Golden State Warriors News

Warriors blow 13-point, fourth-quarter lead
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March 12
Contra Costa Times
 
"Listening to the players and examining their faces, it's hard to tell the Warriors had been on the losing side 47 times already. But Thursday's 110-105 downer to the Portland Trail Blazers was different. It featured the Warriors' biggest blown lead of the season. They led by 16 late in the third and 13 to start the fourth quarter. It was the fewest points they scored in the fourth quarter. The nine points in the final quarter were the franchise's fewest since they set a league record with two points in 2004. It was the first time Portland has won in Oakland in its past 10 tries. A tough task, but the Warriors (17-47) found a new way to lose in front of a national television audience. "It ..."
Blazers rally to edge Warriors
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March 12
Portland Tribune
 
"Portland won for the fifth time in six games and moved a season-high 11 games above the .500 mark. The Blazers (39-28) are in the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot, four games ahead of Memphis. Andre Miller had 15 points and seven assists as the Warriors (17-47) blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. Fernandez, who had 12 points, made his pivotal 3s in a late 17-3 run. Corey Maggette led the Warriors with 24 points. Golden State, which has lost six in a row, also got 17 points from Monta Ellis before he fouled out in return from a six-game absence. Roy, who finished 14 of 22 from the field and had eight rebounds and four assists, kept the Blazers close with 14 points ..."
Going backward without forwards
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March 12
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Coach Don Nelson hasn't forgotten that, way back in October, he decreed the Warriors had found their anchors at power forward for the foreseeable future. If it slips his mind for a moment, all he has to do is look to the end of the bench. That's where injured Brandan Wright sat, with ailing Anthony Randolph framing his right shoulder a row back, during Thursday's 110-105, come-from-ahead loss to Portland at Oracle Arena. The power forwards, beaming with unfulfilled promise, sat there as the Warriors squandered a 16-point lead in the final 13 minutes. They sat there as the Warriors - playing with four guards on the floor - allowed Portland to corral a season-high 22 offensive rebounds and ..."
Trail Blazers end nine-game losing streak in Golden State
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March 12
Oregonian
 
"An incredible streak was done in by an incredible comeback Thursday by the Trail Blazers. Led by a determined and playground-tough 41 points from Brandon Roy, and a whirlwind 17-3 run to close the game, the Blazers overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit and beat Golden State 110-105, ending a nine-game losing streak at Oracle Arena. "It's over,'' a smiling coach Nate McMillan said, referring to the streak. "But I'm a lot happier about what we did: we followed the game plan and executed.'' The Blazers wanted to take advantage of their size to score inside and get to the free throw line and they succeeded at both. Portland had 53 rebounds, including a season-high 22 offensive rebounds ..."
Ellis' back pain began in high school
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March 11
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Guard Monta Ellis revealed Wednesday that he was born with a small hole at the base of his spine, a condition that he says started causing back pain in high school and still is a problem periodically. The Warriors said the condition is called spondylolysis, a defect that occurs in up to 6 percent of the population and one that doesn't cause future concerns for the team. Ellis was immobilized for the better part of the past 12 days but is "leaning" toward playing tonight. "Sometimes it bothers me, but not to the point where I can't move.""
String music in Curry's workouts
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March 11
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Stephen Curry is the Phantom of the Opera. He even brings his own music. Late at night, 10 or 11 o'clock on non-game nights, Curry lets himself into the Warriors' practice gym in downtown Oakland, and shoots. Typically, he'll go an hour and a half, long enough to reach a goal, like sinking 500 shots. He'll bring along a buddy to rebound, and an iPod sound dock loaded with rap (Lupe Fiasco is his favorite), R"
Warriors coach Don Nelson's quest for NBA wins record isn't enthralling
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March 11
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Monte Poole
"Don Nelson is ascending to the pinnacle of his profession, within walking distance of history, soon to be king of the NBA coaching jungle. Where is the roar? The Warriors coach is seven wins away from surpassing Lenny Wilkens to become the league's all-time leader in wins by a coach. Yet he approaches the finish line not to the sound of cheers, or even a visible or audible countdown. Any sign of anticipation for consummating this lifetime achievement is muffled, if not utterly muted. "I'm OK with that," Nelson said after practice Wednesday. "I really think I prefer it that way.'' His bosses don't have a choice. They're caught in the middle, between their loyalty to Nelson and their ..."
Monta Ellis could return to action against Trail Blazers
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March 11
Oakland Tribune
 
