Warriors are just 11-26. The last loss looked like most losses and most wins. The Warriors are down a bunch, they stage a come-back and the fourth quarter really is the game. Sometimes the Warriors get a break and keep their scoring just up enough to beat a team, while other nights, they fall short of a comeback. The game versus the Heat was another one of the games that if the Warriors had played just a little bit better, the outcome would have been different. The Heat controlled the second quarter which really did in the Warriors.  But, a couple of miscues and some threes made, the Warriors were close and made it into a game. But with a “superstar” like Jermaine O’Neal,  the Heat finally delivered a knock out punch and rolled on to win 115-102. The Warriors made O’Neal look like a superstar. We all know that guy is washed up, but the real superstar did come out to play, even with a sprained wrist. With his status uncertain before tip-off, D-Wade had another of his typical game night, finishing with 35 points, 7 boards, 9 assists and 3  steals. Not a bad night with a sore wrist if you ask me.

For the Warriors, it’s nice to see Corey Maggette finally start playing like his contract is playing him. Again, he was the high scorer of the night finishing with 25 points. But his untimely fouls led to the Warriors being down by 8 at halftime. He’s gotta know that he’s an important player for the Warriors and he’s got to stay of foul trouble. He had 15 points in 16 minutes! That’s fantastic, which makes it even more the case that he needs to stay on the court and not on the bench with fouls. Monta Ellis finished with 17 points. The number sounds disappointing, since Ellis has been putting up big numbers, averaging about 25 points a game, but the Heat just kept him at bay, sending one defender after another. The good spark with Anthony Morrow who finished with 24 points. This is an emotional and mental pick me up. With all the injuries, including two from the Heat game, C.J. Watson and Vladimir Radmanovic, the Warriors are relying on less but expecting more from what they have. Hopefully Watson will be ready quickly, since he only needed stitches while Radmonavic’s timetable is uncertain right now. How much more unlucky can the Warriors get with injuries?!?!?!?

I can imagine most of the Warriors and their fans, are counting down the days till the All-Star break. With the break, the Warriors can rest up, recover from injuries (hopefully!) and maybe get some help. Also, I’m sure everyone would love to see Monta make the All-Star team which the hasn’t seen a Warrior since Latrell Spreewell, 13 years ago. And all I remember him for is choking a coach! So it would be great to see Monta make the All-Star team, because in reality he deserves it. If it really goes on the team performance, well we can’t argue there. The Warriors do not even have a .500 record. But if we are talking stats and how well this young man has stepped up, even with all the disgruntled rumblings, all the drama and all the injuries, he has played almost to perfection.  His teammates are making a case to him to Dallas. But ultimately, it the outcome is out of his hands. The only thing he has control of, is his ability to play at the highest level and show how fantastic he is as  a ball player.  If anything else, I’d settle for the Warriors to make a push into playoffs and upset a number 1 seed just like the team in 2007 vs the Mavs. Of course, with Monta leading the way.

Wow, what a game! The Warriors were down by 5 with a minute and change to go, then the Cavs decide to balloon the score back up to 11 with about a minute to go. The Warriors decide to make it interesting, cutting it down all the way to three with about 5 seconds left. Good defense forces LeBron to take a wild three to seal the win and he comes up short. Monta gets the rebound and looks for a timeout, but Nellie just tells him to go. So the clock is ticking down and the Warriors need a three. Monta drives towards the three point line, gets two defenders to bite, leaves his feet and dishes to Steph Curry, who launches a shot……. that isn’t even close and the Cavs escape with a 3 point win. Wow, what a game! And that was only the end of the game!

Though the final moments were well worth to watch the game, the Warriors didn’t look that great tonight, even if the final score indicated that they had accomplished something. Though they never held a dominate lead over the Cavs, they were always there, lingering, waiting for an attack. The Warriors kept the game close with their threes and the closest they got to the Cavs was six points. Besides the last minute comeback, the Warriors did not have an answer for Shaq or LeBron. In fact, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Cavs blew the game open and we’d all be sitting back waiting for the final second to expire.

Monta Ellis finished with 30 points, five steals and five assists, while Corey Maggette finished 32 points and seven rebounds. What these two guys are doing are exactly what they should be doing. They are putting up huge numbers, carrying the offensive load for the team as well as defending as best as they can. You can not ask for more than that. There is a clear indication that we are missing some role players to help round out the team. Minus the fact that the Warriors are standing on one foot because of all their injuries, I’m really surprised and pleased on how the team responded and how well they are playing, even if they are short-handed.  Speaking of injuries, Ronny Turiaf, who had just come back from an injury, sprained his ankle last night and did not return. The X-Rays were negative, so we’ll see how long he is out. On even a sadder note is that Anthony Randolph is out for two more months due to his ankle injury. That really hurts because he was another guy that was big and lanky and could score to help relive some pressure off of Ellis, Maggette and Curry.

