Lord of the Rings: A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K19)

[saintrules]

Game Update

February 19th, 2019

Game of the Year delivers as expected

Oakland, CA - For all the hype Golden State versus Houston created in the off-season, some questioned the reality as both franchises came into the meeting with two losses already on the schedule. That thought, however, was erased very quickly as both teams made the regular season match up look like the Western Conference Finals. Golden State edged out the Rockets, 118-111.

"The energy in Oracle was electric tonight", yelled Steph Curry, following his thirty six point, eighteen assist, masterpiece. "The fans had our back every moment of that game, especially in the fourth. They got hot in the third and came out swinging in the final twelve, but slowed down thanks to the intensity every single person brought in this arena." Curry smashed through his season high of fourteen assists against Dallas with eighteen tonight, a ton of which coming to Cousins in the paint who dominated, nearly reaching a triple-double with eighteen points, eleven rebounds, and eight assists, not to mention his three steals.

One guy who has had a relatively quiet year is Draymond Green, who indeed, did the opposite in the victory. Green was a menace on the boards, pulling fifteen off the glass in an intense battle with Clint Capela, time and time, again. Capela, who had seventeen on the night, led both teams in that category.

Though Curry would go for thirty six, Draymond with fifteen boards, Cousins with his double-double, the Warriors can likely thank the sharpshooting Klay Thompson for the dub. The Guard would knock down some of the most important points in the entire contest, late in the fourth, helping change the momentum as Chris Paul and James Harden began unloading on the Warriors. Klay hit multiple mid and long range jay's, ultimately finishing with twenty eight on the night.

Paul versus Curry, Harden versus Klay, 'Melo versus Durant, and Capela versus Cousins, sure did deliver. The Warriors have now won their fourth straight contest, improving to 6-2 on the year, heading into the All-Star Break.

Houston Rockets (5-3) at Golden State Warriors (6-2)
Feb 19, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Houston 27 24 34 26 111 Golden State 32 26 31 29 118 Top Performers Houston Rockets Chris Paul (24 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST) Clint Capela (10 PTS, 17 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK) Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (36 PTS, 5 REB, 18 AST) DeMarcus Cousins (18 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL)	Team Stats Comparison HOU GSW FG Made-Att 43-89 45-89 3PT Made-Att 14-30 17-41 FT Made-Att 11-11 11-15 Rebounds 46 48 Assists 28 43 Turnovers 12 12 Steals 8 9 Blocks 4 2
Houston Rockets STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Chris Paul 33 11-23 2-5 0-0 3 6 0 0 2 24 James Harden 30 8-16 2-5 3-3 3 4 3 0 3 21 Carmelo Anthony 30 4-14 2-4 2-2 5 3 0 0 3 12 Marquese Chriss 31 3-4 1-1 2-2 5 4 1 1 0 9 Clint Capela 31 4-6 0-0 2-2 17 3 0 2 2 10 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Eric Gordon 25 7-14 3-7 0-0 4 2 1 0 1 17 Gerald Green 20 1-4 1-4 2-2 1 1 0 0 0 5 PJ Tucker 18 3-5 2-2 0-0 3 1 1 0 1 8 Nenê 11 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 3 1 1 0 2 James Ennis III 10 1-2 1-2 0-0 4 1 1 0 0 3 Brandon Knight 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Michael Carter-Williams -- DID NOT PLAY -- Isaiah Hartenstein -- DID NOT PLAY --
Golden State Warriors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Stephen Curry 46 11-22 6-15 8-8 5 18 1 0 4 36 Klay Thompson 40 11-26 6-15 0-0 1 5 1 1 0 28 Kevin Durant 25 9-18 5-10 0-1 3 1 3 0 1 23 Draymond Green 33 1-3 0-0 0-0 15 3 0 1 2 2 DeMarcus Cousins 39 8-11 0-0 2-4 11 8 3 0 2 18 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Andre Iguodala 18 1-5 0-1 1-2 2 3 1 0 0 3 Jordan Bell 15 1-1 0-0 0-0 4 3 0 0 0 2 Jonas Jerebko 13 3-3 0-0 0-0 4 0 0 0 1 6 Shaun Livingston 11 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 2 0 0 1 0 Quinn Cook -- DID NOT PLAY -- (R) Jacob Evans III -- DID NOT PLAY -- Kevon Looney -- DID NOT PLAY -- Damion Jones -- DID NOT PLAY --

[saintrules]

All-Star Break

February 20th, 2019

Thunder top NBA through Break

Oklahoma City, OK - Led by the notorious Russell Westbrook, the OKC Thunder stand alone at 7-1 through the All-Star Break here in February.