"Warriors guard Monta Ellis is "leaning toward" returning to action tonight against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. Ellis missed the past six games with a flare-up of a chronic back injury. He practiced fully Wednesday and said his availability will be based on how his back responds to his first activity in 12 days. "See how I feel in the morning after the workout," Ellis said after practice. "I'm leaning toward playing. But, like I said, it depends on how I wake up in the morning." Ellis said he has a spine condition that bothers him periodically, though not always severe enough to keep him out. It's something he's dealt with since high school, he said. Ellis said it was frustrating ..."
Center Biedrins' 'wasted season' is probably over
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March 9
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Warriors coach Don Nelson couldn't help but deviate from his usual light and humorous interview before Monday night's 135-131 loss to New Orleans. The injury woes have gotten to the point that they're simply not funny anymore. "If it wasn't for the tears," Nelson said, "I guess it would be funny." That comment came following the Warriors' announcement that Andris Biedrins will have surgery to repair a tear in an abdominal muscle today, a procedure that will likely cost the center the rest of the season. The Warriors have already lost Kelenna Azubuike (knee) and Brandan Wright (shoulder) for the season. Biedrins, who is expected to miss four to six weeks, joins a group - Raja Bell (wrist), ..."
Small-ball is same ol' losing ball for Golden State Warriors
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March 9
Oakland Tribune
 
"For most NBA teams, Anthony Tolliver, Devean George and Reggie Williams would be small forwards. And not very intimidating ones, either; at 6-foot-9, 243 pounds, Tolliver is the largest of the bunch. But when the huddle broke to start the third quarter Monday, the trio walked onto the court as the Warriors' front line. The strategy - which created an advantage in quickness, spread the floor and created an outside-in offense - almost worked. In the end, however, the inside game of the New Orleans Hornets was just too much. The Warriors fell 135-131 after giving up 24 second-chance points and losing the battle of the boards by 21 rebounds. The loss completed a winless five-game trip. With ..."
Warriors' Curry ascending NBA's rookie list
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March 8
Contra Costa Times
 
"Lately, lots of heavy hitters around the NBA circle have had the name Stephen Curry on their tongues. So much so that Curry's name has made its way into the Rookie of the Year conversation. The latest example came Sunday afternoon on national television. Former coach and current ABC television analyst Jeff Van Gundy gave out his annual awards. Best rookie went to Curry. But does Curry really have a shot? Her certainly has a better chance than he did in December. Back then, Sacramento's Tyreke Evans and Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings, who dropped 55 on the Warriors a month earlier, got all the ROY love. Curry has knocked Jennings into third place and is challenging Evans, who at one point ..."
Charlotte's Curry loses in pro homecoming
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March 7
Gaston Gazette
 
"Stephen Curry has been in the NBA for almost a year now, but he said he felt something late Friday night he hadn't felt before in his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors. "You know, you go to all kinds of cities in the NBA," said Curry, a former Charlotte Christian High School and Davidson College standout. "You get used to that kind of travel. But last night felt different. It was good knowing I was coming home." Curry's homecoming didn't have a successful ending Saturday, as his first professional game in Charlotte ended with a Warriors' 101-90 loss to the Bobcats in front of a sellout crowd of 19,392 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Curry, a first-round pick of the Warriors last ..."
Curry feels hometown love
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March 7
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"First, Stephen Curry provided friends and family with 105 tickets to Saturday night's game. Then, he tickled the media with a pregame news conference. Oh yeah, and he played a game. It was clear that Curry's 25-point, five-rebound and four-assist performance and the Warriors' 101-90 loss to the Bobcats were almost insignificant to Charlotte basketball fans' and the local media's love affair with the rookie. Though he was 2,700 miles from Oracle Arena, Curry's first pro game in his old backyard gave the appearance of a home game. He promised that we would know which section was the Curry section, but it was impossible to tell. It appeared as though every section was his. There were more ..."
Stephen Curry gets royal treatment at home against Charlotte
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March 7
Charlotte Observer
 
