Posts tagged ‘Al Thorton’

Your Warriors can still fly, and stumble….and fly.

Box Score

With a gratifyingly optimistic crowd at their back, the Dubs shook off a mental hangover from Thursday’s loss, and stormed the court in the first - tying their highest scoring quarter of the season at 42. Jack put up 10 - including 2 threes, and Al put up 13 - shooting well from the outside as well as driving strong. The Warriors’ lead blossomed to 20 points with a minute left in the quarter, and the Clippers appeared to be comfortable in their role as the evening’s tomato can .

Nellie was relaxed enough to leave Baron on the bench to start the second quarter - and was promptly reminded via 3 straight Clipper three pointers, and some sketchy Dubs’ possesions that nothing in life is certain, and that BD is the only man who can make this hoopty run.

The news that Denver had lost to the the Jazz was announced half way through the game, injecting the crowd with yet more hope juice. On the court the Warriors were running and flying, with Baron and Jack finding Monta, and even Patrick O’Bryant for alley-oops. Nellie got into a light hearted mood and faked a drive past Monta after finding the ball in his lap.

Meanwhile, the Clippers’ Cuttino Mobley was decimating the Warriors’ lead with quick turnaround jumpers. Al Thorton (aka the rookie Al Thorton) was ball hawking his way towards a double-double, and Corey Maggette the male model was perpetually getting to the line via throwing his body into whatever Dub was defending him.

The happy-go-lucky feel in the building was suddenly reversed when everyone noticed that the lead had shrunk to 5 points with just under 2 minutes left to play. Monta converted a drive, Jack hit a jumper and hit 5 free throws to keep the Dubs on top for the ugly win.

The final hope lies in the Nuggets dropping one of their two remaining games against Houston or Memphis, as well as the Warriors running the table against the Suns and Seattle.

Your Warriors have finally won in the Staples Center.

Box Score

The Dubs gunned the Clippers down in the first half and absorbed a few blows in the second to earn a win. This is the first win in Staples for the Warriors since March 2004.

Captain Jack bounced back from his horrible shooting night in Sacto with a vengeance. He hit 5-10 of his threes, 3 coming in the first quarter alone. Monta came alive after his own troubled Tuesday performance, awing the Clippers’ crowd and the ESPN announcers with his speed and finishing ability. Baron was able to cruise for once, logging a mere 27 minutes. Pietrus had an outstanding 15 points and 12 rebounds.

It wouldn’t be a Warriors game without a little bit of heart trouble. The Dubs were up by as much as 26 points in the third quarter but the Clippers were able to come back to within 11 in the fourth. Corey Maggette, Al Thorton, and Tim Thomas were able to muscle their way inside at will. If the Clips weren’t converting their drives they were shooting free throws. The small Warriors’ front-court is painfully unable to stop large, quick players like those three. Nelson was forced to insert Monta after watching a Barnes led bench squad fail to score on at least 4 possessions with time running down. All Day responded by going for a perfect 6-6 in the fourth quarter and that kept the game out of reach for L.A.

Wright had a trying 13 minutes playing against Al Thorton. Brandan failed to make a field goal while Horford positively went off. The Clippers’ big rookie finished the game with a team high 24 points, and 13 rebounds in his 44 minutes.

There was a brief, uneventful run for Kosta Perovic and Marco Belinelli at the very end of the game. Marco made a nutty off balance turn around jumper and Kosta looked really tall.

All hail the Sixers - they beat the Nuggets tonight, extending the Warriors’ 8th seed cushion to 2.5 games over Denver.