Top Five Power Rankings

NBA Power Rankings
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Next Game
1 (5)	Oklahoma City Thunder	7-1	R. Westbrook (27.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG)
2 (1)	Golden State Warriors	6-2	S. Curry (27.7 PPG, 10.7 APG)
3 (4)	Toronto Raptors	6-3	K. Lowry (14.9 PPG, 8.9 APG)
4 (6)	Philadelphia 76ers	6-3	B. Simmons (15.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG)
5 (17)	San Antonio Spurs	6-3	D. DeRozan (23.5 PPG, 5.2 APG)

The perennial NBA talent is currently ranked third among all scorers in the league with nearly twenty eight points per contest, not to mention near nine rebounds a game, six assists, and at least one stolen ball. Though Russ can put up insane numbers and likely lead his team to the playoffs alone, he hasn't been without assistance from the likes of Paul George, Steven Adams, and Dennis Schroder, who have helped the Thunder maintain a league leading twelve points per game differential. The Thunder maintain the league's best defense, allowing less than ninety four points per outing.

League Standings

NBA Standings
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	PPG	PA	DIFF
Philadelphia 76ers	6	3	113.8	111.3	2.4
Toronto Raptors	6	3	106.3	96.8	9.6
Orlando Magic	6	3	111.8	107.1	4.7
Cleveland Cavaliers	5	3	109.1	108.9	0.3
Detroit Pistons	5	3	112.1	107.6	4.5
Milwaukee Bucks	5	3	105.0	103.6	1.4
Indiana Pacers	4	4	108.0	102.5	5.5
Atlanta Hawks	4	4	111.5	104.9	6.6
Chicago Bulls	4	4	104.0	108.9	-4.9
Boston Celtics	4	4	111.6	108.1	3.5
Washington Wizards	4	5	106.6	110.4	-3.9
Brooklyn Nets	4	5	101.0	106.1	-5.1
Miami Heat	3	5	97.4	106.4	-9.0
New York Knicks	2	7	101.8	106.3	-4.6
Charlotte Hornets	1	7	98.9	110.1	-11.4
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	PPG	PA	DIFF
Oklahoma City Thunder	7	1	105.4	93.4	12.0
Golden State Warriors	6	2	100.5	97.0	3.5
San Antonio Spurs	6	3	105.0	97.7	7.3
Sacramento Kings	6	3	107.8	99.7	8.1
Minnesota Timberwolves	5	3	109.6	97.8	11.9
Houston Rockets	5	3	108.1	104.4	3.8
Dallas Mavericks	5	4	104.2	98.8	5.4
New Orleans Pelicans	4	4	101.1	105.5	-4.4
Utah Jazz	4	5	96.3	102.8	-6.4
Phoenix Suns	4	5	102.9	103.3	-0.4
Denver Nuggets	3	5	97.0	98.9	-1.9
Los Angeles Lakers	3	5	103.0	103.2	-0.3
Los Angeles Clippers	2	6	96.8	111.6	-14.9
Memphis Grizzlies	2	6	98.6	108.7	-10.1
Portland Trail Blazers	1	8	104.1	117.8	-13.7

The only thing keeping Oklahoma City from perfect up to this point? Golden State. Despite a loss to San Antonio and Sacramento, the Warriors have rattled off a four win streak to bring things back to an expected level of production, thanks in large part to Stephen Curry, who leads his club with almost twenty eight points per game and eleven assists. The Warriors knocked off the Thunder right before the All-Star Break, 93-85.

As mentioned, there are certainly some surprises in the race on the season. San Antonio, Sacramento, Orlando, and Cleveland, have all exceeded expectations, thus far. Led by Collin Sextor and Marvin Bagley III, the two rookies have transformed their squads overnight into potential contenders in the playoff race. Sexton, currently averages near twenty a game, while Bagley is looking at a double-double nightly with fifteen a game and ten rebounds. Will this production last throughout the back half of the campaign?

For the positives with the rookies, there comes some negatives with the veterans. LeBron James and his 'Showtime Lakers' are off to a very poor start at 3-5, as are Kyrie Irving and his Boston Celtics at 4-4, at least, for the standards they likely hold their expectations at. The Lakers will host Golden State in their next outing, a possible season defining match up. Six losses for the 'Lake Show', not good.