"Stephen Curry walks into the depths of Time Warner Cable Arena wearing a gray suit. Everybody who knows him says hello, and he appears to know everybody. Every 10 yards there is a handshake or a hug. Before his Golden State Warriors play the Charlotte Bobcats Saturday, he will sit behind a table and talk into the eight microphones. Michael Jordan is not the biggest name in the gym tonight. OK, he is. But Curry is second. Curry is more muscular than he was at Davidson. Yet, he looks younger. He has a goatee so small it could be in the Guinness Book of World Records. Instead of looking edgier, he looks nicer. And he already was nice. "He still can't grow facial hair," his dad, Dell Curry, ..."
Who made call for inaction?
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March 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Bruce Jenkins
"As yet another depressing season winds down, it is becoming clear that Don Nelson no longer runs the Warriors. If he gets shut out of major trade discussions, that's the only conclusion one can draw. Two sources close to the Warriors told The Chronicle that when the club rejected a trade-deadline deal that would have sent Monta Ellis to Memphis for O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet, Nelson wasn't even consulted. It's not clear who made the decision, but it was news to Nelson, who hadn't even heard the Grizzlies' proposal. Not only that, the two sources said, but Nelson would have made the deal. "In a heartbeat," said one. The obvious conclusion is that management, in the wake of recent trades ..."
Corey Maggette rushes back to lend a hand
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March 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"It was driving Warriors forward Corey Maggette batty to helplessly watch his team play on TV, and Wednesday's 27-point loss to Orlando was the breaking point. "They've been playing well without all the injured guys, and you just sit there and think, 'If they had some extra help, maybe we can get some wins and get Coach the record,' " Maggette said. So he called athletic trainer Tom Abdenour and general manager Larry Riley, lobbied to return from strained left hamstrings sooner than expected, jumped on a flight to Atlanta and played in Friday's 127-122 loss. Maggette had 18 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. The effort came just five games after the Warriors announced the forward ..."
Stephen Curry keeps undermanned Warriors in it
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March 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Stephen Curry offered, in the Warriors' 127-122 loss to Atlanta on Friday, what he hopes will be a preamble to tonight's game in Charlotte. In front of about 30 fans who watched him at Davidson College and cheered his every move Friday in Atlanta, Curry had 31 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. He can expect at least 10 times that number of family, friends and college supporters tonight in Charlotte. The twinkle in his eye foreshadows that he might have something even more impressive planned when he plays his first pro game in his hometown. "It's going to be loud, and it's going to be fun to play in that arena," Curry said. "I worked out there all summer, so it's going to feel like ..."
Despite loss, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry warms up for Charlotte homecoming in style
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March 6
Contra Costa Times
 
"Some 30 fans sat behind the Warriors bench before the game Friday, many donning red and blue gear. They weren't Atlanta Hawks fans getting a closer look at the opponent. They were Davidson fans getting a close-up look at Warriors rookie guard Stephen Curry. "I'm glad they weren't at the Orlando game," coach Don Nelson said through a laugh. Curry put on a show for the crew of Atlanta-area alumna from his alma mater. It was hardly a flawless performance, and it couldn't prevent a 127-122 loss to the Hawks. But 31 points, 11 assists and five rebounds qualify as a big night by most standards. Now Curry is expected to do it again tonight against the Bobcats in Charlotte, his first pro game in ..."
Curry excited to play in Charlotte again
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March 6
Charlotte Observer
 