Finally, I’m sure everyone has their opinion on how the last play went down and what we would do differently. I have my own theories and ideas but I want to know what everyone else thinks? So if you had gotten the rebound what would you have done if you were Ellis?

Yes, a good solid win! Yes, it was against the lowly Wolves. But it was another good showing by the team’s veterans and leaders. Coming off back-to-back games, Monta Ellis finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Corey Maggette finished 28 and Stephen Curry finished 16 before fouling out.  For the Wolves, Al Jefferson finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Kevin Love had 23 points and 16 boards.  After a heartbreaking loss to the Nuggets the night before, the Warriors found enough energy to beat the Wolves, their first road win since December 9 when the Warriors beat the New Jersey Nets. For the Warriors, this is a step in the right direction. With 18 of the next 24 games being played at Oracle, let’s hope the Warriors will find the comfort of their beds to help them post a winning record in the next 24 games.

With one role model after another going down in the media as being a cheater, a liar, a weapons carrier, a wife beater, it’s hard to look up to celebrities as well as athletes. Even for a squeaky clean Tiger Woods, his world is crumbling as more and more women come out and speak on his affairs. Now there is even word of a sex tape coming out. So is it hard for young children to have role models? In my opinion, absolutely.  However, to be more optimistic about this, I was watching some NBA games the other day and I noticed something. Many NBA players are now wearing mouth guards. This seem ridiculous and miniscule, but I thought, “Hey, this is something that is being noticed more and maybe a trend to carry on.” What is even better about it, is that stars like LeBron and Dirk Nowitzki wear them. It is a trend that seems to be hitting full steam in the NBA.  Guys like LeBron aren’t just NBA stars but celebrities too. And with that celebrity status, you know whatever they do, fans will always try to do the same thing. Those young players that look up to LeBron for the way he plays, his style, his work ethic they may just pick up on his attire as well and not just clothes off the court but things on the court as well.  This is a good way to save some money, time, pain and most importantly that great smile that everyone has.

If there are no perfect role models, then let’s pick up and carry on great characteristics of those who are suppose to be our role models and hope we can show that greatness for the next set of children.

Last night’s game was really good. I enjoyed watching it. I think if you weren’t even a fan of basketball you’d enjoy watching it. Monta Ellis was making ridiculous moves and finished with 32 points, Corey Maggette scored a sesaon high 35 points while young Stephen Curry added 26. What more could you ask for? The Nuggets have been out with Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Anderson, all riding the pine with various injuries. This seem like a sure steal for the Warriors, on the road, against a decent team and to snap their losing streak. Everything looked good. Monta made a turnaround jumper with 15 seconds left to give the Warriors the lead. After a wild scramble, the Nuggets ended up with the ball and called a timeout to set up a desperation play. J.R. Smith came off a screen and caught the ball near the sideline. Out of desperation, he through up a wild shot that was clearly short. As the Warriors were looking to celebrate the refs turn their excitement into shock. They apparently called a foul on Ellis as he leaped and swiped at Smith’s shot. With three free throws, Smith buried the first two and missed to third to seal the win for the Nuggets.

As a fan, I can yell and scream at the ref. Clearly, they need instant replay or some more reffing classes. In all the replays that were shown, it was clear that Monta did make a swipe at the shot, but I think that he grazed the top of the ball causing the ball to not even make it near the basket. Even if Monta didn’t graze the ball, I don’t think that the shot would even have made it to the basket nevertheless being scored. I didn’t see the foul nor did I see any contact by either Monta or Corey. I suppose great acting on Smith’s part, as he body looked contorted as he launched a desperation shot, might have given the refs the idea that he had been hit somewhere. Either way, I was screaming at the refs through the TV and how I could do a much better job than them and I’d give my glasses to them to wear.

With that said….

This was a game that the Warriors lost and not defeated. They matched the Nuggets’ intensity for most of the game and showed a lot of team play. They had a game they could have stolen slip through their fingers. It’s easy to blame the refs for a blatant mis-call, but at the end of the day, what was Monta thinking anyway. Smith was near the sideline and was literally 4 steps away from the halfway line. If he had thrown up a decent desperation shot, since there was only like 1.3 seconds left, and made it, then tip your cap to Smith and his luck. You can’t let the refs decide the game for you. It’s also 101 basketball knowledge. Don’t foul a jump shooter. Don’t foul on the last play of the game. Don’t look like you want to foul. Stay far away as you can but close enough to challenge him for a tough shot. These are simple basketball knowledge that everyone learns at a young age and hopes to carry them through whatever career. What makes it more irritating is that Ellis is a great basketball player with great vision, great knowledge and fantastic talent. He would have said this to his junior team if they had made the same mistake. He should have known to contend Smith’s shot not try to block it. Chances are, Smith wouldn’t have made it anyways.

