Clippers rough and ready pound Golden State 131-107

from sfgate.com: The Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard (2) takes a jump shot as the Golden State Warriors Eric Paschall (7) on Tuesday night at Chase Center in San Francisco

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Los Angeles Clippers, stunned by their loss to the Lakers last Sunday, pummeled the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors 131-107 Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors were without Stephen Curry (seasonal flu), Draymond Green (knee) and Kevon Looney (hip).

The W’s also lost Juan Toscano-Anderson in the first few minutes of the game due to an ankle injury. The Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, sprinted out to an early lead and never let the Warriors get back into the game. The Clippers overwhelmed the Warriors on both ends of the court.

The Warriors had no defense for the Clippers three point attack. They connected on ten threes in the first half and ten more in the second. The Clippers finished the first period with a nine point advantage 35-26. They blew the game open in the second quarter when the outscored the Warriors 41-22 to finish the first half with a 28-point lead 76-48.

The Clippers continued to put points on the board in the third quarter. The Clippers’ Patrick Beverly, Reggie Jackson, Landy Shamet, and Montrezl Harrell all made threes. The Warriors had no answers. The Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers showed mercy as he pulled Leonard and George from the game. They did not play a minute in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors continued to play hard, and they outscored the Clippers by ten in the period. It was not enough. LA wins 131-107.

Game Notes and stats- With the loss, the Warriors drop to 15-50. The Clippers improved to 44-20.

They moved into second place in the Western Conference one game ahead of the Denver Nuggets. The leading scorer for Golden State was Dragan Bender who finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and he connected on two threes. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points, and he made three threes. Marquese Chriss finished with a double-double. He had ten points and ten boards.

Jordan Poole had 17, Eric Paschall 12, Ky Bowman 11. The Warriors shot 47% from the floor. The Clippers took 13 more shots than the Warriors. The Clippers shot 50% from the floor and were 20 for 44 from downtown. They out rebounded the W’s 47-35.

The Clippers are 3-0 against the Warriors this season. That has not happened since the 2005-2006 season. It was the 27th time this season that the Clippers have scored more than 120 points in a game. The Warriors meet the Brooklyn Nets at the Chase Center Thursday night. The Nets beat the Lakers Tuesday night 104-102. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

Warriors surprise 76ers 118-114; Golden State posts victory without flu ridden Curry

photo sfgate.com: The Philadelphia 76ers Al Horford holds onto the ball as the Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) reaches in to get it loose at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday night

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at the Chase Center Saturday night. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry did not play as he was diagnosed with a case of seasonal flu. Draymond Green continued to rest his sore knee and Kevon Looney was out with a hip injury. The Sixers’ two best players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were not available.

The Warriors, playing well of late, had hoped to have Curry in the lineup. The Warriors lost a close game to the Toronto Raptors Thursday night. The fans, who have suffered along with the team all season long, were beginning to see a glimmer of hope for next season. The Warriors, down eight points at the end of three quarters, rallied to beat the Sixers 118-114.

The Dubs trailed for most of the game. They trailed the Sixers by two at the half 57-55. The Sixers won the third quarter 33-37 to lead 90-82 after three periods of action.

The Warriors had their work cut out for them. They were able to stop the Sixer attack with an aggressive defense. Damion Lee knocked down a three to put the Warriors ahead 113-111. The Sixers’ Tobias Harris countered with a three of his own to put the Sixers back in the lead. Eric Paschall made with two free throws.

The Sixers missed three consecutive shots. Mychal Mulder made two free throws. “It took until the fourth quarter to really get much traction defensively,” Kerr said. “Philadelphia did a good job beating us inside for the first three quarters . But our guys hung in there and kept the game close. And then the fourth quarter really turned up the defense, and we got a lot of great individual performances, too.”

