Box score | Gameflow to be added
Warriors: Golden State of Mind
Recap: Title to be added
Game thread: Game Thread #66: Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors - Kobe or MJ? Depends on your age (1400+ comments)
Lakers: Silver Screen and Roll
Recap: Lakers Survive Firefight in Oakland, Barely
Game thread: Lakers-Warriors Open Thread
Warriors (W-L): 18-47
Lakers (W-L): 41-13
Tip Off: 7:30 Pacific Time
TV: ESPN
Radio: KNBR
Blog Buddy: Silver Screen and Roll
It's mid-March, the Warriors (18 wins) are the 3rd-worst team in the Association and the Lakers (18 losses) are on their romp to the Finals. The Lakers, on the road, are 8-point favorites and the over/under is 223.5. So, let me get the two biggies as it would pertain to a normal game preview out of the way: Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry? They struggle against the Lakers...
Curry has averaged 13.0 points on 34.8 percent shooting - including 2 of 16 from 3-point range - in the three games, while Ellis averaged 20.0 points in two games - 5.6 less than his team-leading average.
And secondly, Kobe Bryant is in town, on three days' rest. But do we really care about this game? Does it matter to us if Kobe scores 30, 40, fifty, against this Warriors defense? Against D-Leaguers (btw, kudos to Reggie Williams for getting his 2nd 10-day contract)? Nah, let's talk about something else. Something bigger. Something we might really care about.
So anyways, back on Friday, Kobe had his 7th game-winning shot this season, victimizing the Toronto Raptors. Of course, once I heard he had as many game-winners as the Nets have wins this year, I had to google around to see if he had as many career game-winning shots as Michael Jordan. The results seemed to conclude that Kobe has more game-winners than MJ, although I have not found the definitive blogpost anywhere, that would look like an indisputable, credible study. There are many forums out there that talk about this, and the discussion -- not that I'm bringing up anything that's revolutionary -- is quite divisive. With that, I present this poll which is the part of the thesis of this post (disguised as a game preview, as it were!)...
"How come sportswriters never suffer season-ending injuries?"
Tim Kawakami has just published a piece in the Merc + Talking Points calling for the firing of Don Nelson. I disagree essentially with every line of what he has written, and in particular with his conclusion. I think it would be a huge mistake for the Warriors to fire Nellie. Here is my rebuttal.
For old times sake... CHARMIN SOFT!
A lot of the bandwagoners and national/ local media alike might not recall, but pre-Nellieball Dubs version 2.0 and pre-WE BELIEVE we were treated to the prospect of a seemingly endless future with the tandem GSoM friend Damon Bruce termed the "Dun-Murphy Sisters". It was the softest front court ever assembled courtesy of the Warriors publicity stunt at GM.
Well just how are those two Chris Mullin favs doing in Indy?
JUMP to find out.
It's cereal time!: The official breakfast of the Golden State Warriors
Look for me at tomorrow's Warriors vs. Lakers game. My wife and I are going all out with signs galore. It's the last game of the season for us. We're looking forward to having a great time out the Oracle. Stop on by and say what's up!
Back in action.
Preview/ GameThread (600+ comments) / Game Day Links
Asking GSoM: Why the Golden State Warriors are so bad + Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis co-existing + Keys against Toronto Raptors (165+ comments)
Raptors HQ
Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, two players whom the Bay Area media don't believe can coexist in the same backcourt, collaborated on an offensive masterpiece that buried the Toronto Raptors in this game. Ellis had 31 points on 12-22 shooting, including a career high 5 three-pointers. Stephen Curry had one of his best games this season, with 35 points, 5-8 from three, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. That's a stat line that will get you noticed in fantasy leagues!
What was most impressive about this performance was how well Ellis and Curry worked together. The ball flowed beautifully between them, with the result that very little of their offense seemed forced. With Curry having grown into the point-guard role, and doing most of the ball-handling, Monta played one of his most controlled games of the season. He committed only 3 turnovers, and Curry only 2, as the Warriors won the turnover battle 17-11. In a game where the Raptors outshot the Warriors 57% to 47%, this was huge.
Jump for some salivating!
Warriors: Golden State of Mind
Recap: RECAP: Golden State Warriors 124 Toronto Raptors 112 -- Birth of a Backcourt?
Game thread: Gamethread #65: Golden State Warriors v. Toronto Raptors -- D-League meets the Euroleague (615+ comments)
Raptors: Raptors HQ
Recap: Raptors Rapid Recap: Toronto 112 Golden State 124
Game thread: Game Day Thread: Toronto vs. Golden State
Preview: 3 In the Key: Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. Golden State
Hmmm. Any D-league mascots available?
Raptors (32-31) vs Warriors (17-47)
Tip Off: 7:30pm PST
TV: CSNBA | Radio: KNBR 680
If there is any drama to this game, it's that Toronto needs it bad. Fighting for the eighth seed in the East, Toronto has been swooning badly. They've lost seven of eight, including the first two games of their West coast road trip. Tomorrow night they play Portland in the Rose Garden, and they know in their tiny lizard hearts that they're going to lose that game too. This is a game they need. Toronto is going to come out with everything they've got.
But if history is a guide, so will the Golden State D-Leaguers. Jump for matchup mayhem!
