Tag: golden state warriors

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Following their defeat in the NBA Cup Western semifinals, the Mavericks and Warriors face off against each other

Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers

Two teams that are disappointed to be in San Francisco instead of Las Vegas this weekend will play each other on Sunday night when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Golden State Warriors.

Both teams made it to the Western Conference final four of the NBA Cup but lost in the first round of the tournament. Dallas lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-104 on Tuesday, and the Warriors were eliminated by the Houston Rockets 91-90 on Wednesday.

The Cup format required the two teams that lost in the Western Conference to play each other in an additional game, giving them an extra match to balance out the schedule.

This game will be a rematch from the Cup opener, which was important not because of the tournament but because Klay Thompson was returning to San Francisco after joining Dallas in a sign-and-trade during the offseason. Thompson had a memorable game, scoring 22 points and helping the Warriors win 120-117.

Thompson, a five-time All-Star, has averaged 13.3 points this season, his lowest since his rookie year in 2012. Dallas coach Jason Kidd emphasized there’s more to Thompson than just his numbers.

“His fit is perfect for what we need. He’s been great,” Kidd said. “Klay is a true pro; he comes to work ready to play. We’ve been lucky to have him.”

Thompson’s replacement in the Warriors’ lineup, Buddy Hield, has had similar numbers this season, averaging 14.5 points per game. He scored 14 points in the earlier win over the Mavericks.

Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets

The Warriors found a strong long-distance shooting option in Hield, who averages 3.3 three-pointers per game with a shooting percentage of 42.6%. Thompson averaged 2.9 three-pointers per game last season with a shooting percentage of 37.4%.

Lindy Waters III, another new player for the Warriors, was impressed by Thompson’s homecoming reception last month and believes this rematch will feel different.

“I think maybe the homecoming has already subsided,” Waters said. “I think we’re just looking at it as the Dallas Mavericks coming into our home court, and we’ve got to protect it.”

Both teams are hoping that the time off after being eliminated from the NBA Cup will help them address their recent struggles. The Mavericks had some players feeling unwell for their game against the Thunder, while the Warriors were missing Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody due to injuries.

“We feel like we’ve given away three games,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The additional practice time this week really allows us to address some of the situational things — our late-game offense, late-quarter stuff. It’s on us as a group — coaches, players — to make these improvements and start closing these games out.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Reports: Warriors set to trade for guard Dennis Schroder from Nets

Dennis Schroder gestures mid game

The Golden State Warriors will trade for point guard Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets, according to reports on Saturday.

In exchange, the Warriors will send injured guard De’Anthony Melton and three second-round picks to the Nets. Brooklyn will also send a second-round pick to Golden State.

Schroder, 31, is having a strong season with the Nets, averaging 18.4 points and a career-high 6.6 assists in 23 games. He is shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range and averaging 1.1 steals.

This will be Schroder’s eighth team in his 12-year NBA career. He began his career with the Atlanta Hawks and has since played for several teams.

The trade cannot be completed until Sunday, when Melton will be eligible to be traded.

Dennis Schroder takes the ball forward in the 2nd half

Melton, who had surgery on Dec. 4 to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee, will miss the rest of this season. He is expected to fully recover before the 2025-26 season.

Melton was injured during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 12. In six games this season, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

Over his career, Melton has played 356 games with the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and Warriors, averaging 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

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NBA (Basketball)

NBA: Referees made the right decisions during the Warriors-Rockets game

Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets

Coach Steve Kerr’s strong criticism of a foul call against his Golden State Warriors in the final moments of their loss to the Houston Rockets was found to be incorrect, according to the NBA on Thursday night.

The controversial play occurred after Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds remaining, giving the Warriors a 90-89 lead. Gary Payton II was the first to reach the loose ball and seemed to attempt to call a timeout while on the ground. However, Fred VanVleet came in and poked the ball away, with clear contact between the two players.

The ball rolled away, and Jalen Green of the Rockets and Jonathan Kuminga of the Warriors fought for possession, which looked like it could have been a jump ball.

