Basket Ball / Sports

Warriors close out Celtics in Game 6 to win fourth NBA championship in eight years

The Golden State Warriors delivered a masterclass in closing out an NBA Finals on the road.

After a slow start in which the Boston Celtics opened a 12-point lead, the Warriors took control with an offensive outburst and defensive clinic that staggered the Celtics and silenced the crowed at TD Garden.

Golden State handled Boston 103-90 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, claiming its fourth title in eight seasons and first since 2018.

Steph Curry, who demoralized Boston with his shooting in the series, crushed the Celtics with one 3-pointer after another. He had 34 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including 6-for-11 on 3s. It was Curry’s fourth 30-point game of the Finals, and he earned earning his first Finals MVP.

It was a brutal way for the Celtics to learn a lesson. They led 14-2, and a Game 7 seemed possible.

But the Warriors’ championship pedigree flattened Boston. Golden State went on a 35-8 run, built a 54-33 lead just before halftime and never let Boston make it a game in the second half.

Here are four key takeaways from Golden State’s title-clinching win:

Golden State 3s

From the team that revolutionized 3-point shooting in the NBA, it’s not a surprise the Warriors put on a shooting display from that distance.

Late in the third quarter, the Warriors had made 16 3s on 53.3% shooting.

While Curry led the charge, every Warriors starter, including Draymond Green, made at least two 3-pointers. Andrew Wiggins made four 3s, and Jordan Poole had three off the bench.

Boston turnovers problematic again

Celtics coach Ime Udoka bemoaned his team’s turnovers throughout the playoffs. It became a familiar refrain after almost every Celtics loss.

In Game 6, Boston committed a series-high 23 turnovers, leading to 20 Warriors points. That followed 18 turnovers in Game 5, 16 in Game 4 and 19 in Game 2.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had five each. In the fourth quarter, when the Celtics had a mini-run, they still had five turnovers — possessions that could’ve had an impact …

Basket Ball / Sports

Celtics beat Warriors 116-100, take 2-1 lead in NBA Finals

Throughout the postseason, the Boston Celtics had played their best basketball away from home.

Not anymore.

Jaylen Brown scored 27 points, Jayson Tatum added 26 and the Celtics rode the energy of a raucous TD Garden crowd to beat back another third-quarter onslaught by Golden State in a 116-100 victory Wednesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Marcus Smart added 24 points and helped fuel a defensive effort that held the Warriors to 11 points in the fourth quarter — third-fewest in a finals game in the shot clock era.

“Game 2, they brought the heat to us,” Smart said. “For us, that left a bad taste in our mouth because what we hang our hat on is effort on the defensive end and being a physical team. It definitely woke us up a little bit.”

Tatum said the fact the Celtics didn’t hang their heads after the Warriors’ third-quarter flourish is something they didn’t always do in the regular season. “I think that’s when we are at our best when we respond to tough situations. We respond to teams going on runs and things like that,” he said. “I think we did that several times tonight.”

Boston improved to 6-4 at home, compared to 8-3 on the road this postseason. The Celtics haven’t lost two straight games since the end of March.

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 31 points and six 3-pointers. He had 15 points in a 33-25 third quarter by the Warriors but was hurt late in the fourth after Al Horford rolled into his leg on a loose ball. Curry said it was similar to a play during the regular season in which Smart dove into Curry’s legs while chasing a loose ball but “not as bad.”

“I got caught — obviously in some pain, but I’ll be all right,” Curry said. “See how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday.” Klay Thompson broke out of a finals slump and finished with 25 points and five 3s. But the …

Basket Ball / Sports

Steph Curry, Warriors use gigantic 3rd quarter to blowout Celtics, even series

Stephen Curry didn’t play in the fourth quarter – and didn’t need to.

The Golden State Warriors routed the Boston Celtics 107-88 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals to even the series 1-1. Curry had 29 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals to help Golden State bounce back from a Game 1 loss and take the even series back to the East Coast.

“They said we needed to play with desperation, that’s what we did. Good feeling to get back on track and now we got to take it on the road,” Curry told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game.

