Warriors use big second quarter to pull away, crush Pelicans

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Draymond Green dazzled all over the floor with his fourth career postseason triple-double, and the Golden State Warriors thoroughly overmatched the New Orleans Pelicans for a 123-101 win in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals Saturday night.

Green finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and two blocks and just with his hustle and energy helped the defending champions pull away with a superb, decisive second quarter.

Now, they likely get Stephen Curry back for Game 2 on Tuesday night and all that he brings — even if in a limited role initially.


Anthony Davis had 21points and 10 rebounds, scoring 10 in the first quarter before having a tougher time generating shots the rest of the way to finish 9 for 20. Jrue Holiday was held to 4-for-14 shooting and 11 points.

Golden State again played without two-time MVP Curry, who has been sidelined since March 23 with a sprained left knee. Coach Steve Kerr called it “very likely” Curry would play Game 2 in the best-of-seven series.

Klay Thompson, who led Golden State with 27 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first half that made it 76-48. But New Orleans ended the second on a 7-0 run and Darius Miller’s 73-foot heave at the halftime buzzer counted after review, getting the Pelicans within 76-55 at the break. They hit another buzzer-beater to end the third but it was way too late.

Rajon Rondo had nine points and dished out 11 assists for New Orleans.

But once Golden State got going in transition, Oracle Arena started rocking and the Pelicans couldn’t keep pace — with tempo being something the Warriors know is key this series. They opened the second with a 13-5 burst and were on their way.

Davis, who averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in a first-round sweep of Portland, made 5 of 7 shots in the opening period.

Green has been brilliant on the boards as Golden State keeps taking its defense up a level. He had games of 19 and 18 rebounds in the final two matchups of a five-game series with San Antonio in the first round.

Nick Young started at forward for the Warriors while 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala remained in the starting lineup in place of Curry as Golden State won a franchise-record 13th straight postseason home game.


The Warriors swept the Pelicans in the only other playoff meeting between the franchises in the 2015 first round as Golden State went on to capture its first championship in 40 years.

HIGH-FLYING W’S

Golden State had its highest scoring postseason first half as well as second quarter. The 76 points topped 73 against Phoenix on May 4, 1994, while 41 in the second bested 40 scored against Utah on May 11, 2007.

Golden State shot 13 for 20 in the second, making four 3s and 11 of 14 free throws.

PALS

Kerr and Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry shared a nice greeting and laugh before the series got going. As general manager in Phoenix, Kerr worked with Gentry and then made him the first call to be his top assistant when Kerr became head coach of the Warriors before the 2014-15 season.

CURRY OUT

As usual, Curry insisted he “feels great and he’s ready to go,” said Kerr, who is encouraged his superstar point guard feels so good.

“Just made the decision based on giving him the extra few days and the fact he only scrimmaged yesterday,” Kerr said. “You’ve been out five weeks and we’re playing in the playoffs, I don’t think one scrimmage is enough, even though he feels great, he wants to play and pleaded his case. But we’re going to sit him tonight and very likely he’ll play Game 2.”

Curry returned to full practice with contact Thursday and only scrimmaged 5 on 5 for the first time Friday, and Kerr prefers that Curry get additional on-court time at full speed Sunday.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: The Pelicans’ 126-120 win April 7 in Oakland snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Warriors. “We approach the game as if everybody’s washed their hands of everything that has happened,” Gentry said. … Gentry received a technical at the 8:43 mark of the first quarter. … The Pelicans shot 7 for 23 in the second. … New Orleans surrendered 110 or more points in the last 11 regular-season games against Golden State.

Warriors: Green topped Tom Gola’s three playoff triple-doubles for most in franchise history. … Young, who played 21 minutes, made a 3 on his first shot and another late in the game on his second attempt. … Golden State has won 25 of the last 27 meetings overall vs. the Pelicans. … Jay-Z and Beyonce sat courtside.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Durant leads Warriors past Lakers for 11th straight win

OAKLAND, California — Kevin Durant had 33 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four blocks, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 113-106 on Friday (Saturday Manila time) for their 11th straight victory.

Rookie Jordan Bell recorded his first career double-double with season bests of 20 points and 10 rebounds, making a key layup with 2:45 to go and dunking a minute later. Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Draymond Green added 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as he came back from a shoulder injury for the defending champs.

Kyle Kuzma scored 27 points and fellow rookie Lonzo Ball had 24 points with five 3-pointers in his first visit to Oracle Arena. Julius Randle added 21 points off the bench for Los Angeles, which snapped the Rockets’ 14-game winning streak Wednesday night in Houston.

Durant shot 9 for 20 in the Warriors’ 10th win in a row at home against the Lakers and sixth overall after Golden State outlasted the Lakers in overtime Monday night in Los Angeles.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Lakers coach and former top Golden State assistant Luke Walton had a nice chat near the Warriors bench after the final buzzer.

Still without two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Golden State got some much-needed reinforcements.

Green returned after missing five of six games with soreness in his right shoulder, while Andre Iguodala also was back after sitting out Wednesday night’s win against Memphis with flu-like symptoms.

The Lakers, who trailed by as many as 23 in the third quarter before getting within 84-72 going into the final 12 minutes, briefly took their first lead of the night at 89-88 on Randle’s 3-pointer with 7:43 remaining.

Los Angeles cut the lead to 86-81 on a steal by Josh Hart and Kuzma’s layup with 9:39 left, then 88-86 when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a 3-pointer at the 8:09 mark.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thompson, Durant lead injured Warriors to 10th straight win

OAKLAND, California — Klay Thompson scored 27 of his 29 points in the first half and made his first nine field goals, leading the undermanned Golden State Warriors past the Memphis Grizzlies 97-84 on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) for their 10th straight win.


