Jokic paces Nuggets to victory over Warriors 114-104

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) gets a reverse slam on Golden State Warrior center James Wiseman (33) during Thu Jan 14, 2021 game at Denver (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors’ three-game road trip started with a thud Thursday night as they fell to the Denver Nuggets 114-104. Eric Paschall rejoined the club after he tested negative for Covid-19. He missed Tuesday’s game due to a false-positive test. While the Warriors were happy to have him back, his presence didn’t affect the game’s outcome.

The Nuggets, although they didn’t know it at the time, won the game in the first quarter. The Nuggets finished the first 12 minutes of action with a 37-24 advantage. From that point on, the Warriors were playing catch up. No matter what they did, they could not get any closer. They trailed 65-54 at the end of the first half. 

The Warriors cut the deficit to five 79-74 when Kelly Oubre, Jr. hit a three. Denver finished the quarter with an 11-2 run to lead 90-76 at the end of three. Denver’s Nikola Jokic led the run for the Nuggets.

The Warriors won the fourth quarter 28-24, but it was not enough to win. Stephen Curry, James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre, and Andrew Wiggins tried, but Denver had an answer to thwart the Warriors offense. Denver holds on to win 114-104.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 6-6 for the year. The Nuggets improved to 6-6.

 Curry had a big note for Golden State. Curry scored more than 30 points for the sixth time this year. The Warriors won the first five. Steph had a double-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists.

He was 14-for-23 from the floor and 5-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc. Rookie sensation James Wiseman knocked down 18, and he had five boards. Andrew Wiggins had 16, Kelly Oubre 14. Oubre had three threes. Eric Paschall had eight. The Nuggets’ bench outscored the Warriors bench 41-20.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished the night with a triple-double. Nokic tallied 23 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists. Will Barton and Jamal Murray each had 17 for the Nuggets. 

The Warriors turned the ball over 19 times. Head coach Steve Kerr has to have the team improve in that department.

The Warriors’ game with  the Phoenix Suns Friday night was postponed as the Suns do not have enough players to perform due to contact tracing after a game with the Washington Wizards. The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night at the Staples Center in LA.

Pacers’ defense shuts down Warriors attack in second half for win 104-95

The Golden State Warriors Kelly Oubre Jr takes a shot against the Indiana Pacers defense in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Jan 12, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The Pacers, still smarting from a close loss to the Sacramento Kings Monday night, found a way to beat the Warriors 104-95.

The Pacers’ Victor Oladipo was not available to play. The Warriors’ Eric Paschall had to miss the game due to NBA protocol regarding the coronavirus. It is not known if Paschall has the virus or was in contact with someone that did.

The first half featured the teams playing outstanding defense. The Pacers wanted to stop Stephen Curry from beating them. The Warriors without Paschall, had to find a way to keep Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon to do the same to the Pacers.

Both strategies worked. The Pacers held Curry to just five points in the first half. The Warriors defense allowed Sabonis six and Brogdon seven. The Warriors finished the first 24 minutes of action leading 55-50.

Kelly Oubre, Jr. led the Warriors with 15. Oubre made three threes and had four boards. Oubre’s defense was stellar. Andrew Wiggins had 12 points, and he made two threes. The Pacers’ Myles Turner had 13. 

The second half belonged to the Pacers. They outscored the Warriors 23-18 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to two 77-73. Curry made three threes and recorded 11 of the Warriors 18 points. 

The Warriors and Pacers continued to play tough defense. Each team had to work hard to get points on the board. The Warriors led 90-88 when the Pacers went on a 13-0 run to lead 101-90 with about a minute left to play. The Pacers outscored the Warriors 31-20 in the fourth quarter to win 104-95.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 6-5 for the year. The Pacers improved to 7-4. 

Andrew Wiggins continued to play well on both ends of the court. Andrew finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, four threes, and five blocked shots. Curry knocked down 20. He made three threes and had four boards and three assists. Oubre, who had 15 in the first half, tallied two in the second to finish with 17. He made three threes to go along with five rebounds and two assists. 

The Warriors made three turnovers in the first half. They made 12 in the second. The Pacers scored 24 points as a result of the turnovers to help them win.

