ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Orlando Magic came into town to face the Golden State Warriors tonight. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson started for the Warriors, although they were previously listed as “questionable” earlier in the morning. David Lee was out again with his strained left hamstring.
For the Magic, Nikola Vucevic sat out with back spasms and Bay Area native Aaron Gordon was out with a fractured fifth metatarsal.
1ST QUARTER: Turnovers And Missed Layups Fail To Generate Momentum
The Warriors started running their high quasi-Triangle action with Andrew Bogut at the pinch, but on two occasions, after Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had bypassed Bogut, Bogut didn’t have quite the angle ahead and both passes were aborted, although only one of the two was a turnover.
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Other than that, the offense seemed to be clicking, but the Warriors started things off by taking five three-point shots, only making one of them, with two of the misses by Draymond Green.
Then Curry committed a bad turnover up top and the more athletic, muscular Victor Olidapo stole the ball and got a runout dunk. Green missed a layup that turned into an Oladipo three-pointer and it was 15-8 early, Orlando on top, with 6:09 to go in the period.
On the missed layup, Green spilled into the courtside baseline photographer section and came out of the game, although Marreese Speights leapt off the bench to help him up. Green would have to get his hand taped.
But once again when he got into the game to a nice ovation, Speights buoyed the Warriors, as well as Harrison Barnes, who used his size against Tobias Harris. Barnes was able to get inside an beast for a dunk (assist Andre Iguodala), a putback and-one on a missed jumper by Speights, and one of two free throws on another offensive rebound.
Oh by the way, Speights drew another charge and Curry was the last starter to sub out, with Shaun Livingston coming in at the 1:15 mark.
The Magic took a 25-24 lead over the Warriors into the second quarter. Curry and Thompson combined for just two made field goals as Barnes led the Warriors with 8, Oladipo the Magic with 8.
2ND QUARTER: Gaining Momentum
Green got his hand taped and started the second quarter. In the second frame, the Dubs were able to string together a few baskets to take control of the game heading into the second half:
- Iguodala got an interior pass from Thompson, then made a touch pass to Green who was posting up earlier under the basket. Easy two points.
- Speights got a defensive rebound and connected with Green on a touchdown pass that gave the Warriors the lead, 30-29, with 9:42 to go.
- Thompson got a steal on a bad pass by Kyle O’Quinn, then went coast-to-coast and delivered an assist to Iguodala, who dunked it.
- Speights’ jumper was back on. He shot 4-for-6 from the field in the first half.
- Andrew Bogut got a couple buckets at the rim. One was an alley-oop from Curry. Another was a putback after Thompson decided Evan Fournier couldn’t guard him and took him to the hole.
- Barnes built some more confidence. After hitting a stop-and-pop jumper, he got an extra pass for a three-pointer from Green.
- After Bogut swatted a Fournier layup attempt off the glass, the Warriors closed out the half with buckets by Thompson, Green, then Thompson again. One of Klay’s was a long two.
- Golden State head coach Steve Kerr called timeout with 32.4 seconds left and went for the two-for-one, getting Curry a three-pointer up top, capping an 18-2 run.
The Warriors went into halftime up, 56-46. Barnes led the Dubs with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Green had 8 points, 5 assists. Curry had 5 points, 5 assists, but 4 turnovers. Thompson had 7 points, 4 assists. Bogut had 7 points, 5 assists.
Golden State outrebounded Orlando, 27-14, and assisted on 19 of its 24 made field goals. They also held the Magic to just 18-for-43 from the field (41.9%) and 2-for-11 (18.2%) from downtown.
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