The Warriors used a 35-point third quarter to seal Game 2. Golden State ended the quarter on a 16-2 run in the final 4:17.

Jordan Poole would nail a 39-foot three-pointer to put Golden State up 87-64 heading into the fourth and it was more than the Warriors could’ve asked for.

Curry said their third quarter in Game 2 was just like in Game 1, they just played better defensively. He said making it difficult for guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown “carries over to the rest of the game.”

“Our third quarter was great. We got enough separation… the fourth quarter was a little bit easier tonight.”

Boston was 4-for-17 from the field and only scored 14 points in the third.

Tatum and Brown were the only two Boston starters who finished in double figures in scoring. Tatum had 28 points and Brown had 17 points. Derrick White was the only other player to have double digits in scoring, finishing with 12 points.

Curry got scoring help from Poole, who had 17 off the bench. Kevon Looney added 12 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Wiggins had 11 points and six rebounds.

Draymond Green had nine points, seven assists and five rebounds. Curry praised Green for his presence on the defensive side of the floor.

“He was just being himself. Finding different ways to impact the game on both sides of the floor,” Curry said. “Sometimes …

Basket Ball / Sports

Luka Doncic leads Dallas Mavericks to victory against Golden State Warriors to avoid WCF sweep

The Dallas Mavericks staved off elimination and avoided a series sweep in the Western Conference Finals, as Luka Doncic led his team to a 119-109 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Ahead of Game 4, a moment of silence was held for “those who lost their lives in multiple tragedies in our home state,” referencing a fatal accident from Sunday and Tuesday’s shooting of an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
On Tuesday, a gunman clad in body armor rushed his way into the school and opened fire on classrooms of young children, killing 19 students and two adults, officials said.
After a somber and moving pregame, the importance of basketball seemed significantly diminished — indeed, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr refused to speak about basketball at all in his pregame press conference — but these two teams had to play regardless.
Doncic had a somewhat inefficient shooting night — shooting 38% from the floor and 27% from three-point range — but led the Mavericks with 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, as well as registering two steals and two blocks.
After Doncic’s fellow starters offered no support whatsoever in the Game 3 defeat, Dorian Finney-Smith came up big in Game 4 with 23 points on 69% shooting, while Reggie Bullock and Jalen Brunson scored 18 and 15 respectively.
The win cuts Golden State’s series lead to 3-1, but no team in the NBA’s 75-year history has come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs in 146 attempts. “Our defense was amazing today,” Doncic told reporters. “That’s how we’ve got to play; when we play like this, we’re a dangerous team.
“You never know,” he added when asked if Dallas could still win the series. “We’re going to stick together. As I said, we’re going to believe.
“This is one and, straight away, we’ve got to think of the next one. It’s going to be really tough with Golden State, we know that, but we have to stay together.”
Dallas’ defense really hindered the Warriors’ shooting ability, with Steph
…
Basket Ball / Sports

Golden State Warriors Sail Past the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals

The Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks kicked off their Western Conference Finals series in San Francisco for Game 1 on Wednesday night and after a slow start, the Warriors were definitely the better team on the night.

The Warriors were not one of the favorites to come out of the West at the beginning of the season, but a hot start to their 2021-22 campaign ensured they returned to their status as one of the most feared teams as Steph Curry also found some of his MVP form.

Curry did not have his best shooting night against the Mavs, but finished with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds as the Dubs cruised to a 112-97 win to take a 1-0 lead.

The Mavericks learned pretty quickly in this game that they will need to learn to defend space better as the Warriors are a much better 3-point shooting team than the Phoenix Suns.

Luka Doncic, who has almost single-handedly willed his team to this stage of the playoffs, had an off-night, ending Game 1 with 20 points (6-of-18 from the field) and seven rebounds. The Warriors held him to just 16.7 percent shooting on contested field-goal attempts – a career playoff low for the Slovenian.