League Leaders

Giannis sets sights on first MVP

If only, if only, Giannis had some help. The 'Greak Freak' himself is dominating the league with over thirty one points per game, thirteen rebounds, two blocks, and nearly two steals, through the break. There's nobody that comes close at the moment, and there's certainly nobody more deserving of the Most Valuable Player Award, up to this point. All signs point towards Giannis, but will it be enough to lead his Bucks to the playoffs?

NBA League Leaders
Points Per Game		PPG	Rebounds Per Game		RPG
	1. G. Antetokounmpo	31.6		1. Andre Drummond	15.5
	2. Devin Booker (Suns)	29.3		2. DeAndre Jordan (Mavericks)	14.2
	3. Russell Westbrook (Thunder)	27.9		3. G. Antetokounmpo (Bucks)	13.5
	4. Stephen Curry (Warriors)	27.7		4. Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers)	13.5
	5. Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)	27.3		5. Enes Kanter (Knicks)	13.0
Assists Per Game		APG	Steals Per Game		SPG
	1. Stephen Curry	10.7		1. Patrick Beverly	2.6
	2. Chris Paul (Rockets)	10.4		2. Nerlens Noel (Thunder)	2.4
	3. Kyle Lowry (Raptors)	8.9		3. Kyle Anderson (Grizzlies)	2.3
	4. Lonzo Ball (Lakers)	8.6		4. Ricky Rubio (Jazz)	2.2
	5. De'Aaron Fox (Kings)	8.1		5. Lonzo Ball (Lakers)	2.1
Blocks Per Game		BPG	Field Goals Made		FGM
	1. Myles Turner	3.0		1. Devin Booker	97
	2. Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)	2.6		2. G. Antetokounmpo (Bucks)	95
	3. Andre Drummond (Pistons)	2.4		3. Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)	86
	4. Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)	2.3		4. Kawhi Leonard (Raptors)	85
	5. Clint Capela (Rockets)	2.3		5. Russell Westbrook (Thunder)	83
Three Pointers Made		3PM	Plus/Minus		+/-
	1. Stephen Curry	43		1. James Harden	14.8
	2. Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)	43		2. Paul George (Thunder)	12.6
	3. JJ Redick (76ers)	42		3. Jimmy Butler (Timerwolves)	12.3
	4. (R) Trae Young (Hawks)	42		4. K. Towns (Timberwolves)	10.2
	5. James Harden (Rockets)	36		5. Rudy Gay (Spurs)	10.2

[saintrules]

Game Update

March 1st, 2019

Curry goes off at Staples Center

Los Angeles, CA - Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were the Lakers. The curiosity surrounding the practically brand new team has indeed turned into hopes for next season as the King's squad earned it's sixth loss on the night, following another great performance from Golden State, 117-101.

Stephen Curry, currently ranked third among all scorers in the league, roasted Los Angeles, following a forty three point performance, featuring fifty percent night from the field, forty five percent from deep, and a mind boggling, nineteen assists. While many still have Giannis leading the charge for MVP, it's beginning to get very, very hard to not give Curry a chunk of the favorite percentage.

Despite Curry's final showing on the stat sheet, that didn't however, paint the entire picture. Curry cooled off tremendously in the fourth, leading to him focusing primarily on assisting the ball, which he did in droves, particularly to Klay, Durant, and Cousins. The latter, had a massive night, accounting for fifteen points by game's end, and a season high in rebounds, with twenty. The All-Star Center made quick work of Javale McGee, the former Warrior, holding he and Michael Beasley to fifteen combined rebounds in the outing.

Sophomore Guard, Lonzo Ball, was the bright light for the Lakers, accounting for twenty two by game's end on an insanely strong, ten for fourteen from the field, six boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. "I see a jack-of-all-trades player in that kid", said Curry, following the victory. "He's got tremendous vision at such a young age, confidence, a swagger, and teammates who trust him. He's gonna go far". Ball is near the top of the league in both assists and steals per game, showing his ability to get it done on both sides of the ball.

The message was clear following the game that the Lakers are figuring things out: "We're a new team, give it time", said LeBron James, who finished with nineteen points, six rebounds, and six assists. "I didn't come here to win just a championship, I came to build and leave a legacy, a dynasty, and that's what we'll do".

