Durant suffers right leg injury in Warriors' Game 5 win vs Rockets

LOS ANGELES – Golden State pulled out a 104-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) as the Warriors survived the loss of superstar Kevin Durant to grab a 3-2 lead in their second round NBA playoff series.

Draymond Green and Klay Thompson nailed clutch 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter for the Warriors but the buzz after the game was not about the win but rather the health of Durant.

The Warriors said he had suffered a right calf strain but Durant is expected to undergo an MRI scan to Thursday to determine the full extent of the damage.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr sounded cautiously optimistic — hoping for the best but also preparing for something worse if it does turn out to be more serious like a ruptured Achilles.

"We are all disappointed for him. Excited about the win but concern for Kevin. He had been on this incredible playoff run. I am proud of the guys and the way they pulled out this win and we will see about Kevin tomorrow," said Kerr.

Durant's injury occurred innocently enough after he hit a jumper from the right side with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

He took a step forward then grimaced in pain and looked down at his lower right leg.

"He's done a lot for us. We got to have his back — that is what tonight was about," said Warriors Stephen Curry.

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

James Harden was the game's leading scorer with 31 points for the Rockets, who were outshot by the Warriors from the field 46 percent to 42 percent.

source: philstar.com

Warriors edge Rockets; Celtics baffle Bucks in NBA conference semis

WASHINGTON – Kevin Durant scored 35 points to lead the defending champion Golden State Warriors over Houston, 104-100, Sunday (Monday Manila time) while Boston ripped Milwaukee in the openers of their NBA second-round playoff matchups.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, each playing despite right ankle injuries, scored 18 and 13 points, respectively, while Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green each added 14 as the Warriors jumped ahead in the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series.

James Harden led Houston with 35 points while Eric Gordon added 27 and Chris Paul contributed 17 in a losing cause, the Rockets hitting only 41.9 percent from the floor.

"We just made them shoot tough shots," Durant said. "I think our defense won this game."

At Milwaukee, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford sparked the Boston Celtics to a 112-90 victory. Irving had game highs of 26 points and 11 assists while Horford scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.

The Warriors had lost their two prior playoff home games to the Los Angeles Clippers before escaping the first round, but hung on down the stretch to halt that unwanted streak.

Curry sank a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a five-point lead with 25 seconds remaining, but Harden answered with a dunk with lift the Rockets within 103-100 with 21 seconds remaining.

Houston forced a turnover but Harden missed a 3-pointer and Paul got the rebound but then made a turnover and was ejected after a technical foul with four seconds remaining, Curry sinking a free throw to create the final victory margin.

"Just getting more opportunities," Durant said of his performance. "We've got to win every matchup. We'll bring the focus again Tuesday (for game two)."

Horford quiets Giannis

Boston's Horford led a solid Celtics defensive effort that shut down Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"We came out and made a statement," Irving said. "We guarded Giannis really tough. We stayed very physical with him. He's so good around the rim, that mid-range area, we had to keep him out of there. I think we did a great job."

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but much of his production came late when Milwaukee was already in a 20-point hole.

The Celtics, seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference against the club with the NBA's best record at 60-22, shot 54 percent against the league's toughest defensive squad.

Boston unleashed a 32-9 run in the third quarter, Horford scoring 11 in the spurt, to seize an 86-65 lead.

While the host Bucks made one unsuccessful run early in the fourth quarter, they never threatened to erase that lead as they had done with a 15-point deficit in the first half.

"Just coming out playing very aggressive, playing poised, understanding they are very tough to beat on their home floor," Irving said when asked about the key to Boston's success.

"It's our preparation, our focus and being there for one another. This is the time you show why you go through the ups and downs of the regular season."

The Bucks, the NBA's third-best scoring club, shot only 34.8 percent for the game.

Antetokounmpo went 7-for-21 from the floor but was denied inside position by Boston's varied defensive schemes.