Only one game separated the teams in the regular season, and it’s because of the Warriors’ 53-52 edge in wins — rather than the Mavericks’ 3-1 triumph in the season series — that Golden State has earned the home-court advantage in this best-of-seven series.

Mavs’ coach Jason Kidd will have a couple of days to figure out what adjustments he needs to make to get Doncic back in his groove, and to help his team (hopefully) steal a win at Golden State before heading back to Dallas.

The Sporting News tracked all of the action from Game 1.

Warriors vs. Mavericks score

Game 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Warriors 28 26 34 24 112
Mavericks 18 27 24 18 87

Warriors vs. Mavericks series schedule

Here is the full schedule for the …

Basket Ball / Sports

Grizzlies rout Warriors to avoid elimination, force Game 6

The Memphis Grizzlies fought off elimination with the highest-scoring performance in their franchise’s postseason history.

And with All-Star guard Ja Morant cheering from the bench. Then Morant upped the ante by chanting “Grizz in seven!”

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to force a sixth game in their Western Conference semifinal.

“We’ve exceeded expectations ever since I’ve been here,” Bane said. “It almost seems whenever someone thinks we can’t do something, we end up doing it. So I never want to put a limit on this team on what we can do because anything’s possible.”

Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De’Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive as Memphis outscored Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points. The Grizzlies never trailed, turning in their best performance of this series to pull within 3-2 even with Morant out a second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee. They improved to 4-11 when facing elimination.

“We knew what was at stake,” Jackson said. “We didn’t change anything, though. We just calmed down, looked at the film, understand what we had to take away from the last game and just went out there and executed.”

Memphis scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter, threatening the three biggest postseason blowouts in NBA history. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years.

“Obviously, this was a very impressive win for our group, great bounce-back for sure,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

When Memphis fans chanted “Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick!” early in the fourth, Stephen Curry laughed on the court while Draymond Green swung a towel in unison with the crowd. Green said he doesn’t respect people who only bring energy when …

Basket Ball / Sports

Morant’s 47 points lift Grizzlies over Warriors to even series

The Memphis Grizzlies used Ja Morant’s 47 points to rally past the Golden State Warriors 106-101 and even the second round series on Tuesday night.

Morant single-handedly outscored the Warriors 15-6 in the final 4:16 of the game on his way to a tying his own franchise postseason record with 47 points on 15-for-31 shooting. Morant connected on five 3-pointers to go with eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

Ziaire Williams scored 14 points with five rebounds on 4-for-8 shooting while supplying tight defense in the final minutes. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12 points with seven rebounds while Brandon Clarke tallied 10 points with three rebounds.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while Jordan Poole notched 20 points, five assists and three rebounds.

The Grizzlies took the early lead behind Morant’s 14 first quarter points on 4-for-7 shooting. Jackson Jr. notched 10 points and three rebounds as the Grizzlies led 33-25 after 12 minutes of play.

Memphis held off the Warriors in the second quarter, holding on to a 56-51 lead at halftime. Morant led the Grizzlies with 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field to go with five assists and four rebounds in the half. Curry scored 15 points with five rebounds to lead the Warriors.

The Warriors finished the third quarter on a 13-3 run to bring the score even at 77-77 with one quarter remaining, but the fourth quarter belonged to Morant as he exploded for 18 points in the final period.

Morant is the third player in NBA history to have multiple 45-point postseason performances before turning 23 years old, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant (ESPN).

Next Game

The Grizzlies will look to take the series lead over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. CT.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Curry, Warriors Hold Off Jokic, Eliminate Nuggets in Game 5

Back in the starting lineup at last, Stephen Curry took over late and brought his team back just as he has so many times during Golden State’s deep postseason runs.

Curry scored 30 points in his return to the starting five and the Warriors beat Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 on Wednesday night to win their first-round series in five games.

It has been three years since Curry carried Golden State on a big playoff stage — like those five straight trips to the NBA Finals — but he’s certainly still got it.

“Tonight was just a weird feeling because we hadn’t been there in a while,” said Curry, last season’s NBA scoring champion. “We wanted it so bad, kind of made it a lot more difficult on ourselves. But we still remember how to do it, which is a good feeling.”