Kevin Durant added 22 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots as defending champion Golden State was down five regulars again, including two-time MVP Stephen Curry out for his sixth straight game with a sprained right ankle.

Thompson shot 10 for 16 overall and didn’t miss until a 3-point try with 6:10 left before halftime.

Curry tweeted in the midst of Thompson’s hot start: “Somebody is having a great game!”

Thompson received a rare technical — his seventh in seven seasons — with 10:22 left in the game for arguing when he thought he was fouled.

Marc Gasol had 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Memphis, which started a stretch with seven of eight games on the road. The Grizzlies were 10 of 44 in the second half, shot 12 for 31 from 3-point range and committed 17 turnovers.

Omri Casspi came off the bench to contribute 12 points and six rebounds. While coach Steve Kerr would far prefer a healthy roster, he appreciates the opportunities many of his role players are receiving to play more significant an important minutes.

“I like it,” said Kerr, who certainly wasn’t going to be pleased with the 16 turnovers.

The Warriors began a seven-game homestand in a stretch with nine of 10 games at home before next playing away from Oracle Arena on Jan. 3 at Dallas.

Curry did some light on-court work at morning shootaround a day after the Warriors said the two-time MVP would be out at least another week with the ankle injury. Kerr said it was Curry’s first time moving laterally, and he wouldn’t scrimmage or practice before being examined again.

“He had a good day today. He was working out with Steve Nash and Q (Bruce Fraser) and got a lot of good stuff and it looked like he was moving pretty well,” Kerr said. “A good sign.”

Golden State has won all six games since Curry injured the ankle on Dec. 4 at New Orleans.

Curry will miss two more games this week, as well as the Christmas Day showdown against Cleveland before getting evaluated again.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors finish off Cavaliers in 5 games, regain NBA title

OAKLAND, Calif.—Kevin Durant scored 39 points, Stephen Curry added 34 and the Golden State Warriors won their second NBA championship in three seasons with a 129-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Finals on Monday night.

Durant capped his first season with the Warriors in triumphant fashion with another big shooting night that helped Golden State avoid a repeat of last year’s Finals collapse when Cleveland rallied from 3-1 down to win the title.

LeBron James scored 41 points and Kyrie Irving added 26 for the Cavs, who had won four straight potential elimination games against the Warriors before running out of gas in Game 5./rga

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Durant, Curry lead Warriors to rout of Cavs, 2-0 series lead

Kevin Durant scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while Stephen Curry added 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists Sunday as the Golden State Warriors ripped Cleveland 132-113 in a historic second game of the NBA Finals.

The Warriors, who welcomed back coach Steve Kerr after he missed 11 games with health issues following back surgery, stretched their playoff win streak to an NBA-record 14 games by dominating the defending champion Cavaliers in the second half.

Golden State moved within two games of becoming the first NBA champion to complete an unbeaten playoff run, seizing a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven championship series, which shifts to Cleveland for games three and four on Wednesday and Friday.

LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to match a record with his eighth career NBA Finals triple double. Only former Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson had eight prior finals triple doubles. No one else has more than two.

Together with Curry’s triple double, it was only the second time in playoff history that two rivals had managed triple doubles in the same game, the other coming in 1970 by New York’s Walt Frazier and Milwaukee’s Lew Alcindor, who would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Curry credited his first finals triple double to the tension of the title quest and the effort needed to answer the Cavs’ challenge.

“We’re in the finals. That’s all the motivation we need,” Curry said. “We leave everything on the floor.”

Kevin Love scored 27 points for the Cavaliers while Kyrie Irving added 19 in a losing cause.

Klay Thompson added 22 points for the Warriors, with Curry saying the Warriors still have work to do to play their best.

“I could play much better,” he said. “Some good things going on but we’ve got to get better.

“We’re young. We’re hungry. We’re playing great basketball. We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us and we’ve got to seize it.”

Spectacular passes, slam dunks, deadly shots and high-leaping playmakers dominated the night as the game was played at a fast-paced, high-intensity tempo that had spectators roaring with delight.

Durant became only the third player in NBA history to score 25 points in his first seven NBA Finals appearances, joining Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.

Curry seized command in the third quarter with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists as the Warriors stretched a 67-64 half-time lead to 102-88 entering the fourth quarter, a margin no finals team had squandered so late to lose since 1992.


From there, Golden State steadily pulled away, the Cavaliers having no answer for the Warriors speed and outside shooting.

“The second half we settled in and just tried to play better and played tougher on defense,” Durant said. “We’re just trying to play good basketball every time down the floor.”

The game turned when Curry sank a 3-pointer and two free throws, then dribbled impressively around James for a layup to cap a 10-3 run that put the Warriors ahead 83-73 early in the third.

Cleveland battled back but a steal set up a Durant fast break layup and 3-point play and Shaun Livingston followed with an uncontested dunk to ignite a 16-6 run to close the quarter.

The Cavaliers went scoreless for more than 3:30 late in the third despite Draymond Green going to the Warrior bench with a fifth personal foul.

Durant and Curry each scored 15 first-half points, but Golden State had 13 turnovers at the break after just four in the series opener.

James scored 18 points in the first half with 10 assists, his most assists in any playoff half in his career.

Tristan Thompson played fewer minutes for the Cavs, with Iman Shumpert seeing more time to help ease the defensive load on James guarding Durant.

