NBA: Kings leave Warriors in hole

LOS ANGELES -- The Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-106 to take a 2-0 lead over the NBA champions after a bruising Game 2 in their best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series on Monday.

After edging a thrilling game one on Saturday, the Kings once again proved too much for the Warriors in another pulsating postseason battle between the two Northern Californian rivals in Sacramento.

De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis led the Sacramento scoring with 24 points apiece in a stormy encounter that saw Warriors stalwart Draymond Green ejected after stamping on the chest of Sabonis in the fourth quarter.

The victory leaves the Kings on pole position as the series heads to San Francisco for game three on Thursday.

"We came out here tonight and everyone fought, we were locked in," Sabonis told TNT television.

"It's playoff basketball. We're here to fight. Every time we step on the floor we're going to give everything for our team-mates and our franchise."

Sabonis was reluctant to be drawn on the explosive fourth-quarter tangle with Green that led to the Warriors veteran being tossed.

Green was ejected after appearing to aim a stamp on Sabonis's chest as the Kings player held on to his ankle as he lay on the court.

"We were both fighting for the rebound, we fell on each other, stuff happens, it's basketball. We've got to move on to the next play," Sabonis said.

Green pinned the blame on Sabonis. "I've got to land my foot somewhere," Green said. "I can only step so far when I'm pulling my leg away. It is what it is."

Steph Curry led the Warriors scoring with 28 points while Andrew Wiggins finished with 22 and Klay Thompson 21.

However the Warriors were left ruing a litany of 20 turnovers that gave up cheap points to Sacramento, who led from early in the second quarter.

Golden State clawed their way back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to tie it at 93-93 midway through the fourth.

But Sacramento responded to pull clear down the stretch and close out a gutsy win.

"We didn't play well enough to win a playoff game on the road," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "With that said, it was a tie game with a few minutes left.

"We know we have to play better, and we will play better. These guys are champions. The way our guys fought showed what they're made of."

Agence France-Presse

Draymond apologizes after Poole 'altercation', Warriors say

Golden State star Draymond Green apologized to teammates on Thursday after reportedly aiming a punch at Jordan Poole during practice, Warriors general manager Bob Myers confirmed.

Myers did not go into details about the skirmish during a practice on Wednesday, but said reports of an "altercation" between Green and Poole were accurate.

"As you know yesterday, as reported, there was an altercation. The people that were reported to be in it, that's accurate," Myers said.

"Everybody's fine ... Look, it's the NBA – professional sports, these things happen. Nobody likes it, we don't condone it, but it happened."

Myers said Poole had practiced normally on Thursday while Green sat out the session.

The Warriors chief would not go into details of what discipline Green would face.

"Draymond apologized to the team this morning," Myers said. "As far as any suspension or fine, we'll handle that internally."

Myers, meanwhile, insisted that the NBA champions' pre-season preparations were progressing smoothly despite the incident.

"I've actually seen a really good group, one of the best vibes that we've had in my 12 years here in terms of camp, mental health and camaraderie," Myers said.

"It's unfortunate and I'm not going to deny it. It will take some time to move through, but we'll move through it.

"This isn't our first sense of adversity. We've gone through some of this before. We don't like going through it but it's part of the NBA and part of sports."

Agence France-Presse

NBA Finals tied, as Curry leads Warriors past Celtics in Game 4

Stephen Curry produced a dazzling 43-point display as the Golden State Warriors battled past the Boston Celtics 107-97 to level the NBA Finals series at 2-2 on Saturday (Manila time).

With the Warriors needing a victory at Boston's TD Garden to avoid going down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, Curry delivered one of the best performances of his glittering career to reignite Golden State's hopes of a seventh championship.

Curry had entered game four with concerns swirling over his fitness after suffering a knock to his foot in the Warriors game three defeat on Wednesday.

But the 34-year-old two-time NBA Most Valuable Player emphatically laid to rest any doubts about his fitness as he single-handedly hauled Golden State back into the finals with game five back in San Francisco on Monday.

Curry finished with 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists on a night when Golden State again struggled to find their offensive rhythm for long periods against a powerful Boston line-up.

Klay Thompson added 18 points for the Warriors while Andrew Wiggins produced 17 points and 16 rebounds in a crucial contribution. Jordan Poole added 14 from the bench.

"A lot of pride in our group, a lot of talk over the last 48 hours about how we can get back into this series," said Curry. 

"It's crazy because I still feel we can play a little bit better. But to win on the road and get home court advantage back, is big for this group. We've been here six times, we've got a lot of experience of staying confident and composed. 

"I'm just thankful for everyone on our team because we brought a lot of toughness and physicality tonight.

"We knew how big this game was. For us to come out and do what we did and go home. That five-and-a-half hour flight home got a little better after tonight."

- Green struggles -

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, took the bold decision to remove Draymond Green from the fray during the fourth quarter before returning him to the court for the closing passage of play.