"Stephen Curry will play in Charlotte tonight, just like the Southern Conference organizers who brought their basketball tournament to the Queen City this season had intended. His appearance only comes because of an NBA scheduling twist, however. Curry, an NBA Rookie of the Year candidate for the Golden State Warriors, faces the Charlotte Bobcats at 7 tonight. "It's going to be a huge weekend for me," Curry said by telephone this week. "About 100-plus people that I know are coming. It's going to be really crazy." Curry won't get to pull off the basketball double-header he planned to, though. He had first planned to head to Bojangles' Arena this afternoon to cheer on the Davidson Wildcats in ..."
Hawks squawks: Hawks 127, Warriors 122
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March 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"1. The Hawks fell for Golden State's freestyle game but managed to pull it out. As for the "the Hawks shouldn't let a team like Golden State stay in the game" logic, consider that the Warriors have beaten Dallas, Phoenix and Boston, lost by a point to Denver on the road and by three to Cleveland. True, given the way steam seemed to be coming out of the Hawks' ears in the run-up to the game, I would have thought it would be an easier win. But, sometimes they come ugly. 2. Give the Hawks some points for winning a high-scoring game with Joe Johnson going 3-for-14 - he was apparently not feeling well - and Jamal Crawford off his game with a sprained right thumb. He said it got pulled back as ..."
Hawks outlast Golden State
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March 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"The challenge this time against Golden State wasn't holding onto a big lead. It was simply staying in the game. Eager for a rematch after blowing an 18-point lead in a loss to the Warriors two weeks ago, the Hawks overcame a 10-point third-quarter deficit of their own to win 127-122 on Friday night at Philips Arena. The Hawks managed to survive the freewheeling Warriors despite getting only 10 points from leading scorer Joe Johnson, who was fighting a cold. Forward Josh Smith and guard Mike Bibby compensated with season-high scoring totals in a game in which the Hawks were seduced into abandoning their typical defensive resolve for Golden State's run-and-gun pace. "It's proven that defense ..."
Warriors rookie Stephen Curry follows in father's footsteps
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March 5
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Gary Peterson
"During his team's recent visit to the Bay Area, Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson was asked about Warriors rookie Stephen Curry. Specifically: Does he remind you of anybody? "Yeah," Woodson said. "His daddy." Pretty unimaginative answer at first blush. Of course he looks like his father. Dell Curry, a drop-dead, lights-out, long-range, count-it-without-having-to-watch-it-go-down shooter, played 16 seasons in the NBA. He canned 1,245 3-pointers and dished half-again as many assists (1,909). "But (Stephen is) a better pick-and-roll player than his dad was," Woodson added. "He handles it a little bit better than his dad. He shoots it just like his dad could shoot it." Same genes, but more ..."
Silver lining in ugly defeat
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March 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Before the Warriors' 117-90 loss to Orlando on Wednesday, the majority of the conversations were about Anthony Morrow's slump, illustrating exactly how far the second-year guard has come. Morrow has gone from undrafted and unwanted to a guy people expect to make all his three-point attempts. But he had missed 17 of his past 21 three-point attempts entering Wednesday's game. "I always think about where I came from and where I was at the beginning of last year," said Morrow, who is shooting 44.1 percent from long range. "Nobody used to care if I made or missed a three. "It's a blessing to have that kind of reputation in the NBA." He got back to earning those props Wednesday, connecting on 3 ..."
Anthony Morrow gets his 3-point stroke back, but Golden State Warriors fall to Orlando Magic
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March 4
Oakland Tribune
 
"Other than the fact that it came to an end, there wasn't much positive to take from the Warriors' 117-90 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Not even the team's new mantra about playing together, working hard, yada, yada, was enough to smooth the edges of the unadulterated shellacking Golden State received from the Magic. Orlando, which got 28 points and 12 rebounds from center Dwight Howard, never trailed and led by as much as 30 points. But if you're reaching for something, there was this: Warriors guard Anthony Morrow started knocking down 3-pointers again. He was 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Entering the game, Morrow was 4-for-21 (19 percent) from 3-point range his past two ..."
C.J. Watson plays in Amway Arena for first time since last summer's trade talk
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March 4
Orlando Sentinel
 