Curry went 10-for-10 at the free throw line and scored 15 points as Golden State took a 40-34 lead in the highest-scoring NBA Finals first quarter in 50 years and the second-highest ever.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Durant makes his mark in Game 1 of NBA Finals for Warriors

OAKLAND, Calif. — LeBron James had a simple explanation for what stood out in Game 1 of the NBA Finals: KD.

With a motivated Kevin Durant playing some of the best basketball of his career and taking the pressure off Stephen Curry, Golden State dominated Cleveland 113-91 in Game 1 on Thursday night and showed that Cavaliers-Warriors III might not look anything like the previous showdowns.

“You take one of the best teams that we had ever assembled last year, that we saw in the regular season and in the postseason, and then in the offseason you add a high-powered offensive talent like that and a great basketball IQ like that, that’s what stands out,” James said. “I mean, it’s no if, ands, or buts. It is what it is. We’ve got to figure out how to combat that, which is going to be a tough challenge for us.

“But that’s what stands out.”

Durant finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, didn’t commit a single turnover and spent much of the night guarding James on the defensive end in an impressive return to the Finals stage five years after his only previous trip with Oklahoma City.

Durant lost to James and the Miami Heat in five games in 2012 and then James and the Cavs knocked off the 73-win Warriors in a seven-game thriller last June.

But with Durant added to a mix that includes fellow All-Stars Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, this year’s Warriors proved to be too tough for James and Cleveland to handle in Game 1.

“He can just go get a bucket,” Green said. “That’s one of the things that we need, a guy who can go get a bucket, get to the foul line. … That’s huge for us. You are talking one of the best players in the game. To have a game like that when he’s playing that way, it’s tough to beat. Thirty-eight, 8, 8, zero turnovers? We’re real tough to beat when he’s doing that.”


Durant played well in his first Finals trip but didn’t have the help he has now with a two-time MVP in Curry, one of the league’s best two-way players in Thompson and a do-it-all demon like Green.

With his big output in Game 1, Durant joined Hall of Famers Rick Barry, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players to score at least 25 points in each of his first six Finals games.

“This is what every player wants to be, is the highest level of basketball,” Durant said. “That’s what you dream about as a kid, is to play at the highest level. I wouldn’t do my teammates any good if I wasn’t just enjoying the moment.”

Durant provided a conundrum for Cleveland’s defense. While the Cavs mostly left Harrison Barnes open last season and thrived when he made just 5 of 32 shots in the final three games as the Cavs overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the title, that wasn’t an option with Durant.

There were a handful of times Cleveland was more focused on Curry and the 3-point shooters, but Durant made them pay with six first-half dunks. His presence also forced James to work on the defensive end, sapping some needed energy he needs on offense if Cleveland is going to keep up with Golden State.

Durant also did a good job defensively in his 1-on-1 matchups with James, who still managed 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists but also turned the ball over eight times.

“Kevin’s a competitor,” Green said. “Obviously being that he’s guarding LeBron, he’s taking that challenge on. And I expect nothing less out of him, being the competitor that he is.”

Durant’s presence also benefited Curry, who hit six 3-pointers on the way to a 28-point night. Curry shot just 40 percent in the Finals a year ago and had more turnovers (30) than assists (26) as he nursed injuries to his knee and ankle.

But after winning the first two games a year ago before blowing the 3-1 lead, the Warriors aren’t about to get ahead of themselves even if Cavs coach Tyronn Lue called them “the best I ever seen.”

“A lot of us have been through both sides of a championship run and a Finals,” Curry said. “You’re not going to see crazy celebrations. You’re not going to see us getting ahead of ourselves. We’re going to enjoy what we do on the floor and going to be passionate about it and have each other’s backs when we’re out there, but every 48 minutes is a separate event.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors trounce Spurs minus Leonard for 2-0 series lead

OAKLAND, California — Stephen Curry had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in three quarters and the Golden State Warriors trounced on the Spurs missing Kawhi Leonard, running away from San Antonio for a 136-100 rout Tuesday and 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Kevin Durant added 16 points and Draymond Green provided another strong all-around performance with 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Rookie Patrick McCaw had 18 points and five assists off the bench shooting 6 for 8 as Golden State earned its most lopsided victory of the playoffs to go to 10-0.

Jonathon Simmons scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half as the lone bright spot for the short-handed Spurs.

Leonard re-injured his left ankle in Sunday’s 113-111 Game 1 loss after coming down on Zaza Pachulia’s foot. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on Monday called out the Warriors starting center for the “dangerous” and “unsportsmanlike” closeout — which had Pachulia insisting he is not a dirty player, was only playing hard, and felt badly that the All-Star forward was injured.

Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in San Antonio.

Pachulia left the game injured for a Warriors team already without key reserve forward Andre Iguodala, held out because of soreness in his left knee that limited him to 10 minutes in Game 1.

Pachulia didn’t come out for the second half because of a bruised right heel. He was scheduled for an X-ray. The big man played nearly 7 minutes but sat the entire second quarter before Matt Barnes took his place.

Golden State quickly established its pass-happy, up-tempo style to take the Spurs out from the opening tip. It was a drastic difference from a game of catch-up two days earlier when the Warriors rallied from 25 down and a 20-point halftime deficit.

Klay Thompson, still struggling to find his steady shooting touch, had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Warriors had 39 assists — the most by any team this postseason — including 30 on their initial 38 baskets.

Shaun Livingston scored in double figures for the first time this postseason with 10 points for Golden State.

Simmons started in Leonard’s place and made 6 of 9 shots to begin the game while the rest of the Spurs were 3 for 22.