The Greek star's teammates could not step up and offset his lost production when asked by the Celtics, who dropped two of three regular-season meetings with Milwaukee.

source: philstar.com

Durant powers Warriors past Hawks after Green's suspension

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant scored 29 points with a key jumper in the final minute, a day after a shouting episode on the bench with Draymond Green led to his teammate's suspension Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), and the undermanned Golden State Warriors held off the Atlanta Hawks, 110-103.

Klay Thompson added 24 points as Splash Brother Stephen Curry missed his third straight game with a strained left groin. The two-time MVP shuffled and danced as he celebrated big plays from the bench.

Taurean Prince scored 22 points, making four 3-pointers and finishing 8 for 14 from the floor in the Hawks' fifth straight loss and ninth in 10.

Durant led the way hours after the Warriors suspended All-Star Green for one game without pay for conduct detrimental to the team. He got into it with Durant on the bench at the end of regulation in a 121-116 overtime road loss to the Clippers and Green wasn't even at the arena Tuesday.

source: philstar.com

All-Star Warriors roll past Thunder in festive NBA opener

OAKLAND, California – Stephen Curry is coming off an injury-plagued season and a summer he thought might be among his best yet.

On a festive night of celebration as another championship banner went up, Curry brought his usual flair and dazzle. Kevin Durant did all of the little things, too.

Curry had 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Durant added 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and the Golden State Warriors opened their quest for a three-peat by holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-100 on Tuesday night.

“I love who we are, game 1 of 82,” Durant said. “Just keep grinding.”

Golden State needed a strong fourth quarter after the two-time defending champions received their 2018 rings in a pregame ceremony shortly before tipoff and began the final season at Oracle Arena before a move across San Francisco Bay to new Chase Center. (Related story below)

“It’s a great move for the organization. We know that but this place is special, so we want to make sure this is a special season,” coach Steve Kerr said.

Klay Thompson shot just 5 of 20 for 14 points while center Damian Jones scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Warriors in his first career start and 26th game.

Kerr knows his players are still getting in shape and looked tired, saying: “We didn’t look much like ourselves. It’s not surprising either. We need a couple more weeks.”

Curry called it “an emotional night.”

source: philstar.com

Stealing home; Durant sparks Warriors over host Rockets in opener

MANILA, Philippines — Season wins leader Houston battled an entire campaign to seize a home-court edge throughout the NBA playoffs, but defending champion Golden State stole it away with a 119-106 victory Monday.

Kevin Durant scored 37 points and Klay Thompson added 28 for the Warriors to capture the best-of seven Western Conference final opener in a rare series start on the road for a team seeking its third NBA crown in four seasons.

“We’re just trying to win every game we play,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “It ends up being ‘stealing home court’ but we don’t look at it that way. We won one game on the road. Let’s try to win two.”

Stephen Curry added 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists while Green contributed nine rebounds and nine assists for the Warriors.


“It’s a great start. We played well,” said Thompson, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. “We’re not going to relax. We’re still not where we want to be. We still have a long way to go.”

NBA scoring champion James Harden netted 41 points to lead the Rockets, who host game two on Wednesday.

“We’ve got to do a better job of taking better shots, not turning the ball over and getting back on D,” Harden said. “We’ve got to make them rotate and take tougher shots.

“They do a really good job if you take bad shots or turn the ball over. That’s what they thrive on. Those mistakes can’t happen.”

Durant scored 17 first-half points and sparked Golden State after the Rockets played aggressively at the start, using two big runs to jump ahead only to have the Warriors overtake them by the middle of the second quarter.

“You know they are going to come out with a lot of energy,” Durant said. “We just tried to take their best punch and keep fighting.”
“To withstand that run says a lot about our team,” Green said. “The further you get along in the playoffs, the more intensity you need to bring.”

source: philstar.com

Warriors use big second quarter to pull away, rout Pelicans

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant and Draymond Green ignited a brilliant second quarter with their defense and all-out hustle plays, then Golden State got rolling in transition and Oracle Arena started rocking the way it does this time of year.