"Wednesday offered Golden State Warriors PG C.J. Watson his first opportunity to play at Amway Arena since the Orlando Magic tried to acquire him in a sign-and-trade deal last summer. The Warriors declined the Magic's offer for the 25-year-old Watson, who was a restricted free agent at the time. Watson eventually accepted Golden State's $1 million qualifying offer for the 2009-10 season instead of a more lucrative multi-year deal with the Warriors. That decision will enable Watson to become a restricted free agent again once this season ends."
Tired Golden State Warriors fade late in falling to Miami Heat
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March 3
Oakland Tribune
 
"During moments of his 43-minute, 27-second stint in Tuesday's game, you could see rookie guard Stephen Curry with his hands on his hips, mouthpiece dangling as he sucked wind. In the final seconds of the 110-106 loss to the Miami Heat, Warriors guard Anthony Morrow was gasping like an asthmatic, too winded to react after he missed an open 3-pointer that would've put the Warriors ahead with 12.4 seconds left. And there's no telling if fatigue was a factor in center Ronny Turiaf dropping what coach Don Nelson described as a "great pass" from Curry that likely would've led to a game-tying dunk with eight seconds left. Turiaf topped 28 minutes for the fourth time in the past 12 games. He ..."
Monta Ellis likely to miss five-game road trip with bad back
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March 3
Oakland Tribune
 
"Warriors guard Monta Ellis will likely miss the team's entire five-game road trip, which begins in Miami Tuesday night, the team announced. Ellis missed Saturday's game against Detroit with lower back pain. An MRI on Ellis' back performed on Monday revealed a lower back strain. Golden State faces the prospect of playing the road trip without both Ellis and starting center Andris Biedrins, who is sidelined with a strained right groin."
Warriors' Monta Ellis likely to miss five-game road trip with bad back
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March 2
Contra Costa Times
 
"Warriors guard Monta Ellis will likely miss the team's entire five-game road trip, which begins in Miami Tuesday night, the team announced. Ellis missed Saturday's game against Detroit with lower back pain. An MRI on Ellis' back performed on Monday revealed a lower back strain. Golden State faces the prospect of playing the road trip without both Ellis and starting center Andris Biedrins, who is sidelined with a strained right groin."
Curry's imaginative finishers grabbing attention
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March 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Warriors coach Don Nelson once made a bad joke about not being sure Stephen Curry could be an NBA starter because he didn't have enough tattoos. It turns out the rookie has saved his creativity for finishing at the rim. Curry used a low crossover dribble to split two defenders on his way into the lane Thursday. As Denver's Chris "Birdman" Andersen tried to recover for a shot block, Curry faked an underhanded layup, spun counterclockwise on his pivot foot and finished with an overhanded bank-in. In that same game, Curry flipped in a left-handed layup over his shoulder while gliding through a hard foul, and feathered in a high-arcing floater that is becoming one of his game-to-game staples. ..."
Ellis, Biedrins don't travel to Miami
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March 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"A combination of back, ankle and wrist pain kept Monta Ellis out of Saturday's game. The Warriors flew to Miami on Monday night without two of their most important players, having left behind guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins. The team announced that Biedrins would miss the entire trip with a strained right groin, but it hasn't ruled out the return of Ellis at some point on the five-game roadie. Ellis underwent an MRI exam for a sore back Monday night but results were not available. Before he surprised teammates by missing Saturday's game, Ellis told team sources that more went into his decision than his back. The combination of ankle and knee sprains, added with the back ..."
Golden State Warriors short-handed on road again
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March 2
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Warriors will be without two starters — guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins — when they start a five-game road trip tonight in Miami. They will get some help. NBA Development League star Reggie Williams is expected to sign a 10-day contract today. Still, the absence of Ellis and Biedrins will leave the Warriors with eight players in uniform for the 27th time this season. Back pain, which kept Ellis out of the lineup in Saturday's home win over Detroit, prevented him from traveling. Ellis had an MRI on Monday in the Bay Area. His status will be determined after doctors review the results — possibly today. Ellis could join the team at some point on the trip. Biedrins will not ..."
Monta Ellis could receive results from MRI on back today
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March 2
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Warriors will be without two starters — guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins — when they start a five-game road trip tonight in Miami. They will get some help. NBA Development League star Reggie Williams is expected to sign a 10-day contract today. Still, the absence of Ellis and Biedrins will leave the Warriors with eight players in uniform for the 27th time this season. Back pain, which kept Ellis out of the lineup in Saturday's home win over Detroit, prevented him from traveling. Ellis had an MRI on Monday in the Bay Area. His status will be determined after doctors review the results — possibly today. Ellis could join the team at some point on the trip. Biedrins will not ..."
Warriors are sheep when it comes to Wolves' accountability
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March 1
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Monte Poole
"In what has been the Year of the Apology - from Canada's women's hockey team to the Chicago Bears to Tiger Woods to Toyota - a relatively disappointing NBA team has decided its apology is only the beginning. If only that team were the Warriors. The Minnesota Timberwolves last week acknowledged their wretched season and had the courage to take action. They bought a full-page ad in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, seeking continued support, and offered fans a letter of apology signed by David Kahn, the team's president of basketball operations. To validate their profound sincerity, the Wolves also announced they were cutting season-ticket prices - by half. To clarify, lower-bowl season tickets ..."
Gritty Watson helps fills the void of Ellis' absence
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March 1
Contra Costa Times
 