However, Kuminga was called for a foul on Green, who then made both free throws to give the Rockets the lead and win the game. The game was a quarterfinal in the NBA Cup, and Houston moved on to face Oklahoma City in the semifinals on Saturday.

The NBA’s statement supported the referees’ decision, saying that Kuminga “reached over Green in an attempt to get to the ball and pull his shoulders down.” It also mentioned that the contact between Payton and VanVleet while chasing the loose ball was “incidental.”

Steve Kerr reacts in the 1st half

Kerr had argued for a jump-ball call, claiming that the referees had allowed a lot of contact throughout the game. Some others also thought Payton should have been allowed to call a timeout. Kerr called the foul call “unconscionable.”

“A loose-ball situation, 80 feet from the basket, with the game on the line. I’ve never seen that,” Kerr said. “Think I saw it in college one time, 30 years ago. Never seen it in the NBA. That is unconscionable. I don’t even understand what just happened.”

He added that the game “was taken from us by a call I don’t think an elementary school referee would have made, because that guy would have had feel and said, ‘You know what? I’m not going to decide a game on a loose ball 80 feet from the basket.’”

Kerr also disagreed with officials in a game on Dec. 3 in Denver when his team was behind by four points. Kerr wanted a technical foul to be called on Christian Braun of the Nuggets for trying to call a timeout after gaining possession of the ball when his team had no timeouts left.

If that had happened, the Warriors would have had free throws and the ball with 1.9 seconds remaining. Instead, the officials didn’t clearly see Braun try to call a timeout, and the play was ruled a jump ball. The Warriors lost that game 119-115.

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NBA (Basketball)

Rockets take late lead over Warriors, advance to NBA Cup semifinals

Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors

Jalen Green made two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining to give the Houston Rockets a 91-90 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in an NBA Cup quarterfinal.

The Rockets ended a 15-game losing streak against the Warriors and moved on to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, where they will play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

Green got the ball after a foul on Jonathan Kuminga and made both free throws. After that, Brandin Podziemski’s 3-point attempt was blocked by Jabari Smith Jr. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Podziemski and Kuminga hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Golden State an 89-82 lead, their biggest of the game.

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points and 11 rebounds. His layup with 27 seconds left cut the Warriors’ lead to 90-89. Smith added 15 points, and Green scored 12. The Rockets won despite shooting poorly from long range, hitting just 6 of 27 3-pointers, and turning the ball over 17 times.

Kuminga led the Warriors with 20 points and seven rebounds. Stephen Curry added 19 points and five assists. Golden State had 22 turnovers, which the Rockets turned into 30 points.

Jonathan Kuminga fouls Jalen Green, during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup tournament quarterfinal basketball game in Houston

The Warriors gained momentum with a strong 32-point third quarter. Kuminga grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and scored, then Curry made a basket through a foul to bring the Warriors within two points, 57-55. When Trayce Jackson-Davis made two free throws at 3:54, Golden State took its first lead since the first quarter, 60-59.

After hitting just 4 of 22 3-pointers in the first half, the Warriors made 4 of 8 from beyond the arc in the third. Buddy Hield scored 11 points in the period and made three 3-pointers, becoming the 17th player in NBA history to hit 2,000 career threes. The Warriors led 69-68 going into the final quarter.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter. After Dillon Brooks completed a three-point play to give the Rockets an 18-15 lead with 4:25 left, neither team scored until Curry hit a 3-pointer with 60 seconds remaining to tie the game. The Rockets held a 20-18 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Rockets built a 40-26 lead after Amen Thompson’s dunk with 4:14 left in the half, but the Warriors answered with an 11-2 run.

The Rockets led 44-37 at halftime, and the Warriors came back with their strong third-quarter performance.

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NBA (Basketball)

Warriors’ defense strengthens in the closing moments to secure victory over the Timberwolves

Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves

Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield, and Jonathan Kuminga scored a combined 77 points, while Gary Payton II made two important defensive plays, helping the Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-106 on Sunday night in San Francisco. The Warriors held the Timberwolves scoreless for the last 4:46 of the game.

