Warriors-Cavaliers Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Jan 29 2013 1:46AM

Just when the Golden State Warriors were finally able to put the lineup they wanted on the floor, they'll likely be short-handed again.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to ride Kyrie Irving's hot streak to their first four-game winning streak since LeBron James left when they host the Warriors on Tuesday night.

Golden State (27-17) got Andrew Bogut back for Monday's 114-102 win at Toronto, but also saw Stephen Curry depart in the third quarter after twisting his right ankle. Curry, averaging a career-best 21.0 points while shooting 45.2 percent from 3-point range, missed two games earlier this month with a sprain to the same ankle.

The fourth-year guard's status for Tuesday's game is uncertain.

"As long as I'm not putting myself in jeopardy to go play, I'm trying to get back out there," Curry said.

Bogut played for the first time since Nov. 7 after missing 38 games because of soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle, and had 12 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. He'll likely sit out Tuesday's game since it's the second leg of a back-to-back, but his impact wasn't lost on coach Mark Jackson, who said Bogut "completes us as a team."

"He was great," Jackson said of the former No. 1 overall draft pick. "You can tell we're a different basketball team with him on the floor. He's a weapon on the offensive end with his ability to pass, his ability to defend, rebound, block shots and also make plays."

Teammate David Lee said Bogut's biggest contribution is his defense, where the 7-footer had four blocked shots against the Raptors.

"I felt like I became a better defender tonight because he's constantly talking to me and constantly rotating to get my back," said Lee, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds, his NBA-leading 18th game with at least 20 and 10.

Cleveland (13-32) has won three in a row for only the third time in the last three seasons, primarily on the strength of Irving's torrid stretch. Irving has averaged 35.7 points during the run, capped off by a game-winning 3-pointer in the closing moments of Saturday's 99-98 victory at Toronto.

After being picked for his first All-Star team last week, Irving was named the Eastern Conference's player of the week Monday. Coach Byron Scott recently told him he was being too passive, and the message apparently resonated.

"He understands we need him to be aggressive from the time he steps on the floor until the time he comes out of the game," Scott said of Irving, the NBA's sixth-leading scorer at 24.2 points per game.

Irving has joined James, Bernard King, John Drew and Kevin Durant as the only players with three straight 30-point games before their 21st birthday.

He'll try to help Cleveland snap a four-game losing streak against Golden State, including a 106-96 road loss Nov. 7. Irving played well in Oakland, posting 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Warriors, who were led by Lee's 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Thompson leads short-handed Warriors past Cavs

Posted Jan 29 2013 10:44PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Tired, short-handed and eager to get home, the Golden State Warriors could have taken the night off.

Instead, they looked like a team that needs to be taken seriously.

Klay Thompson scored a career-high 32 points and the Warriors, playing without three starters and a key reserve, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-95 Tuesday night.

The Warriors were missing guard Stephen Curry (ankle), center Andrew Bogut (ankle) and forward Harrison Barnes (knee). Also, Carl Landry, one of the first players off Golden State's bench, didn't play because of a shoulder injury.

In all, the Warriors were missing an average of 49.1 points and 19.5 rebounds, but that didn't matter. Golden State shot 54 percent, including 11 for 16 on 3-pointers as it hit the first nine from beyond the arc. The Warriors took control in the second quarter and built a 16-point lead in the second half.

"No matter who is out there, we're still going to play Warriors basketball," said David Lee, had 20 points and 13 rebounds. "We could have mailed it in on the last game of a road trip, but everybody stepped up with a bunch of guys out."

The Warriors played the finale of a four-game road trip and were coming off a victory in Toronto on Monday.

"That's a big-time win," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "That's a statement game for us. I'm extremely proud of my guys. It would've been very easy to chalk one up (a loss) because we were short-handed, but I challenged them - and they stepped up."

Jarrett Jack, starting at point guard, had 26 points and 12 assists.

"I had to channel my inner Stephen Curry tonight," he said.