The Warriors play the next three games on the road. They face the Denver Nuggets Thursday night at The Ball Center in Denver for a 7 pm tip. They play the Suns in Phoenix Friday night and the Lakers in Los Angeles Monday night.

Warriors hold off Raptors in win 106-105; Bench rises as Curry has off night scoring

The Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) led the Warriors in scoring takes a shot against the Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (right) on Sun Jan 10, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

 On a night when Stephen Curry had the worst shooting night of his illustrious career, the Warriors found a way to withstand Toronto’s furious fourth-quarter comeback to win 106-105.

In every game in which Curry scored 30 or more points, Golden State finished with a win. Curry put just 13 points on the board. The Warriors won the game with great defense and six players scoring in double figures. The bench helped out with 46 points. As the fans around the NBA know, there is more to Curry’s game than scoring. He was credited with six assists, and he pulled down nine rebounds.

The Warriors led for the first three quarters. They won the first quarter 31-24. They led 10-1 to start the game. Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, and Kelly Oubre, Jr. paced the Warrior offense.

The Warriors second unit of Eric Paschall, Brad Wanaker, and Damian Lee helped the Warriors finish the first half leading 61-49. Curry has three points in the first half. Wiggins 11, Wiseman 10, Paschall 8, and Lee 8. Pascal Siakam had 16 for the Raptors. Fred VanVleet 10, and Chris Boucher 10.

The Warriors continued to dominate play in the third quarter. They increased the lead to fifteen 87-72 and appeared to be cruising to a victory. However, in the NBA, teams have to not take things easy in the fourth and final period of play.

Eric Paschall made a bucket to put the Warriors up by seventeen. It was at this point in the game that things went south for the Warriors. Toronto went on a 21 to five-run to make it a one-point game 94-93.

Kelly Oubre connected on a three to give the Warriors some breathing room 97-93. Toronto scored the next five points to go ahead by one 98-97. They hit a three to lead by four 101-97. Curry knocked down a three to make it 101-100. Toronto answered with a bucket to lead 103-100 with 1:45 left.

Baskets by Curry and Kent Bazemore put the Warriors ahead 104-103. Toronto scored to lead 105-104 with 7.6 seconds left. Damian Lee was fouled attempting a three-pointer. Toronto coach Nick Nurse challenged the call. After the review, the referees determined that Lee was fouled before the shot.

He would not get three free throws. Since the Raptors were over the foul limit, Lee was awarded two free throws. He made both to give the Warriors the advantage 106-105 with 4.3 seconds left to play. Toronto got the ball into Pascal Siakam’s hands. His shot at the buzzer failed to go down. The Warriors held on to win 106-105.

Game Notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors improved their season record to 6-4. The Raptors fell to 2-7. 

Draymond Green had his best game of the season. He just missed a triple-double. He kicked in with ten points, nine rebounds, and ten assists. Wiggins had 17, Wiseman 10, Oubre 12, Curry 11, and Eric Paschall 15. For Paschall, it was his eighth game in a row with ten or more points. Damian Lee had 13, Bazemore nine, Wanamaker 7. 

The Warriors bench outscored the Raptors bench 46-25.

Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 25. Fred VanVleet had 21, Chris Boucher 15, and he was a force on defense with six blocked shots. Kyle Lowrey had 17, 16 of which came in the fourth period. 

The Warriors finish the seven-game home stand against the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Curry leads Warriors in thrilling comeback victory over Clippers 115-105

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) after Wiggins made a 3-point shot against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.Tony Avelar/AP News photo

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Clippers for the second time in three days Friday night. The Clippers won the first game and were hoping to beat the Warriors again.

The Clippers are loaded with talent. Many people around the NBA think they will be a contender for the NBA title. They dominated the first quarter of play Friday night. They won the second quarter to finish the first half with a 14 point advantage.

They increased the lead to 20, 83-63 with three minutes left in the third quarter. Behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Eric Paschall, the Warriors went on a 52-20 run to earn a comeback victory 115-1105.

In the first half, the Clippers excelled on both ends of the court. Paul George made four threes in four tries. He finished the first half with 17. Kawhi Leonard knocked down 11, and he connected on two threes in two attempts.