The Warriors held on to win 118-114. The Warriors are now 15-49 for the season. The Sixers are 38-26 and trail the Indiana Pacers by 1/2 game for the fifth spot in Eastern Conference.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors snapped a 10-game home losing streak with the win. They won at the Chase Center for the first time since January 18th. They have won for the third time in the last five games.

The Warriors used nine players in the game. Seven of them were in double figures. Damion Lee led the W’s with 24 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and he made three threes in eight tries.

Eric Paschall, coming off the bench, tallied 23 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Mychal Mulder, who played the last day of his ten day contract, added 18 points. Marquese Chriss just missed a triple-double.

Chriss recorded 13 points, ten rebounds, and eight assists. Jordan Poole had 11, Dragan Bender ten, and Andrew Wiggins finished with ten. The team shot 55% from the floor. They moved the ball well as they recorded 30 assists. They committed seven turnovers. The Sixers out rebounded them 41-35

The Sixers had six players in double figures. Tobias Harris led the team with 24, Al Horford had 22 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. Shake Milton had 14, Raul Neto 11. Glenn Robinson and Alec Burks traded to Philadelphia at the trade deadline, returned to the Chase Center with their new team. Robinson tallied 15 points, and Burks added 11.

The Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at Chase Center in San Francisco

Curry returns, Warriors play well still lose to Raptors 121-113

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Warriors superstar, Stephen Curry, returned to action after missing 58 games due to a broken hand. His presence on the court electrified the fans.

The Warriors, with the worst record in the NBA, had to play the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Many people around the NBA thought the Raptors would not have a good season as their star player, Kawhi Leonard, left the team to play for the LA Clippers.

Under the tutelage of their coach, Nick Nurse, the Raptors own the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors entered the game with a record of 43-18. Stars such as Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell, and Pascal Siakam are the new nucleus of the Raptors. Neither Marc Gasol or Fred Van Vleet was available to play Thursday night. The W’s Draymond Green and Kevon Looney did not play.

The Raptors entered the game as prohibitive favorites. The Warriors, on the other hand, felt that they could compete with the champs. They had won two of the last three they played, and Curry was back. Head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry would play about 25 to 28 minutes.

The Warriors had a 9-7 lead early in the first quarter.  Curry played for about six minutes and did not score. The Raptors led 18-12 about midway through the period. The Warriors stayed with them for the rest of the period. Eric Paschall, Damion Lee, and Mychal Mulder led the Warriors offense. The quarter finished with Toronto leading 32-27.

In the second quarter, the Raptors increased the lead to 10 39-29. Curry scored his first points of the night when he made a bucket and was fouled on the play. The Raptors, behind Norman Powell’s hit hand, increased the lead to 14 49-35. Curry hit a three-point shot that sent the crowd into delirium. The Warriors clawed their way back.

The Warriors behind Curry and Damion Lee cut the lead to five 56-51. The Raptors went on a 7-0 run, but Andrew Wiggins knocked a three to end the second quarter. The Raptors won the period 30-28 and led the W’s 62-55 at the end of the first 24 minutes of play.  Steph Curry, in his 14 minutes of playing time, recorded 11 points, three rebounds, four assists, and he connected on two three-point shots Damion Lee had 12, Marquese Chriss nine, Eric Paschall eight, and Andrew Wiggins six. Toronto’s Norman Powell knocked down 17 points in the second quarter and finished the half with 23. Kyle Lowry was second with ten.

In the third quarter, The Warriors ambushed the Raptors. Over the past few seasons, the Warriors owned the third quarter. This season, it has been the reverse. Opponents have killed them this year. Thursday night, the Warriors looked like the Warriors of old. They won the quarter 33-27 to finish trailing 89-88, heading into the final stanza.

Damion Lee and Curry led the charge. Curry was making magic for Golden State once again. He made behind-the-back passes to his teammates for scores. He made another three and drove to the basket. The Warriors had the lead 85-83. Toronto regained the lead as Powell knocked down two -three-pointers to put them back in the lead.

