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Warriors aim to snap skid in desert vs. Suns

Downloadz — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:56:52 +0000

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Knicks fall to Golden State Warriors, 92-78

Biagliaft — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:08:04 +0000

OAKLAND, Calif. — Mark Jackson didn’t see much significance in coaching the Golden State Warriors to a win against his former team.

It was the way they beat the Knicks that meant the most to Jackson — doing it with a defensive focus that hasn’t been seen from this franchise on a consistent basis in more than a decade.

Then again, that’s been Jackson’s message to his players ever since he was hired in June.

“This is going to be strange to hear: We’re a defensive team,” Jackson said following Golden State’s 92-78 victory tonight. “It’s a shocker. Great players are going to come in and have great nights, but our job is make it tough. We had a bad first half offensively, but the defense gave us a chance to win a ballgame.”

Golden State definitely made it tough on New York’s All-Star duo of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, who combined to go just 8 of 27 from the floor after teaming for 58 points in the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Boston Celtics.

Stoudemire finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony had 13 points.

“The whole game our offense was awful,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We weren’t in synch, we didn’t make shots, we turned the ball over and we gave them layups. Whatever kind of mistakes you can make, we made. It was awful.”

Monta Ellis shook off a terrible first half to finish with 22 points and eight assists, while Brandon Rush added 19 points off the bench for Golden State (2-1).

Playing without injured guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors led by as much as 19 before cruising to their second straight impressive win over an Eastern Conference team. Two nights earlier they beat the Chicago Bulls 99-91.

Ish Smith had 11 points, four assists and six rebounds while starting in place of Curry, who sat out the game after injuring his surgically repaired ankle against Chicago.

Ellis went just 4 of 15 in the first half but scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, midway through the fourth quarter when Golden State pulled away.

But it was the Warriors’ defense that made the biggest difference — a refreshing change considering the team’s recent history of shunning that part of the game.

“That’s our focus, defense,” Ellis said. “Just going out there getting the job done. That’s what’s keeping us in the game against great teams like this. Our defense kept us in the game and the offense won the game for us.”

No one else could pick up the scoring slack for the Knicks, who were also outrebounded 47-31 by the smaller but quicker Warriors.

Landry Fields had 13 of his 14 points in the first half. Bill Walker also scored 14 for the Knicks, who failed in their bid to start the season with consecutive victories for the first time since 1999.

Former Knick David Lee scored 13 points for Golden State (2-1).

This was the first stop on a three-game trip to the West Coast for New York.

The Knicks, who beat the Celtics on Christmas Day to kick off the truncated NBA schedule after losing all eight games to Boston in 2010, play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday. They return to Northern California to face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

The Warriors played without Curry, who landed awkwardly on his surgically repaired right ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over Chicago.

It was the second time in seven days that Curry injured the ankle. He also missed eight games last season because of lingering ankle problems.

“It was the best thing to give it some time to heal,” Jackson said before the game. “Bottom line is he got hurt landing on somebody and we are going to give it some time to heal.”

Smith started in place of Curry and scored seven of Golden State’s first 10 points. He finished 5 of 13 from the floor.

Anthony and Stoudemire couldn’t get much of anything to fall. The duo repeatedly settled for long jumpers, a trend that continued deep into the fourth quarter.

Even with their two stars off to a slow start, the Knicks took a 43-37 lead into the half.

Golden State closed the gap with a 15-5 run early in the second half, tied the game at 64 when Rush made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter, then took control with 20-6 burst in the fourth.

The Warriors opened a 19-point lead with 4:09 left when the Knicks frustrations began to show. Tyson Chandler tossed Lee to the ground and was whistled for a technical foul, bringing the sold-out crowd at Oracle Arena to its feet.

“I’m not making any excuses, but we’re a young team that’s coming together and we have to build,” said Chandler, who was held to two points and three rebounds. “Unfortunately, we’re learning things on the fly.”

NOTE: Former Golden State guard Jeremy Lin, who signed with the Knicks on Tuesday, entered the game late in the fourth quarter and missed his only shot attempt.

BOX SCORE

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Turnovers, Poor Defense Leads to Bulls’ Demise in…

obenly — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:46:00 +0000

The Chicago Bulls were seeking their second road win as many nights when they faced the Golden State Warriors on December 26 ^th. Last year, when these teams met on the Warriors’ home floor, the Bulls did not have a good showing, falling 100-91. Well history would repeat itself, as Golden State jumped on Chicago early, leading by as many as 19 points, before holding on for a 99-91 victory. Here are my reasons as to why the Bulls came up short against the Warriors for the second straight year.

Poor offensive execution:

The Bulls were not very sharp with their offensive sets. They only had 16 assists against the Warriors after totaling 18 against the Lakers in the first half alone. Regardless of the opponent, when you settle for outside shots, it is easier for the opposing team to defend you. Also, the Bulls were very sloppy with the basketball, committing 20 turnovers. Needless to say, even an average team can win when given so many extra possessions to work with.

Solid defense on Derrick Rose:

When these teams met last year, the Warriors did a good job of hounding rose into a sub-par game as he scored just 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field. This time around, the Warriors’ defense was just as effective, limiting Rose to just 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting. While Rose is the best player on the team, the Bulls tend to rely too much on his ability to score. I know this is only game, but Chicago needs to be more balanced on offense if they expect to take the next step this season.

Lack of defensive intensity:

The Bulls’ defense was lazy in stretches as they gave up a lot of uncontested baskets, which allowed the Warriors to connect on 47% of their field goal attempts. As one of the top defensive teams in the league last season, it was disappointing to see the lack of effort by the Bulls on the defensive end of the court.

