Posts tagged ‘stephen jackson’

“It’s just like last year — it’s just that we have a better record this year, but we’re still fighting to get in the playoffs like last year,” said Stephen Jackson.

Jack knows it, as do Nellie, Baron and the whole crew. The Warriors are in for a fight to the end and losses like this one will not help their cause. The Spurs played as they typically do against the Dubs, and thus for 20th straight time in San Antonio, the Warriors walked out with a loss.

Baron had 19 to pace the Warriors, but Jack and Monta were off and that spelled doom for GSW’s hope for a sweep of the Texas two-step. With eight games to play in what has been a terrific season, the Warriors are still on the outside looking in - ninth place in the Western Conference.

While the Warriors’ big three were held in check, the same could not be said of the Spurs’ big dogs. Tony Parker dropped home 26 points, Timmmmy added 17 & 12 rebounds, while Manu the Flopper scored 16.

Adding insult to injury, the Spurs stifled GSW’s streak of having scored 100 or more points in 37 straight games. A stinging loss at a crucial time. We’ll see if the boys can fight back against Dallas in what could be labeled as the biggest game of the year.

Adam Lauridsen of the San Jose Mercury News and I break down the recent stretch of games, including this one, and look to the final eight regular season contests in our latest podcast.

Also, we have some breaking news regarding Marco Belinelli, as you’ll read here.

Or maybe not.

Your Warriors took care of the baby Blazers.

Box Score

You know you’re a Warriors fan when you get nervous if a fourth quarter lead dips below twenty points.

Baron looked like he was ready to hurl from the flu, but Nellie still put him in for 27 minutes. Boom and the team had a horrendous 22 point first quarter. They got down by as much as 14 and were dominated by Portland’s active young big man LaMarcus Aldridge. The Dubs woke up in the second with Al hitting his threes, Monta and Kaz scoring inside, and Jack running the show. Warriors down by 1 at the half.

The warm Warriors fuzzies started kicking in in the third quarter. The defensive intensity picked up, Monta, Baron, and Jack started getting hot, and our old friend Matt Barnes finally came home to the fans that love him.

I was at the horrible loss against the Hawks in February and something stuck in my mind from that game. Matt Barnes had a miserable outing, one of many from this season. The guys sitting behind me were moaning about him the entire game, busting out “brain-dead Barnes”, and just plain hating. I’m not adverse to calling out struggling players (ahem…pre-trade deadline Peety), but to submarine Matt after his from out of nowhere contribution last year, and his devastating personal loss this year was low. Matt Barnes pulled himself up from NBA obscurity last season and has come to really embody the general Warriors identity. He’s grimy, not a little bit dirty now and again, unpredictable, and straight up hungry.

Welcome back Matt.

Barnsey had what I hope was his comeback game. He put up 8 points and grabbed 8 boards to the delight of the proud Oracle crowd. It was awesome to hear the fans scream in unison for him when he hit his first three. The standing ovation he got as he went to the bench more than made up for the hateration I suffered through at that Hawks game.

The steamroller was gassed up and ready to roll for the fourth. The Warriors were up 19 and Nellie felt confident enough to completely empty the bench. Barnes led CJ, Kaz, Brandan, Uncle Austin, Marco, and Kosta to the easy win.

Denver came back to beat Dallas earlier, cutting our cushion to a 1/2 game ahead of them. The back to back against both of them on Saturday and Sunday is going to be massive. Go Warriors!

PS: Fascinating, fairly cathartic insight on the Delaney call from Monday’s Laker game from Marcus Thompson’s blog. Not that we’re bitter or anything:

The league does, however, share its findings on controversial calls when a member of the media asks. So I asked. And Stu Jackson answered.
“We did review,” he said Tuesday. “The call was incorrect.”

exclusive postgame audio

Baron Davis

Stephen Jackson

Nate McMillan

LaMarcus Aldridge

Your Warriors got it cooking in Hotlanta, bagging another win and gorging themselves on points.

Box Score

The Dubs won another shootout in decisive fashion. The first half was a gluttonous offensive orgy with both teams shooting lights out and no trace of D on either end. Joe Johnson led the way for Atlanta, scoring 29 points in the half on 11-16 shooting and looked unstoppable going to the basket as well as from downtown. Baron was automatic, putting up 18 in the first quarter and 24 in the half. The Hawks were not shy about playing at the Warriors’ reckless pace and pushed the ball as well if not better than the Dubs, ending the second with a slight lead.

In the second half the Warriors turned up the heat and the Hawks wilted. After only turning the ball over 4 times in the first, Atlanta completely fell apart when the Dubs got up on them, coughing it up 14 times in the second half. Pile on absolutely merciless shooting from Captain Jack (22 points in the half/29 total), and Peety, as well as more excellent work from Monta (20 points, 7 boards total) and you’ve got a blow out win.

Things are clicking for the Warriors at just the right time. They seem to have been able to shed their lacadaisical attitude when playing lower level competition and the role players are chipping in big time. Peety looked fantastic again, hitting his threes and snatching 12 boards. There hasn’t been much work for CJ Watson, as Monta and Jack have been handling the point well when Nellie rests the Boss.