In the fourth quarter, it sounded like the days of old at the Oracle Arena. The fans were chanting “Warriors, Warriors.” The Warriors did the best they could, but Toronto started to pull away. The Warriors tied the game at 95.

Toronto forced three straight turnovers, and they increased the lead to five 100-95. The Raptors were leading 111-102 when Curry re-entered the game. The Warriors rallied to close the deficit to two 113-111. The Raptors’ Pascal Siakam scored to make it 115-111.

Curry countered with a bucket to make it 115-113. The fans were chanting MVP, MVP, MVP. The Warriors would not score again. The fans, with 1:34 to play, were on their feet as they gave the Warriors a rousing, standing ovation. It is rare to have fans shaking the house, knowing the team is about to lose. The Raptors scored the last six points of the game to win 121-113.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors went 14-48.  Curry was on the floor for 27 minutes. He scored 23 points, had seven rebounds, and seven assists. He made three threes in ten tries. Damion Lee had 23 points. five boards, three assists, and he made five threes.

Wiggins tallied 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and three threes. Marquese Chriss had a double-double with 17 points and 12 boards. Eric Paschall finished with 16 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. The Warriors shot 42% from the floor. They connected on 14 threes in 50 attempts. They moved the ball well as they recorded 34 assists. The W’s outrebounded the Raptors 52-39.

Norman Powell had a career-high 37 points to lead the Raptors. Kyle Lowry had 26, Siakam, 15, Og Anunoby 14, Serge Ibaka 13, and Terrence Davis 10. It was the seventh win in a row for Toronto.

The Warriors host the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Warriors stun Nuggets in Mile-High city 116-100

photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) looks to make a pass as Denver Nuggets Will Baton lll (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2020 in Denver

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, with only nine players available, marched into the Pepsi Center in Denver and stunned the highly-favored Denver Nuggets 116-100. The Warriors, without Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson, did not look anything like the championship club that went to the NBA finals the last five seasons.

Three of the players, Mychal Mulder, Dragan Bender, and Chasson Randle are on 10-day contracts. For Randle, the former Stanford star, it was his first game in the NBA as a Warrior. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr fielded his 34th different starting lineup Tuesday night.

The W’s had to face the Nuggets, coached by former Warrior assistant coach Mike Malone, with the fourth-best record in the NBA 41-19. The Warriors did not have a true point guard in the lineup. The Warriors had to find a way to get to the rim as the Nuggets had a bigger team. Denver featured big Nikola Jokic on the first unit, and then, another seven-foot giant, Mason Plumlee, on the second unit.

The Warriors jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the first period. The Nuggets didn’t panic and the first period was very competitive. The Warriors finished with a slim one-point advantage 26-25. The second quarter was a different story.

Denver, with Plumlee and Jokic clogging up the middle, took control of the game as they outscored the Dubs 33-23 to finish the first half leading by nine 58-49. The Warriors Andrew Wiggins was the only player in double figures with ten.

Mychal Mulder was second with eight, Dragan Bender eight, Eric Paschall seven, and Jordan Poole had five. Jamal Murray paced Denver with 14. Plumlee had 11, and Jokic had ten points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors went into the halftime break trailing by nine. The Warriors made ten threes to stay in the game. The Nuggets controlled the boards in the first half. They had 17 second-chance points and tallied 34 points in the paint.

Denver’s Paul Millsap was on fire to start the second half. Millsap’s efforts led the Nuggets to a 14-point lead 70-56. With the score 77-65, it looked as if Denver was going to run away with the game. It was at this point, however, that the Warriors, behind Andrew Wiggins, Dragan Bender, Eric Paschall, And Jordan Poole, caught fire. They went on a 17-4 run to finish the third quarter leading 82-81.

Jordan Poole made three consecutive three-point shots to propel the Warriors into the lead. Poole’s last three came as the buzzer sounded to end the third period. The Warriors outscored the Nuggets 33-23 to erase the nine-point halftime deficit.