Green again struggled on offense with only two points but finished with nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.

But the undeniable man of the hour was once again Curry, a model of clear-headed composure as bedlam raged around Boston’s raucous arena.

"Just stunning," was how Kerr described Curry's performance. "The physicality out there is, you know, pretty dramatic. I mean, Boston's got obviously, best defense in the league.

"Huge and powerful at every position, and for Steph to take that -- that kind of pressure all game long and still be able to defend at the other end when they are coming at him shows you, I think, this is the strongest physically he's ever been in his career, and it's allowing him to do what he's doing."

Boston had led by four points at 94-90 with just under five minutes remaining before a Wiggins layup and a Thompson three-pointer put Golden State up 95-94. Curry then extended the lead with a layup to make it 97-94 before driving in the dagger with a three-pointer to leave the Warriors 100-94 ahead.

Al Horford cut the deficit for Boston with a corner three, but Kevon Looney’s layup restored the Warriors' five-point cushion.

Curry then closed out the game, cleverly drawing fouls from Boston to nail five points from the free throw line.

Jayson Tatum led the Boston scorers with 23 points while Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points. Marcus Smart added 18 points and Derrick White chipped in with 16.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Curry, Green carry Warriors to sweep of Blazers

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green capped triple-double performances by combining on the game-clinching hoop in overtime Monday night as the Golden State Warriors completed a sweep of the host Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals with a 119-117 victory.

The win vaults the Warriors into their fifth consecutive NBA Finals. They will await the Eastern Conference winner between Milwaukee and Toronto, with either the Bucks or Raptors holding the home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Golden State, the two-time defending champion, joins the Boston Celtics (1957-66) as the only teams ever to reach five consecutive NBA Finals.

Playing without Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors led just 116-115 before Curry spotted Green open for a 3-pointer that pushed the Golden State lead to four with just 39.6 seconds remaining in OT.

Damian Lillard got Portland with 119-117 with 32.8 seconds left with a driving hoop, and the Trail Blazers got the ball back after Curry missed at the other end.

However, Lillard had a shot blocked by Klay Thompson, and after Portland got the ball out of bounds with 2.5 seconds left, Lillard misfired on a desperation 3-pointer, ending the Trail Blazers' season.

Curry finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Green chipped in with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for the Warriors, who won their sixth straight game overall and their 10th straight playoff game against Portland.

The triple-doubles were the first by teammates in NBA postseason history. Green's was his fourth of this postseason, while Curry's was his first.

Thompson had 17 points, and Alfonzo McKinnie and Kevon Looney contributed 12 apiece for the Warriors, who won their 11th straight playoff series.

Meyers Leonard poured in a career-best 30 points, Lillard had 28 and CJ McCollum added 26 for the Trail Blazers, who had staved off elimination twice in their previous series against the Denver Nuggets.

Zach Collins had 10 points off the bench for Portland, which lost despite outscoring the Warriors, 48-36, on 3-pointers.

The Trail Blazers led 69-65 at halftime, then for the first time in the last three games were able to build upon it in the third quarter.

With McCollum scoring 11 points and Lillard nine, Portland went up by as many as 17 points late in the period at 95-78 on a jumper by Leonard. That hoop capped a 10-0 run.

But the Warriors chipped away, first by scoring the last nine points of the third quarter to close within 95-87, and then drawing even at 104-all on a layup by Curry with 4:34 to play.

The game was tied at 106 and 111 before the teams went the final 1:48 without scoring.

Each team had a late shot at a regulation win, but Curry traveled before nailing a 3-pointer with 10.7 seconds left, and Lillard couldn't convert a drive in traffic in the final second.

The Trail Blazers, who had double-digit leads at halftime in both Game 2 and Game 3, got the better of the first 24 minutes again, with Leonard contributing 25 points to a four-point lead.

The 25 points by Leonard already were more than he'd ever scored in a complete game, regular season or postseason. He previous career high was 24 at Oklahoma City in 2015.

The Warriors trailed by as many as 12 in the opening half but kept within arm's length thanks to Curry, who matched Leonard's 25 points before the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors survive Blazers to take 2-0 series lead

Draymond Green lobbed to Kevon Looney for a go-ahead hoop with 52.9 seconds remaining, then converted a Stephen Curry assist into a layup of his own 40 seconds later, allowing the Golden State Warriors to outlast the Portland Trail Blazers for a 114-111 win Thursday night and 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The best-of-seven moves to Portland for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday, respectively. Warriors standout Kevin Durant, who missed the first two games with a strained right calf, already has been ruled out of both Portland games and Wednesday's Game 5 back in Oakland, if it's necessary.

After trailing by as many as 17 points in the third quarter and by eight with just 4:28 to play, the top-seeded Warriors scored 14 of the game's final 17 points to sweep their opening two home games against the West's third-seeded club.