The Clipper defense continued to throttle the Warrior offense. Stephen Curry was the only Warrior in double figures with 14 points. The Clips won the first quarter 30-22, and the second 35-31 to lead by 14 , 65-51 at the end of the first half.

The Clippers made two three-pointers to start the third quarter to lead by 20, 71-51. Steph made a couple of shots to cut the deficit to 15. The Clippers regained the 20 point lead 83-63.

It was at this point, LA must have thought the game would be in the win column. Curry had other thoughts. Curry, who was held to 13 points Wednesday night, went on a tear. He tallied 19 points as the Warriors went on an 18-2 run to finish the quarter trailing 87-81.

The Warriors started the final stanza with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 87. LA scored a bucket to go ahead 89-87. Eric Paschall scored a deuce to tie it at 89. Paschall then connected on a three pointer to put Golden State ahead for the first time since early in the first period. The teams tied again at 97.

Brad Wanamaker knocked down a three, and the Warriors led 100-97. They would not relinquish the lead. Andrew Wiggins, Curry, Draymond Green, and Wanamaker all made buckets to propel the Warriors to the win. The Warriors finished the game on a 52-20 run in the last 15 minutes of play to stun the Clippers 115-105.

Game Notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors improve to 5-4 for the year. The Clippers dropped to 6-4.

 Curry had another fantastic performance Friday night. He had a double-double with 38 points, 11 assists, and two rebounds. Curry was 13 for 24 from the floor, and he made nine threes in 14 tries.

Andrew Wiggins had 16 points and six boards. Andrew made two threes. Eric Paschall, who led the charge in the fourth quarter, had 12 points and six boards. No other Warrior was in double figures. However, Damian Lee, Mychal Mulder, Brad Wanamaker, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Kent Bazemore came through with big plays to help win the game.

The Warriors meet the Toronto Raptors Sunday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Clippers defense shuts down Curry and Warriors for 108-101 win

The Los Angeles Clippers Patrick Beverly (21) defends Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry (30) on Wed Jan 6, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco in their first of two meetings this week. (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced another team with aspirations to win the NBA championship this season. They had to face the Los Angeles Clippers coached by Tyron Lue. The Clips, still smarting from being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs last year, wanted to show everyone that they are a title contender.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are the team leaders. Their game plan was not to let Stephen Curry get easy shots and shut him down from three-point range. Their game plan worked as Curry could not his game going at all.

The Clippers defense held Curry to 13 points. He made one three in six tries, and he was two-for-four from the free-throw line. It was tough to think that Curry could miss two free throws in a game, but it happened. The game was close until halfway through the fourth quarter when the Clippers pulled away to win 108-101.

Neither team put on an offensive show in the first quarter. The Warriors defense held the Clippers to 21 points. On most nights, the Warriors would be ecstatic with such a performance. However, on Wednesday night, the Warriors offense floundered as they put a measly 15 points on the board to trail 21-15 after the first 12 minutes of play. 

The Warriors offense woke up in the second quarter. They outscored the Clippers 36-31 to close within one point 52-51 at the half. Eric Paschall, relishing his role coming off the bench, helped the Warriors get close. 

In the third quarter, The Warriors came back to take the lead 61-60 for the first time in the game. The lead didn’t last long as Los Angeles finished the quarter with a six-point advantage 83-77. The Warriors fought back to tie the game at 93.

Draymond Green committed a flagrant foul to send Kawhi Leonard to the charity stripe for two free throws and possession of the ball. Leonard made both free throws and was fouled again. He made both free throws to put LA ahead 97-93. The Clippers then made three threes to make put them ahead 106-97. They held on to win 108-101.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 4-4 for the year. The Clippers are 6-3. 

Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 19 points each. Wiggins was 8-for-12 from the floor, and he connected on two threes. Paschall’s 19 points were a season-high, and he has scored in double figures for the sixth straight game. James Wiseman had ten points and four rebounds. Steph finished with 13. No other Warrior was in double figures.