The Warriors, feeling confident after the surge at the end of the third period, played well to start the fourth period. The offense was led by Poole, Bender, Wiggins, and Paschall. The Warriors played well on defense. The Nugget fans could not believe what they were seeing.

The lowly Warriors, with the worst record in the NBA, were beating the team with the fourth-best record in basketball. They could not comprehend what was happening. When the Warriors needed a bucket, they found Eric Paschall. When Paschall was bottled up, they found Marquese Chriss.

They moved the ball well. Warrior fans have to keep in mind that these guys have not played together for any length of time. Andrew Wiggins has fit in well since coming over from Minnesota. Mychal Mulder and Dragan Bender looked like seasoned pros.

Jordan Poole has played exceptionally well in his last ten games. Marquese Chriss, the eighth pick in the 2016 draft, has shown the Warriors that he belongs in the NBA. The Warriors outscored the Nuggets 34-19 in the period to finish the game with a well-earned 116-100 victory.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the W’s improve to 14-48. The W’s have 20 games left on the schedule. The team is hoping to have Steph Curry in the lineup Thursday night when the play the NBA  Champions, the Toronto Raptors, at the Chase Center.

Andrew Wiggins led the W’s with 22 points, ten rebounds, ten assists, and he connected on five threes. Rookie Eric Paschall finished with 22 points, five boards, five assists, and two threes. Marquese Chriss 16 points, five rebounds, Dragan Bender 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two threes. Jordan Poole 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, and he made four three in six tries.

The W’s shot 51% from the floor, and they made 18 threes in 41 attempts. The Nuggets made three threes in 20 tries. The Warriors moved the ball well as they frequently found the open man. They recorded 31 assists in the game.

The Nuggets outrebounded the W’s 53-35. However, the Warriors excellent three-point shooting negated any advantage that the Nuggets had. Paul Millsap, with 18, led the Nuggets’ scoring. Plumlee and Jokic each had 16. Jokic had just one rebound in the second half and finished the night with 13. Will Barton, who scored 31 the last time Denver played the Warriors, was held to 18. Jamal Murray ended the night with 14.

The Warriors return to the Chase Center to host the Toronto Raptors Thursday night in San Francisco. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

Beal scores 34 to pace Wizards in win over Warriors 124-110 at Chase Center

sfgate.com photo: Washington Wizards guard Shabazz Napier (5) shoots in front of Golden State Warriors forward Dragan Bender during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Sunday, March 1, 2020.

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors, playing their second game on consecutive nights, fell to the visiting Washington Wizards 124-110 Sunday evening at the Chase Center. The Warriors were hoping to win their second in a row. They beat the Phoenix Suns Saturday night in Phoenix. Their hopes were dashed by the Wizards’ Bradley Beal and Davis Bertrans.

For the second night in a row, the Warriors were down to eight players. Jordan Poole returned to action, but Draymond Green, Ky Bowman, and Kevon Looney did not play.

Both teams were competitive in the first two-quarters of play. The Wizards won the first period by seven points 35-28. The Warriors won the second quarter 29-28 to finish the first half trailing by six 63-57. The Warriors thought they had a chance to win with a strong third quarter.

That did not happen. The third quarter went to Washington 31-19, and now the W’s trailed by eighteen heading into the fourth quarter. The W’s won the fourth quarter by four, but it wasn’t enough. The Wizards win 124-110.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ record dropped to 13-48. They have 21 games left on the schedule. The Wizards improved to 22-37. Neither team will be in the playoffs this season.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins led the team with 27 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Wiggins is eager to finally play with Curry and see how “that’s going to open up the floor for everybody else.”

“It will make a big difference, especially for people who can drive and attack the basket because Steph attracts a lot of attention,” Wiggins said.

Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, and Mychal Mulder each had 17. Damion Lee had 12. Marquese Chriss finished with a double-double.