The Warriors began 10 for 16 as Curry hit three quick 3s and Green added two more for a 25-12 lead late in the first and 33-16 advantage after one quarter.

LEONARD STATUS

Popovich wasn’t about to guess whether Leonard would return in time for Saturday’s game, saying it could be Friday or even game day before that would be determined.

“I have no idea. Just depends on how the ankle heals,” Popovich said. “I’d probably list him as questionable. But the thing that worries me is that he did it again, the exact same thing. So one would logically think maybe it will take longer, but I’m hoping that’s not true and we’ll have him for Game 3. But I don’t know. I don’t think we’re going to know until Friday and Saturday, probably.”

Popovich said before the game Leonard was back at the hotel “ordering dinner.”

TIP-INS

Spurs: The Spurs had another 23 offensive rebounds after 14 in Game 1. … Patty Mills, playing in place of the injured Tony Parker, had another quiet night. After he went 1 for 8 and missed all six of his 3s in the first game, he finally hit from long range midway through the second Tuesday.

Warriors: Coach Steve Kerr attended his second game this series but again watched behind the scenes as he recovers from a May 5 procedure at Duke University to repair a spinal fluid leak. … Golden State’s 23 first-half assists were its most ever in a playoff half, topping 22 against Phoenix on May 4, 1994. The Warriors notched their fourth 30-assist game this postseason. … Curry extended his NBA record by hitting at least one 3 in his 68th straight postseason game, every one he has played.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors rally to take Game 1 as Spurs lose Leonard

OAKLAND, California— Stephen Curry scored 40 points and hit a tying 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining as the Golden State Warriors rallied from way down after Kawhi Leonard was lost to an ankle injury to beat the San Antonio Spurs 113-111 on Sunday (Monday, Manila) in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals.

Draymond Green gave Golden State the lead for good on a three-point play after the Warriors trailed by as many as 25 points.

Leonard left in the third quarter after he re-injured his left ankle and the Warriors capitalized with an 18-0 run.

Kevin Durant scored 10 straight points during a key fourth-quarter stretch on the way to 34 points, while Zaza Pachulia had 11 points and nine rebounds.

Leonard had 26 points and eight rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge delivered another clutch playoff performance with 28 points and eight boards.

Somehow, these unusually careless, cold-shooting Warriors found a way to keep their unblemished postseason record alive at 9-0.

Game 2 in the series is Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila) back at Oracle Arena.

Curry scored 19 points in the third quarter and went 7 for 16 on 3s and 14 of 26 overall.

Leonard first went down after stepping on a teammate’s foot along the bench after taking a shot. Pachulia later slid into him as he came down from shooting and Leonard fell into the Spurs bench, grabbing his ankle.

Losing Leonard could be a story of this series. He shot 7 of 13 in 23 minutes to go with eight rebounds and three assists. He made all 11 of his free throws.

He sat out Game 6 of the last round against Houston, a 39-point, series-clinching win on Thursday, after injuring the ankle in a Game 5 overtime victory.

Durant has repeatedly spoken of elevating his game when it matters most — and he did it at the very moment the Warriors needed a huge lift on their home floor.

His 3-pointer with 7:53 to play got Golden State within 94-88, then he drove to his left and right by Kyle Anderson for an emphatic one-handed slam the next possession to ignite a deafening sellout crowd. Durant hit another 3 at the 6:10 mark and a jumper the next time down before Shaun Livingston’s driving dunk.

Gregg Popovich lost to good friend and old pupil Mike Brown, filling in as Warriors acting coach for the ailing Steve Kerr — who played for Popovich.

Yet for much of the afternoon, the Spurs outplayed the Warriors on both ends of the floor. They crashed the offensive glass as they so like to do — something Golden State stressed all week — going right at defenders in the paint and forcing the Warriors into tough shots. Even the open looks weren’t falling.

The Warriors missed their initial five 3-point tries before Curry hit 5:05 before halftime to ignite a stunned-into-silence sellout crowd as Golden State got within 46-32.

The next sequence the Spurs managed three offensive rebounds before scoring.

San Antonio had six steals among the Warriors’ initial nine turnovers and Golden State wasn’t getting the kind of easy shots it was used to going almost untested the first two rounds.

Even when the Warriors did things right the Spurs answered.

Kerr watched the game from behind the scenes in the arena a day after returning to the practice floor for the first time in more than three weeks.

“He’s gone through hell,” Popovich said pregame. “I’m sure most people don’t really know, and I’ll leave that to him to describe as much as he wants to describe. But it’s been very difficult for him. He’s shown a lot of courage getting through what he’s gone through.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thompson scores 21 in 1st, Warriors roll past Magic

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA—A tighter defense that gave Orlando trouble all night and another early scoring outburst from Klay Thompson have the Warriors feeling a lot better about their position in the West.

A much-welcomed blowout of the Magic certainly helped, too, especially following three weeks of inconsistencies and a handful of surprising losses.

Thompson scored 21 of his 29 points in the first quarter and the Golden State cruised past the Orlando Magic 122-92 on Thursday night.

“To have a game like that always helps, not confidence-wise but just to kind of try and get back in a rhythm,” said Green, who had nine points and 11 rebounds. “I don’t think this game really just puts us back in a rhythm, but it was a carryover from the last game’s fourth quarter. It was just using that momentum and letting it carry over.”

Stephen Curry added 25 points and nine assists after appearing to injure his right foot in the opening minutes, Andre Iguodala scored 14 and Zaza Pachulia had 10 points and 10 rebounds to help the Warriors improve to an NBA-best 54-14 and clinch their third straight Pacific Division title for the first time in franchise history.