Curry led all scorers with 30 points, Hield scored 27, and Kuminga added 20 for the Warriors, who bounced back from a 107-90 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday. This win was only their second in the last eight games.

The game saw both teams take turns with double-digit leads. The Timberwolves briefly took the lead at 106-105 after a 3-pointer by Anthony Edwards with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter. But from that point on, Minnesota didn’t score again, missing their last nine shots, plus two free throws.

Kuminga put the Warriors ahead for good with a dunk off a Curry assist at 2:55. Edwards then missed two crucial 3-pointers: the first could have given the Timberwolves the lead, and the second, after Curry made two free throws, could have tied the game.

Anthony Edwards (NBA)

Down by 109-106, the Timberwolves had two more chances to close the gap, but Payton came up big with two defensive plays: first, he blocked a layup by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, then he stole a pass from Edwards.

Hield extended the lead with a 3-pointer, making it 112-106 with 57.7 seconds left. Draymond Green finished off the scoring with a dunk with 28.3 seconds remaining.

Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 points and six assists but missed six of his shots during their 0-for-9 finish. Alexander-Walker scored 19 points off the bench. The Timberwolves’ four-game winning streak came to an end. Julius Randle contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, Mike Conley added 12 points, and Naz Reid scored 10 points for Minnesota.

Curry also recorded eight assists in the game and made half of his points with five 3-pointers out of 11 attempts. Hield scored most of his points with seven 3-pointers out of 13 attempts.

Kevon Looney had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Warriors, who ended a five-game losing streak against the Timberwolves with this win.

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NBA (Basketball)

The Rockets will take on the Clippers as they look to secure at least one victory on their California road trip

Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors

After losing two games in a row for the first time this season, the Houston Rockets will finish their three-game California trip with a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday in Inglewood, California.

The Rockets had been playing well, winning 10 out of their last 12 games, but they lost 120-111 to Sacramento on Tuesday. Then, they suffered a 99-93 defeat against Golden State on Thursday, marking their lowest-scoring game of the season.

“One of our softest games since I’ve been here, for sure,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said about the loss to Golden State.

The trip hasn’t been easy for Houston, with more than just the losses causing issues. Udoka and center Alperen Sengun were fined after being ejected during the game in Sacramento. Tari Eason also received a fine for an incident with a fan during the same game.

Thursday’s loss came despite Golden State missing Stephen Curry and Draymond Green due to injuries. Houston shot just 37.6 percent from the field in that game.

“It doesn’t feel good,” said Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who scored 13 points but shot 3 of 10 from three-point range. “You never want to be called soft or be a part of anything soft. I don’t think anybody here is proud of our effort.”

Sengun led the Rockets with 16 points and eight rebounds against the Warriors, while Dillon Brooks had 15 and both Jalen Green and Amen Thompson scored 14 each.

Green leads Houston with 19.0 points per game, while Sengun contributes 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers

Sunday’s game gives the Rockets a final chance to regain their confidence before hosting the Warriors in an NBA Cup quarterfinal game on Wednesday.

The Clippers have been off since Wednesday, when their nine-game home winning streak ended with a tough 108-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kawhi Leonard (knee) remains out for Los Angeles, while leading scorer Norman Powell rested on Wednesday after recently returning from a hamstring injury.

The Clippers were also without Terance Mann, who missed his first game with a broken finger, and Kevin Porter, who is out with an ankle injury. Bones Hyland, playing in just his ninth game of the season, led the Clippers with season highs in points (18) and minutes (23).

James Harden struggled in the loss, shooting 1 of 10 from the floor and 1 of 6 from three-point range, finishing with just five points, his lowest of the season. He is averaging 21.6 points per game this season.

“In the NBA, the next game is up, so you don’t really have time to sit back and dwell on it,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We’ve gotta prepare for Houston, who’s played very well against us the two times we’ve played them in Houston. So, we just gotta be ready for that. Move onto the next and be ready to play on Sunday.”