Bradley Beal had quite a night for Washington. He had 34 points, eight assists, made seven threes, and had five steals.  Beal has scored at least 25 points in a franchise-record 18 straight games. Davis Bertrans, the third-year player from Latvia and coming off the bench, tallied 29. Rui Hachimura, the first Japanese player in the NBA, had 18 points and eight rebounds. Thomas Bryant had 12.

It was the first win on the Warriors’ homecourt in six years.

Steph Curry missed his 56th straight game since breaking his hand. Curry was hoping to play Sunday night, but Warriors’ head coach felt he needed more scrimmage time. The hope now is Curry returning Thursday night. Curry will practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday. Wizards coach Scott Brooks enjoys watching the West Coast games when his team is done out East — and he has missed Curry.

“I’m sure he was intimidated by the defense our team has been playing this year. He didn’t want no part of it,” Brooks joked before the game when asked about Curry’s imminent return. “It would be exciting for not only his fan base, his coaches, and team to have him out there.

He’s one of the greatest players to ever play, one of the greatest shooters to ever play and causes so many problems for opponents. He makes shots that are almost impossible to go in, and you have to be next to him whenever he crosses half court, which opens up the floor for the other players to drive. He’s been missed by the whole basketball world. … You could turn on games at 10 o’clock at night, and you get a lot of basketball, and he’s always been fun to watch.”

The Warriors meet the Denver Nuggets in the Mile-High City Tuesday night. The game time will be at 6:30 pm. They return home to face the defending NBA Champion Toronto Raptors Thursday night at the Chase Center. That game will start at 7:30 pm.

Warriors upset Suns to snap eight-game losing streak 115-99

photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (1) drives past Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Phoenix.

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, down to eight healthy players, found a way to beat the Phoenix Suns Saturday night 115-99. Draymond Green was out with left knee soreness, Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman were out with ankle injuries.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out another starting lineup. He inserted Dragan Bender and Juan Toscano-Anderson at forward and guard. Andrew Wiggins returned to action after suffering back spasms last Thursday. Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, and Mychal Mulder were the only players to come off the bench.

The Suns easily won the first quarter 41-28. They took an early lead, and the Warriors played catchup for the first 12 minutes of play.  The Warriors offense picked up in the second quarter. The Warriors outscored the Suns 33-24 to finish the first half trailing 65-61.

The Warriors trailed for most of the third period. They were able to tie the game at 72. The Suns could not get their offense going at all in the period. The Warriors went on 16-0 run to finish the period leading 92-81. The Warriors won the third quarter 31-16.

The Warriors continued to hold the Suns’ offense in check as they held them to just 18 points. The Warriors did not fold down the stretch and finished with the win 115-99.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors had two former first-round picks of the Suns in their starting lineup Saturday. Marquese Chriss, number eight, and Dragan Bender, number four, in the 2016 draft had to enjoy beating the team that let them go.

Chriss finished the night with 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Bender had 13 points and eight boards. Rookie Eric Paschall, thriving coming off the bench, led the team with 25 points, three boards, and four assists. Damion Lee had 20, and Kevon Looney added ten.

Mychal Mulder, on a ten-day contract and playing in his second NBA game, had 14 points and six rebounds. Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Steve Kerr had this to say about his team’s performance: “The joy in that locker room right now, the relief, everybody’s smiling and happy and excited “Our team’s played hard all year and competed, but at times has been out-manned. So every win becomes sweeter.”

The Suns, trying for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, had to wonder how they could have lost at home to the lowly Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors.

They did lose Kelly Oubre Jr. to a torn meniscus. However, injuries are part of the game, and the Suns need someone to step up and fill the void. That did not happen in the last two games. Devin Booker led the Suns with 21, Deandre Ayton 20, Mikal Bridges 15, Elie Okobo 14, and Dario Saric 11.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor. Phoenix shot 41%. The Warriors out rebounded the Suns 49-40. The Warriors recorded 30 assists. For a team with so many new players, the stat had to please the coaches. The Warriors defense forced the Suns to commit 19 turnovers. The Warriors turned the ball over just ten times.