Green's lob to Looney came after Seth Curry had put Portland up 111-110 with a 3-pointer with 1:02 to go.

After CJ McCollum misfired with a chance to counter Looney's hoop, the Warriors converted at the other end on Stephen Curry's pass to Green for a three-point lead with 12.3 seconds to play.

Needing a 3-pointer to tie, Damian Lillard had the ball stripped by Andre Iguodala while elevating for a desperation 28-foot attempt, sealing Golden State's win.

Stephen Curry had 37 points to lead the Warriors, who have lost just once in their last 11 playoff games against Portland. Klay Thompson added 24 points, Green 16, Looney 14 and Jordan Bell 11 for Golden State, which shot 51.2 percent. Green also contributed 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in the win.

Lillard had a 23-point, 10-assist double-double to lead the Trail Blazers, who shot 44.2 percent. McCollum finished with 22 points, Seth Curry 16, and Maurice Harkless and Rodney Hood 12 apiece for Portland.

The Trail Blazers led 108-100 after a 3-pointer by Meyers Leonard with 4:28 left before the Warriors scored 10 straight, the final three on three free throws by Stephen Curry with 2:01 to go.

Seth Curry countered that with his 3-pointer, setting up the frantic finish.

Seemingly rejuvenated by getting a day off Wednesday -- after having been rushed into Game 1 in the wake of an emotional series win over Denver -- the Trail Blazers threatened to blow out the two-time defending champs, going up 67-50 in the first minute of the second half.

But the Warriors quickly rallied, getting 13 points from Thompson and 11 from Stephen Curry in a 37-15 flurry that turned a 17-point deficit into a five-point lead before the period's end.

The Trail Blazers led by as many as seven in the first quarter, but it was in the second period that they began dominating the game.

Portland led just 42-39 at the midpoint of the second quarter before Lillard and Seth Curry combined for 14 points in a 20-6 burst that opened a 17-point advantage late in the half.

Lillard, who was scoreless for the game's first 20 minutes, finished the half with 10. Portland led 65-50 at the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors hold off Rockets despite Durant's injury

Draymond Green and Klay Thompson buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions late in the game Wednesday night, allowing the Golden State Warriors to survive the loss of Kevin Durant and hold off the Houston Rockets 104-99 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals in Oakland, Calif.

Top-seeded Golden State's third narrow win of the best-of-seven series puts the defending champions one victory away from a fifth straight trip to the West finals.

The Warriors will get their first opportunity to earn advancement in Game 6 of the series on Friday night in Houston. Game 7, if necessary, would be played Sunday in Oakland.

After the Rockets rallied from 20 down to take the lead late in the third quarter, and with Durant in the locker room for the final 14 minutes following a calf injury, the Warriors outfinished their fourth-seeded foe.

A 3-pointer by Eric Gordon had the Rockets down just 89-88 with 4:49 to play, and a free throw by James Harden kept Houston within 91-89 with 3:39 to go.

But Green then buried his 3-pointer, and after a Houston turnover, Thompson bombed in his trey to push the Golden State lead to 97-89 with 2:34 to go.

Houston got as close as three one more time, on a layup by Harden with 18.6 seconds left, before Thompson, after nearly throwing the ball away, dropped in an interior hoop for the clinching basket with 4.1 seconds left.

Durant's injury occurred innocently enough after he hit a jumper from the right side with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

He took a step toward the defensive end of the court before grimacing in pain and looking down at his lower right leg, leading to concerns he might have ruptured his Achilles.

However, the injury was later announced by the Warriors to be a strained right calf.

Thompson finished with 27 points, Stephen Curry 25 and Durant 22 for the Warriors, who continued a run of home wins by the teams in the series.

Andre Iguodala added 11 points, while Green had a brilliant all-around game before fouling out, complementing eight points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

Harden was the game's leading scorer with 31 points for the Rockets, who were both outshot by the Warriors from the field 45.9 percent to 41.8 percent and outscored on 3-pointers 39-36.

Gordon chipped in with 19 points for Houston, while P.J. Tucker had 13 to go with 10 rebounds.

Chris Paul and Iman Shumpert had 11 points apiece, and Houston's Clint Capela was the game's leading rebounder with 14 to go with six points.

The Warriors used a 17-0 burst late in the first half to go up 57-37, only to see the entire advantage disappear before the end of the third period, when Harden's floater gave Houston a 71-70 lead.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors open title defense by handling Clippers

Stephen Curry complemented a game-high 38 points with a career playoff-high 15 rebounds in a historic performance Saturday night as the Golden State Warriors opened defense of their NBA title with a 121-104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in a volatile Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series in Oakland, Calif.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night, with the Warriors, the top seed in the West, once again earning home-court advantage.

The matchup of familiar Pacific Division rivals featured the ejections of the Warriors' Kevin Durant and Clippers' Patrick Beverley, each of whom was nailed with a second technical foul for a verbal altercation near midcourt midway through the fourth quarter.