The Rockets and Clippers faced each other in mid-November, with Houston winning both games, 111-103 and 125-104. Green led the Rockets with 21 points in the first game, while Jabari Smith Jr. bounced back from a quiet performance to score a season-high 28 points with 11 rebounds in the second game.

Eason may miss his second straight game on Sunday as he remains in concussion protocol.

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NBA (Basketball)

Anthony Edwards scores 30 points as Timberwolves dominate Warriors

Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors

Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 30 points, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid helped with strong defense, and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 107-90 on Friday night in San Francisco.

The teams will play again on Sunday, also in Golden State.

The Timberwolves used a 23-2 run in the second quarter to erase an early deficit and set the stage for their fourth straight win.

The Warriors closed the gap to three points in the third quarter and again early in the fourth, but Minnesota responded with tough defense and just enough offense to maintain their lead.

Edwards scored 30 points for the sixth time this season. He made 11 of his 18 shots, including 4 of 10 from beyond the arc, and added a game-high nine assists.

Gobert grabbed 11 rebounds, also scoring 17 points. Reid contributed nine points, 10 rebounds, and two steals, plus two blocked shots, playing a big role in the Timberwolves’ fifth consecutive win over the Warriors dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Anthony Edwards reacts in the game

Julius Randle had 16 points and nine rebounds, Mike Conley added 13 points, and Jaden McDaniels scored 10 points for Minnesota. The Timberwolves outshot the Warriors 45.5 percent to 39 percent overall, and 33.3 percent to 28.2 percent on 3-pointers.

Minnesota held their fourth straight opponent to fewer than 92 points, allowing only 85.5 points per game during this stretch.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 23 points, but he struggled, shooting just 6-for-17 overall and 3-for-9 from three.

Draymond Green, returning after missing two games, recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Golden State hurt themselves with 22 turnovers during the second night of a back-to-back.

Jonathan Kuminga, coming off a career-high 33 points in a win over the Houston Rockets, scored 13 points for the Warriors. Andrew Wiggins added 11 points but sat out most of the second half due to a sore ankle.

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NBA (Basketball)

Warriors aim to have two key players return for matchup against Timberwolves

Golden State Warriors (NBA)

Golden State coach Steve Kerr left open the possibility that Stephen Curry and Draymond Green could return to the lineup on Friday in San Francisco when the Warriors play the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This game is the first of a two-game series that will continue with a rematch on Sunday, also in San Francisco. The teams haven’t faced each other yet this season but played a similar doubleheader last November, which the Timberwolves swept. The second game was memorable for Green putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock, leading to a five-game suspension for Green.

On Thursday, Curry rested his sore knees, and Green sat out due to a painful left calf when the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 99-93 at home.

Jonathan Kuminga had a career-best 33-point performance, and Andrew Wiggins contributed 23 points and nine rebounds, helping the Warriors end a five-game losing streak. Kerr mentioned before the game that Curry and Green’s injuries were not serious, though they could last longer.

While they couldn’t play in consecutive games, both were set to be re-evaluated on Friday.

De’Anthony Melton, Stephy Curry, and Trayce Jackson-Davis after the win

Before the game, Kerr thanked Wiggins for his effort in the win, despite playing with a sore right ankle. “I don’t even know if he should have played,” Kerr said. “But he knew Steph and Draymond were out, and he knew how important this game was, and he gutted it out. Ironman. He’s been that ever since he’s been here.”

While the Warriors have usually dominated the Rockets, it’s been a while since they’ve beaten the Timberwolves. Minnesota swept the three-game season series last year, extending their winning streak against Golden State to four games.

The Timberwolves have been on a winning streak against Pacific Division teams, beating the Los Angeles teams three times in six days. They are in the middle of facing seven consecutive teams from the Pacific Division. This streak started with a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 27 and continues after the Warriors with a game against the Lakers on Dec. 13.