The teams meet Friday night again at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Warriors rout Kings 137-106; Curry leads with 30 as Golden State goes wire to wire

Lots of happy Golden State Warriors Kevon Looney (5), Stephen Curry (30) and Kent Bazemore standing behind Curry. Curry finished the night with 30 points against the Sacramento Kings on Mon Jan 4, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- For the second game in a row, the Warriors put 137 points on the board to rout the Sacramento Kings 137-106 at the Chase Center. The Warriors led wire-to-wire. They went on an 8-0 run to start the game. The Warriors put the pedal to the metal as they attacked the basket on offense, and their defense stifled the Kings’ offense.

The Warriors playing their third game in four nights, did not look tired as they ran the court. They had the motion game working as they recorded a season-high 41 assists. They shot 52% from behind the three-point arc. They connected 23 times in 43 tries. 

In the first quarter, the Warriors, behind Stephen Curry’s 13 points finished the period leading 37-20. Draymond Green connected on his first three early in the quarter. Kelly Oubre, Jr. made the first of four threes to make it 8-0 minutes into the game. 

The Warriors won the second quarter 31-28 to finish the first half leading by twenty 68-48. Curry paced the Warriors with 23 points. De’Aaron Fox had 11 for Sacramento. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes had nine, and big Hassan Whiteside finished with eight. 

The Warriors continued to pound the Kings in the third quarter. Oubre made a couple of threes to help increase the Warrior lead to a 25 point advantage 100-75.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr did not play Curry, Green, Oubre, and Wiseman in the fourth quarter. Wiggins was the only starter still playing. The Warriors’ second unit kept the pressure on the Kings. They outscored Sacramento 37-31. Bench players Eris Paschall, Jordan Poole, Mychal Mulder, and rookie Nico Mannion finished the game. Mannion made his NBA debut Monday night. The Warriors won by a final of 137-106.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 4-3 for the year. The Kings drop to 3-4. The Warriors have now scored 30 or more points in eight consecutive quarters. 

Eric Paschall had his fifth straight game with double figures. Draymond Green finished with five points, five rebounds, and five assists.  Curry had another big night with 30 points, nine boards, and eight assists.

Curry made five threes in 12 tries. Kelly Oubre, who had a tough time making a three-point shot in the first six games, connected four times in six attempts. He finished the night with 18 points. He was a force on both ends of the court.

Andrew Wiggins had 16. Wiggins proved that he could be a playmaker as he recorded five assists. James Wiseman, playing just 17 minutes, had ten points and five rebounds. Eric Paschall had 14, Kevon Looney 11, and Mychal Mulder 12. Mulder was four for four from three-point range.

De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 18 each. The Warriors defense held Buddy Hield to just ten points. Hield made two threes that extended his streak to 73 consecutive games making a three-pointer. 

The Warriors shot 52.9% from the floor and 53.5% from beyond the three-point arc. The W’s held the Kings to 39% from the floor and 28.6% from three-point range. 

The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Curry’s 62 point effort leads Warriors to victory over Blazers 137-122

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) is amped up after scoring one his buckets that later totaled 62 points in the Warriors win over the Portland Trailblazers on Sun Jan 3, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (USA Today photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who were blown out by the Portland Trail Blazers on New Year’s day, bounced back to win 137-122. Stephen Curry had one of his best games ever in his fantastic career. Curry knocked down a career-high 62 points in 36 minutes of action Sunday night. The two-time NBA MVP recorded his seventh-career 50-point plus game. 

The Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to think he saw the Warriors that won three NBA championships in five years. With Draymond Green back in the lineup, the Warriors excelled on defense.

Draymond also helped set up the offense as he was credited with eight assists. They moved the ball well, and that allowed Curry to make six threes in 12 tries. On defense, the Warriors outrebounded the Blazers 60-51.

They had four steals and seven blocks. The Warriors rookie sensation, James Wiseman, had his first career double-double. He kicked in with 12 points and eleven rebounds. The Blazers knocked 20 threes in Friday’s win over the Warriors. The Warriors’ defense held them to 14 Sunday night.

The Warriors, who were blown out in the first quarter Friday, wanted to get off to a good start Sunday night. The Blazers took an early 9-2 lead. Behind buckets by Curry, Kelly Oubre, Jr, and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors rallied to tie the game.