Curry's 38 points included 8-for-12 shooting on 3-pointers on a night when he passed Ray Allen (385) for the NBA all-time career playoff record. Curry finished the game with 386 career 3s.

Draymond Green provided a surprising offensive spark with 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting to go with seven rebounds and a team high-tying seven assists, helping Golden State win the opener of its first-round series for the sixth consecutive season.

Montrezl Harrell had 26 points and Lou Williams 25 with a game-high nine assists for the Clippers, who are the last Western Conference team to beat the Warriors in a playoff series.

That was in 2014, when they also lost Game 1 before winning four of the last six.

The Warriors led nearly wire-to-wire, but the Clippers remained competitive most of the way by taking advantage of 21 Golden State turnovers and enjoying a 65-22 advantage in points off the bench.

Curry's 38-point game was his 31st in postseason play with 30 or more. The Warriors have gone 28-3 in those games.

His previous high for rebounds in a playoff game was 10, done four times.

Durant contributed 23 points and three blocked shots in 32 minutes, while Klay Thompson added 12 points and DeMarcus Cousins, playing in his first NBA playoff game, collected nine points and nine rebounds before fouling out.

The Warriors shot 49.5 percent for the game and hit 14 of 30 3-point attempts.

Harrell's 26 points came on 11-for-15 shooting and Williams hit 11-for-21 for the Clippers, who shot 40.4 percent overall and 11-for-30 on 3s.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Curry scores 38, leads Warriors past Wizards

Stephen Curry scored 38 points, and the visiting Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 126-118 for their ninth straight win Thursday night.

Kevin Durant added 21 points, and DeMarcus Cousins had 17 in his third game since returning from an Achilles injury. Draymond Green had 15 rebounds. Curry was 14 of 24 from the field and has topped the 30-point mark in four of his past six games.

The Warriors shot 56.8 percent from the field (50-for-88) and had 34 assists, their fifth straight game with 30 or more.

Trevor Ariza had 27 points for Washington, which had won two straight, and Bradley Beal added 22 points and 10 rebounds. Tomas Satoransky finished with 20 points and 10 assists.

The Wizards stayed in it by converting 15 of 42 3-point attempts compared to 7 of 20 for the Warriors.

Washington trailed 104-92 to start the fourth quarter, but Satoransky's floater capped an 8-0 run that pulled it within 106-103.

Chasson Randle's 3-pointer cut the lead to 108-106, but the Warriors scored nine straight to lead 117-106 with 4:48 remaining after Shaun Livingston's three-point play.

Curry soon scored four straight points, and the Golden State lead was 123-111 at the 3:04 mark. Washington cut the deficit to single digits in the final minute.

The Warriors shot 15-of-24 from the field in the first quarter and, with the scored tied at 22, closed it with a 15-6 run.

Golden State led 48-35 after Cousins' layup with 7:34 remaining in the second quarter. Ariza's dunk capped a 6-0 run that pulled Washington within 52-47, but the Warriors led 67-59 at halftime.

The Warriors cooled a bit in the second quarter but still finished the half 27 of 46 (58.7 percent), compared to 21 of 49 (42.9 percent) for Washington.

Curry had 21 points in the first half.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Curry's last-second basket caps 42-point night, clips Clippers

Stephen Curry scored on a drive with .5 seconds left to lift the Golden State Warriors to a 129-127 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Curry finished with 42 points, Kevin Durant had 35 points and 12 rebounds, and Draymond Green contributed 14 points, six assists and five steals for the Warriors.

Tobias Harris had 32 points and nine rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who shot 18 of 23 from 3-point range.

The Warriors took a nine-point lead, their biggest of the game, into the fourth quarter but watched the Clippers score the first eight points of the period. Los Angeles would eventually take a 117-116 lead on a bank shot by Montrezl Harrell with 4:26 left.

The Warriors scored the next nine points, however.

Curry's four-point play gave Golden State a 122-117 lead with 3:32 remaining, and Durant sank a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it 125-117.

The Clippers cut the deficit to 127-125 on a 3-pointer by Avery Bradley with 40.6 seconds left, and then tied the score on Bradley's dunk off an offensive rebound with 19.6 seconds left.

The Clippers had a foul to give, but did not use it as Curry drove into the lane for the winning basket.

After making a franchise-record 13 3-pointers in the first half and leading by as many as 11, the Clippers watched their lead dissolve late in the second quarter and into the third.

Golden State tied the score three times in the third before Curry gave the Warriors an 88-86 lead on two free throws with 4:02 left in the period.

Durant's 3-pointer with 1:52 left in the third extended the lead to 95-89 and his four-point play with 32 seconds remaining in the quarter made it 101-94.

The score was tied 36-36 entering the second quarter and was again tied, at 41-41, when Curry and Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley were called for technical fouls with 9:31 left in the first half.