Minnesota has held their last three opponents to 92 points or fewer. They beat the Lakers 109-80 on Monday and followed that with a 108-80 win over the Clippers on Wednesday.

Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo praised the team for bouncing back after a tough start to the season, saying, “We’re not worried about what other people are saying. We’re focused on ourselves and staying together. Stack a few wins and everybody’s energy changes. So we just got to stay with it.”

DiVincenzo will be returning to San Francisco for the second time since leaving the Warriors as a free agent after the 2022-23 season. He had a strong performance in his first return last March with the Knicks, scoring 18 points in New York’s 119-112 win.

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Warriors continue their winning streak against Rockets, now at 15 games

Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets

Jonathan Kuminga scored a career-high 33 points, and Andrew Wiggins added 23 as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 99-93, extending their winning streak against Houston to 15 games in San Francisco.

With Stephen Curry resting due to sore knees and Draymond Green dealing with a calf injury, the Warriors used a 21-4 run between the second and third quarters to take control and break a five-game losing streak.

The Rockets, trying to beat the Warriors for the first time since February 2020, got 16 points from Alperen Sengun and 15 points from Dillon Brooks in a balanced effort but lost their second straight game.

Houston led for the first 21 minutes of a low-scoring first half, holding a 42-40 advantage before Moses Moody hit a 3-pointer and Wiggins turned a 27-foot shot into a four-point play. This sparked a 9-1 run that gave the Warriors a 49-43 lead at halftime.

Stephen Curry slides into the scorers table after a foul

Golden State carried their momentum into the second half, with Wiggins and Kuminga hitting 3-pointers in a 12-3 run that stretched their lead to 61-46.

The Rockets made a push and closed the gap to four points twice in the final 1:36, and got as close as 96-93 with Sengun’s layup with 32.6 seconds left.

However, Kuminga answered each time, scoring inside, hitting one of two free throws, and then driving for a layup with 16.9 seconds left to seal the win for the Warriors.

Despite shooting just 41.9 percent from the field, the Warriors won, while the Rockets shot 37.6 percent.

Kuminga’s 33 points were two more than his previous career-high, set in January against the Sacramento Kings. Brandin Podziemski grabbed 12 rebounds and scored 8 points, while Kevon Looney had 11 rebounds for the Warriors.

Sengun and Amen Thompson grabbed 8 rebounds each for the Rockets, while Thompson and Fred VanVleet recorded 5 assists each. Jalen Green and Thompson each scored 14 points, and VanVleet added 13.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Nikola Jokic scores 38 points to lead Nuggets in comeback win over Warriors

Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors

Nikola Jokic scored 15 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, and the Denver Nuggets came back from an 11-point deficit in the last 6:13 to beat the Golden State Warriors 119-115 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday night.

Golden State won the West Group C with a 3-1 record and moved on to the knockout round, while Denver finished 2-2.

Jokic also had 10 rebounds, six assists, and five steals. Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points, Aaron Gordon added 15 points, Jamal Murray had 12 points, and Christian Braun scored 11 for Denver.

The Warriors, playing without forward Draymond Green due to a calf injury, lost their fifth straight game despite 24 points and 11 assists from Stephen Curry. Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 points, and Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody each scored 13 points. Gary Payton II contributed 11 points.

It was 113-106 after Curry’s layup with 4:03 left, but Denver came back. Jokic assisted Gordon for a dunk, then hit a short jumper. Murray made two free throws, and Jokic hit an 18-foot shot to tie the game at 115.

Michael Porter Jr. reacts after the time ends

Curry missed a 3-pointer, Gordon made two more free throws, and Murray’s steal led to Jokic making clinching foul shots.

Golden State started the fourth quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 95-92 lead. Payton, Curry, and Moody made 3-pointers around a floater by Jokic to increase the lead to 104-94.

It grew to 109-98 after Moody was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws, but Porter responded with a dunk and a 3-pointer to bring Denver within six.