Golden State notches another dub in the win column, their fifth straight, tying Oklahoma City for the lead in the West.

Golden State Warriors (7-2) at Los Angeles Lakers (3-6)
Mar 1, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Golden State 28 29 27 33 117 Los Angeles 25 19 28 29 101 Top Performers Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (43 PTS, 2 REB, 19 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK) DeMarcus Cousins (15 PTS, 20 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK) Los Angeles Lakers Lonzo Ball (22 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK) LeBron James (19 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL)	Team Stats Comparison GSW LAL FG Made-Att 45-88 45-89 3PT Made-Att 18-41 5-14 FT Made-Att 9-11 6-11 Rebounds 48 46 Assists 42 30 Turnovers 15 14 Steals 8 11 Blocks 6 5
Golden State Warriors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Stephen Curry 43 16-32 9-20 2-2 2 19 1 1 4 43 Klay Thompson 39 7-14 4-10 0-0 2 4 0 0 3 18 Kevin Durant 33 7-19 5-11 3-4 7 5 2 3 1 22 Draymond Green 33 1-1 0-0 0-0 4 2 2 1 3 2 DeMarcus Cousins 35 6-12 0-0 3-3 20 5 2 0 2 15 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Andre Iguodala 15 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 1 1 0 Jordan Bell 15 3-3 0-0 0-0 5 2 0 0 0 6 Jonas Jerebko 14 4-4 0-0 1-2 4 1 1 0 0 9 Shaun Livingston 12 1-2 0-0 0-0 2 4 0 0 0 2 Quinn Cook 1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (R) Jacob Evans III -- DID NOT PLAY -- Kevon Looney -- DID NOT PLAY -- Damion Jones -- DID NOT PLAY --
Los Angeles Lakers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Lonzo Ball 31 10-14 2-4 0-1 6 4 2 2 4 22 Lance Stephenson 30 6-12 1-1 1-2 6 4 1 0 3 14 LeBron James 32 9-23 1-2 0-0 6 6 1 0 3 19 Michael Beasley 27 5-9 0-0 2-2 10 2 1 1 1 12 Javale McGee 28 0-1 0-0 0-0 5 4 4 2 1 0 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Kyle Kuzma 19 4-11 0-2 1-2 5 3 0 0 1 9 Josh Hart 17 3-4 1-1 1-2 2 2 0 0 0 8 Rajon Rondo 17 55-8 0-2 0-0 2 3 0 0 0 10 Brandon Ingram 17 3-4 0-1 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 7 Ketavious Caldwell-Pope 11 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Ivica Zubac 11 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 (R) Moritz Wagner -- DID NOT PLAY -- (R) Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk -- DID NOT PLAY --

[saintrules]

Game Update

March 15th, 2019

Cousins nears triple-double in blowout

Oakland, CA - It hasn't happened yet, but DeMarcus Cousins is eventually going to secure his first triple-double on the season. The beast down under racked up eleven points, ten assists, nine rebounds, three steals, and three blocks, absolutely stuffing the stat sheet in the Warriors' 109-88 blowout over Minnesota.

Minnesota has a talented roster, better yet, some of the best young talent in the league. Why haven't they hit their stride? Chemistry. There's no secret the locker room hasn't been clicking, nor will it seem, at this point, to click. Butler, who went for eighteen on the night with five boards, five assists, two steals, and one block, has been quoted to say he wants out of Minnesota. With one year left & a player option on the horizon, there's a good possibility we'll be seeing Butler's face in a new place, next season.

As for now, Golden State simply owned Minnesota in Oracle, and the twenty one point lead doesn't even do it justice. Fifty eight percent compared to forty three from the field, fifty percent compared to thirty six from the three, and a plethora of more assisted buckets, led to the cruise controlled victory.

Steph Curry was once again, electric, going for thirty six on a beautiful fourteen of twenty two from the field, five of nine from the deep line, and added fourteen assists, two steals, and two blocks, in the process. Durant would tally up twenty seven, Klay, twenty two, and Draymond was great on the boards, with eight.

"We're firing on all cylinders", said Steve Kerr, following the win. "With the conference as loaded as it is, we need that top seed, there's no room for error."

Six straight, four to go. The Warriors go through their self-proclaimed, 'tough stretch of games', a perfect four and zero. They will head back to Los Angeles for a meeting with the league's best rebounder up to this point, Andre Drummond, and the Clippers.