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the morning shootaround because he was sick, scored 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting in 36 minutes. Irving was coming off the best week of his career when he averaged a league-best 35.7 points in three wins, was selected as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and was named the conference's player of the week on Monday.

"I just wasn't there in terms of my mental focus," Irving said. "That's no excuse. I tried to play through it, but my normal energy wasn't there. I'm just feeling like crap."

"He didn't look like himself," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "I didn't think, obviously, he was 100 percent."

Scott warned his players before the game that the Warriors would be ready to play. It would appear they didn't listen.

"We've got to treat it like a wounded animal," he said. "It has no choice. It's going to come out fighting."

"They just kicked our butts, to be honest with you," Irving said.

Tristan Thompson had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, and Dion Waiters also scored 18 points. The Cavaliers fell short in their bid for their first four-game winning streak since late in the 2009-10 season - LeBron James' final year with the team.

Klay Thompson was 13 of 24 from the field, including 6 for 8 on 3s.

"It wasn't just me," he said. "My teammates found me, and we just played great tonight. We didn't have four of our premier players, but it just shows the depth of our team."

Curry, who leads the Warriors with a 21-point average, didn't play after twisting his right ankle Monday. Jackson said he doesn't know how long Curry, who has had surgery on the ankle in each of the past two offseasons, will be out.

Bogut, who returned Monday after missing 38 games with an injury to his left ankle, likely won't play in back-to-back games until after the All-Star break. Barnes, a rookie, was out with a sore left knee sustained against Toronto while Landry, a forward off the bench, was sidelined with a bruised left shoulder that also occurred Monday.

Golden State raced to a 13-4 lead less than four minutes into the game. The Cavaliers regrouped and led 27-25 in the second quarter, but the Warriors regained control.

Klay Thompson hit three 3-pointers, a jump shot and a dunk to help the Warriors build a 13-point lead twice. Golden State led 55-44 and shot 59 percent, including making all six of their 3-point attempts, in the first half.

The Warriors' continued to pull away in the third quarter when Thompson hit two 3-pointers and scored 12 points. Golden State led 84-68 going into the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers, who rallied from a 20-point deficit to defeat Milwaukee on Friday, cut the lead to 97-89 with about three minutes to play, but Jack hit a 3-pointer and another basket, pushing the lead to 102-89.

NOTES: G Kent Bazemore, an undrafted rookie, scored a career-high nine points for Golden State. ... Jack tied a career high with his 12 assists. ... Cavaliers F Alonzo Gee was scoreless in 28 minutes. ... F Luke Walton (left foot and ankle) missed his second straight game. ... G Daniel Gibson (sprained right big toe) was also out. ... Following Friday's game in Detroit, Cleveland plays seven in a row at home.

Notebook: Warriors108, Cavaliers 95

Brian Dulik, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:28 PM - Updated Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:28 PM

THE FACTS: Shooting guard Klay Thompson made six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 32 points, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 108-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Point guard Jarrett Jack had 26 points and a career-high tying 12 assists for Golden State, while power forward David Lee amassed 20 points, a game-best 13 rebounds and eight assists. Shooting guard Dion Waiters and power forward Tristan Thompson had 18 points apiece for the Cavaliers, who had their season-long winning streak snapped at three games. The Warriors played without injured starters Stephen Curry, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut.

QUOTABLE: "No matter who is out there, we're still going to play Warriors basketball. We could have mailed it in on the last game of a road trip tonight, but everybody stepped up with a bunch of guys out."
-- Warriors power forward David Lee

THE STAT: The Warriors made their first nine 3-point attempts, finally missing when Thompson jacked up a 32-footer late in the third quarter. "I kind of regret that shot, but it was on line," the second-year pro said, laughing. "If it had gone in, I definitely would have tried another one." Thompson finished the night 6-for-8 beyond the arc, making him 10-for-12 on 3-pointers in two career games at Quicken Loans Arena. "(Assistant coach Michael) Malone told me this was a great shooting building," he said. "I guess it's just something about Cleveland for me."

