canihavu
04-06-2009, 06:40 AM
Warriors hang on for win over Kings with 7 players
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—Kelenna Azubuike had 30 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors hung on to beat the Sacramento Kings 105-100 on Sunday night with just seven healthy players in uniform.
Jamal Crawford had 20 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Morrow and C.J. Watson scored 18 points apiece for the Warriors in their third straight victory, including two wins in five days over their closest geographical rivals.
With Monta Ellis added to a long list of injured players due to a sore ankle, Golden State dressed injured center Andris Biedrins just to have the NBA-minimum eight players in uniform. Although Sacramento trimmed Golden State’s 15-point lead with 5 minutes left to 100-97 with 1:10 to play, Crawford and Watson combined to hit five free throws in the final 25 seconds.
Bobby Jackson had 17 points to lead seven players scoring in double figures for the NBA-worst Kings, who lost their fourth straight and 11th in 13 games. Beno Udrih scored 16 points and Jason Thompson added 14 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out for Sacramento, which also lost starting center Spencer Hawes late in the first half to double vision after he was poked in the eye.
Golden State beat Sacramento 143-141 in overtime in Oakland last Wednesday, but the top two stars from that defensively deficient thriller were injured for the rematch. Sore left ankles sidelined both Kevin Martin, who scored a career-high 50 points for Sacramento, and Ellis, who replied with a career-best 42 for Golden State.
Without those high-scoring guards, the clubs didn’t exactly have the collective skill to match last Wednesday’s all-offense effort. Golden State went 3-for-19 in the first quarter, while Sacramento committed 12 turnovers while hitting less than 33 percent of its shots in the first half—but they still provided some haphazard entertainment for the half-full Arco Arena.
Golden State finished the third quarter on a 21-8 run including eight points from Azubuike, who scored 29 points before largely disappearing late, to take an 86-69 lead into the fourth quarter. The Warriors led 96-81 with 5 minutes left, but Thompson scored seven points during Sacramento’s 16-4 run.
But Udrih and Francisco Garcia both missed shots for the Kings in the final 30 seconds, and Golden State hit just enough free throws.
The Warriors also played without forward Brandan Wright (shoulder), captain Stephen Jackson (foot), guard Marco Belinelli (ankle) and high-scoring reserve Corey Maggette, who played briefly against Sacramento five days earlier before going back to the locker room with post-concussion syndrome.
Notes
Watson’s missed dunk in the second quarter ricocheted off the back of the rim and all the way to midcourt, where it went out of bounds at the scorers’ table. … The Northern California clubs split the four-game season series. … Rashad McCants played for Sacramento despite back spasms, scoring 14 points.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—Kelenna Azubuike had 30 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors hung on to beat the Sacramento Kings 105-100 on Sunday night with just seven healthy players in uniform.
Jamal Crawford had 20 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Morrow and C.J. Watson scored 18 points apiece for the Warriors in their third straight victory, including two wins in five days over their closest geographical rivals.
With Monta Ellis added to a long list of injured players due to a sore ankle, Golden State dressed injured center Andris Biedrins just to have the NBA-minimum eight players in uniform. Although Sacramento trimmed Golden State’s 15-point lead with 5 minutes left to 100-97 with 1:10 to play, Crawford and Watson combined to hit five free throws in the final 25 seconds.
Bobby Jackson had 17 points to lead seven players scoring in double figures for the NBA-worst Kings, who lost their fourth straight and 11th in 13 games. Beno Udrih scored 16 points and Jason Thompson added 14 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out for Sacramento, which also lost starting center Spencer Hawes late in the first half to double vision after he was poked in the eye.
Golden State beat Sacramento 143-141 in overtime in Oakland last Wednesday, but the top two stars from that defensively deficient thriller were injured for the rematch. Sore left ankles sidelined both Kevin Martin, who scored a career-high 50 points for Sacramento, and Ellis, who replied with a career-best 42 for Golden State.
Without those high-scoring guards, the clubs didn’t exactly have the collective skill to match last Wednesday’s all-offense effort. Golden State went 3-for-19 in the first quarter, while Sacramento committed 12 turnovers while hitting less than 33 percent of its shots in the first half—but they still provided some haphazard entertainment for the half-full Arco Arena.
Golden State finished the third quarter on a 21-8 run including eight points from Azubuike, who scored 29 points before largely disappearing late, to take an 86-69 lead into the fourth quarter. The Warriors led 96-81 with 5 minutes left, but Thompson scored seven points during Sacramento’s 16-4 run.
But Udrih and Francisco Garcia both missed shots for the Kings in the final 30 seconds, and Golden State hit just enough free throws.
The Warriors also played without forward Brandan Wright (shoulder), captain Stephen Jackson (foot), guard Marco Belinelli (ankle) and high-scoring reserve Corey Maggette, who played briefly against Sacramento five days earlier before going back to the locker room with post-concussion syndrome.
Notes
Watson’s missed dunk in the second quarter ricocheted off the back of the rim and all the way to midcourt, where it went out of bounds at the scorers’ table. … The Northern California clubs split the four-game season series. … Rashad McCants played for Sacramento despite back spasms, scoring 14 points.