The Warriors announced that their team leader, Steph Curry, will not play Sunday against the Washington Wizards. Curry will play on Sunday in Santa Cruz for the G-League Warriors. Steve Kerr wants him to get some additional conditioning before returning to the NBA grind.

The Warriors meet the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Sunday night at 5:30 pm.

Lakers, without LeBron trounce Warriors 116-86

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The visiting Los Angeles Lakers, without the services of LeBron James, overwhelmed the Warriors in the second half of the game to win going away 116-86. The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins did not play due to a back issue. However, the W’s welcomed back Draymond Green back to the starting lineup.

The Warriors gave the Lakers a tussle in the first half. The Lakers, owners of the best record in the Western Conference, did not push the young Warriors aside in the first half. The W’s behind the play of Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, and Eric Paschall finished the first period tied at 24. The W’s held their own in the second quarter. The Lakers led 37-29 when the W’s closed to within two 39-37. With the score 42-37, the refs called a foul on Draymond Green. Draymond screamed at the refs and let loose with an expletive. Draymond was hit with his 13th technical foul of the year. On the next play, Green appeared to be fouled by Dwight Howard and was angered that there was no call. He unleashed his anger at the refs again..Since it was his second of the night, he was ejected. Also, it was his 14h of the campaign and two more will cost him a one-game suspension. The Lakers could not shake the determined Warriors. Rookie Eric Paschall played well and made three straight buckets. The Lakers’ Anthony Davis hit a three to put them up 54-50. Paschall made another bucket to finish the first half with the Warriors trailing 54-52.

The Lakers blew it open in the third quarter. They overwhelmed the W’s 40-17. They had two much size, and their defense stopped the Warriors cold. The Lakers forced turnovers and their offense started clicking. The Lakers won the fourth quarter 22-17 to win the game 116-86.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the W’s drop to 12-47. They have lost eight in a row. The Lakers improved to 45-12 and have now won seven in a row.

The Warriors offense went south in the second half. They made a total of 13 field goals. Five were three-pointer, and 8 were two-pointers. The Lakers’ defense forced 16 turnovers in the second half. The Warriors committed a total of 26 in the game. Teams usually lose when they turn the ball over that many times. Thursday night was no exception.

Eric Paschall led the team with 23 points. Jordan Poole had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Damion Lee had 15, and Ky Bowman finished with 11.

The Lakers Anthony Davis had 23, Kyle Kuzma 18, JaVale McGee 12, Avery Bradley 12, and Rajon rondo 12.

The Warriors signed Mychal Mulder to a 10-day contract. The W’s will re-evaluate Steph Curry on Saturday. Steph is hoping to play on Sunday, but head coach Steve Kerr is not sure that Steph will be ready

The Warriors play the Sun in Phoenix on Saturday. The game time will be at 6:00 pm. They then travel across the county to face the Washington Wizards on Sunday. That game will start at 5:30 pm.

Stanford leads wire-to-wire to defeat Utah 70-62

By Jerry Feitelberg

Palo Alto- The Stanford Cardinal play hosted to the Utah Utes Wednesday at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal wanted to avenge the loss they suffered when they played Utah in Salt Lake City. Stanford came out firing. The built-up an eighteen-point lead. The young men from Utah finally got something going late in the first half and cut the deficit to twelve 34-22. The Utes gave the Cardinal a tussle in the second half. They outscored the Cardinal 40-36, and their defense gave the Cardinal fits. They put the clamps on Da Silva and Terry. Jaiden DeLaire came through in the last nine minutes of the game with nine points to help Stanford win.