The Nuggets began the second half with seven straight points, but the Warriors came back and tied it at 73. Julian Strawther’s jumper at the end of the third quarter gave Denver a 90-85 lead heading into the final period.

Both teams had hot stretches in the second quarter. Golden State, trailing 36-31, went on a 19-4 run and went ahead 54-42 with 4:57 left.

Denver then scored 12 straight points to tie the game, and the teams went into halftime tied at 57.

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NBA (Basketball)

Devin Booker helped lead the Phoenix Suns to a victory over the Golden State Warriors, handing them their third consecutive loss

Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors

Devin Booker and Tyus Jones took center stage with a combined 46 points and 18 assists on Saturday night, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 113-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Kevin Durant had a tough shooting night, going 7-for-20, but still managed 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Phoenix, which won just their second game in the last eight.

Stephen Curry struggled as well, shooting 8-for-21 and 3-for-10 from beyond the arc, finishing with 23 points. The Warriors have now lost four games in a row.

Phoenix built a solid lead in the first half, going up 66-49 thanks to 13 points from Grayson Allen, 12 from Booker, and 11 from Jones. The Suns were hot from 3-point range, hitting 14 of 21 shots in the first half.

The Warriors tried to make a comeback, cutting the deficit to 85-78 late in the third quarter. But they went scoreless for the rest of the quarter and struggled to score in the early minutes of the fourth, falling behind 103-86.

Devin Booker
Devin Booker (NBA)

Golden State managed to make a push late in the game, going on a 13-3 run to close the gap to 108-103 with 1:11 remaining. However, Booker sealed the win with four straight free throws, finishing the game 8-for-8 from the line, and kept the Warriors at bay in the final moments.

Booker finished with 27 points, while Jones contributed 19 points and nine assists, hitting seven of nine shots and four of five from 3-point range. Allen added 17 points, and Royce O’Neale scored 11 for the Suns, who made 18 of 35 three-pointers despite only hitting four in the second half.

For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points, while Draymond Green had 13 points and seven assists. Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski each scored 12 points, and Buddy Hield added 11. Curry and Podziemski each grabbed seven rebounds.

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NBA (Basketball)

Thunder ready for rematch with Warriors, boosted by Isaiah Hartenstein’s return

Isaiah Hartenstein reaches out for a rebound

The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing for a rematch against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in San Francisco, hoping to get revenge for a previous loss.

Earlier this month, Stephen Curry led the Warriors to a 127-116 victory over the Thunder by scoring 36 points, including seven 3-pointers. However, there will be two key differences in this game compared to their first meeting 17 days ago.

De’Anthony Melton, who made his first start for the Warriors in the earlier game, scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, he injured his knee in the next game and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

On the other hand, the Thunder will have Isaiah Hartenstein, who missed the first matchup with Golden State due to a broken left hand. Hartenstein, a key offseason acquisition, made his debut on November 20 against the Portland Trail Blazers and has helped the team with double-doubles in the last two wins, averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Hartenstein’s return is important for Oklahoma City, especially since they have been missing Chet Holmgren, who is out with a pelvic fracture he suffered early in the game against the Warriors on November 10.

Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned the team’s need for a strong interior player, and he feels that Hartenstein is a great addition to the team. “I think Isaiah fills that hole very well. Sam (Presti) did a good job filling it,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.

Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry (NBA)

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who have both been playing well, have led the Thunder during their two-game winning streak. The two of them combined for 65 points, which is an improvement from their combined 44 points in the loss to the Warriors earlier this month.

Golden State is entering the game on a losing streak. They lost 104-94 to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday after blowing a 17-point lead, and followed that with a 128-120 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. The Warriors have not won since securing a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Monday’s loss that his team is feeling tired, noting that their energy has been lower recently. “You can tell we had a lot more energy a couple weeks ago, so maybe it’s just the schedule catching up to us a little bit. We know we got to find that energy again,” Kerr explained.

Both teams may be missing key players for the game. The Thunder’s Alex Caruso has been ruled out due to a hip injury, and the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga is questionable because of an illness.