Thompson, who owns the NBA record for most points in one quarter with 37 against Sacramento on Jan. 23, 2015, was almost perfect in the opening period against Orlando. The three-time All-Star made his first five shots beyond the arc and shot 8 of 11 overall while helping the Warriors to an early double-digit lead.

By comparison, the entire Magic team made only nine buckets in the first quarter.

“We were able to get out in transition just from our stops,” Thompson said. “It definitely helps when you make four or five in a row. You feel like every shot’s going to go in.”

It’s the seventh time in his career that Thompson has scored 20 or more in a single quarter and the third time this season. The other two came when Thompson had 23 points in the second and 20 in the third on his way to an NBA season-high 60 points against Indiana on Dec. 5.

“The defense really was kind of setting up some of those shots, too, in transition,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “When you can make stops it solves a lot of problems. We’ve struggled to score the last couple of weeks. Tonight, we broke through.”

Thompson’s fast start began not long after Curry limped off the court and into the Warriors’ locker room early in the first quarter after he stepped on the foot of Elfrid Payton.

The reigning two-time MVP returned a short time later and was greeted by a rousing ovation from the Oracle crowd. Curry then promptly threw an inbounds pass to Thompson for an easy bucket that put the Warriors up by double digits.

“Tweaked his ankle,” Kerr said. “He’s fine.”

Payton and Jeff Green scored 13 points apiece for Orlando.

“When Klay got hot, it was a bit deflating,” Magic center Nikola Vucevic said. “Once they get a lead like that, they’re too good. We were never able to make it a game again.”

Golden State’s win was its second straight following a season-high three-game skid and evened its record at 4-4 since losing Kevin Durant to a knee injury in late-February.

Unlike the other three wins – all decided by eight points or fewer -Kerr’s team had little problem beating Orlando and sending the Magic to their fourth straight loss.

The Warriors led by 36 in the second half, allowing Kerr to sit most of his starters in the fourth quarter, and finished with their most lopsided win since beating Chicago by 31 on Feb. 8.

It’s not a common occurrence in the NBA, but Orlando was called for a technical foul for having six men on the court in the second quarter. Magic coach Frank Vogel blamed a lack of communication. “We didn’t communicate a sub,” Vogel said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Curry, Durant lead Warriors past Trail Blazers

OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry marvels at Kevin Durant’s efficiency: 30 points on 16 shots in his latest outing.

KD finds plenty of things in the MVP’s game to praise, too. And when these two get clicking together, the Golden State Warriors are oh so good.

It just took a while Wednesday night.

Curry had 35 points with five 3-pointers, Durant added three more blocked shots and the Warriors held off the Portland Trail Blazers 125-117.

“It’s pretty special, I didn’t realize it at first,” Curry said of KD’s ability to light up a stat line on minimal shot attempts. “He’s a super-efficient player and he takes pride in that.”

Zaza Pachulia scored 13 points to hit double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season, just his fourth time reaching double digits for Golden State. He also matched his career high with three blocks in the Warriors’ ninth straight home win.

CJ McCollum scored 35 points to lead a Portland team still without Damian Lillard, and the Trail Blazers certainly had to feel better about hanging tough in this one after their forgettable 45-point defeat here 2 1/2 weeks earlier.

Curry shot 12 for 25 on a night Splash Brother Klay Thompson struggled to find his stroke from long range, going 1 of 7 and scoring 14 points.

Coming off a triple-double, Draymond Green had 11 assists, nine points, seven rebounds, three steals and a late block with five fouls.

Durant was dominant on both ends, especially during one spectacular sequence late in the first.

He made a pretty driving lay-in and converted a three-point play at the 2:50 mark, blocked two shots in succession moments later – one against McCollum then on Noah Vonleh’s putback try. KD drained a 3-pointer the next time down, and he also had a four-point play in the final minute of the first half.

“He’s been amazing, and it’s not just rim protection,” said Green, who challenged Durant “to fly around” on defense.

McCollum made three of his first six 3s then missed four of five in the second half, when he shot 3 for 12.

“I just missed some shots. It happens,” he said. “I had a lot of good looks from 3 that I didn’t make and I missed a couple layups. Credit to them, they did a good job defensively.”

Four Golden State starters hit 3-pointers among the Warriors’ first four baskets before the game was even three minutes old.

The Warriors’ five straight wins against the Trail Blazers mark their first five-game winning streak versus Portland since winning seven in a row from Feb. 20, 2005 to Nov. 3, 2006.

Golden State also has won six straight in the series at home. That includes the blowout victory Dec. 17 – 135-90 – for the biggest margin by Golden State in the series and matching the largest point disparity in any game played between the rivals with Portland’s 136-91 win on Dec. 22, 1987.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Durant gets first triple-double with Warriors, win over Mavs

OAKLAND, California—Kevin Durant notched his first triple-double for Golden State with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and first in more than a year, leading the Warriors past the Dallas Mavericks 108-99 on Friday night.

Durant’s eighth career triple-double was his first since Dec. 10, 2015, against Atlanta. Klay Thompson scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and finished with five 3-pointers and Stephen Curry added 14 points.

Harrison Barnes, who spent the past four seasons in a key role with Golden State, scored 25 points for Dallas against his old team.

In the first quarter, Curry (11,903) passed Purvis Short (11,894) for seventh place on the Warriors’ all-time scoring list.

Draymond Green had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Golden State’s ninth straight home win against the Mavericks, the Warriors’ streak longest ever.

There was some Curry vs. Curry in this one, with Stephen guarding brother Seth and vice versa for short stints.