"Warriors guard C.J. Watson said his stomach still hurts. He said he feels like it keeps cramping when he runs and when he breathes. Yet, he was still in the starting lineup. "Give 'em what I can," Watson said. "I don't know what that will be, one minute or 20 minutes." The Warriors needed him for more than that, as back pain kept guard Monta Ellis out of action. What's more, with guard Anthony Morrow starting at small forward, the Warriors had no guards coming off the bench. Rookie Stephen Curry and Watson had to log significant minutes as the Warriors' backcourt. While Ellis and Curry are the highest-scoring backcourt in the NBA, combining for 64.2 points per game, the Warriors' offense ..."
Watson shows heart in comeback
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February 28
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Guard C.J. Watson joked that it took doctors six hours to find his appendix when he had a health scare Thursday. It wouldn't have taken them nearly that long to find his heart. "We've got a lot of warriors on this team, a lot of guys playing through a lot of injuries," guard Anthony Morrow said. "C.J. went out there feeling woozy, but he went out there and played." Watson played at what he called 50 percent healthy Saturday, somehow tallying 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Warriors' 95-88 win over Detroit in front of a late-arriving crowd at Oracle Arena. "That was a great effort," guard Stephen Curry said. "He got to the basket, got to the line and played good defense in ..."
Curry making real run at top rookie honor
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February 28
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"As the TNT crew came to Oakland for Thursday night's telecast, broadcaster Doug Collins was excited to get a fresh look at Stephen Curry, making a late run for Rookie of the Year. The loss to Denver was riddled with depressing sights - Andris Biedrins' struggles, Monta Ellis' poor shooting, the spent-looking coach who used to be Don Nelson - but one thing was evident: Curry is ready to steal that award. This team is all about Curry now, and rightly so. He's worth watching just for the brilliant work with his left hand. He occasionally finds himself a split-second behind on the timing of his passes, but there's no denying his stunning improvement in all phases of the game. Consider the ..."
Monta Ellis misses Warriors game with sore back
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February 28
Oakland Tribune
 