Wiseman made a deuce, and Curry connected on a three to increase the lead to 17-12. The Blazers tied the game twice, 38, and 40 early in the second quarter. Eric Paschall made a bucket to put Golden Stae ahead 42-40.

Portland never regained the lead after that play. Curry, Wiggins, and Wiseman paced the Warrior attack from that point. The Warriors finished the first half with a 12 point lead 66-54. Curry scored 31 points to propel the Warriors into the lead.

The Warriors were able to keep the Blazers at bay in the third quarter. The Blazers’ all-star backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J.McCollum started to connect on three-point shots. Steph Responded with threes of his own. The Warriors increased the lead to fourteen 97-83 at the end of the period. Curry had 45 at this point in the game. 

The Blazers did not wilt. Lillard and McCollum had the talent to bring the Blazers back from a 14-point deficit. Curry had other thoughts as he recorded 17 points in the final stanza. The Blazers closed the gap to seven 113-106. Curry, Wiggins, and Oubre all made baskets to prevent the Blazers from getting any closer. The Warriors were able to cruise to victory by a final of 137-122.

Game Notes and stats: Curry was the man Sunday night. As mentioned earlier, Curry finished with a career-high 62 points. He took 31 shots and made 18. He was six for 12 from behind the three-point arc.

The one sour note was that he missed a free throw to end his team-record 80 consecutive free throws. Draymond Green, playing in his second game of the season, looked like the Draymond of old.

He did not score very much, he recorded only one point, but he had three rebounds and eight assists. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points, seven boards, and two assists. Kelly Oubre had, perhaps, his best game as a Warrior. Oubre had 17 points and five rebounds. He was a force on both ends of the floor to help the Warriors to the win. Eric Paschall had ten points and three rebounds. Wiseman 12 points and 11 boards.

Damian Lillard paced the Blazers with 32 points. He made six threes. C.J.McCollum finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. The Warriors’ defense held Josef Nurkic in check. Nurkic had seven points and six rebounds. The Blazers’ backup center, Enes Kanter, played very well. He had a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony had 10.

With the win, the Warriors are 3-3 for the year. The Blazers drop to 3-3. The Warriors meet the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center Monday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Blazers rout Warriors 123-98 on Golden State home floor

The Portland Trailblazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives on the Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman (33). Lillard tied former Trailblazer Clyde Drexler for scoring 15,000 points career for the franchise. Lillard also scored 34 points to lead Portland in offense on Fri Jan 1, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, winners of two straight, returning home to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, New Year’s Day, at the Chase Center behind one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA, the Blazers blew out the Warriors 123-98. 

Draymond Green was in the lineup Friday night. Green missed the first four games with a strained foot. His presence on the floor didn’t’ help much as Portland raced out to a 36-19 lead after the first 12 minutes of play.

The Blazers’ C.J.McCollum knocked down 16 points to get Portland off to a good start. He made four threes while his mates added five more in the quarter. The Warriors regrouped and played better in the second period.

TheWarriors outscored the Blazers 36-31 to finish the first half trailing 67-55. McCollum led the Blazers with 18. Damian Lillard had 13. Carmelo Anthony, coming off the bench, added 13 for Portland. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors within 12. Andrew Wiggins had ten, and Eric Paschall chipped in with nine.

The Warriors closed the gap to nine 76-67 early in the third quarter. The Blazers shifted into high gear and went on a 22-7 run to put the game away. They finished the third quarter with a 98-80 advantage.

The Blazers were in cruise control at the point in the game. The Warriors first unit was on the floor for most of the final stanza. The offense could not get anything going. The Blazers won by a final score of 123-98.

Game Notes and stats: The Warriors’ star rookie, James Wiseman, twisted his ankle with 3:21 left in the game. He was helped off the court, and the training staff taped and iced his ankle. The severity of the injury is not known at this time.

The Blazers’ trio of McCollum, Lillard, and Anthony put 80 points on the board. McCollum had 28, Lillard 36, and Anthony had 18. 