TURNING POINT: Despite being without three starters and backup power forward Carl Landry, Golden State jumped out to a 13-4 advantage before many fans got settled in their seats. It set the tone for everything that followed as the Warriors built a 16-point lead and cruised to the road triumph. "They came out aggressive, and we just seemed like we were on our heels all night long," said Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, whose team had won its previous three home games. "We just didn't play with energy or a sense of urgency for whatever reason."

QUOTABLE II: "I had to channel my inner Stephen Curry tonight. I didn't know the extent of our injuries until I walked in the arena, so definitely, this was a grind-out win. It was a total team effort once again."
-- Warriors point guard Jarrett Jack

HOT: Thompson, Lee and Jack combined to shoot 32-for-54 from the field (59.3 percent) -- including 9-for-12 on 3-pointers (75.0 percent) -- and scored 78 of the Warriors' 108 points. ... Golden State shooting guard Kent Bazemore scored a career-high nine points in 30 minutes off the bench. In the Warriors' previous five games, the undrafted rookie from Old Dominion had a total of four points in nine minutes. ... Cavaliers center Tyler Zeller scored 16 points on 6-for-9 field goals and 4-for-4 free throws. The first-round draft pick from North Carolina also tied his season best with five assists.

NOT: Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who sat out the morning shootaround with the flu, was held to 14 points and four assists in 36 uneven minutes. The NBA All-Star and current Eastern Conference Player of the Week missed 12 of his 17 field goal attempts. ... Cleveland small forward Alonzo Gee went scoreless in 28 minutes and was abused defensively by Thompson. ... Cavaliers shooting guard C.J. Miles unloaded eight 3-pointers in 16 minutes, making two. ... Warriors small forward Richard Jefferson made his first start of the season, but only scored three points with one rebound.

QUOTABLE III: "I just wasn't myself out there in terms of my mental focus, but that's no excuse. I was trying to find something deep within tonight, but I just couldn't find it; couldn't hit a shot. I'm just feeling like crap."
-- Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving

GOOD MOVE: Warriors coach Mark Jackson stuck with his plan to rest Bogut on the second half of back-to-back game sets. The 7-foot Australian, who is recovering from offseason left ankle surgery, missed 38 contests from Nov. 9, 2012 to Jan. 26, 2013 before returning Monday at Toronto. "Andrew makes us a much better team, but we've got to be careful with him coming back," Jackson said. "He's not going to play back-to-back games for us until after the All-Star break."

BAD MOVE: The Cavaliers psychologically let down after learning that Golden State shooting guard Curry (right ankle sprain), small forward Barnes (left knee soreness), Landry (left shoulder bruise), and Bogut would not play. "We didn't match their intensity and they hit us in the mouth," Tristan Thompson said. "Three of their main players were out tonight, but their reserve guys really stepped up." Curry, Barnes and Landry were all hurt Monday against the Raptors.

NOTABLE: Curry has undergone surgery on his right ankle in each of the last two offseasons. The son of former Cavaliers shooting guard Dell Curry was injured when he stepped on the foot of Toronto power forward Ed Davis. ... Cleveland played without shooting guard Daniel "Boobie" Gibson (right big toe sprain) and power forward Luke Walton (left foot, left ankle soreness). Gibson is in a walking boot, while Walton warmed up before the game before being scratched. ... Thompson underwent X-rays in the fourth quarter after bruising his left middle finger, but they were negative.

UP NEXT: For the Warriors, Thursday vs. Dallas, Saturday vs. Phoenix, Tuesday @ Houston. For the Cavaliers, Friday @ Detroit, Saturday vs. Oklahoma City, Feb. 6 vs. Charlotte.

• Warriors: Bogut, Rush
• Cavaliers: Selby, Varejao

• Warriors: --
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #28 Zach Zarba, #77 Karl Lane
• Attendance: 13939
• Duration: 2:03