Curry scored 11 points during the fourth quarter after the Warriors began the final 12 minutes down by eight. The two-time MVP converted a three-point play with 1:33 left and scored again with 29 seconds remaining to help send the Warriors on to the second round in the Western Conference.

“I was a witness, letting him cook, create plays for him. Try to get him open looks and after that, you know what he does,” Warriors guard Gary Payton II said.

Jokic scored 12 of his 30 points in the final 3:46 and finished with 19 rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors — thriving with the support from their raucous home crowd in their first close-out playoff game at Chase Center — advanced to play the winner of the Memphis-Minnesota series led 3-2 by the Grizzlies heading into Game 6 on Friday in Minneapolis. The Grizzlies eliminated Golden State in the play-in round last year.

Jokic tied it at 90 on an 18-footer with 2:26 remaining before Payton made a layup moments later. Payton also hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner in front of Denver’s bench with 6:57 left to put Golden State up 86-84. …

Basket Ball / Sports

Jokic, Nuggets avoid sweep with Game 4 victory over Warriors

The Denver Nuggets aren’t fazed.

They realize no team has ever won four elimination games in a single postseason series. They also know they’re the only team in league history to overcome back-to-back 3-1 playoff deficits.

That’s where they find themselves after avoiding a sweep by the Golden State Warriors with a 126-121 win Sunday to send the rough-and-tumble series back to San Francisco.

”Can I say we want them right where we want them? No, but we’re alive,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. ”We live to fight another day.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night.

Although none of the 143 other teams who faced a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs ever bounced back to advance, the Nuggets became the league’s first team ever to overcome 3-1 deficits in consecutive series two years ago when they bounced the Jazz and Clippers in the Orlando bubble.

”The odds are against us,” said MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. ”But we’ve beaten the odds a couple of times, so why not?”

Jokic scored 37 points and fed Will Barton for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8.3 seconds left after Monte Morris’ short jumper broke a 121-all tie and Austin Rivers stole Otto Porter Jr.’s pass.

It was a reversal of final-minute fortunes for the Nuggets, who faltered down the stretch in a five-point loss in Game 3.

”We felt like it could have been 2-2 if we didn’t drop that last game,” said Rivers, who noted the Nuggets finally matched the Warriors’ physicality, especially down the stretch.

Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these NBA playoffs.

Aaron Gordon chipped in 21 points and helped stifle Jordan Poole, who came in averaging 28.7 points this series but was held to 11.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points despite missing 13 of 23 shots, going 3 for 11 from long range and missing four free throws for the first time in his career, whether in the …

Basket Ball / Sports

Warriors’ lethal three-guard lineup overwhelms Denver in Game 2 rout

Here are three takeaways from Game 2 on Monday night, when the Warriors cranked up their crazy show, tossed in a little Harlem Globetrotters flair and rolled to a 126-106 victory over Denver to take a 2-0 series lead:

• The lethal lineup: Once again, head coach Steve Kerr closed the first half with his small-ball, three-guard lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole with forwards Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.

Once again, this quintet made Denver head coach Michael Malone’s head spin.

The Warriors trailed 43-35 when Thompson replaced Otto Porter Jr. with 6:02 left in the second quarter. Soon, the game exploded into a blur of wide-open driving lanes, crazy passes and acrobatic layups.

Here’s the thing: The Warriors didn’t blitz the Nuggets with an avalanche of 3-point shots. They spread the court and scared the Nuggets with the threat of an avalanche of 3-point shots — and then scurried to the basket, time after crowd-energizing time.

Kerr’s lethal lineup outscored Denver 22-7 over a span of five-plus minutes. The Warriors led 57-50 when Kevon Looney subbed out Green with 46 seconds left before halftime (between Nikola Jokic free throws). One key to the equation, as Green pointed out after Sunday’s practice: This lineup must get stops on defense. And that’s exactly what happened Monday night. He made sure Curry and Co. were engaged defensively — Green tends to demand his teammates’ attention — and those stops sparked the game-turning run.