Steph led the Warriors with 26. Andrew Wiggins 15, Kelly Oubre 10, Eric Paschall 13.

The W’s shot 39.2% from the floor, the Blazers 43.5%. The Blazers made 20 threes. The Warriors made seven threes in 33 tries. 

The same two teams meet again Monday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Warriors get a win over Pistons 116-106, finish road trip with 2-2 record

The Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman (33) gets tangled up with the Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) during their game Tue Dec 29, 2020 in Detroit (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors finished the four-game road-trip win a win over the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Tuesday night. The win evened the Warriors’ record to 2-2. The Pistons, coached by Dwayne Casey, dropped to 0-4.

Energized by their thriller one-point win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, the Warriors wanted the momentum to carryover Tuesday night against Detroit. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr hoped to see improved play from Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Andrew Wiggins.

He wanted to know if the second unit could put points on the board. He wanted to know if bench players Eric Paschall, Brad Wanamaker, Damion Lee, and Kevon Looney would mesh. Kelly Oubre had his best game as a Warrior.

He made his first three-point shot of the season. He was a terror on defense. In the third quarter, he blocked a shot and took it the other way for the score. Andrew Wiggins had a big night, too. Wiggins got hot in the fourth quarter as he paced the Warrior attack with 15 points. He made three threes as the Warriors went on a 17-4 run. Paschall, Looney, Lee, and Wanamaker all made their presence felt to help the Warriors win.

The teams played a very competitive first half. The Pistons won the first quarter, 29-24. The Pistons started the second quarter with a 9-2 run to lead 38-26. Detroit’s big men, Mason Plumlee and Blake Griffin were getting offensive rebounds. The Pistons had 13-second chance points to propel them into the lead. The Warriors fought back and finished the half trailing by three 51-48. Wiggins, Paschall, and Oubre all made buckets to keep the Warriors close.

The Warriors started the third quarter on a 10-3 run to grab the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The key play on the run was Oubre’s block and score to put the Warriors in the lead 58-54. The Pistons did not cave. The Warriors held the lead until Detroit passed them late in the quarter 76-75. The Warriors countered with a bucket to end the quarter leading by one 77-76.

In the fourth quarter, with Curry on the bench, Andrew Wiggins led the second unit on a 17-4 run to win the game for the Warriors. Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. Curry came back with less than five minutes on the clock. The Warriors increased the lead to 13 106-93. The Pistons refused to quit. They made a late run to close the gap to five with 1:42 left to play. Damion Lee, who hit the game-winner against the Bulls, drained a three to ice the win. The final score was 116-106.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors played well on defense. The Pistons shot 30% from the first half. They managed to hold the lead as they took more shots than the Warriors. For the game, Detroit shot 38%. Detroit took 92 shots. The Warriors were 38-for 76 from the floor, good for 50%. The Warriors made 14 threes in 33 tries. The Warriors outrebounded Detroit 58-53. However, Detroit had 16 offensive rebounds compared to the Warriors four.

Kelly Oubre finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocked shots. He was six-for-ten from the floor and made a three. Andrew Wiggins had 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He was nine-for 19 from the floor, and he connected on five threes.

 Curry had another big night. Curry, who finished with 36 against the Bulls, tallied 31. He connected on five threes to go along with five rebounds and six assists. James Wiseman had six points and six rebounds. Wiseman was limited to just 21 minutes of action as he committed three fouls in the first half. He picked up his fourth foul early in the second half and spent a lot of time on the bench. Steve Kerr let him play after he committed his fifth in the fourth quarter. He fouled out with 2:43 left. 

Eric Paschall had ten, Damion Lee eight, and Brad Wanamaker nine. 

Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 27. Josh Jackson had 17, Derrick Rose 15, Saddiq Bey 11, and Sekoy Doumbaya nine. Blake Griffin had eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in the first half. Griffin was injured when he caught an elbow to his mouth. He did not play in the second half.

The Warriors return home to face the Portland Trail Blazers on New Year’s Day to start a seven-game homestand.