Minnesota Timberwolves (5-5) at Golden State Warriors (8-2)
Mar 15, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Minnesota 23 21 17 27 88 Golden State 23 33 24 29 109 Top Performers Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins (22 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL) Karl-Anthony Towns (6 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL) Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (36 PTS, 6 REB, 14 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK) DeMarcus Cousins (11 PTS, 9 REB, 10 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK)	Team Stats Comparison MIN GSW FG Made-Att 36-83 44-76 3PT Made-Att 5-14 14-28 FT Made-Att 11-14 7-11 Rebounds 42 44 Assists 21 37 Turnovers 10 12 Steals 11 10 Blocks 3 6
Minnesota Timberwolves STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jeff Teague 29 6-12 1-3 2-3 0 6 1 0 3 15 Jimmy Butler 40 8-15 1-1 1-1 5 5 2 1 2 18 Andrew Wiggins 32 10-22 2-3 0-0 3 1 1 0 2 22 Taj Gibson 30 1-1 0-0 4-6 7 0 1 2 2 8 Karl-Anthony Towns 31 3-9 0-1 0-0 14 4 3 0 0 6 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Gorgui Dieng 20 2-4 0-0 2-2 1 1 1 0 0 6 Tyus Jones 16 0-4 0-3 2-2 0 2 0 0 0 2 Derrick Rose 15 5-11 1-1 0-0 2 1 1 0 1 11 Anthony Tolliver 15 0-1 0-1 0-0 3 0 1 0 0 0 James Nunnally 11 1-4 0-1 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 2 Justin Patton 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (R) Josh Okogie -- DID NOT PLAY -- (R) Keita Bates Diop -- DID NOT PLAY --
Golden State Warriors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Stephen Curry 42 14-22 5-9 3-4 6 14 2 2 4 36 Klay Thompson 37 8-13 5-7 1-2 2 1 2 1 1 22 Kevin Durant 30 11-21 3-9 2-2 7 4 0 0 1 27 Draymond Green 31 2-4 0-1 0-0 8 2 2 0 1 4 DeMarcus Cousins 34 5-9 0-0 1-1 9 10 3 3 0 11 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Andre Iguodala 21 2-3 1-2 0-0 1 3 0 0 1 5 Jordan Bell 17 2-2 0-0 0-0 5 1 1 0 1 4 Jonas Jerebko 14 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 0 0 0 2 0 Shaun Livingston 14 0-2 0-0 0-2 1 2 0 0 0 0 Quinn Cook -- DID NOT PLAY -- (R) Jacob Evans III -- DID NOT PLAY -- Kevon Looney -- DID NOT PLAY -- Damion Jones -- DID NOT PLAY --

[saintrules]

Contract Extension

March 16th, 2019

Bell signs on for two more years

Oakland, CA - Game recognizes game, and in the case of Golden State to Jordan Bell, the phrase most certainly holds true.

The six foot nine, twenty four year old, Oregon alumnus, will hang with the Warriors for at least the next two years under a seventeen million dollar contract extension. Bell, who's averaged sixteen minutes per game this season, has been looked at to cover the four and five when Draymond and Boogie get their rest.

In his time on the court, Bell has averaged just over three points per game, four rebounds, and one assist. At just half of full time minutes, the rebounds have certainly been there, and more impressively, the dunks have, as well. "He's a crazy athlete", said DeMarcus Cousins, who has spent plenty of time on the practice court squaring off against Bell. "I've got a couple inches on the dude and I've seen him pull off some slams that I only do in NBA 2K."

Bell will likely continue to solely see minutes off the bench, but in the case for next season, there are many possibilities of him seeing more of a prominent role if the Warriors cannot resign Cousins.

Season Statistics - 2018
Player	GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FG%
Jordan Bell	10	16.1	3.6	4.2	1.6	0.4	0.6	0.3	.810

[saintrules]

Game Update

March 22nd, 2019

Curry stays hot at Staples Center

Los Angeles, CA - For the second time this season, Staples Center has witnessed Curry en fuego. A rather close contest was had through the majority of the contest, but a strong third quarter helped separate the Warriors from the Clippers, whom ultimately held onto their lead for the win, 125-110.