If the lethal lineup keeps playing defense like this, well, we’re going to see more of it. A lot more.

• Steph the enforcer: Curry added a new skill to his repertoire late in the first quarter when he got in Jokic’s face. No, really, he did.

Blame it all on Gary Payton II. He blocked one of Jokic’s shots in the lane — the third Payton block of Jokic this season, despite their eight-inch height disparity — and animatedly posed in celebration. Ten seconds later, when the Nuggets called timeout, Payton and Jokic crossed

…
Basket Ball / Sports

Nuggets’ Monte Morris nails buzzer-beating 3 to sink Warriors

After missing the Denver Nuggets’ three previous games while in concussion protocol, Monte Morris returned to action and gave Denver a huge win in dramatic fashion.

Morris nailed a buzzer-beating three — with a very quick release — to give Denver a 117-116 road victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Denver superstar big man Nikola Jokic was double-teamed in the paint, and with under two seconds remaining, he decided to pass to Morris on the perimeter.

Morris caught the pass with 00.9 seconds remaining and proceeded to beat the buzzer for the game-winning three. That came after Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry made a go-ahead and-one jumper with 5.9 seconds remaining. Denver improves to 33-25 with the win (their third straight), while Golden State falls to 42-117. The Warriors have lost four of their last five games, and they’re now 6.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference’s top seed.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Curry Drops 40, Including 21 In Fourth, As Warriors Beat Rockets

It was return to top form for MVP candidate Stephen Curry, who scored 21 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter on Monday night, to lead Golden State past the Houston Rockets.

The resultant victory marks a sixth consecutive win for the Warriors, while Houston extended its skid at home to 11 straight games.

Curry made seven 3-pointers, four in the fourth quarter, and had nine assists and five rebounds. His 21 fourth-quarter points were the most of his career.

Andrew Wiggins added 23 points for the Warriors and Klay Thompson had 14.

The Rockets, who lost their fourth straight game overall, were led by Christian Wood’s 24 points and 13 rebounds.…

Basket Ball / Sports

Warriors’ Steph Curry, Klay Thompson find rhythm against Pistons

Sometimes a date with the 10-win Detroit Pistons is exactly what a team needs. That seemed to be the perfect remedy for a handful of Warriors on Tuesday night at Chase Center in their 102-86 blowout win.

Playing the Pistons also clearly was the perfect potion for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

Curry came out of the gates as the Warriors’ director of the offense with Draymond Green out. He didn’t attempt his first shot from the field — a missed layup — until there was just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter, but he quickly nailed his first 3-point attempt the next time the Warriors were on offense. From there on, the night was filled with flashes of vintage Splash Brothers between Curry and Thompson against a team full of young players and not many wins.

“That was probably the best stretch that Steph and Klay have played together and it was a really nice kind of groove in front of our home fans, which was really great to see,” Steve Kerr said after the win.

Tuesday night didn’t need to be a performance where Curry put up ungodly scoring numbers. This one was all about efficiency.

Despite sitting the final 13-plus minutes of the game, Curry scored 18 points in 29 minutes. He also dished eight assists, swiped three steals and committed only one turnover. Curry went 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-8 from long distance.

He finished with a game-high plus-21 in plus-minus.

“Steph is someone who controls the offense,” Andrew Wiggins, who scored 19 points, said. “A lot of the attention is towards Steph, because we know what he can do already, but with all of them out there it makes the game easy.

“Steph makes the game easy for everybody.”

Thompson’s second career game in San Francisco and fifth game overall this season was his best since his return. He finished with a season-high 21 points, and his four assists also were a season high. His buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave him 17 points at …

Basket Ball / Sports

Morant scores 29, Grizzlies beat Warriors for 10th straight

Ja Morant scored 29 points, including five in the final minute, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors 116-108 Tuesday night for their 10th straight win.