Thompson has 78 3-pointers against the Mavs, his most against any opponent. The Warriors began 3 for 10 from long range but wound up 11 for 33.

Dirk Nowitzki, who had been questionable coming in with an illness, scored 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting in 23-plus minutes for Dallas.

Warriors reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr, for one, is ready for 2017 given his health issues following complications from two back surgeries last year that still affect him.

But he doesn’t need to change his routine. Nor his star-studded roster.

“I’m not a resolution guy,” he said. “I go to the gym every day, I don’t just go to the gym the first 10 days of January.”

Two pairs of Stephen Curry’s special shoes were auctioned off to raise $45,201 to aid the Oakland Fire Relief fund following the deadly Dec. 2 Ghost Ship warehouse fire in nearby Oakland. The “Oakland Strong” shoes worn in a game by the MVP were taken for $30,101 by an anonymous bidder, while his pregame “Ghost Ship” grafitti-style pair went for $15,100 also to an anonymous bidder.

“I’m always very proud of Steph and all of our guys. They put some money together as a group, the team did, to donate to the fund,” Kerr said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors bounce back to rout Suns

Stephen Curry finished with 31 points as the Golden State Warriors extended their league record streak of games without consecutive defeats with a dominating 138-109 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Warriors have now gone 106 games without back-to-back losses as they rebounded Saturday from a 132-127 double overtime defeat two night earlier to the Houston Rockets.

The Warriors shot a season-high 62.8 percent from the field against the Suns, just shy of their franchise record of 63.6 percent.

“It’s an incredible mark of consistency,” head coach Steve Kerr said of the Warriors’ streak.

They also shot 66.7 from three point range, going 14 of 21 as Klay Thompson made six of seven from long range and Curry was five of seven in front of a crowd of 19,500 at Oracle Arena.

Thompson finished with 26 points and Draymond Green had a season-high 13 assists, nine points and five rebounds for the Warriors, who improved to 17-3.

Kevin Durant added 20 points and eight assists. David West had a season-high 10 points off the bench, going five of five from the field.

Eric Bledsoe led the Suns with 27 points and Devin Booker had 21. Brandon Knight scored 14 points off the bench. Phoenix made 11 of 32 three-point shots.

The Warriors built a nine-point halftime lead and then dominated the Suns 42-27 in the third quarter to take a 108-84 advantage into the fourth. They set a season high for third-quarter points and scored the second-most points in any quarter this season.

Curry had 20 points in the third quarter, going six of nine from the field and three of four from long range.

He nailed a three-point shot to put the Warriors ahead 91-67 with 4:43 left in the third. Curry drained another from long range with 2:30 remaining, giving the Warriors a 30-point lead at 101-71.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, Andrew Wiggins had 29 points while Karl-Anthony Towns collected 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves ended a four-game losing streak with a 125-120 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

“We’ve been fighting the last four, five games, and we finally got over that hump,” Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine said. “It feels good.”

The Timberwolves used a fourth-quarter rally that began with a 10-0 run and a dominant overtime session to seal the victory.

Minnesota got 17 points from LaVine and 12 each from Shabazz Muhammad and Nemanja Bjelica.

Charlotte was led by Kemba Walker with 22 points. Frank Kaminsky tallied 21 points, while Nicolas Batum had 15 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Wire-to-wire win

In Dallas, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews combined for 48 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to just its fourth win of the season, a 107-82 wire-to-wire victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Matthews poured in a team-high and season-high-tying 26 points and buried a season-high seven of his 11 three-point attempts to give him 19 threes in his past four games. Barnes finished with 22 points.

The Bulls were coming off an impressive home win Friday against the defending league champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Veteran Chicago guard Dwyane Wade was given the night off during this stretch of four games in five nights.

Jimmy Butler topped the Bulls with 26 points and nine rebounds.

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBron James wins NBA Finals MVP for 3rd time

OAKLAND, California  — LeBron James is a champion again and the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player again.

By unanimous vote, James was selected as MVP of the title series, accepting his trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after Cleveland beat Golden State 93-89 in Game 7 on Sunday night.

“This is what I came back for,” James said.

James was overcome by emotion after the final horn. He’s the finals MVP for the third time, also winning in 2012 and 2013 when he was a member of the Miami Heat.

“Best player on the planet,” Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving said.

James became the third player to have a triple-double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, joining Jerry West in 1969 and James Worthy in 1988. He had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the clincher, capping a series where the Cavaliers became the first team to successfully overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals.

“You see his basketball talent, the way he can control a game,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. “But the reason why he deserves this is because he has a great heart … and great things happen to great people.”

James is now 4-2 all-time in Game 7s, including 2-0 when those ultimate games come in the NBA Finals.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors dominate Blazers, Heat crush Hornets to advance

LOS ANGELES—Klay Thompson scored 37 points and Draymond Green posted his first post-season triple-double as the Golden State Warriors opened the second round of the NBA playoffs on Sunday with a convincing 118-106 victory over Portland.

The absence of injured superstar Stephen Curry made no difference for the reigning champion Warriors, who connected on 47.3 percent of their shots against a Trail Blazers team that had wrapped up their first-round series against the injury depleted Los Angeles Clippers less than 48 hours earlier.

Thompson drained a three-pointer 17 seconds into the contest and the Warriors rolled from there in front of their home fans in Oakland, California.

Thompson scored 18 of his 37 points in the first quarter — when Portland scored just 17 points total.

The Warriors led 37-17 after the first frame, and the Trail Blazers never got the gap under nine points from there.

