Golden State Warriors

Kerr To Rest Starters; Iggy's Remarks Cause Stir

... Conference, has turned into a letdown. And in terms of letdown, the Warriors felt the officiating in Friday's game let them down. In the locker room, players were discussing multiple calls they believed unfairly went against them. Iguodala was so frustrated, he blurted out another controversial, racially insensitive comment when asked about what led to this loss. "We gotta score more than the other team," he told reporters. "Yep, they want dumb n-s, so I'm going to give y'all a dumb n-.". Then asked whether the team issues run deeper than just scoring baskets, Iguodala responded, "What would dumb n-s say? 'Just play harder. Figure it out. Change gonna come.' You know what we used to say. Change gonna come.". As bizarre as that exchange was, Green wouldn't be outdone. He waited for approximately 45 minutes before addressing the media. "That's a long time," he said. "I contemplated for a long time whether I was just going to give the 25 [thousand dollars] up and wash my hands with it. I'm going to go buy myself a nice watch tonight with that $25,000 I thought about spending tonight. I'm going to post it on Twitter. Not Twitter, Instagram or ...

Draymond Green Pulls Golden State Warriors Out Of Funk

... Angeles Lakers have effectively shut down healthy veterans Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov for the rest of the season to give the majority of playing time over the final 15 games to their younger players, sources told ESPN. Deng and Mozgov were the Lakers' big free agent acquisitions last summer, signing contracts worth a combined $136 million over four seasons. Neither has been particularly effective in their first season with the Lakers: Mozgov averaged 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in nearly 21 minutes a game; Deng averaged 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in nearly 27 minutes a game. Deng and Mozgov had each been replaced in the starting lineup and their playing time had been cut dramatically. Rather than play sporadically, sources told ESPN that Deng and Mozgov were comfortable with the decision to shut it down for the rest of the season after meeting individually with coach Luke Walton over the last few weeks. While sources said the Lakers could revisit the ...

Loose Michigan Enjoying Rick Pitino's Comparison To Golden State Warriors

... team’s celebratory water bottle dousing with a clandestine Super Soaker attack. “It’s all about the process that you go through with these young men. It starts in the beginning,” Beilein said. “They’re good kids. They’re not finger-pointers, and they realize there is another level of things they can do and do efficiently. Pretty soon it works.”. It’s at about that moment in Beilein’s news conference that Walton and a couple other players walk by on the outside of glass-enclosed media center where the head coach is speaking. They make sure he sees them, interrupting an answer. “Really funny,” Beilein reacts with a laugh. “What’s that called? Photo bombing? Or a press conference bombing?”. Beilein didn’t want to pay much credence to Pitino’s comparison prior to their matchup, but he admitted Tuesday that maybe, just maybe, this team can channel its inner Warriors in certain games. “Remember how hot Illinois was when we were playing them?” Beilein quizzed the media about ...

Klay Thompson Puts Warriors On Familiar Winning Path

... State Warriors soundly beat the Orlando Magic 122-92 in a game that provided a scare, a sigh of relief, and ultimately, a return to form. Coming off a stretch of insipid play, the Warriors have been looking for a "get right" game. Thursday's offering seemed ideal. The Warriors finally got some practice time, some rest at home, and now, a forgiving opponent. The Magic struggled to score, which helped fuel Golden State's transition offense. This was to be an easy evening after a brutal segment of the schedule, followed by an inspired fight from the Philadelphia 76 ers on Tuesday. Klay Thompson got the Warriors off to a quick start, drilling five 3-pointers in the first quarter on Thursday night. AP Photo/Ben Margot. At the 10-minute, 30-second mark of the first quarter, Stephen Curry checked himself out of the game, hurriedly ...

Warriors Stop Russell Westbrook, Sweep Season Series With Thunder

... Openings closed more quickly than they appeared; opportunities gave way to stunning rebukes. Perhaps the most illustrative one of these happened in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, when Durant double-jumped to swat Shaun Livingston in the time it took the rangy guard to load up once. The last time Golden State showed up here, amid all the Sturm und Drang of Durant's homecoming, the Warriors won easily - or at least, more easily than they had won in the past. With Durant out, this seemed like it would be more of a fair fight. Instead, it was a reminder that Golden State didn't just acquire a great player. The Warriors also deprived a contender of theirs. They created a situation in which the Thunder couldn't compete, even if Durant's impact was confined to a suit. That's because Durant was a terror against Golden State's defense in a way that Westbrook never was. The superstar point guard is an excellent pick-and-roll player, preferring to solve the somewhat predictable puzzles that manifest as his big man screens. The Warriors, with their versatile, rangy defenders, deprive Westbrook of this puzzle by ...

Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia Carries On In Father’s Spirit

... NBA ambitions, acclimate to his new life on the Turkish Basketball League’s junior circuit. During that spring of 1998, Davit was a fixture at games, practices and team dinners. One night, when Zaza was involved in an on-court spat, Davit nearly stormed the court. “We were close before going to Turkey, but we got even closer over there,” Pachulia said recently. “It was only us, two Georgians taking on the big city.”. Both expected to live in Istanbul for years. But shortly after they returned to Tbilisi from Zaza’s first club season for summer break, Davit died during a routine doctor’s visit. Nearly two decades later, a key player in what he hopes will be a championship run with the Golden State Warriors, Pachulia still thinks of his father daily. Photo: Handout, Courtesy Zaza Pachulia. Zaza Pachulia, as a baby, in a family photo with his uncle (far left), mother (center) and father. Zaza Pachulia, as a baby, in a family photo with his uncle (far. Reality has surpassed even the loftiest of goals that father and son discussed in that modest Istanbul apartment. Georgia’s only active NBA player, Pachulia is an icon to its 3.7 million ...

Kerr Open To Less Pay If It Meant Fewer Games

... on both sides of the issue. However, Carlisle said coaches can't necessarily consider business ramifications when making decisions about resting players in consultation with athletic trainers, sports science experts and medical staff. "It's not that simple," Carlisle said. "When you coach in this league for a while, you get a real feel for players and their levels of energy, their levels of wear and tear, both physically and emotionally. There are just times when you know a night of rest strategically spaced within a span of games is going to make a big difference in the long run. "People need to understand that in the present structure of the schedule, there are just times when it really is the right thing to do. But I understand the outcry. It's a completely legitimate concern, especially considering the investment that our television partners have made in the sport, and we all understand that.". Kerr said rest will always be a necessary part of maintenance for NBA players "to keep them fresh and to keep them injury-free," but teams and ...

Hot Shooting, Strong Defense, Rest Allow Warriors To Rout Mavericks

... enable Dallas to pull close. People were primed for a Steph vs. Seth Curry duel, but that action was largely muted. Seth did not play well (10 points, 4-of-12 from the field), and Steph moved the ball nicely but didn't take over. Steph did, however, have a nice third-quarter stretch that effectively ended the game. He recovered a bounce pass in traffic around the baseline, went toward the free throw line, reversed course and swished in an impressive feat of dexterity. Then he launched a long shot over Dirk Nowitzki that eventually bounced in, blessed by a wacky dance from Curry in front of delighted courtside spectators. On the next play, he recovered a loose ball to nudge in a layup in transition. And with that, the Mavs had gone from wobbling to fallen. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. Check out the team site for more game coverage. There's another component to all this overwhelming Warriors effort. Steve Kerr, who before the game even proposed cutting some salary for a shortened season , noted a reason the Warriors look fresher than the foe. When discussing the rash of "DNP-Rest," ...

Golden State Warriors Expose Nba's Rest Problem As Stars Miss Key Games

... Loans Arena. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports. Dec. 20, 2016: Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts to a foul call in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Spectrum Center. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports. Dec 19, 2016; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) draws a blocking foul against Indiana Pacers center Al Jefferson (7) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports. Dec. 18, 2016: Tim Duncan's retired No. 21 jersey is unveiled during a ceremony after the Spurs' game against the Pelicans at AT&T Center. Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports. Dec. 17, 2016: Indiana Pacers center Al Jefferson (7) fights for the ball against Detroit Pistons guard Ish Smith (14) and center Aron Baynes (12) during the second quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports. Dec. 16, 2016: Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) passes around Kings defender De Marcus Cousins (15) during the first half in Memphis. Justin Ford, USA TODAY Sports. Dec. 15, 2016: Bucks players wore ...

Thunder Vs Warriors Game Preview, Odds, And Prediction

... City’s bigs must establish clearly to Golden State’s front line that they will not be intimidated. Play with poise: Russell Westbrook , especially, cannot lose focus concerning his Feb 11 incident with Zaza Pachulia. OKC’s best payback is a W. Continue ball movement: Down an elite defender (Durant) the Thunder can benefit from forcing GSW to defend the entire floor. Transition defense: So much of Golden State’s success occurs in transition. Therefore, it is incumbent upon Billy Donovan to prepare his team for 48 minutes of effort in this pivotal season-series finale. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER. A win over Golden State would prove monumental for a Thunder team that seems to be peaking at the right moment. In this contest, to solidify that momentum, Russell Westbrook must fully allow his teammates to either rise or fall vs. their season-long rival. While Westbrook has no lost love toward his bitter opponent; tonight, better judgement should abound as OKC looks to cement its darkhorse status as four weeks remain ...

Warriors, Wolves To Play 2 Games In China

... he's eager to show fans in China the high-flying brand of basketball his team plays. "We're appealing with the highlight dunks and the highlight plays, because we have such great athleticism on our team," Towns said. "To be able to introduce our new culture of basketball in Minnesota to the Chinese fans is going to be an amazing experience and an amazing opportunity.". The trip will coincide with a shift to fewer exhibition games for the 2017-18 season, as teams will open training camps approximately a week earlier than previous years. Thibodeau said the Timberwolves will play only two exhibitions aside from the ones in China, one before the trip and one afterward. "Organizing your camp to get everything in and to be prepared for the start of the season, it will be a little bit different from that perspective," Thibodeau said. "But I think we have plenty of time to get all those things done.". Thibodeau was an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets when the team and Shanghai native Yao Ming visited China in 2004. He was also a member of the Boston Celtics staff when that team played 2007 exhibitions in Italy ...