Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs get quick rematch, this time in NBA Cup play
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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors shoots against Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Frost Bank Centre.
PHOTO: AFP
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SAN ANTONIO – The Golden State Warriors are aiming for a mini road sweep of the San Antonio Spurs – and seeking their first win in National Basketball Association (NBA) Cup play when the two teams square off on Nov 14 (Nov 15, Singapore time).
The Warriors won 125-120 behind 46 points from their star point guard Stephen Curry when the teams played on Nov 12 in San Antonio.
The Spurs are 1-0 in West Group C of the league’s in-season tournament, while the Warriors are 0-1. The Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets are also in the group.
Curry poured in his season-high in points on Nov 12 to help Golden State improve to 2-6 on the road and win for the second time in their past three games.
“Give the ball to Steph and get out of the way,” the Warriors’ Jimmy Butler said about the team’s strategy in the latest victory.
“That’s the focus. It’s a real art. I call it ‘the art of getting out of the way’.
“Like, give the ball to (No.) 30 and get out of the way. The talent will create (a) disadvantage, and I think that’s what we focused on... Let Steph do what he’s been doing for so many years in this league.”
It will be the third game of a six-game road trip for the Warriors, while the Spurs would have learnt that even playing at home against these opponents may not be a big advantage.
The loss was the first for San Antonio in six home games this season. The Nov 14 matchup will be the second of a five-game homestand for the Spurs.
In another game to watch on Nov 14, the Los Angeles Lakers move on to a road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, which also serves as an NBA Cup West Group B contest.
The Lakers were walloped 121-92 by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov 12, dropping to 1-2 on a five-game road trip.
Sidelined with sciatica, LeBron James is close to making his season debut. James is practising with the team’s G League squad while the Lakers are on the road and could finally appear in a game when the team return home next week.
Until then, Los Angeles will have to finish off the trip at New Orleans and Milwaukee without him.
Meanwhile in NBA action on Nov 13, Scottie Barnes collected 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five blocked shots, and Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points as the visiting Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-113.
Jakob Poeltl added 20 points and Jamal Shead had eight points and seven assists off the bench for Toronto, who are 6-1 since winning in Cleveland on Oct 31.
Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks combined for 65 points as the Suns became the latest NBA team to beat the injury-hit Indiana Pacers, romping to a 133-98 victory.
Indiana, who fell to Oklahoma City in last season’s NBA Finals, continue to struggle with a stream of injuries in addition to the ruptured Achilles tendon suffered by Tyrese Haliburton in the championship series in June. REUTERS, AFP