Australian big man Andrew Bogut delivered a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds, as did Harrison Barnes. Shaun Livingston, starting in place of Curry, chipped in 12 points and six assists.

“The way we got it done on the defensive end, we made it tough on them,” said Green, who scored 23 points with 13 rebounds and 11 assists in 38 minutes.

“Listen, we know they’re not going to have games like this every night,” he added of a Blazers team whose five starters made just 23 of 75 attempts. “But if we can make them take tough shots … we think they’ll wear down throughout the course of the series.”



Heat sting Hornets



While the Warriors were opening the second round with a rout, the Miami Heat were closing out the first round with a 106-73 drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Heat, who had trailed 3-2 in the series, rode an outstanding performance from Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic, who scored a game-high 25 points.

“I just had more room to operate. My teammates trust me even when I miss a shot and they keep supporting me,” Dragic said.

Luol Deng tallied 15 points, Dwyane Wade finished with 12 and Hassan Whiteside had 10 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks for the Heat, who never trailed.

“I’m not a prophet, but I knew we were winning this game,” Wade said.

“This team has had opportunities all season to cave and every time when we have been in that situation we have somehow prevailed.”

Hornets guard Kemba Walker scored just nine points on three-of-16 shooting and had three turnovers.

But Hornets coach Steve Clifford said the Heat’s 58-36 rebounding advantage was the real key.

“We had a bad start because of the rebounding game,” Clifford said. “At halftime, I thought we were fine. But in the third quarter, things got away from us.”

The Heat next face the winner of Sunday’s game seven between the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors become 2nd NBA team to win 70, beat Spurs

OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry scored 27 points and the Golden State Warriors became the second team to win 70 games in a season by beating the San Antonio Spurs 112-101 on Thursday night, wrapping up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Warriors (70-9) bounced back from their second loss in three home games two nights earlier against Minnesota and joined the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls as the only teams to win 70 games. Golden State can break Chicago’s single-season record of 72 wins by sweeping the final three games, including a rematch in San Antonio on Sunday.

Harrison Barnes scored 21 points and Draymond Green added 18 to help the Warriors avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this season. Golden State has outscored the opposition by 14.6 points per game following its nine losses.

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points for the Spurs, who will enter the playoffs next weekend as the second seed in the West.

San Antonio has been outscored by 41 points in two losses at Golden State this season and will have to open on the road if these teams meet again in the conference finals.

After a relatively quiet first half, Curry took the game over in the third quarter and sent the Warriors to their second easy win at home against the Spurs this season. Curry had 15 points and four assists in the quarter — directly contributing to 11 of Golden State’s 16 baskets — as he was able to drive to the basket with ease for either his own shot or to set up a teammate.

Curry’s second 3-pointer of the game gave the Warriors a 19-point lead and then he fed Andrew Bogut for a dunk on the next trip to make it 69-48. The Warriors shot 80 percent in the third alone and took an 87-69 lead into the fourth — easily passing the 79 points they scored the entire game in last month’s loss at San Antonio.

This was a highly anticipated showdown between the league’s top two teams, with the 134 combined wins the most ever in a regular-season matchup. Both took the game seriously, with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich opting to play his stars instead of resting them. Popovich even called a timeout less than a minute into the game after a defensive breakdown led to an open 3-pointer for Klay Thompson.

Not to be outdone, Warriors coach Steve Kerr got angry after a turnover led to an open 3-pointer for Danny Green late in the first half and slammed his white board so hard during the timeout that his marker flew into the air.

That 3 by Green helped the Spurs cut a 15-point deficit down to six in the final minute of the half. But Barnes answered with a pair of two 3-pointers to give the Warriors a 52-40 lead at the break.

TIP-INS

Spurs: F LaMarcus Aldridge left the game late in the first quarter with a dislocated right pinky finger. Trainers taped it to his ring finger and he returned in the second quarter.

Warriors: Draymond Green committed two fouls in the first 3:53 and then got called for a technical for arguing the second call before going to the bench early. … Barnes has scored in double figures in a career-high nine straight games.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Curry, Thompson combine for 15 3-points in rout of Blazers

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Splash Brothers had no plans of letting Damian Lillard steal the 3-point spotlight this time.

That embarrassing defeat in Portland less than a month ago was still fresh in their memory.

Stephen Curry scored 34 points, Klay Thompson had 37 and the Golden State Warriors avenged their worst defeat of the season by beating the Trail Blazers 128-112 on Friday night, extending their record regular-season home winning streak to 47 games.

“I don’t think there was revenge,” coach Steve Kerr said of the Blazers, “I think there was respect.”

Curry and Thompson combined to shoot 15 for 25 on 3-pointers and went 26 of 45 overall, with Thompson joining Curry as the only players with 200 3s in four straight seasons. They scored 30 or more points in the same game for the sixth time in their careers.

“Klay came out blazing. Me, not so much,” Curry said. “It took me a while to get into it. He brought a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. We kind of fed off of that. It was a huge pick up considering how poorly we played against them last time.”

Draymond Green added 17 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists while making all nine of his free throws.

CJ McCollum scored 18 points and Portland topped the defending champions with 19 3s to Golden State’s 18 as the teams combined for the most 3s in NBA history – on 37-for-76 shooting.

From the tip, the defending champion Warriors were out to bury the Blazers after an embarrassing 32-point defeat in Portland last month coming out of the All-Star break. Golden State lost 137-105 at Portland on Feb. 19 – its largest margin of defeat since a 39-point setback to Denver in 2012 – before an impressive seven-game winning streak.