"Though down 14 points, down two starters, and struggling on offense, the Warriors had little doubt in their inner circle they could pull it out. And they did Saturday, 95-88 over the Detroit Pistons. Their lack of doubt wasn't so much because they had comeback before, or because the Pistons were struggling more than them. Saturday, their confidence came from a unique source. "This one was for Frankie Shouldice," coach Don Nelson said after the win, leaving him seven wins shy of becoming the NBA's all-time winningest coach. Frankie, 10, had his dream come true Saturday as part of a collaboration between the Warriors and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A San Francisco resident and avid Warriors ..."
When futility of sports stops being fun
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February 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Scott Ostler
"If I could take a mulligan, I'dthe mention in a recent column that Warriors center Andris Biedrins is on pace to set an NBA record for lowest one-season free-throw percentage (20 or more attempts). Biedrins, as a stupendously well-paid professional athlete, shouldn't be above legitimate criticism. But it's apparent that the free-throw thing is messing with his head, and I wish I hadn't focused more attention on it. I noted that obscure free-throw record because I have a fascination with records and streaks of futility. It's the intriguing flip side of all the heroism and monumental achievement of sport. Sometimes the athletes themselves have fun with these records. Reggie Jackson told me ..."
Golden State can't recover from slow start
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February 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The first results of the rip-Andris-Biedrins-in-the-media-and-see-if-you-spark-life-in-the-center experiment sent mixed messages. Two nights after calling Biedrins' play lifeless and a day after saying "he needs to light his own fire," Warriors coach Don Nelson tried Thursday to get the center involved in the action. Biedrins matched his season-high of eight field-goal attempts in the opening 10 minutes and said his confidence was boosted, but he missed six of the shots, including three layups and an airballed hook shot. By the time the reality set in that the Warriors would be better served with Biedrins on the bench in this particular game, it was too late to come back from a 19-point, ..."
Warriors' Nelson just can't win for losing
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February 25
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Who says Nellie doesn't get any love these days? Plenty of fans are rooting like crazy for Don Nelson's Warriors to win eight of their remaining 26 games so he will break the all-time NBA record for career coaching wins, held by Lenny Wilkens. If Nelson breaks the record this season, fans will be partying in the streets of Golden State, wherever that is. It will be a strange celebration. My pollsters (several dozen otherwise unused cells in my brain's educated-guess lobe) report that 83 percent of the folks rooting for Nelson to get the record this season are doing so because they don't want him back next season."
Biedrins must find passion, coach says
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February 25
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"For the second straight day, Don Nelson called out Andris Biedrins, saying he hides during pick-and-roll plays, misses Stephen Jackson and fears going to the free-throw line, where he shoots 13 percent. "I've bent over backwards with (Biedrins) trying to be positive," Nelson said after Wednesday's practice. "Whatever he's going through, he's not the same player this year as the last couple - or the same player that got him the big contract. Whatever it is, he's got to get the passion back. I can't do that." And ... "Give us something. I mean, rebounding is one part of the game. You need more than that. Good defensive presence. The running skills. Good pick-setting. Good passing. We need a ..."
If you find Andris Biedrins' game, please return it to Warriors
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February 25
Oakland Tribune
 
"After Tuesday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Warriors coach Don Nelson said he was "tired of not seeing any life" in center Andris Biedrins, adding, "This isn't the first time we haven't seen a light on at home." Nelson didn't back off his comments after Wednesday's practice. "He needs to light his own fire," Nelson said. "We play every other day. You can't light the fire for him every game. So that's up to him. Give us something. "I mean, rebounding is one part of the game. You need more than that. Good defensive presence. The running skills. Good pick-setting. Good passing. We need a lot of things from our (centers) other than rebounding." Nelson said he would give some of Biedrins' ..."
They snooze, they lose: Comeback can't erase deficit
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February 24
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Warriors coach Don Nelson sent one message by benching Andris Biedrins for good at the 7:23 mark of the second quarter. Nelson sent an even louder message after the team's 110-102 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. "I didn't see any life there," Nelson said. "I'm tired of not seeing any life. I'm very disappointed. "This isn't the first time we haven't seen a light on." Nelson was talking about Biedrins, but he could have been talking about any of his players for the first 42 minutes. The Warriors were sluggish and passive as Philadelphia built a 24-point lead and put an announced crowd of 17,115 that resembled blue-cushioned seats to sleep."
Warriors' comeback falls short against Philadelphia 76ers
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February 24
Oakland Tribune
 