Golden State took its biggest lead of the first half at 24-19 on a 3-pointer by Klay Thompson with 4:45 left in the first quarter, but the Clippers responded with a 10-2 run to take a 29-26 advantage.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jerebko, Durant rally Warriors past Mavs

Jonas Jerebko scored 16 of his 23 points in a 34-12 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters Saturday night, rallying the Golden State Warriors to a 120-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Oakland, Calif.

Attempting to avoid a fifth straight loss, the Mavericks outplayed the Warriors for more than 2 1/2 quarters and led 81-77 after a three-point play by J.J. Barea with 3:54 remaining in the third period.

But Jerebko and Kevin Durant had seven points apiece in a 17-6 burst to finish the third quarter, giving the Warriors a 94-87 lead.

Jerebko (nine points) and Stephen Curry (six) then combined for all but two of the points in another 17-6 flurry to open the fourth period and push the Golden State advantage to 111-93 with 7:51 to go.

The Mavericks weren't done. Wesley Matthews buried two 3-pointers and Jalen Brunson one, helping Dallas get within 117-113 with still 1:46 to play.

After Harrison Barnes made it a two-point game with 1:20 to go, DeAndre Jordan had a chance to draw the Mavericks even, but made just one of two free throws with 59.5 seconds left.

Dallas then stole the ball from Draymond Green, but Barnes misfired on a 3-pointer, after which Durant connected on a three for the Warriors, giving them a four-point cushion with 15.6 seconds remaining.

Durant finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors, who complete a home back-to-back with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.

Green also logged a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Stephen Curry chipped in with 22 points and Klay Thompson 14.

Jordan grabbed a game-high 23 rebounds to complement 12 points for the Mavericks, who had beaten the Warriors 112-109 at home last month.

Matthews (25 points), Luka Doncic (19), Barnes (17), Barea (11), Brunson (10) and Dorian Finney-Smith (10) also scored in double figures for Dallas, which completes a four-game Western swing on Sunday night at Portland.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Warrior Jerebko aims to rock the Jazz once more

STOCKHOLM - Jonas Jerebko's move to NBA title favorites the Golden State Warriors is paying off handsomely for the Swedish power forward who suffered the indignity of being cut by the Utah Jazz.

The 31-year-old capped his revenge by rocking the Jazz with a late basket to give the Warriors a memorable 124-123 victory on his return to Salt Lake City on Oct. 19, celebrating wildly in front of the Utah bench for good measure.

"I know that I have a lot to give, I want to play and I can play," he told Reuters in an interview.

Since then Jerebko, who played for the Detroit Pistons (2009-15) before joining the Boston Celtics (2015-17), has not looked back, posting his best averages for scoring (7.6 points per game) and minutes played (20.7) for several years.

Jerebko had just finished a workout on the full-size basketball court at his Detroit home last July when the call came to tell him that he was no longer in Utah coach Quin Snyder's plans, but things moved quickly.

"I promise you it was like two hours, maybe one hour, before my agent called and said that Golden State were interested, so I didn't even have the time to worry," he said.

"I asked if I could talk to (Warriors) coach (Steve) Kerr, and I got to talk to him soon after, so I barely had time to be worried about my situation."

PURE JOY

Jerebko was limited to six minutes against Oklahoma City on the opening night of the season, but in the following game against Utah Kerr threw him into the fray for 24 minutes and he scored 10 points, including the game-winning basket.

"When I tipped the ball I just checked to see if it went in and when it did, you're just so happy. It probably wouldn't have made any difference if it was Utah or the Lakers or Oklahoma, it was just pure joy about winning the game," he said.

"But ten minutes after, I thought to myself, 'Damn, it was nice to do that against Utah!' Really, though, in the moment it was about winning the game with my new team, and tipping the ball in myself was the icing on the cake."

The game-winning basket may have helped cement Jerebko's reputation in a team of big names, such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, but the Swede said he had felt at home since day one in Oakland.

"I've played against these guys before, I knew Draymond, I knew Steph, I knew KD from before. I haven't had this kind of confidence from the team since my Detroit Pistons days, I just have to thank the coach for his confidence," he said.

A bust-up between Green and Durant during a loss to the LA Clippers dominated some of the early-season headlines around the champions, but Jerebko said the conflict was blown out of proportion by the media.

"I've played in this league for ten years, and every year I've seen things ten times worse - this is nothing. It's just because we play with the Warriors, everything gets hyped up," he said.

Jerebko's focus is on winning an NBA championship, but when the Warriors meet the Jazz again on Dec. 19 he wants to give his old team another reminder of what they lost when he was waived.

"It's going to be fun to go back - I want to beat them again, and I want to show them that it was a big mistake to let me go," he said laughing. 

(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Green's return boosts Warriors in win over Wolves

Draymond Green returned from an 11-game absence with a solid all-around performance, and Stephen Curry led a barrage from 3-point range with a game-high 38 points Monday, lifting the Golden State Warriors to a 116-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Oakland, Calif.