But, even with the loss, there is always a next time. Hopefully, Ellis will remember what happen this game and carry it on throughout the season. However, last night’s game was once again, encouraging. The Warriors are missing one or two pieces to their puzzle. Though they aren’t on the same level as a team like the Lakers, they are on the brink of being a much better team than most believe them to be. Their play was exicint to watch and encouraging as a fan.

I hate to be the person that is negative. It doesn’t do much good to be the person that drags everyone down, but what can I say? The Warriors have now lost 10 out of their last 12 and four straight.  However, there are some positives to take from this loss. Unlike years before, I find that the Warriors are now fighting for every minute and every bucket. In years past, I thought I saw the Warriors just give up and not really try to mount a comeback or fight till the last buzzer sounds. This team though, maybe because they are young and they feel they need to prove something keep fighting and I like that. It keeps me as a fan engaged into the team because there is always hope that the team could pull the upset of the night. With that said, I can’t really say that we don’t have an all-star on the team. Monta Ellis has been ridiculous since we traded Stephen Jackson away.  He finished with 35 last night. In the last 14 games, there have been 7 nights where he has had 30 points or more. And these points weren’t scored just one way. He was all over the place, fast break, lay-ups, foul lines, jump shots. This is very good for the Warriors and the Warrior’s fans. This makes me feel we can build a team around him. He has also assumed the leadership role and it seems like it has been a positive thing for the Warriors since they had a ship with no one to take charge.

With that said though, I wish the league could let the Warriors add players for the injuries that the Warriors have. The are playing without three big mean, leaving the Warriors at as a very small team. And it showed last night when the Warriors played the Spurs. At first Tim Duncan was kept at bay, but it is only a matter of time before he took over and secured the win for the Spurs. Duncan finished with 27 points.

As for the Warriors, Corey Maggette had another solid night finishing with 21 point and 5 assists. If Maggette and Ellis can continue to put numbers up like that and have help in the offense as well as play some defense, the Warriors can surprise some teams and pull out wins. Like I said, this team is much more entertaining because they fight till the very end, unlike other Warrior teams of the past. If we can keep playing like this, I’m sure the Warriors will find some kind of rhythm in winning sooner rather than later.

I know this isn’t a football blog nor even the Cincinnati Bengals area, but I would like to take a moment and thank my lucky stars that everyone that I love and I are still alive. If you’re a sports fan, you probably have heard that Chris Henry, a wide receiver for the Bengals died this early morning after suffering life-threatening injuries as he fell out of the bed of his fiance’s pick-up truck yesterday. No word has come from the Henry’s or Bengal’s camp of exactly what happened, but according to police reports, Henry and his fiance had a domestic altercation, where she took off from their house in a yellow pick up truck. Running after her,  Henry jumped in the bed of the pick-up truck. From there, no exact details of what happened before he fell out. What the police do know is that, when they found him, Henry was lying in the road sustaining life threatening injuries and his fiancé was no where to be found.

What is more sad is not that a football player was lost today, but a man that had goals and was on the right path was cut short. According to several media outlets, Henry’s teammates were very vocal about how well he performed in pre-season and how he had turned his life around after making several mistakes early in his career. Henry was quoted saying that his children and his fiancé had helped turned his life around and understand what is most important to him.

Henry leaves behind four children and his fiancé. He was just 26 years old.

I was quite shocked when I heard that a football player was fighting for his life. For me, I think athletes are indestructible, strong and having the ability to recover faster than normal people. But this shocking news also reminds me how precious life, no matter how much you get paid, no matter who you are.  My condolences go out to the Henry family and I hope that this is a lesson we all learn, that life is too short to hold on to grudges or be angry, cause in a blink of an eye, all of it could be gone.

I’ve been reading up on a couple of articles of last night’s game. Everyone seems to be happy that the Warriors have found some kind of solution in the scoring department, not only depending on Monta Ellis. But, let’s be realistic again and note that the win was against the lowly Nets who have just won 2 and lost 20. Although according to coach Keith Smart, the Warriors were walking into a team that won it’s last two out of three games and not a 2-20 team. BUT, with that said, it was a good solid, road win for the Warriors who would like to carry the winning momentum into the next game. The Warriors made the Nets look foolish causing at least 13 steals, 20 points off of turnovers and 28 points off fastbreaks. It was however a pleasant surprise to see the other Warriors chip in for the win, when it was clear that Monta wasn’t going to have another 45 point performance. C.J. Watson and Ellis finished with 18 points a piece, Mikki Moore finished with a 16 points,  Stephen Curry with 14, Corey Maggette with 13 and Anthony Randolph rounded out the group with 11 points and 9 rebounds. A solid win for a team that is still looking to find itself after the whole Jackson trade.

Next up for the Warriors is the Chicago Bulls who have lost four straight and nine out of their last 10. Last night, the Bulls got routed by the Atlanta Hawks and a former GS Warrior, Jamal Crawford who finished with 29 points. It will be a good test for the Warriors to see how well they match up against another team that is struggling of late.