“I just like having that pressure,” Morant said of his scoring down the stretch. “I feel like that’s when I shine the most. I like to be the one taking that shot, hit or miss.”

Ziaire Williams and Tyus Jones had 17 points each, Williams recording a season-high in points. Jones keyed a fourth-quarter rally that put the Grizzlies ahead for good. He finished 6 for 8 from the field, including connecting on all five of his 3-point attempts.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. Klay Thompson finished with 14 points. Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II scored 13 each.

The teams had a closely played game in the second half until consecutive 3-pointers by Jones gave Memphis a 109-100 lead with 3:33 left to play. That was enough of a buffer for the Grizzlies to keep their franchise-record win streak going, Memphis holding Golden State to 18 points in the fourth quarter.

“I thought Tyus Jones shooting 3s broke the game open. That was the key,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

The Grizzlies were the ones connecting from 3-point range in the first half hitting 8 of their first 13 from outside the arc. That allowed Memphis to build an 18-point lead in the second quarter, putting the Warriors in catch up mode from that point on.

“It was just turnovers early in the game, and that gave them a lot of confidence,” said Curry, who was 8 of 21 shooting, including 2 of 9 from 3-point range.

Grizzlies interim coach Darko Rajakovic noted it wasn’t just Williams’ offensive output, but the rookie from Stanford also had the job of guarding Curry from the opening tip. Rajakovic noted that Curry averages 14 3-pointers a game, but only took nine in the game.

“He did a really good …

Basket Ball / Sports

Suns win 17th in a row to tie franchise record

On Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns tied the franchise record for most consecutive wins with 17 of them, this most recent one being extra special as it came against the second hottest team in the league in the Golden State Warriors. The last time they won 17 straight was in the 2006-2007 season, and we’ll find out as soon as Thursday if they can officially break the record. We’ll start with the bad first, as Devin Booker exited in the middle of the second quarter with a hamstring injury, finishing with 10 points, two rebounds and one dime in 15 minutes, but he was seen on the Phoenix bench relentlessly cheering on his team despite suffering an injury mid-game. He’s had some hammy issues in the past but he’s bounced back rather nicely, and basically everyone gets a small boost if he misses time, with Chris Paul being the next man up and go-to guy. CP3 tallied a 4×5 line to the tune of 15 points (7-of-13 FGs), six rebounds, 11 assists, five steals, one 3-pointer and two turnovers in 39 minutes, and he just has not seemed to age and will remain in the first-round status that he held before this gem. Deandre Ayton feasted and was hustling up and down the court like nobody’s business, going for a team-high 24 points (11-of-19 FGs) with 11 rebounds (six offensive), two assists, one steal and two blocks with just one turnover to his name in 34 minutes. He’s still just top-60 on the season because he isn’t blocking shots, with the two tonight tying his season high, only accumulating that many on two occasions. Cam Johnson had a 14/4/2/1/1 evening with three triples and is probably the biggest direct beneficiary whenever D-Book is hurt, so feel free to stream him if Booker sits on Thursday against the Pistons (I see no reason why he wouldn’t get some extra rest even if he’s fine, given the opponent). Mikal Bridges had just two points but brought the defense with four steals and …

Basket Ball / Sports

Curry, Warriors stun James, Lakers 121-114 in opener

Opening night in Hollywood went well for three quarters for Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

But it was a flop for their new supporting cast, including L.A. native and former league MVP Russell Westbrook.

Curry, a two-time MVP, had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Warriors, who rallied from 10 points down to stun the Lakers 121-114 in a season opener Tuesday night.

The Lakers went cold in the fourth quarter, and surrendered the lead halfway through the period.

James had 34 points and 11 rebounds, while Davis had 33 points and 11 rebounds. No other Lakers scored in double figures.

”Those two guys were spectacular,” coach Frank Vogel said. ”We’re going to be pretty good if we get those type of performances. We just have to be better defensively. This is a team that is all new to each other, so everybody’s finding their way a little bit.”

Wesbrook shot just 4 for 13 for eight points in his Lakers debut.