Nineteen for thirty four, nine for eighteen, fifteen assists, a season high, forty eight points, one steal, one block, and a dominate performance, nonetheless. Stephen Curry has had a huge season, even for his own standards. The man who has averaged around twenty a game and four to six assists for the last few years, is currently smashing those lines with over thirty points per contest and eleven assists. "I'm seeing the court well", said Curry, following the win. "My teammates, as usual, are allowing me to do this, it's not a one man show, nor has it ever been. I really have to give a ton of credit to Boogie, he's opened up passing lanes with his size and authority, scoring buckets that he and only a few other guys in the league could pull off, time, and time, again." Cousins finished with thirteen points, nineteen rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block, on the evening. Boogie nearly topped his season high of twenty rebounds against the Lakers with this trip back to the Staples Center.

The Clippers most certainly kept things competitive, as aforementioned, through the duration of the game. At half, the score was dead locked, fifty three, even. Tobias Harris went big on the stat sheet with a triple-double off of eleven points, eleven rebounds, and ten assists. Despite being defended primarily by All-World defensive talent, Draymond Green, Harris prevailed. The Clippers also witnessed a plethora of scoring off their pine with Avery Bradley, Montrezl Harrell, and rookie, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, accounting for thirty five of their final score.

For all the attention that has been on Curry and Cousins as of late, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant have been putting in work. While it's beyond odd to think of the two as supportive cast, they've been just that, and have been doing it in droves. The two accounted for forty eight points in the win with the majority coming from Klay who had thirty. "DeMarcus has pulled would-be defenders into the paint and it's allowed Steph, Kev, and I, to see a lot of open looks", said Thompson, at the post-game press conference. "I know Kev is shooting a lot less this season, but I think he's really enjoying the lower work load to keep things fresh through our entire campaign. We're excited to get into the post-season and unload."

Post-season it is as the Warriors have officially locked themselves into the top eight in the West with the victory. Golden State will see Memphis, New Orleans, and Denver, to finish out their season.

Golden State Warriors (9-2) at Los Angeles Clippers (4-7)
Mar 22, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Golden State 27 26 34 30 125 Los Angeles 26 27 30 27 110 Top Performers Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (48 PTS, 2 REB, 15 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK) DeMarcus Cousins (13 PTS, 19 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK) Los Angeles Clippers Lou Williams (24 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL) Tobias Harris (11 PTS, 11 REB, 10 AST)	Team Stats Comparison GSW LAC FG Made-Att 51-94 47-92 3PT Made-Att 18-41 7-20 FT Made-Att 5-6 9-12 Rebounds 48 44 Assists 44 26 Turnovers 13 11 Steals 7 11 Blocks 5 1
Golden State Warriors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Stephen Curry 43 19-34 9-18 1-2 2 15 1 1 2 48 Klay Thompson 40 13-22 4-10 0-0 4 7 0 2 0 30 Kevin Durant 28 7-16 4-10 0-0 5 5 2 1 4 18 Draymond Green 30 3-6 0-0 1-1 7 3 2 0 2 7 DeMarcus Cousins 34 5-7 0-0 3-3 19 6 2 1 0 13 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Andre Iguodala 19 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 0 1 2 Jordan Bell 18 1-1 0-0 0-0 6 3 0 0 2 2 Jonas Jerebko 15 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 2 0 0 2 2 Shaun Livingston 12 1-3 1-2 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 3 Quinn Cook 1 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (R) Jacob Evans III -- DID NOT PLAY -- Kevon Looney -- DID NOT PLAY -- Damion Jones -- DID NOT PLAY --
Los Angeles Clippers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Patrick Beverley 31 9-16 3-7 1-2 3 2 0 0 3 22 Lou Williams 29 11-20 1-4 1-2 2 1 2 0 1 24 Danilo Gallinari 33 4-12 2-5 2-2 5 4 2 0 1 12 Tobias Harris 34 5-10 1-3 0-0 11 10 0 0 3 11 Marcin Gortat 30 1-3 0-0 2-2 8 4 2 0 0 4 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Avery Bradley 24 7-14 0-0 1-2 1 1 1 0 0 15 Montrezl Harrell 23 4-5 0-0 2-2 6 0 1 0 1 10 Mike Scott 18 1-1 0-0 0-0 3 0 2 1 2 2 (R) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 17 5-11 0-1 0-0 2 3 1 0 0 10 Luc Mbah a Moute 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Milos Teodosic -- DID NOT PLAY -- Boban Marjonovic -- DID NOT PLAY -- Sindarius Thornwell -- DID NOT PLAY --

[saintrules]

Game Update

March 28th, 2019

Oracle hosts Jaren Jackson's huge night

Oakland, CA - As the season winds down, the competition ramps up. The lowly Memphis Grizzlies, who have as many wins on the season as Golden State has losses, came into Oracle with a purpose: Smother the NBA Champions. Smother, they did, as Memphis trampled over the Warriors, 127-84.