"For most of the game Tuesday, the crowd at Oracle Arena was about as lively as a turtle after a shot of NyQuil. "We started off terrible," Warriors rookie guard Stephen Curry said, "so they didn't have anything to cheer about." By late in the fourth quarter, after the Warriors came within a basket of erasing a 24-point deficit, Oracle was back to its rocking self. But unlike Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks, the Warriors couldn't provide the payoff, succumbing to the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102. They hit enough 3s, collected enough steals, to foster hope that they would do it again — erase a big lead and steal a riveting victory. But the Warriors, who have won three games after trailing by ..."
Hamstrung Maggette out awhile
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February 23
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Warriors forward Corey Maggette will miss the next eight games and maybe much more with a strained left hamstring, the team announced Monday. Maggette has played through a variety of injuries this season, but he has missed four of the past nine games. He went to Los Angeles on Sunday to get a platelet-rich plasma shot. This treatment usually takes two or three injections, with six to eight weeks between each shot. Maggette missed a month with hamstring injuries last season. "He brings some size for us and some toughness down low, on offense, he's always on the attack, and he brings veteran leadership to us every night," guard Stephen Curry said. "Everybody else has to step up and make that ..."
Himself a patient, Turiaf promotes heart health
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February 23
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"This is the man who attempts to block nearly every shot, regardless if his failure could result in an embarrassing poster. This is the man who spins and dances after most perfect passes he throws, regardless if the crowd of 20,000 is laughing at his moves while cheering. This man walked in front of about 100 children Monday in Oakland and admitted he was nervous. "I don't joke about this," Warriors center Ronny Turiaf said. "A heart condition affected me, it affected my family and it has affected my friends. I'm going to do everything I can to bring awareness to this important topic." Turiaf spent four years at Gonzaga, the last of which earned him WCC Player of the Year honors, then was ..."
Stephen Curry standing out at point guard for Golden State Warriors
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February 23
Oakland Tribune
 
"Lost in the excitement of the Warriors' come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday was, arguably, the pass of the season. From his own free-throw line, rookie guard Stephen Curry lofted a perfect two-hand chest pass over Hawks center Al Horford and guard Joe Johnson and into the hands of guard C.J. Watson for a layup. The play, with less than three minutes left, tied the game and underscored what is becoming obvious: Curry is the team's floor general. Curry's vision, passing ability and basketball IQ have helped the Warriors offense run more fluidly, especially when guard Monta Ellis has been out of the game. It's also going to lead to more action for Curry at the point over the ..."
Curry, Watson form dynamic duo
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February 22
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"When Warriors guard Stephen Curry floated a three-quarter length pass that split two defenders in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 108-104 win over Atlanta, it was fitting that the pass landed right in the hands of C.J. Watson. The way Watson has been playing lately, even the most implausible feats are to be expected. He is averaging 24.3 points on 59 percent shooting, 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game in his past four. "He is in a groove," Curry said. "His confidence is huge. He is just out there playing free and making plays. "That's huge to have an extra scorer out there who can stretch the defense." Watson has scored at least 15 points a game in four straight, including a ..."
Jamal Crawford, former Warrior, looks like he'll make the playoffs for the first time in his career
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February 22
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Gary Peterson
"Jamal Crawford was a tender lad of 20 when he entered the NBA. Next month he'll turn the dreaded 30. He's never appeared in a postseason game. Want to know the odds against that? The NBA sends more than half its teams to the playoffs every season. Sunday, when Crawford's Atlanta Hawks visited the Warriors (one of his three former teams), he played in his 650th career game — more than any current player who has yet to reach the postseason. No need for any calculations on your part. He has the figures right here: "I probably have a better chance of being struck by lightning," he said. While shooting a hole-in-one. And being handed a $50 million Lottery ticket. By Bigfoot and his identical ..."