The Cardinal, behind their star, Oscar Da Silva, raced out to an early 14-2 lead over the Utah Utes The Cardinal defense held the Utes to just 2 points in the first seven minutes of the game. The Cardinal increased the lead to eighteen 29-11. The Utes did not fold. They kept attacking the boards and were able to get back into the game. Stanford won the first half 34-22. Tyrell Terry connected on three threes for 9 points. Spencer Jones added six for the Cardinal. The leading scorers for Utah were Jaxon Brenchley with 7, and the big seven-foot center, Brenden Carlson, had 5.

The Utes came out firing to start the second half. They went on an 8-2 run the cut the deficit to six 36-30. Tyrell Terry connected on a couple of threes, and the Cardinal went up 48-37. The Utes came back, but the Cardinal refused to wilt. The Utes’ defense focused on stopping Tyrell Tyler and Oscar Da Silva. The strategy worked as Utah trailed by three 63-60 with 1:29 left. However, sophomore Jaiden DeLaire picked up the hit a  three to put the Cardinal in the driver’s seat. Terry was fouled twice in the last minute of the game, and he made all four free throws. Utah scored a basket late in the half, but it was not enough. The Cardinal wins 70-62.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, Stanford is now 19-9 overall and 8-7 in the conference. The Cardinal has three games left to play this year. They meet Colorado at home on Sunday. They finish the season against Oregon State and Oregon next week. Utah falls to 15-13 overall and 6-10 in the Pac-12.

Freshman Tyrell Terry led Stanford with 27 points. He made seven threes in eleven tries. Oscar Da Silva finished with 20. Jaiden DeLaire had 11, Spencer Jones 6. Utah had four players in double figures. Timmy Allen led Utah wit 17. Both Gach had 15, Jaxon Brenchley 13, and Branden Carlson 12.

As mentioned above, Stanford plays Colorado, ranked 21st in the country, Sunday after at Maples Pavilion. The game will start at 3 pm and will be televised on ESPNU.

 

Warriors offense falters fall to Kings 112-94

from sfgate.com: Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes (40) shoots over Golden State Warriors’ Kevon Looney, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in San Francisco.

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- It was another tough night for the Warriors on Monday as they couldn’t make three-point shots. The Sacramento Kings could, and they won 112-94.

The Kings scored the first basket of the game and never relinquished the lead. The Warriors were trailing 9-8 when the Kings went on a 12-2 run to lead 21-10. The Warriors turned the ball over six times in the first period. As a result of the turnovers, the Kings put 10 points on the board. Sacramento led by eleven 33-22 to end the first quarter. The Warriors’ offense went to sleep to start the second period.

They scored a total of two points in the first five minutes of play.  Sacramento wasn’t much better. They scored seven. The rest of the period was fairly even. The first half ended with Sacramento leading 55-43. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 14. Marquese Chriss had 13 points and five boards. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes paced the Kings with 16. Bogdan Bogdanovich had 11. As mentioned earlier, the W’s could not make a three. They were one-for- seventeen from behind the 3-point arc. Sacramento made six threes.

The Warriors offense woke up in the third quarter. The Warriors went on a 15-2 run to close within four 67-63. That was the last closest they would get. Sacramento regrouped and finished the third period leading 81-73. The Kings’ three-point sharpshooter, Buddy Hield, hit three threes in a row to start the quarter. The Kings now led by 17. The Warriors’ Damion Lee finally knocked down some threes. He connected three times in the second half to keep the W’s within range. However, they could not catch the Kings.  Sacramento beat the Warriors for the third time this year, 112-94.

Game Notes and Stats- The big news of the night was that Steph Curry will return to action Sunday night when the Warriors travel to Phoenix to play the Suns.

Sacramento won for the ninth time in the last 13 games to improve to 24-33. The Kings have improved and are within 4 games of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors dropped to 12-46. They own the worst record in the NBA.

The Warriors head coach, without defensive stalwart Draymond Green, had another makeshift lineup. Many of his players had not spent a lot of time with each other on the court. They played hard, but the play was ragged. There were some bright spots. Marquese Chriss finished with a double-double.

He finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Chriss left the game in the fourth quarter. He missed the last game with a strained calf, and he appeared to be hobbled by it Monday night. Andrew Wiggins had 16, Damion Lee had 16 and was 3-for-7 from three-point range. Jordan Poole had 13, Eric Paschall 12, and Ky Bowman 10. The W’s shot 44% from the floor. The W’s made 4 threes in 28 tries. Lee had three of the four. The Warriors bench tallied 18 points. Ky Bowman had 10 of the 18.

Sacramento won the game from the three-point line. They made 13 threes in 30 tries. The eight-shot difference accounted for 24 points, which were more than enough to secure the win for Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 21. Barnes had 19, Bogdanovic 17, Hield 19, Harry Giles 13, Corey Joseph 11, and Kent Bazemore, another former Warrior, nine.

The Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

Pelicans behind Zion Williamson come back beat Warriors 115-101

photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors’ Damion Lee out rebounds New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson in 2nd quarter during NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, February 23, 2020

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The New Orleans Pelicans visited the Warriors Sunday night and had to come back from a 10-point to win 115-101. It was a tale of two halves. The Warriors did everything right in the first half. They won the first two quarters of the game to lead 56-46.

The Warriors’ Damion Lee was on fire. He led the team with 18 points. The Warriors, who were without the services of Marquese Chriss and Draymond Green, played well on defense. The Pelicans shot just 34% from the floor. The only Pelican in double figures in the first half was rookie Zion Williamson. Williamson scored 14 points and was a force in the point.

The 19-year old star, who is six feet six inches tall and weighs 285 pounds, showed his athleticism as he made quick moves to the basket. He was difficult to defend as he likes driving to basket using his left hand. The Pelicans, the fourth-best three-point shooting team in the NBA, made seven threes in 21 attempts.

The Pelicans, who are within three games of the final playoff spot in the NBA Western Conference, came out with a vengeance to start the second half. They went on a 13-2 run to start the third quarter. The Pelicans made the first ten shots they tried in the period.

Five of them were three-pointers. The Warriors, on the other hand, missed all nine of their three-point shots. The Warriors didn’t quit. They played hard and tied the game 77-77 to finish the third quarter.

Things did not go well in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans started the road to victory with an 11-2 run. The Pelican’s Jrue Holiday got hot and began to make threes. The Warriors Juan Toscano-Anderson, who is from East Oakland, made a couple of threes to keep the Warriors within range of the leas.

Zion Williamson continued to wear down the Warriors defense. The Pelicans’ Nicolo Melli, J J Redick, and Holiday kept scoring from downtown. The Pelicans won the fourth quarter 38-14.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors record drops to 12-44. The Pelicans improved to 25-32. The Pelicans started the season slowly. They had a lot of players unavailable due to injury. Williamson has played in about 10 games so far.

Alvin Gentry has his team playing well right now, and they are making a charge to get into the playoffs. Williamson, who was the first choice in the draft, has shown that he is for real. He will be a force down the stretch for New Orleans.

There were bright spots for the Warriors Sunday night. The team, down to just nine players, meshed well. The new guys, including Andrew Wiggins, played hard on both ends of the court. Wiggins had a tough night shooting.

He just couldn’t get anything going. He finished the night with eight points, ten rebounds, and four assists. The Warriors, nevertheless, had five players in double figures. Damion Lee knocked down 22 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four-threes.

Jordan Poole continued to play well. Poole had 19 points, four boards, and five assists. Juan Toscano-Anderson had a career-high 16 points. He also pulled down eight rebounds, had three assists, and made three threes. Backup Ky Bowman impressed with 15 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Rookie Eric Paschall had 13 points and five rebounds.

Williamson Led the Pelicans with 28. Holiday had 23 points and 15 assists, Melli 20, and Brandon Ingram 17.

The Warriors continue the homestand with visits from the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings will be here Tuesday and the Lakers on Thursday. Both games will start at 7:30 pm.