The defending champions are dominating again, and now Stephen Curry is ready to rejoin the mix and make them that much better.

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

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


“If we can push the tempo and try to get stuff in transition that’s big for us, so that was key and obviously that starts with stops,” Green said.

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

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

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

“We’ve adjusted to life without him. Hopefully he comes back Tuesday but we still have to have the same mindset if he isn’t,” Klay Thompson said. “Even if he does come back, it’s natural human emotion to be kind of relaxed because we have so much production coming back in our lineup but that’s going to be a test for us just to put that away in our minds and just focus on the task at hand and not depend on Steph to save the day. He’s done it plenty of times but we have a very deep team, playmakers all around.”
Thompson, who led Golden State with 27 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first half that made it 76-48. But New Orleans ended the second on a 7-0 run and Darius Miller’s 73-foot heave at the halftime buzzer counted, getting the Pelicans within 76-55 at the break. They hit another buzzer-beater to end the third but by then it was way too late.

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

“Well, that didn’t go as planned ,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.

Once Golden State got going in transition, the crowd became deafening and the Pelicans couldn’t keep pace — with tempo being something the Warriors know is key this series.

“It was probably the loudest I’ve heard Oracle all year,” Kerr said.

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

Green has been brilliant on the boards as Golden State keeps taking its defense up a level, and the Warriors improved to 26-0 when he has a triple-double, 4-0 in the postseason. He had games of 19 and 18 rebounds in the final two matchups of a five-game series with San Antonio in the first round.

“The bottom line is he almost had a triple-double by halftime. That’s not a good situation for us,” Gentry said.

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

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

HIGH-FLYING W’S

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

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

CURRY OUT

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

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

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

source: philstar.com

Durant scores 38 points, Warriors beat Jazz to take 3-0 lead

SALT LAKE CITY — Kevin Durant had 38 points and 13 rebounds and the Golden State Warriors beat the Utah Jazz 102-91 on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were a combined 7 for 29 from the field and 3 for 15 from 3-point range, leaving Durant to lead the Warriors.

The Jazz led 75-74 early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors went on a 10-4 run and never trailed again. Curry and Durant hit back to back 3ss to give Golden State a 92-84 lead with 3:04 left.

Curry finished with 23 points on 6-for-20 shooting.

Gordon Hayward led Utah with 29 points. Rudy Gobert added 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Game 4 is Monday night in Utah.

The Warriors got out to a quick start, again, and led by 10 after the first quarter.

Utah survived the first-half onslaught by Durant, who had 22 points and six rebounds at the break. There wasn't much the Jazz could do to contend a flurry of turnaround fadeaways, drives to the basket and a pair of 3s. Golden State, however, didn't get much help otherwise and Draymond Green dealt with foul trouble.

The Jazz took a 50-49 lead into halftime after closing the second quarter on a 12-5 run highlighted by Rodney Hood's 3-pointer triple that gave the Jazz their first lead of the series at 48-47.

Green picked up a technical arguing from the bench late in the second quarter after being whistled for his third foul of the half. As the crowd roared, he gave a 2-0 hand gesture to indicate the series record.

The Jazz led by nine in the third quarter, but Curry began to warm up and hit his first 3-pointer of the game on a pull-up in transition. Golden State closed the quarter on a 19-8 stretch to take a 72-70 lead.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Andre Iguodala played his 100th playoff game. ... Curry is alone at No. 8 on the career playoff 3-pointers list (270), surpassing Chauncey Billups. He has hit at least one 3 in all 65 playoff games he's played.

Jazz: Utah continued to have slow starts and shot just 28.6 percent and trailed by 10 at the end of the first quarter. ... The Jazz' first lead of the series came with 1:01 left in the second quarter, nearly 119 minutes. ... Golden State was held under 106 points for the first time this postseason.

HILL OUT

Jazz starting point guard George Hill missed his second consecutive game with a big toe injury. Utah hoped the extra rest would have him ready for Game 3, but he didn't progress enough. Shelvin Mack started in his place.

