|---THE WARRIOR ZONE---|Warriors Report: Dec. 20-Dec. 31January 1, 2010; 3:53 AM - Happy new year everybody! The Warriors finished the year strong, posting another 3-1 week, and finishing with an 18-12 record, on pace for 49 wins. The game week started with the Warriors destroying the Jazz at home.
Anthony Randolph outplayed
Zach Randolph, and
Monta Ellis dropped 25. They then followed it up with a thrilling overtime victory against the surprising Memphis Grizzlies - yet another exciting battle in the season series. They won their third straight and improved to a very impressive 18-11 with an upset victory over the Thunder, who have been slumping since making some noise earlier this year. The year ended with a disappointing, but expected loss in San Antonio, but our Warriors are still in a great position entering the new year, holding the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Monta Ellis has continued to be the team's leading scorer, but
Anthony Randolph's excellent play has led to a meteoric rise in the Nelliepoints standings. Ellis ended up coming in first place yet again this month, but it was by a mere 2 points. Both Ellis and Randolph are looking to make all-star appearances this year.
Steve Nash recovered from a couple off weeks to show
Ricky Rubio who's boss. The
Andris Biedrins-
Joel Przybilla center tandem has worked well so far.
Rudy Fernandez has scored an efficient ten points a game off the bench.
Darko has been terrible. Finally,
Captain Jack has adjusted well to being the third option, and is living up to the perfect teammate title that Tim Duncan gave to him years ago.
Utah 90 @ Golden State 107 - The Jazz have been horrible this season. After losing all three of their good big men in the offseason (Boozer, Millsap and Okur), the Jazz made a panic move, trading AK-47 for
Zach Randolph. The result is a sub-.250 record. The Warriors wrecked havoc on the team that ended their 2007 playoff run, destroying the Jazz in every facet of the game.
Deron Williams scored 31 points, but it didn't matter, as the rest of the Jazz sucked.
Monta Ellis played just 27 minutes, but dropped a team-high 25 points in the victory. Jerry Sloan after the game:
"I f***ing hate this team. Especially Zach" He was fined $10,000 and suspended with pay for a game.
Player Of The Game: Monta Ellis (25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) | Nelliepoints: 1. Ellis (25/5/5); 2. Randolph (16/14/3); 3. Jackson (20/5/6)
RECORD: 16-11Memphis 119 @ Golden State 121 [OT] - What a game. The season opened with the Grizz upsetting Golden State, winning by just one point. Both teams have been surprising success stories since then, with both in the playoff picture after awful 2008-09 seasons. This game looked like it was going to be a wash with Golden State up thirteen at the half. The third period saw a 21-4 Memphis run to get the road team back in the game. The Grizzlies ended up with a 109-106 lead with 5.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
Stephen Jackson got the ball, and it was deja vu from the two teams' last meetings. Everyone in the Oracle held their breaths, then something amazing happened: He passed it to the open
Steve Nash, who sunk a buzzer-beater three. The Warriors used that momentum to dominate overtime. Thehy had a seven-point lead with 32 seconds left. The Grizzlies actually made a pair of lucky threes in a last-ditch comeback effort, but it wasn't enough, as the Warriors escaped with the win, 121-119. The season series is 1-1, with the average point differential being the Warriors by half a point.
"Do I smell rivalry?", Warriors commentator
Jim Fayer quipped after the game.
Player Of The Game: Steve Nash (19 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds) | Nelliepoints: 1. Nash (19/4/11); 2. Randolph (16/13/2); 3. Jackson (23/2/4)
RECORD: 17-11
Golden State 101 @ Oklahoma City 89 - The Warriors entered Oklahomo City with something to prove. they were crushed in their last visit, but were tied for fourth place in the West, making this a crucial game for position. The Thunder got out to a hot start, winning the first quarter 30-23 behind MVP candidate
Kevin Durant's 12 points. Golden State turned the tied in the second, using a flurry of threes to build a small lead.
Ben Gordon could not buy a shot all night, and it was like his 6-19 shooting performance that prevented his team from ever getting back in the game, as the Warriors cruised to their third straight win.
Don Nelson on the win:
"I thought we really took control of the game when Andris slid to the 1, and Ricky to the 4. The Thunder just couldn't handle our mismatches and we capitalized."Player Of The Game: Monta Ellis (24 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) | Nelliepoints: 1. Ellis (25/7/7); 2. Biedrins (15/16/3); 3. Randolph (21/8/2)
RECORD: 18-11Golden State 89 @ San Antonio 102 - If the Warriors face the Spurs in the playoffs, they won't be winning a title.
Tim Duncan and company continue to have the Warriors number, as they shut down the Bay Area's team, winning 102-89.
Anthony Randolph was solid, but the Big Fundamental was better. The game was fairly even in the first half, but San Antonio outscored Golden State 54-38 in the second half to win it. On the bright side,
Manu Ginobili was somehow held scoreless, though he did have 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Gregg Popovich became public enemy #1 on Warrior message boards when he criticized them, saying
"Its a joke that anybody thinks that their no-defense gimmick gameplan is going to get them anywhere. They may be the NBA's darlings now, but they won't last long come playoff time."Player Of The Game: Tim Duncan (25 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks) | Nelliepoints: 1. Randolph (16/8/2); 2. Jackson (16/4/3); 3. Ellis (12/4/4)
RECORD: 18-12Nelliepoints Standings:December:Ellis: 24
Randolph: 22
Jackson: 11Nash: 6
Rubio: 4
Biedrins: 3
Fernandez: 2
Overall:Ellis: 59
Randolph: 38
Jackson: 32Nash: 20
Rubio: 7
Biedrins: 7
Fernandez: 2
Pacific Division Standings:Lakers 21-9 | GB: 0
Warriors 18-12 | GB: 3Kings: 17-14 | GB: 4.5
Suns: 14-18 | GB: 8
Clippers: 14-20 | GB: 9