The game will start at 7:30 pm at Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Lee hits three point buzzer beater to get Golden State’s first win; defeat Chicago 129-128 at the United Center

The Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (left) hits a three pointer against the Chicago Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky (right) for a buzzer beater at the United Center in Chicago on Sun Dec 27, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the year when Damion Lee hit a three-pointer just before the buzzer sounded to win a thriller 129-128 over the Chicago Bulls. Under the tutelage of their new head coach Billy Donovan, the Bulls had lost their two games of the year. They wanted to put one in the win column for him Sunday night against the Warriors. 

Draymond Green was not available again as he has a strained muscle in his leg. The Warriors hoped he will be back on the court when they finished the four-game road trip Tuesday night in Detroit.

The Warriors announced that Marquese Chriss suffered a broken fibula in practice Saturday. Chriss will undergo surgery to repair the damage, and he may be lost for the entire season. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to revamp his lineup for the match against the Bulls.

So far this season, the Warriors have not performed well on offense. Steph Curry was missing three-point shots. Kelly Oubre, Jr. could not buy a bucket. Andrew Wiggins’ game was not up to par.

The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee torched the Warriors’ defense in the first two games of the season. Two questions had to be answered Sunday night. Could the Warriors’ offense rebound? Would the defense be shredded again?

The team answered both questions. Yes, the offense did better, and they shot better than 40% from the floor.  Curry led the team with 36 points, and he made five three pointers to help the team win.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. Oubre hustled all night long. He was a force on defense. He scored eight points to go along with 11 rebounds and four steals. The Warrior bench made significant contributions to help win the game. Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, and Mychal Mulder came through for the Warriors Sunday night.

The teams played a very competitive first 24 minutes of play. The Warriors finished by leading 60-56. The Warriors shot 40.4% from the floor and made nine threes. Chicago took 15 shots less than the Warriors. They were 50% from the floor, and they made six threes. The Warriors’ defense sparkled as they made eight steals and blocked two shots. They also forced Chicago to commit 14 turnovers.

The Bulls went on a 12-2 run to start the third quarter. They led 71-64, but Wiggins connected on a three to make it 71-67. The Bulls continued to maintain the lead the entire quarter. They won the third quarter 41-33 to lead 97-93 after three-quarters of play.

The Warriors did not start Curry to start the fourth quarter. Kerr brought him in with about eight minutes left in the game. Every time the Warriors inch closer, the Bulls would not have an answer.

The Warriors tied the game 100-100. The Bulls went on a 10-2 run. They led by nine 121-112 when Curry hit a two-point bucket. It just missed being a three. Oubre followed with a big bucket to close the gap to five 121-116. Curry made two free throws and a three-pointer to come within two 123-121. The Bulls connected on a three. Curry countered with a bucket and a free throw to stay within reach 126-124. Kevon Looney tied the game at 126.

The Bulls’ star, Zach LaVine, scored to put the Bulls up by two 128-126 with 16.9 seconds left to play. The Bulls’ defense focused on Curry to make sure he wouldn’t make the game’s last shot.

With five seconds left on the clock, the Warriors had to inbound the ball. Who would get the ball? Chicago, as mentioned above, double-teamed Curry. The inbound pass went to Damion Lee. Without any hesitation, Lee raced to the top of the key and drained the three-point shot to put the Warriors ahead 129-128. The team raced out to celebrate their first win of the season.

Game Notes and Stats: Curry broke Rick Barry’s consecutive free throw streak Sunday night. Curry didn’t miss a free throw as he made all nine attempts. His line was 36 points, two boards, six assists.

He was 11-for 25 from the floor, and he made five threes in 15 tries. Andrew Wiggins has 19 points, nine boards, and four assists. James Wiseman finished with seven points and three rebounds. Juan Toscano-Anderson, starting in place of Draymond Green, had five points and five rebounds. The Warrior bench players produced 52 points. Eric Paschall had 15, Damion Lee 12, Looney eight, Poole ten, and Mulder seven.

Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 33. Lauri Markkanen 23, Wendell Carter Jr 22, Coby White 20. Otto Porter, Jr, coming off the bench, added 12.

The Warriors are 1-2 for the year. The Bulls are now 0-3.

The Warriors face the Pistons in Detroit Tuesday night. The game begins at 3 pm. The Pistons are 0-2 so far this year.