Green, who had seen the Warriors go just 6-5 while he recovered from a bruised toe, contributed seven points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to Golden State's fourth straight win.

Karl-Anthony Towns paced Minnesota with 31 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Warriors led by just six at halftime before easing away in the second half on the strength of 3-point shooting.

Green put in 29 minutes in his return. He finished with the game's best plus/minus rating (plus-11).

Curry hit 7 of 14 from beyond the arc, while teammates Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for eight more, helping Golden State outscore the Timberwolves 57-21 on 3-pointers by hitting 19 of 43 from beyond the arc.

Curry, who returned from a groin injury during the Warriors' recently complete trip, topped 30 points for the ninth time this season. Golden State has gone 8-1 in those games.

Thompson finished with 26 points and Durant 22 for the Warriors, who complete a two-game homestand with a showdown with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Jonas Jerebko added 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, off the bench for Golden State, which shot better from 3-point range (44.2 percent) than overall (41.9 percent).

Towns' 30-point game was his fifth of the season, the double-double his 16th.

Derrick Rose and Andrew Wiggins complemented Towns with 21 and 20 points, respectively, for the Timberwolves, who shot just 7-for-25 on 3-point tries.

Dario Saric had 13 points for Minnesota, while Jeff Teague collected a game-high 11 assists before fouling out.

The Timberwolves, who had won six of their previous eight games, outshot the Warriors overall for the game, hitting 45.8 percent from the floor.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Green settles Durant spat, says Warriors won't 'crumble'

LOS ANGELES - Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green said Thursday he had settled his differences with team-mate Kevin Durant and warned that the NBA champions would not "crumble" over their recent locker-room strife.

Green was suspended for one game on Tuesday for "conduct detrimental to the team" following a furious bust-up with Durant during the team's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Reports said Durant and several other teammates had argued with Green after he had held onto possession with the final play of regulation time, rather than pass to Durant.

Speaking ahead of the Warriors game against the Houston Rockets later Thursday, Green said he had buried the hatched with Durant following the row.

"Kevin and I spoke, we're moving forward," Green told reporters. "It's no secret I am an emotional player, I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I play with those same emotions.

"Sometimes they get the best of me and it doesn't work to my favor. I'm going to live with that. I'm never going to change who I am, I'm going to approach the game the way that I always do and we'll continue to move forward."

Green, meanwhile, laughed off suggestions that the discord heralded the beginning of the end of the Warriors dynasty. 

The franchise has reached four straight NBA finals and is chasing a fourth title in five years this season.

However, the current group of players faces an uncertain future with both Durant and Klay Thompson entering free agency in 2019.

Green insisted that talk of the end of an era was premature.

"I've read a lot about 'Is this the end of the run?' Or 'Did I ruin it?' Or 'Did I force Kevin to leave?'" Green said. 

"At the end of the day, whatever Kevin decides to do, whatever Klay decides to do -- we've had great years together and I support everybody wholeheartedly 100 percent. 

"As a man and as a human being you have the right to do what you want with your life, so I'll never question that," said Green, adding that the Warriors could emerge even more united following the row. 

"What you must know is, everyone on this organization, from a player, not myself, not Kevin, not anybody else, is going to beat us," Green said. "If you're one of them other 29 teams, you've got to beat us. We're not going to beat us. We're going to continue doing what we do. 

"I apologize for ruining your stories but if this only makes Kevin, myself and the rest of my teammates stronger, then that's what it's going to be. You think you saw something before, then good luck with us now. 

"We're not gonna crumble off an argument. We're going to move forward."

rcw/js

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Short-handed Warriors handle Hawks

Jonas Jerebko recorded a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double in place of suspended Draymond Green, helping the Golden State Warriors pull away from the Atlanta Hawks for a 110-103 victory Tuesday night in Oakland, California.

Green was suspended for the game for conduct detrimental to the team in the wake of a run-in he had with Kevin Durant after Monday's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Warriors also played without Stephen Curry, who sat out his third straight game with a strained groin.

The Hawks led by as many as six points in the first half and 58-53 early in the third period before Jerebko, Klay Thompson and Quinn Cook drilled 3-pointers in a 17-2 flurry that turned the game for good in the Warriors' favor.

In his second start as a Warrior, Jerebko hit five of his 10 shots and four of his seven 3-pointers to account for his season-high point total.

Durant led the Warriors with 29 points. Thompson had 24 and Cook, starting in place of Curry, chipped in with 18 as Golden State improved to 3-0 this season in the game immediately following a loss.

The Warriors also won for the seventh straight time in the game immediately following an overtime affair.

One night after being outscored 30-16 at the foul line, the Warriors got the better of the Hawks 20-11 in a game in which Atlanta had more field goals (40-39) and the teams had the same number of 3-pointers (12-12).