"It is really just a question of his effectiveness," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "There are situations in the game where he lands on it and pushes off and it just aggravates it. It aggravates it to a point where he's just not able to be effective."

KERR OUT

Warriors coach Steve Kerr did not travel with the team as he continues to deal with back issues. He was at Duke University on Friday seeing a specialist.

"He's had a ton of input," acting coach Mike Brown said. "His imprints are all over everything we do. He and I talk a couple times a day.

"There have been a couple of times he has come in to our coaches meetings for an hour or so. But for the most part, we're in constant communication on the phone."

source: philstar.com

Warriors take 3-0 series lead over Blazers with 119-113 win

PORTLAND, Ore. — Stephen Curry scored 34 points, Klay Thompson added 24 and the short-handed Golden State Warriors overcame a slow start to take a 3-0 lead in their playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 119-113 victory on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).

The Blazers led by as many as 17 points in the first half, but couldn't hold off the Warriors, who can clinch the series with a win Monday night in Game 4 at the Moda Center.

Golden State was without Kevin Durant, who was sitting for a second straight game cause of a left calf strain, and coach Steve Kerr stayed back at the team hotel because of illness.

The Warriors took a 108-100 lead after Andre Iguodala's dunk with 4:05 to go.

Noah Vonleh's dunk got Portland within four at 110-106 with 1:29 left, but Curry answered with a 3-pointer that all but sealed it, sending fans streaming for the exits.

CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 32 points, while Damian Lillard added 31.

Portland saw the return of big man Jusuf Nurkic after he missed the final seven games of the regular season and the first two playoff games at Golden State because of a non-displaced fracture in his right leg. There had been speculation that Nurkic, a 7-footer known as the Bosnian Beast, could return for the playoffs because he has been shooting around in warmups. Playing limited minutes, he finished with two points and 11 rebounds.

The Warriors routed the Blazers 110-81 in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Durant injured his calf in the third quarter of Sunday's 121-109 Game 1 victory, but finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds.

Energized by a raucous home crowd, Portland jumped out to an early 17-9 lead on Vonleh's dunk. The Blazers led by as many as 10, but Golden State closed the gap to 24-21 on McGee's layup.

Portland extended the lead in the second quarter, with Al-Farouq Aminu and Allen Crabbe showing spark after being largely quiet in the first two games. Crabbe's 3-pointer and a free throw put Portland up 49-33.

A 14-5 run put the Blazers up 65-48, but Curry hit a 3-pointer and a long jumper for the Warriors to close out the half down 67-54. Curry and Thompson were off in the opening half, going 8 of 25 from the field with just two 3-pointers — both from Curry.

The Warriors went on a 21-3 run to pull in front 85-83, capped by a pair of baskets from Iguodala and Draymond Green. Portland led 88-87 going into the final quarter.

Warriors assistant Mike Brown stood in for Kerr, who still experiences lingering symptoms from complications following two back surgeries after the franchise's run to the 2015 championship. He missed the first 43 games last season dealing with symptoms such as headaches, nausea and an aching neck.

Despite his prolonged absence, the Warriors went 73-9 last season and played in the NBA championship game. Kerr was named Coach of the Year.

"I don't know all of the circumstances," Brown said before the game. "He's just not feeling well, and we'll see how he feels later on."

Matt Barnes (right ankle/foot sprain), and Shaun Livingston (right index finger sprain) were also out for the Warriors.

The Warriors defeated the Blazers in five games in the second round last season, en route to the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The surprising Blazers got past the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round after falling to a 2-0 deficit.

Golden State finished atop the conference this season with the best overall record in the NBA (67-15). The Blazers finished eighth after a late-season surge that saw them go 17-6 after March 1.

TIP-INS

Warriors: David West was assessed a flagrant foul for pushing Portland's Evan Turner in the first half. Turner was handed an unsportsmanlike conduct technical. ... The Philadelphia Warriors won the inaugural league title with a Game 5 win against Chicago 70 years ago on Saturday.