Tonight was the fourth win in a row for the suddenly dependable Dubs and they’re sneaking up on the Mavs for the 7th spot in the West. Let’s see if they can keep the energy high against J-Rich and the Cats tomorrow.

Brandan Wright’s ’send it in’ moment was the only highlight from what was an otherwise miserable night at the Oracle.

The Warriors once again looked flat in the 1st half, allowing Atlanta to get off to a 68-50 lead, which proved to be insurmountable.This pattern of lousy first half play is something both Nellie and Baron couldn’t explain after the game, but it’s clear that if the Warriors want to make the playoffs, they have figure out a way to just stay relatively competitive early on.

Their poor starts are hampering what has been a fantastic, exciting season.The Warriors expend far too much energy in their comebacks, and as we saw once again in this game, they couldn’t muster up enough of it to thwart the young, nimble and very underrated Hawks.

Baron was terrific, pouring in 35 points to go with seven assists, but he concedes he “didn’t think that we [GSW] came with a sense of urgency early.”

Monta scored 26 points and Wright’s eight points and eight boards opened up Nellie’s eyes, as you will hear in the postgame audio, but they are mere footnotes in what was a truly disappointing effort.

In addition to the lackluster start, the Dubs once again allowed an average NBA guard to get off. On this night, it was Salim Stoudamire’s turn to make the W’s perimeter defense look bad. Like Chris Duhon and Roger Mason Jr. before him, Stoudamire recorded a season-high 18 points and looked as if he was reliving his days as a stud guard at Arizona.

Joe Johnson is truly a beast. He ripped the Warriors for 27, 8 & 8, and was the point man in the low post that facilitated wide open shots from downtown for any Hawk so inclined.

I may be going over the deep end on this post, considering how thrilling the Warriors win versus Boston was, but if the boys don’t get it together during this very winnable stretch of games - Seattle is next - then it really would be difficult to expect them to sneak into the playoffs. Somehow, they’ll have to pull together while Webber continues to get into shape and Andris recovers from surgery.

If there’s any good news to report, I overheard Stephen Jackson in the tunnel say he will be back for the game Tuesday versus the Sonics. His emotion and firepower is just what the doctor ordered.

exclusive postgame audio

Don Nelson

Monta Ellis

Brendan Wright

Baron Davis

Baron looked beat, the refs were gunning for them and the Wizards were going off, but SJax refused to lose.

Box Score

In what has become the norm, your Warriors fought an uphill battle and obtained a thrilling last minute victory.

The Bad:

• Baron’s gone missing. He was dead on his feet for what may have been the worst first half of the season, and it didn’t look like he cared. He wasn’t praising or encouraging his teammates, and he was a fouling and turnover machine. He picked it up big time in the second half and looked a bit like the BD we know and love, but something is up with our Bearded captain. Is it bad Webber Karma? Is it the All-Star snub? Is he injured?
• Monta’s got no kinda D. He got stomped by Roger Mason for 32 points, Roger Mason averages 8 points.

• The rotation is set. There will be no rookie love if the Dubs can’t pull ahead early and often.

• The Refs hate us. It was another night of ridiculous calls.

The Better:

• Everyone hit the glass. Baron and Barnes pulled down 7 boards while Andris and Al each snatched 8. Nice teamwork fellas.

• No one got thrown out! Between the brutal physical play by the hungry Wizards and the horrible officiating we were lucky no one got strangled. The Warriors made it out without a single technical foul, even Nellie!

• Al’s playing well. In addition to rebounding he was aggressive going to the basket and hit some big threes.

• Jack’s back. Stephen Jackson took over the fourth quarter and forced the Warriors into a win. He scored 10 of the last 12 Warriors’ points and ended the game with 41. The team trailed by double digits for most of the game but in the fourth Jacked carried the whole team (on a bum ankle!). That’s clutch leadership.

It was another tense, ugly game against a battered Eastern Conference team, but it still counts. Baron’s funk is a cause for concern, but other players are stepping up to fill the void.

Everyone is going to have to rise up against the Suns on Wednesday because this kind of first half ineptitude won’t fly against the league’s elite.

After this performance, Stephen Jackson may never have to pay for a drink or a meal in the Bay again.

Webber’s back, TNT was in the house and the hype machine was in full swing at the Oracle, but the end product was too ugly for TV.

Box Score

The young Bulls upended your Warriors on a night full of anticipation and expectations. The Dubs’ defense was pudding soft and all the energy and hustle came from the players in red. Chris Duhon dropped a career-high 34 points, Josh Smith and Tyrus Thomas gorged themselves on easy buckets in the paint, and even offensively stunted Ben Wallace got his licks in.

You can’t blame this kind of flat defeat simply on rust from the time off. There was some severe lack of execution at fault. Baron and Stephen had horrible shooting nights and no one seemed able to deny a pass into the post. Biedrins worked very hard on the boards, but got destroyed down low on defense.

The Bulls were without three of their main players in Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon, and they came into Oakland after a hard loss in Portland the night before. They are an extremely young, raw and physical team. They caught the Warriors sleeping and basking in their own hype, never let up, and took one on the road.