"You can't underestimate anybody in this league", said Head Coach, Steve Kerr, following his team's forty three point loss. "Jaren Jackson, a rookie, came in here to hostile territory and absolutely dominated one of the league's best talents at Center in DeMarcus." Dominated, he sure did, as the first year talent secured a double-double behind his sixteen points, fourteen rebounds, and masterful, seven for seven, shot selection.

The tone was set early and continued through the entirety of the game as Golden State did not lead a single time through all forty eight minutes. The Grizzlies outscored Golden State in the first by fifteen, the second, by nine, the third by thirteen, and the fourth, by six. The only piece of the Warriors that was working was Klay Thompson, who went for thirty four on twelve of twenty nine.

In a massive deficit heading into the fourth, Steve Kerr decided to pull the entire starting lineup for Golden State, with the exception of a few minutes for Thompson. "We lost the battle tonight", said Curry, who had a rather low scoring performance at seventeen, at least, given his average on the year is above thirty. "The war is still in our favor and we will regroup and meet New Orleans in the next one".

Out rebounded sixty five to forty four, out shot, fifty two to thirty five, and out played, a lot, to a little, was the story in Oakland for this evening. The Warriors drop their third game on the season, wrapping up their longest winning streak on the season with seven straight victories.

Memphis Grizzlies (3-9) at Golden State Warriors (9-3)
Mar 28, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Memphis 35 31 32 29 127 Golden State 20 22 19 23 84 Top Performers Memphis Grizzlies Marc Gasol (17 PTS, 16 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK) (R) Jaren Jackson Jr (16 PTS, 14 REB, 2 BLK) Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (34 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST)	Team Stats Comparison MEM GSW FG Made-Att 50-96 32-91 3PT Made-Att 12-29 13-45 FT Made-Att 15-18 7-8 Rebounds 65 44 Assists 32 28 Turnovers 3 12 Steals 11 1 Blocks 4 6
Memphis Grizzlies STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Mike Conley 21 8-16 4-8 2-2 0 7 1 0 1 22 Garrett Temple 19 3-4 2-2 0-0 2 4 0 0 0 8 Kyle Anderson 25 2-5 0-1 3-4 6 5 1 1 0 7 (R) Jaren Jackson Jr 23 7-7 0-0 2-2 14 0 0 2 1 16 Marc Gasol 17 7-13 3-3 0-0 16 3 2 1 0 17 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS JaMychal Green 20 0-2 0-0 0-0 8 1 1 0 0 0 Wayne Selden Jr 17 5-8 0-0 1-1 2 4 0 0 1 11 Dillon Brooks 16 0-4 0-4 2-2 0 1 3 0 0 2 Omri Casspi 15 1-2 1-2 1-2 2 1 0 0 0 4 Andrew Harrison 15 1-8 0-1 2-2 1 3 0 0 0 4 Chandler Parsons 15 10-13 1-2 0-0 6 1 2 0 0 21 Shelvin Mack 12 4-7 0-1 1-2 0 2 0 0 0 9 Marshon Brooks 12 2-7 1-5 1-1 2 0 1 0 0 6
Golden State Warriors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Stephen Curry 23 7-15 3-8 0-0 1 3 1 1 5 17 Klay Thompson 30 12-29 5-13 5-5 2 2 0 0 0 34 Kevin Durant 21 2-10 2-7 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 6 Draymond Green 24 2-4 0-0 2-2 6 3 0 0 0 6 DeMarcus Cousins 23 0-2 0-1 0-0 7 4 0 1 2 0 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Shaun Livingston 30 0-5 0-5 0-0 6 7 0 0 0 0 Jonas Jerebko 17 2-3 0-0 0-1 3 1 0 0 1 4 Jordan Bell 17 0-3 0-0 0-0 4 1 0 0 1 0 Andre Iguodala 15 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Quinn Cook 12 4-12 2-6 0-0 1 2 0 0 2 10 Damion Jones 12 1-1 0-0 0-0 5 4 0 1 1 2 (R) Jacob Evans III 8 2-5 1-4 0-0 3 0 0 0 0 5 Kevon Looney 8 0-1 0-0 0-0 3 1 0 2 0 0

[saintrules]

Game Update

April 12th, 2019

Cousins goes off in return to NOLA

New Orleans, LA - It was never in the Pelicans' plan to see Boogie elsewhere. Even worse, it was certainly nobody's plan to see Boogie on the Warriors. The two materialized, and unfortunately, this is what New Orleans faced, getting absolutely demolished from Cousins and his band of All-Stars, 142-117.