Trail Blazers: Portland's bench, which struggled in the first two games of the series, combined for 19 points and 13 rebounds in the first half. ... Lillard has 15 playoff games with 25-plus, second-most in franchise history to Clyde Drexler with 29.

UP NEXT

The Warriors can clinch the series on Monday night (Tuesday in Manila) at the Moda Center.

source: philstar.com

Warriors avoid upset axe against lowly Sixers on Barnes’ game-winner

Golden State’s Harrison Barnes drained a three-pointer with two-tenths of a second left as the mighty Warriors held on for a 108-105 victory over the 76ers in a duel of the NBA’s best and worst in Philadelphia.

Up by 24 midway through the third period and by 15 with 5:42 remaining, the reigning champion Warriors appeared headed for a predictable win over the lowly 76ers.

But they had to fight to the wire to improve to 43-4, matching the 1966-67 76ers for best 47-game start in NBA history while the current Sixers fell to 7-41.

A 20-5 late 76ers scoring run included seven points from guard Ish Smith.

Smith’s steal and breakaway dunk with 22.3 seconds left knotted the score at 105-105.

On the final Warriors’ possession, guard Stephen Curry fired a pass from the right wing to forward Draymond Green at the top of the circle.

He found Barnes in the right corner for the winning three-pointer.

“He always shoots a tremendous percentage from the corner,” Green said of Barnes. “It’s like a layup for him.”

Guard Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 32 points. Curry finished with 23 points, while Green contributed 10 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Barnes, who had made just three of 10 shots until his game-winner, finished with 11 points.

Guard Isaiah Canaan scored 18 points off the bench for Philadelphia, including a four-point play with 38.6 seconds left.

Thompson, who notched a season-high 45 points in a victory over Dallas on Wednesday night, had 21 in Saturday’s first half, staking the Warriors to a 73-54 lead.

Despite a welter of turnovers that totalled 23 for the game, Golden State were up 100-85 after Thompson made a layup with 5:42 to play before Philadelphia stormed back, electrifying a sell-out crowd — many of whom had turned out to cheer the Warriors.

Cavs rout Spurs

LeBron James scored 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated San Antonio 117-103 to consolidate their spot atop the Eastern Conference with 34 victories in 46 games.

They have now won four straight since dropping their first game under new head coach Tyronn Lue, who took over a week ago after the surprise dismissal of David Blatt.

Going into the game, Cleveland were 0-3 against the top two teams in the West, having fallen at San Antonio earlier this month and lost twice to Golden State.

But they took full advantage of the absence of Spurs star Tim Duncan and the fact that San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge was in foul trouble much of the night.

With their new-look offense firing, the Cavaliers shot 64 percent in the second quarter and led 66-49 at halftime.

San Antonio opened the third with an 8-0 scoring run, but their rally was quickly squelched by the Cavs, who had 21 points apiece from Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

Irving and backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova combined for the first 18 points of the fourth quarter as Cleveland powered to the win.

“We’re just pushing the pace, pushing it every single night,” said James, whose Cavs have scored at least 114 points in four straight games.

“Coach Lue is getting on us every single day to keep the tempo going and we’ve been able to do that and not turn the ball over. So that’s resulting in us playing some really good basketball so far.”

Pelicans swoop late

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday drained a three-pointer from the left wing with 9.3 seconds remaining, then made a game-winning 15-foot jump shot with 1.3 seconds left to lift New Orleans to a 105-103 home win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Pelicans notched their seventh win in nine games.

In Indianapolis it went to overtime, with Pacers guard Monta Ellis scoring a season-high 32 points in a 109-105 overtime triumph over the Denver Nuggets.

The Pacers led 106-105 when Ellis drove for a layup with 20.4 seconds left, drawing a foul and making the free throw to complete the three-point play that sealed the win.

source: interaksyon.com