”Him more than anybody, it’s going to be an adjustment period,” Vogel said. ”He’s coming into our culture, our system, he’s the new guy, he’s got to find his way. It’s difficult, when you’re used to being the guy that has the ball most nights, to be able to play off others like LeBron and A.D. It’s just a little bit different for him. He’s going to be great for us but it’s going to be an adjustment period.”

James and Davis said they helped console Westbrook afterward.

”I told Russ to go home and watch a comedy,” James said. ”Put a smile on his face. Don’t be so hard on himself.”

The Lakers had an 84-74 lead late in the third quarter after a jumper by Kent Bazemore, but the Warriors slowly closed the gap.

”We didn’t finish quarters well the whole night,” Vogel said. ”We gave up a 38-point fourth quarter. If you do that you’re going to lose most nights. …

Basket Ball / Hockey / NFL / Sports / Stories / Tennis

Best Brothers, Sisters and Twins in Sports

1. Manning Brothers
Peyton Manning, QB, Retired (45)
Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants (41)

Archie and Olivia’s boys — you know, Cooper’s younger brothers — are still the standard. Both Peyton and Eli are former No. 1 overall picks, Super Bowl MVPs and Saturday Night Live hosts.

2. Williams Sisters
Venus Williams, Tennis (41)
Serena Williams, Tennis (39)

Everyone thought Richard was the craziest cook in Compton, Calif., when he was training Venus and Serena. Everyone still thinks he’s a loon, but his unorthodox style resulted in a pair of champions.

3. Gasol Hermanos
Pau Gasol, C, Barcelona (41)
Marc Gasol, C, Los Angeles Lakers (36)

The Spanish 7-footers were traded for each other back when Pau was an All-Star and Marc was his baby-fatted kid brother. Times have changed. Pau is on the trade block and Marc is the All-Star.

24. Curry Brothers
Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors (33)
Seth Curry, G, 76ers (31)

Dell’s sons inherited their old man’s 3-point stroke but mom Sonya is the real star.

5. Staal Brothers
Eric Staal, C, Carolina Hurricanes (35)
Marc Staal, D, New York Rangers (35)
Jordan Staal, C, Carolina Hurricanes (33)
Jared Staal, RW, Charlotte Checkers (31)

Quantity outweighs quality with these Thunder Bay, Ontario, thunder-stick clappers.

…

Sports / Tennis

Naomi Osaka: Spotlight on media, authorities & player after French Open withdrawal

When Naomi Osaka won the US Open in 2018, she pulled down her visor to hide her tears.

It was her maiden Grand Slam title, she had beaten the great Serena Williams to win it, and she had a bright future ahead.

Except that the victory had come in unusual and traumatic fashion, with boos and controversy surrounding Williams’ infamous outburst at the umpire.

And we now know that this title also marked the start of the “long bouts of depression” that have led to Osaka pulling out of the French Open in a move that has sent shockwaves through the sport and raised the prospect of some soul-searching for the authorities and media.

Roland Garros is now without one of the sport’s biggest stars, and despite Osaka’s desire to not “be a distraction” she and the issues she raises are firmly in the spotlight.

Did the authorities handle things well?

Osaka received a lot of support from fellow players and athletes over her decision to boycott news conferences at Roland Garros.

And there was criticism of the sport’s governing bodies’ strongly-worded statement on Sunday, which threatened her with expulsion from the French Open and future Grand Slams over what she said was a decision based on seeking to protect her mental health.

American basketball player Stephen Curry was critical of the authorities, saying the “powers that be don’t protect their own”, while former British number one Laura Robson also questioned whether the matter could have been dealt with differently.

“I’m sure a lot of people are disappointed with how the statement was handled yesterday from the Grand Slams and how strong it was,” Robson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Maybe if they had not let it escalate to this point then we wouldn’t be here.”

In a statement after Osaka’s withdrawal, French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said major tennis bodies were committed to athletes’ wellbeing and improving their tournament experience, including their interaction with the media.

Osaka said “the rules are quite outdated in parts” and that …