April 11th, 2013 at 4:12 PM
By Jake Pisani
On Thursday night, the Golden State Warriors will meet for the fourth and final time of the season. With the Thunder taking two of the three previous meetings, the Warriors will look to settle the score as they continue their pursuit of the sixth seed.
The Warriors are coming off a blowout win against the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-89. Point guard Stephen Curry acknowledged the fans after the playoff-clinching win:
"Just listen to this crowd. You guys are the best fans in the NBA and you deserve this as much as we do."
After clinching their first playoff berth since 2007, Golden State will surely have a raucous crowd behind them tonight. With Oklahoma City as their opponent, they will need all the support they can get. The Thunder are currently ranked as the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 57-21. They have won seven of their last 10 games and are battling with San Antonio for home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
Kevin Durant, the 2012 Most Valuable Player, came up an assist shy of a triple-double on Tuesday against the Jazz, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Durant trails only Carmelo Anthony in points per game.
Read more... Join the Conversation... April 9th, 2013 at 11:55 PM
By Jake Pisani The Golden State Warriors have officially punched their ticket to the playoffs. With the Warriors' win over Minnesota 105-89, combined with Utah's loss to the Thunder, Golden State brought their magic number crashing down to zero.
Klay Thompson nailed six 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 30 points; his second-highest scoring total of the season. Thompson, who has developed into quite the perimeter defender, had a game-high five steals.
Stephen Curry turned what would ordinarily be considered a rough shooting night (9-21) into a 24-point performance. He also had a game-high 10 assists.
David Lee came up a little short in his effort for another 20-10 game, but still managed to secure a double-double. With 15 points and 12 rebounds, Lee provided his usual spark of energy to the club all night long.
Like Thompson, Harrison Barnes had one of his best games as a Warrior to date. With 15 points and 10 rebounds, Barnes made a much bigger impact than Warriors' fans likely expected of the rookie. His +23 point differential was a game high.
After the game, David Lee addressed the crowd:
"This is what we came here to do."
Read more... Join the Conversation... April 8th, 2013 at 11:18 AM
By Jake Pisani 
The Golden State Warriors were one win victory away from punching their ticket to the playoffs, but came up just short on Sunday night. The Utah Jazz beat the Warriors 97-90 for their seventh win in eighth games, and move back into the playoff picture themselves.
Stephen Curry dazzled in the first half, scoring 17 points, but cooled off when the team needed him most. He was held to just five second half points.
David Lee's usual high-energy play showed up again, as he scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. However, he and center Andrew Bogut were tied for the worst point differential of the game (-9).
Jarrett Jack seemed to float in and out of the game, finishing with seven points and six assists in 34 minutes. He failed to really capture the fourth quarter like he has done all season.
Carl Landry was the team's most efficient player; scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds in just 19 minutes off the bench. His inside presence was felt often, and one must wonder why coach Mark Jackson didn't leave him on the court longer.
Read more... Join the Conversation... April 7th, 2013 at 1:19 PM
By Jake Pisani 
With the Warriors' magic number down to two, a win tonight against the ninth-ranked Utah Jazz would clinch a playoff spot for Golden State. Other than the 'We Believe' season of 2006-2007, the Warriors haven't made the playoffs since Chris Webber's rookie season of 1993-1994.
The Warriors host Utah in the midst of a three-game win streak. Their 7-3 record in the last 10 games is second best in the Western Conference to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they have four of their six remaining games at home.
The Jazz are more desperate for a win than Golden State as they are half a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot. However, they also enter Oracle Arena with an abysmal 11-27 road record.
Warriors' point guard Stephen Curry is coming off a fantastic performance against Phoenix on Friday. Although he shot 6-15 from the field, he scored 18 points, made a game-high and season-best 15 assists and had four steals.
Klay Thompson was the Dubs' leading scorer with 25 points. He hit three of his four 3-point attempts and matched Curry's four steals.
Read more... Join the Conversation... April 5th, 2013 at 3:51 PM
By Jake Pisani The Golden State Warriors (43-32) hold just a game lead over the Houston Rockets for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They face the 23-52 Phoenix Suns hoping to expand that lead. With a magic number currently at three, the Warriors could conceivably clinch a playoff spot in just a few days. A victory today would go a long way in meeting that goal.
Phoenix is ice cold and has lost seven consecutive games. Meanwhile Golden State has won eight of the team's last 11 games. The Warriors have gone on a streak recently where they win two games and drop the next one. This streak has continued since March 11.
Phoenix's defense has been struggling lately, allowing just over 112 points per game in their last six contests. They have also allowed the highest 3-point percentage in the NBA. Both of these things should play well into the Warriors' hands tonight.
Power forward David Lee, who had a game-high 23 points on Wednesday had this to say:
"The big thing for us is continuing to compete."
Read more... Join the Conversation... 
Loading ...