Hopefully the Bulls will improve on those lapses because a lot of their success will have to come from being sound both defensively and offensively. As Stacey King mentioned during the telecast, Chicago will not be able to sneak up on teams like they were last year. If they don’t bring the necessary intensity each night, they could be on the losing end of a lot of games against teams they should be able to beat.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been a Bulls’ fan since the 1987-1988 season. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting discussions about the NBA, NFL and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

Curry leads Warriors to 99-91 win over Bulls

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Warriors collapse in fourth quarter, lose 105-86…

tantscounny — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:15:18 +0000

OAKLAND, Calif. — Christmas for Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson turned sour pretty suddenly Sunday night, ending with a 105-86 season-opening loss to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.

David Lee led the Warriors with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Still, Jackson’s debut as an NBA head coach, before a sellout crowd at Oracle Arena and a national TV audience, was tainted by a fourth-quarter collapse that suggested Warriors basketball hasn’t changed much.

The man who has preached defense since being hired in June watched the Clippers, led by point guard Chris Paul, torch his team down the stretch, outscoring the Warriors 21-5 over the last 6:24.

The Clippers, who shot just over 40 percent from the field in the first three quarters, made 11-of-21 attempts in the final period. Paul had eight points in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points and nine assists in his first game since being traded to the Clippers by New Orleans.

Golden State, conversely, struggled offensively in the fourth quarter. The Warriors missed 11-of-17 attempts and turned the ball over five times.

It all started so promising, too.

First, Jackson learned starting point guard Stephen Curry was able to play despite a sprained right ankle. Curry, after testing his ankle before the game, decided he’d give it a go. He sprained his ankle Tuesday, giving him four days to rest it.

But Curry wound up with a rough night, finishing with four points on 2-for-12 shooting with four assists and five turnovers.

Then, it looked as if Monta Ellis was going to be able to overcome multiple off-the-court issues and gut his way to an effective performance.

Ellis is not only dealing with being named in a sexual harassment suit, which went public Wednesday. Sunday, he learned his grandmother Mary Cole died in Mississippi at age 89.

With his shooting stroke not in sync, Ellis used his speed to get to the rim. He scored six points, all layups, during a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter. It looked as if he was going to have a nice effort. But by the end of the night, he was silenced. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting with eight assists. But he also had four turnovers and scored just one point in the fourth quarter.

When the third-quarter horn sounded, Golden State was down seven and struggling to find some momentum. After a blown defensive assignment, that led to a 3-pointer by the Clippers’ Brian Cook, Jackson called a timeout and lit into his team.

The Warriors emerged from the timeout down 78-70 with 11:32 to play. Three minutes later, the deficit was down to one. A Brandon Rush 3-pointer and a tip-in by rookie Klay Thompson capped a 9-2 run that cut the Clippers’ lead to 80-79.

But the Warriors’ defense couldn’t come up with the necessary stops.

Back-to-back jumpers by Clippers guards Mo Williams and Chauncey Billups pushed the Warriors’ deficit to 87-81. Ellis then split a pair of free throws, and Los Angeles’ Caron Butler nailed a runner.

After Curry missed a jumper, Billups knocked down two free throws. Just like that, Golden State was down 91-82 inside of five minutes left.

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Golden State Warriors advance box for Monday’s…

moleopr — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:55:20 +0000

WARRIORS VS. CHICAGO

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. at Oracle Arena

TV/Radio: CSNBA; 680-AM

Bulls update: Chicago is coming off a thrilling road victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, capped by league MVP Derrick Rose’s game-winner with 4.8 seconds left. … The Bulls were held to 32 second-half points and missed 17 of their first 18 attempts in the fourth quarter. … Recently acquired Richard Hamilton — who signed a three-year, $15 million deal after being bought out by Detroit — had just six points on 3-for-8 shooting and five fouls in his Chicago debut.

Warriors update: Golden State’s offense struggled to score Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The starting back court missed 17 of its first 24 shots. As a team, the Warriors missed 12 of their first 14 attempts from 3-point range. … Coach Mark Jackson’s rotation went pretty much eight deep in the opener. Brandon Rush, Ekpe Udoh and rookie Klay Thompson got the most minutes among the reserves. Ish Smith, Kwame Brown and Dominic McGuire also saw action.

Bulls injuries: None reported.

Warriors injuries: Point guard Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) played Sunday despite being a game-time decision.

– MARCUS THOMPSON II

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Clippers Vs. Warriors Christmas Night: Game Time,…

GopepectBorof — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:36:52 +0000

Read More: Chauncey Billups (G – LAC), Caron Butler (F – LAC), DeAndre Jordan (C – LAC), Blake Griffin (F – LAC), Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, Dec 25, 2011 7:30 PM PST

The Chris Paul Era will officially begin for the Los Angeles Clippers on Christmas night, as they are in Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Paul, Blake Griffin, and the Clippers begin their season with lofty expectations, looking to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Here are the relevant details of Sunday’s matchup:

Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

Time: 7:30 p.m. PST, the final game of five Christmas contests

TV: ESPN and ESPN3.com, with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Chris Mullin, and Terry Gannon on the call; for Breen and Gundy, it will be their second game of the day, as they will also call the Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks earlier in the day. The game will also be televised by Prime Ticket, with Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith on the call.

Welcome Aboard: The Clippers welcome three former All-Stars into their starting lineup this season, most notably of course Paul. In addition, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler join the lineup, along with the dunk-happy frontcourt of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

New Coach: Longtime NBA point guard and former television announcer Mark Jackson, who played with the Clippers in the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons, including one playoff season in Los Angeles, will make his NBA coaching debut Sunday night as the new head man for the Warriors.

For more Clippers news and notes, be sure to read Clips Nation.

That’s all the news for today.