Taurean Prince had a team-high 22 points for the Hawks, who lost their fifth straight overall and eighth straight against Golden State.

Kent Bazemore (18 points), Alex Len (14), DeAndre' Bembry (13 points), Vince Carter (11) and Jeremy Lin (10) also scored in double figures for Atlanta, which fell to 0-2 on a four-game Western swing.

Rookie star Trae Young suffered through a 2-for-12, four-point night on which he missed all five of his 3-point attempts. He had a game-high nine assists, as well as five rebounds and three steals.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Cook leads short-handed Warriors over Nets

Quinn Cook scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half in his first start in place of the injured Stephen Curry, helping the Golden State Warriors roll to a 116-100 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night in Oakland, Calif.

Kevin Durant had a game-high 28 points and Klay Thompson added 24 as the Warriors bounced back from a home loss to Milwaukee to win convincingly despite the absence of Curry and Draymond Green.

Curry suffered a strained groin in the Milwaukee loss.

Joe Harris fired in a team-high 24 points for Brooklyn, which was playing the second half of a back-to-back that began with a dramatic 112-110 win at Denver on Friday night.

Durant matched Cook's 19-point total in the first half, during which the Warriors ran out to a 12-point lead and never looked back. They won for the ninth time in their last 10 games overall and posted their eighth straight win over the Nets.

Golden State completed a season-series sweep of the Eastern Conference club, having already won 120-114 at Brooklyn in October.

Golden State went 5-0 last season in games in which Durant and Thompson played, but Curry and Green did not. This was the first such contest this season.

Cook shot 11-for-16, Durant 9-for-15 and Thompson 11-for-20, helping Golden State shoot 55.4 percent overall on a night on which the two-time defending champs made only seven 3-pointers.

Durant completed a double-double with a game-high 11 assists in the finale of the Warriors' five-game homestand, their longest of the season.

Harris was 9-for-12 from the field and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers for the Nets, who had won three in a row, including two straight to begin a four-game trip.

Shabazz Napier and Spencer Dinwiddie came off the bench to chip in with 14 points apiece for Brooklyn, which made only seven of its 24 3-point attempts (29.2 percent).

D'Angelo Russell shot just 5-for-16 on a 12-point night, while Caris LeVert, hero of the win at Denver with a last-second hoop, managed only four points on 1-for-6 shooting.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors roll past Grizzlies to win 8th straight

Stephen Curry and Alfonzo McKinnie connected on 3-pointers in a 14-point Golden State Warriors run late in the third quarter that propelled the two-time defending champions to a 117-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night in Oakland, California.

Klay Thompson scored a game-high 27 points for the Warriors, who won their eighth consecutive contest overall and sixth in a row at home despite losing Draymond Green in the second quarter to a foot injury.

Marc Gasol flirted with a triple-double for Memphis with eight points and game highs in rebounds (10) and assists (nine).

Seeking to beat the Warriors in their first meeting of the season as they did last year, the Grizzlies led by as many as seven points in the first quarter and six in the second before finishing the half at 58-all.

Memphis was still within 76-71 after two Gasol free throws with 3:44 left in the third quarter before McKinnie triggered the game-breaking run with a jumper.

Curry then hit his 3-pointer, Kevin Durant dropped in a pair of jumpers, Kevon Looney put in a layup and McKinnie bombed one in from 3-point range, opening a 90-71 advantage in the final minute of the period.

The Warriors coasted home from there in improving their record to 10-1.

Durant backed Thompson with 22 points and Curry finished with 19 to go with a team-high seven assists for the Warriors in a battle between the NBA's top scoring offense against its second-leading defense.

McKinnie totaled 14 points and Quinn Cook 13 for Golden State, which had averaged 130.1 points in the first seven games of its winning streak.

Dillon Brooks had a team-high 18 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Shelvin Mack scored 15 apiece for the Grizzlies, who completed a three-game western swing 1-2.

Garrett Temple added 13 points for Memphis on a night when Mike Conley was held to nine.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors rally as Durant's fourth-quarter binge buries Knicks

Kevin Durant scored 25 of his game-high 41 points in the fourth quarter Friday night as the Golden State Warriors ended the game on a 39-9 run to complete a furious rally to beat the host New York Knicks, 128-100.

The two-time defending NBA champion Warriors have won five of six to open the season. Stephen Curry scored 29 points for Golden State while Draymond Green (18 points) and Klay Thompson (12 points) also scored in double digits.

The Knicks have lost five straight since a season-opening win, though they have fallen to contenders such as Golden State, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led New York with 24 points while Frank Ntilikina had 17 points. Trey Burke added 15 points and Damyean Dotson finished with 12 points.

The Knicks gave the Warriors all they could handle for most of Friday night. 

The two teams were tied at the end of the first quarter (25-25) and at halftime (53-53) before New York opened up a 10-point lead on Hardaway's 3-pointer with 1:51 left in the third quarter.

