-to-back against in Phoenix Sunday. The Suns have played .500 basketball this season, winning three and losing three.

Warriors Continue Undefeated Preseason, Romp Lakers

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The preseason continues to be an unmitigated success for the Golden State Warriors following a 116-75 romp of the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday evening from Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Stephen Curry had a game-high 25 points for the Warriors, while fellow starters Klay Thompson (16)and David Lee (14) cracked double-digit scoring for the Dubs as well. The bench combined for 50 total points, led by Marreese Speights’ 11.

The Warriors held Kobe Bryant to just 3-of-13 shooting for a total of six points. Guard Wayne Ellington and center Robert Sacre topped the Lakers with 12 points apiece, with both players coming off the bench for their team-leading totals. Los Angeles starter Jordan Hill matched Warriors center Andrew Bogut with seven rebounds each.

Golden State lit up the hosts early, scoring just one point shy of 40 in the first quarter. The Warriors outscored the Lakers 24-23 in the second quarter to take a 63-36 lead at the midway point. Another 35-plus point quarter but the Dubs up 100-60 with three segments in the books. Neither team lit up the score sheet in the final fourth, with Golden State outpacing the Lakers 16-15 down the stretch to finish up the blowout.

Andre Iguodala, who had his nose broken in a game against these same Lakers on Thursday, played in a protective facemask. He once again starred in a preseason play that may call attention after Ronnie Price came out of his shoe trying to defend the Warriors point guard. Price tossed his shoe non-maliciously at Iguodala in an attempt to knock the ball loose.

The Warriors now roll on to Des Moines, Iowa where they will take on the Denver Nuggets. The October 16th contest will be played at the Wells Fargo Arena.

Warriors Unveil Preliminary Plans for New Arena

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met with the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee Thursday evening August 14th to discuss the preliminary site design concept for their new arena. The meeting lasted ninety minutes and over one hundred people jammed the meeting room to find out about the plans for the arena and to ask questions about the project.

The Warriors bought parcels 29,30,31 and 32 in Mission Bay. The parcels are bounded on the North by South St(no pun intended), Terry Francois Boulevard on the east, Third St on the west and 16th st on the south. The plan is to build an 18,000 seat arena slightly off-center with a height of 135 feet. 500,000 square feet of office space will also be built along with 55,000 to 90,000 square feet available for retail. The Warriors are setting aside a 3.2 acres plaza as public space. In addition, an underground garage will be built for 700 spaces. Truck deliveries will be made via entry into the underground parking facility.

The Arena is being funded entirely by the Warriors and no public funds will be used to build the arena, The W’s, in order to finance the project, are making the arena available about 55 family shows a year as well as 41 Warrior games, 31 other rentals, concerts, other sporting events and pre-season Warrior games.

The plan is hoping to energize and activate Bayfront Park. The Warriors claim that there are plentiful transit options within a short walking distance. For example, the Caltrain station is just a short 10 to 15 minute walk from 4th and King. There is also excellent pedestrian and bike access. People can take Muni and the Warriors announced that the Central Subway project should begin operating in 2019 and that should help with some of the transit issues. The Warriors expect to start play at the start of the 2018-2019 season.

After the presentation, questions were fielded by the staff to answer the concerns of the neighborhood. Many of the people that live in the neighborhood told horror stories of traffic congestion and trash in the neighborhood following a Giants ‘game. It seemed to be worse especially after a day game as people who work in the area could not leave to go home or had to let their employees leave 2 to 3 hours early.

The Warriors staff reminded the people that the Warrior games start at 7:30 and an end time of the game is much more predicable than a baseball game. They also said that the crowd was just about 40% of what the Giant crowd is and that they have made plans for traffic control in the area so that people will not, hopefully, have too many problems leaving the arena.

There was concern that the 700 parking spaces under the arena was not sufficient to handle the demand . In addition, there is concern that there will be more development in the area and that parking will be at a premium. The Warriors could not answer all the questions but are optimistic that the plan will be a success. The Warriors will present a transportation management plan and pre and post event management strategies at the meetings in October.