Cousins set a physical tone few could match, dominating the paint against his opposition, shooting a near perfect, thirteen for fifteen, good for thirty points, adding nineteen rebounds, eleven assists, one steal, and one block, to go along with his first triple-double on the season.

The post-game stat sheet was almost too much to look at as Klay's forty three, Curry's thirty four and seventeen assists, and Durant's twenty nine, filled it up. "That loss got us fired up", said Curry, following their rebound victory after losing big to Memphis. "We knew this was Boogie's first game back since leaving New Orleans, but that wasn't it. We aren't out here to embarrass or prove a point, we are out here to win, and last week's loss really got us dialed in." Dialed in the Warriors were as the team shot a collective sixty percent from the field and forty four from deep.

As for New Orleans, Anthony Davis, went for thirty one, adding six rebounds, and three assists. He shot extremely well, fifteen for twenty, despite battling it out with Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins under the rim. The Pelicans were in a must-win, late in the season, with six wins, and six losses, to their name. The loss certainly sets them back, now needing one win and possibly a tie breaker to get them into the dance.

As for Golden State, the Warriors notch their first double digit win season in this campaign, hopefully the first of many.

Golden State Warriors (10-3) at New Orleans Pelicans (6-7)
Apr 12, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Golden State 38 26 40 38 142 New Orleans 24 31 26 26 117 Top Performers Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (43 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK) DeMarcus Cousins (30 PTS, 19 REB, 11 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK) New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis (31 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST) Julius Randle (12 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL)	Team Stats Comparison GSW NOR FG Made-Att 59-98 51-96 3PT Made-Att 15-34 9-22 FT Made-Att 9-14 6-6 Rebounds 48 41 Assists 45 37 Turnovers 8 11 Steals 11 7 Blocks 6 0
Golden State Warriors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Stephen Curry 40 13-22 6-13 2-3 1 17 2 2 0 34 Klay Thompson 43 18-33 6-15 1-2 7 4 1 1 1 43 Kevin Durant 32 12-20 3-6 2-4 6 0 1 0 0 29 Draymond Green 28 1-2 0-0 0-0 3 5 2 0 0 2 DeMarcus Cousins 38 13-15 0-0 4-5 19 11 1 1 4 30 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jordan Bell 17 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 2 0 1 0 2 Jonas Jerebko 16 0-1 0-0 0-0 2 2 2 0 0 0 Andre Iguodala 13 0-1 0-0 0-0 2 3 1 0 1 0 Shaun Livingston 13 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 1 1 2 2 Quinn Cook -- DID NOT PLAY -- (R) Jacob Evans III -- DID NOT PLAY -- Kevon Looney -- DID NOT PLAY -- Damion Jones -- DID NOT PLAY --
New Orleans Pelicans STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Jrue Holiday 34 8-19 2-5 0-0 1 9 0 0 2 18 E'Twaun Moore 30 6-12 1-4 1-1 0 5 0 0 1 14 Nikola Mirotic 30 6-9 3-5 0-0 4 3 2 0 0 15 Anthony Davis 32 15-20 0-0 1-1 6 3 0 0 1 31 Julius Randle 32 5-8 0-0 2-2 11 5 2 0 2 12 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Elfrid Payton 24 4-12 1-3 0-0 1 8 0 0 1 9 Solomon Hill 17 2-3 0-0 2-2 4 0 1 0 1 6 Jahlil Okafor 16 1-2 0-0 0-0 4 0 1 0 1 2 Darius Miller 13 4-6 2-4 0-0 5 4 0 0 1 10 Cheick Diallo 11 0-4 0-0 0-0 3 0 1 0 0 0 Frank Jackson 1 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ian Clark -- DID NOT PLAY -- Troy Williams -- DID NOT PLAY --