But Kevon Looney scored the next five points for the Warriors. Burke drained a 3-pointer to extend the Knicks' lead back to eight points before Golden State scored the final five points of the quarter to pull within 84-81.

Burke (seven points) and Durant (eight points) traded buckets in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter before the Warriors ran away over the final nine minutes. 

Green's layup with 8:41 left created the final tie at 91 all and Durant, who didn't score in the third quarter, put Golden State ahead with a layup with 8:15 to go.

The baskets by Green and Durant began the closing 39-9 edge for the Warriors. Durant scored 21 of those points. 

The dagger baskets were consecutive 3-pointers by Green and Alfonzo McKennie that extended Golden State's lead to 112-96 with 3:59 remaining.

In the first half, Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins was ejected for arguing with an official from the bench. 

Cousins, signed as a free agent in the offseason, has not played in a game and is expected to be out until at least January.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thompson vs Green

Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors exchange words in overtime during Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on Thursday in Oakland, California. The Warriors won Game 1, 124-114.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Warriors race past Rockets in West finals opener

Kevin Durant poured in a team-high 37 points and Klay Thompson chipped in 28 as the Golden State Warriors claimed the opener of the Western Conference finals and snatched home-court advantage with a frenetic 119-106 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday at Toyota Center.

While Durant served as a midrange gunner, recording three rebounds and one assist, Thompson scorched Houston from the perimeter, hitting 6 of 15 3-point attempts. That tandem worked in concert whenever the Rockets mustered a rally, and offset relatively quiet efforts from Stephen Curry (18 points, eight assists) and Draymond Green (five points, nine rebounds, nine assists).

Green added two blocks and two steals to anchor the Golden State defense.

Durant and Thompson combined for 11 points while Golden State stretched a three-point lead to 76-70 midway through the third quarter. Durant then scored the final six points of the third before Thompson tallied the first seven of the fourth to provide the Warriors a working margin.

James Harden paced the Rockets with 41 points and seven assists while Chris Paul chipped in 23 points and 11 rebounds. However, excluding Eric Gordon, who scored 15 points off the bench, the Rockets received precious little from their role players. And with Golden State featuring its usual brand of ferocious half-court defense, the Rockets didn't have nearly enough firepower.

The Warriors shot 52.5 percent overall and outpaced the Rockets 18-3 in transition. Houston will host Game 2 on Wednesday night at Toyota Center before the series shifts to Oakland, Calif.

Harden and Durant were incendiary from the start, combining for 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting in the first quarter. Golden State needed to survive the early emotional salvo from the Rockets, with Houston dashing to a 12-4 lead behind eight points from Harden.

The Rockets stretched the lead to 21-15 on a Clint Capela dunk after the Warriors were caught scrambling defensively.

Golden State began to work its way back behind Durant, whose 3-pointer late in the first quarter cut the deficit to 25-22. Durant converted consecutive baskets midway through the second quarter to push Golden State to a lead. The Rockets responded with a 7-0 spurt, but the Warriors closed the half with a Nick Young 3-pointer for a 56-56 deadlock.

The Rockets struggled to maintain any offensive rhythm, finishing with 16 turnovers to undermine their best efforts. Golden State gave the ball away nine times.

Houston shot 45.9 percent from the floor. Each team hit 13 3-pointers.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Barkley apologizes to Green for 'punch in the face' comment

TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley apologized on Wednesday for his comments toward Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, after saying "I just want somebody to punch (Green) in the face" during the telecast of Game 2 between the Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

"I said something that I shouldn't have said," Barkley said on "Waddle & Silvy" on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. "I want to be man enough to apologize. I was 100 percent wrong. ...

"I wasn't literally going to fight an NBA player. If he took it like that, I apologize."

Barkley initially made the comments while highlights of a verbal altercation between Green and the Pelicans' Rajon Rondo played during the telecast.

"Those guys who are irritants are all good players, but they can be annoying at times," Barkley added on Wednesday. "But like I said, I was wrong when I said it, and I shouldn't have said it."

After the game, a 121-116 win that gave Golden State a 2-0 lead in the series, Green responded to Barkley at the postgame press conference.

"Stand behind the microphone on the TV screen," Green said. "Fact of the matter is, if you feel that strongly about something, he's even seen me a million times, then punch me in my face when you see me. If you're not going to punch me in my face when you see me, then shut up. It's no different than somebody sitting behind a computer screen, tweeting, 'I'll knock you out,' and you never see him in life.

"He's seen me a bunch of times. Punch me in the face when you see me, or if not, no one cares what you would have done. You're old and it is what it is. You ain't going to punch me when you see me, then stop talking about it, period."

Green's mother even got in on the fun.

"@NBAonTNT Charles Barkley I wish you would.. you think Shaq had you RUNNING! #MANGONE," Mary Babers Green tweeted.

Green is averaging a triple-double through the first two games of the series at 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game.

source: news.abs-cbn.com