Chris Webber:

Number 4’s debut was definitely more of a fizzle than a bang, but it wasn’t a complete bust. His conditioning is nowhere near what it needs to be to hang with this team for any extended playing time, but he clicked a bit with everyone in the second quarter. He hit a couple of jumpers and dished out two assists in his 12 minutes. Webber absolutely slowed the team down when he was on the floor, but I think he’ll be able to sync up with practice and contribute down the road.

Andris Biedrins:

The big Latvian seems to be getting stronger and stronger. He more than held his own on the boards against the flailing power of the Bulls’ young big men and came up with 18 rebounds, nine of which were offensive. His offensive execution leaves a lot to be desired, but no one else can provide that kind of rebounding.

Monta Ellis:

Is a superstar. Once again, the Mississippi Bullet was the only consistent offense for most of the game. His jumper was spot on and he was finishing with ease. Monta went a mind-boggling 11-12 from the field. That kind of consistency is sorely needed on this sketchy, unpredictable team. He finished the second quarter with an absolutely monstrous dunk that brought the entire arena out of their seats.

The whole game was a sloppy mess and a huge let down after the spectacular, gutsy wins against the Hornets and Bobcats.

Time for the Dubs to lick their wounds and get their heads back on straight for a NorCal grudge match against the Kings on Saturday.

exclusive Postgame Audio

Stephen Jackson

Don Nelson

Chris Webber

Warriors basketball at its best.

Box Score

It seems that the addition of Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and the return of Don Nelson has added an unseen element to the Warriors that too many lineups from the recent past have lacked — some freaking pride. Over and over again, this team bounces back from a disappointing loss with a gritty, all-out performance. For the most part Baron and the boys refuse to lose back-to-back games and this game was no exception.

This may have been the best win of the season to date. The Hornets were well rested, while the Warriors had participated in a bruising loss the night before. The Hornets were red hot and sitting on top of the Western Conference, while the Warriors were recently bounced down to ninth place. The Hornets had won nine straight in dominating fashion against some of the elite teams in the league, while the Warriors had been scrambling like crazy to beat teams like the Knicks and the Nets. All signs pointed towards a blowout loss for the Dubs, but the signs were pointing in the wrong direction.

Baron and Chris Paul pulled out all the stops and battled back and forth all game. Paul looked unstoppable in the first half. He was Nash-like in his control of the ball and was shooting lights out. Chris Paul is no longer on the rise, he’s here. Baron played his guts out after battling the flu and heavy minutes the night before. He responded to the ire of his old home crowd with multiple cold blooded 3-pointers, bowling ball drives and smooth step back jumpers.

Monta Ellis was an absolute highlight reel. His lightning fast drives, sky high rebounds and newly discovered passing prowess (including a no look, behind the head dish to Beans) had the hostile NO fans oohing and ahhing.

Al kept whatever shooting mojo he found late against the Rockets and hit one three after another early on.

Beans seems to be getting stronger and stronger on the boards and on D. After watching David West feast on Pietrus and Harrington all game, Nellie finally put the one big man he trusts in and Andris was able to (comparatively) shut him down in the fourth.

BWright got two minutes of playing time to end the first half and got himself a rebound, a tip-in and two made free throws.

Jack is back, big time. The man played a beautiful game. He did hard work on Tyson Chandler and anyone else he was stuck with on D and couldn’t miss, going 10-16 from the field and 3-6 from deep.

The list goes on and on, it was a magical night for the Warriors. I think the most impressive thing to take from this exhilarating game is the consistent effort. There were no lulls, no sustained offensive apathy or defensive disintegration. They kept their foot on the gas until the finish line.

There’s no way the Dubs can shoot this well every game, but they couldn’t have picked a better time to get unconscious.

Go Warriors.

JRich is coming home wearing some strange colors, Bobcats on Friday.

Stephen Jackson refuses to let us tune out during games. The man can not hold onto the ball or shoot consistently for the first three quarters and then he’s lights out in the fourth. I gorilla mathed some numbers to illustrate the story of Jack’s do-or-die 3-pointers.

• In the month of January, Jackson has hit 27-80 from beyond the arc, 33.75%.
• In the month of January, Jackson has hit 12-22 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, 54.55%.
• Stephen Jackson has hit 10-16 threes in the fourth quarter during the last seven games, 62.50%.

Stack Jack is money when rent’s due.

The question to be asked is, does he hurt us with his turnovers (so very many turnovers) and shaky shooting during the early part of games more than he helps us with his clutch shooting at the end? Basically, is he getting us into deep water and than getting praised as a hero for swimming out to save us? Those are the kinds of questions that coaches are paid to steam over, but we as fans can’t help but masticate.

I was highly disappointed by the loss to the Timberwolves on MLK Day. I railed against the Warriors’ inconsistent play and consistently absent defense against the Nets. But I finally decided to let it go and enjoy the Warriors being the Warriors. As a result of my new found inner peace I really enjoyed watching this latest ugly masterpiece against the Knicks.

Go Warriors, Houston on Tuesday.