Curry scored 18 of his points in the opening period after going scoreless in the first two nights earlier against Utah, helping the Warriors improve to 29-0 at Oracle Arena this season.

On Monday, Curry became the first player in NBA history with 300 3s in a season and his seven against the Trail Blazers pushed his total to 311.

Damian Lillard returned to his Oakland roots to score 17 points on 5-of-19 shooting for Portland after missing 15 of his first 17 shots. Lillard made four 3-pointers and has the most 3s of any player in his first four seasons, topping Thompson’s 784.

Playing in his hometown, it was a far cry from how he lit up the Warriors for a career-high 51 points in that February rout.

“He just had a great game last time we played them,” Thompson said. “I just try to take away that 3 ball. He’s got range like Steph.”

He was averaging 45.5 points on 54.5-percent shooting and 8.5 assists in the first two meetings and missed scoring 20 or more points in a fifth consecutive game against Golden State.

The first half was a quite an offensive display by both teams. Portland scored 61 points and still trailed by 20 at intermission.

“The final boxscore doesn’t tell the story of the game. It’s an interesting boxscore,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.

Andre Iguodala hit two quick 3-pointers midway through the second quarter as the Warriors connected on 10 of their first 16 3-pointers and 14 of 25 by halftime.

STEPH COMPARISONS

Kerr stopped Lillard after the game with kudos.

“I just told him how much I respect him and how proud Oakland is of him,” Kerr said.

Lillard was so good against Golden State the last time it prompted Kerr to say, “He looked like Steph Curry out there.”

“Honestly, I really appreciate it,” Lillard said before the game. “I forget who I said it to earlier this week, I loved Steve Kerr growing up with Bulls and with the Spurs. My second All-Star game in New York, he was the coach. I really appreciated his speech to the team before the game, how he took the time to learn about each player.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Curry, Warriors notch 41st win, slip past Thunder

OAKLAND, California — With a Super Bowl-sized stage, a celebrity-filled crowd and two championship contenders on the floor, it felt more like late May in Oracle Arena than early February.

Stephen Curry was up to the task.

Curry scored 26 points and keyed a strong closing stretch that sent the Golden State Warriors to their 41st straight regular-season home win, 116-108 over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

“This was very playoff-like for sure,” Curry said. “The atmosphere, just the intensity, the adrenaline down the stretch. That’s what you expect for sure. It was good to get that feeling and execute.”

Curry scored three baskets and assisted on two more in a closing 12-4 run that gave the Warriors (46-4) their ninth straight win to match the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers for the best record ever after 50 games. Golden State moved within three wins of tying the Chicago Bulls (1995-96) for the longest home winning streak in NBA history.

Harrison Barnes added 19 points and Klay Thompson scored 18 for Golden State.

Kevin Durant had 40 points and 14 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 27 points and 12 assists for the Thunder, who had won five straight and 12 of 13 but still trail Golden State and San Antonio in the Western Conference.

“Man, we’re not scared of either one of these teams,” Durant said. “We’re going to play our game. Nobody in this locker room is scared. We have to play them. If we want to get to where we want to get to, we have to play them. We’re not ducking anybody.”

One day before he plans to watch good friend Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers take on Denver in the Super Bowl at nearby Levi’s Stadium, Curry helped the Warriors break out to a 20-point lead in the second quarter despite making just one 3-pointer on the night.

The defending-champion Warriors have beaten the three teams directly behind them in the standings during this current streak. After blowing out San Antonio and Cleveland by a combined 64 points, Golden State was tested against Oklahoma City.

The Thunder hung tough after facing the big deficit in the first quarter and cut the lead down to 99-95 on a 3-pointer by Durant midway through the fourth quarter. Enes Kanter then tied the game at 104 with a fall-away jumper.

“That’s what we’re supposed to do,” Durant said. “When we get down we’re supposed to tie the game up. No moral victories in here.”

But Durant missed a long trey a short while later that could have given Oklahoma City its first lead since the first quarter.

Curry responded with a driving layup and Klay Thompson followed another Durant miss from three with a long-range basket of his own off a feed from Curry that made it 110-104 with 1:40 to play. Curry’s jumper made it 114-108 with 33.6 seconds left, prompting chants of “MVP! MVP!” from the sellout crowd.

Andre Iguodala’s dunk off another pass from Curry sealed it.

“I thought it was great for our team to go through a game like that,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s been a while since we had to get stops and be solid down the stretch offensively. On a night when it wasn’t quite his night, I thought Steph was just brilliant the last couple of minutes.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Bryant sinks to new low in his likely final season

As the Golden State Warriors steamrolled Los Angeles Lakers to a historic start on Tuesday, aging star Kobe Bryant sank to a new low in a trying season expected to be his last.

Bryant, slowed by age and past injuries, has looked like a shadow of his former self this year and that was never more apparent then against Golden State who blasted the Lakers to improve to a record 16-0.

Bryant scored four points and managed to make just 1-of-14 shots to tie the worst shooting night of his 20-year career when he has attempted at last five shots.

The Oracle Arena crowd, hoping to see a vintage Bryant performance amid their team's inevitable win, seemed to deflate with every miss from the 37-year-old player.

The misses have piled up as high as the Lakers' (2-12) losses for Bryant this campaign as he entered the night shooting just 33 percent from the field.

"He's struggling right now to make a shot. I think he'll be the first to tell you that," Los Angeles coach Byron Scott told reporters following his team's 111-77 defeat.

"You can see that he was getting pretty frustrated at himself."

Bryant has indicated that unless something changes this will likely be the final chapter of a career that has included five championships and countless memorable moments. —Reuters