RECAP: Warriors 100, 76ers 98: And his name is ... Azubuike!

by YaoButtaMing on Nov 25, 2007 10:49 AM PST in Recaps Comment 19 comments

Wow! What a game! I haven't seen a game that exciting for awhile. Last night's overtime victory in Philly ended our East Coast road trip, our best road trip in 30 years (4 and 1). Though this was the 2nd game of a back to back, I was a little disappointed we didn't run the tables on the 76ers.

Yet with that, I have to say, the season has completely turned around for me and I find a new sense of enthusiasm for our Warriors. Jackson has returned and we are now 5-7, good for 10th in the West.

During halftime we were down by 12 and looking sluggish. I'm not sure what he said, but Nellie lit a fire underneath Baron and the rest of the team. They came out firing, dropping a 30 point 3rd quarter and holding Philly to only 19. The 4th quarter felt like two JV teams unable to score leading to an exiting ending in overtime:

The Bad: Our Defense! We let the 76ers score 98 points on us! That’s horrible. We were exchanging baskets all night. We had some impressive steals from Pietrus and Baron, however our zone defense left many holes for Philly to counter. I really think we need to hire a defensive assistant coach. Van Gundy is out there and open so I’d love to see him come and give us some pointers. I don’t want to take away from our run and gun attitude but how are we going to stack up against the Texas Triangle? Also, was it me or did the Warriors completely have a mental breakdown at the end of the game going to Jackson when he was having a horrid offensive night? Why not stick with the hot shooters like Baron and Ellis?

Basically our defense in a nutshell last night!

The Good: I think I now lead the Azubuike fan club. Since the start of the season I’ve been saying how I love this guy. Even better watching him in person, Azubuike has the speed and strength to fill in at any guard/small forward position. Last night he did the little things to win the game. Starting with a bad shooting night, he still pulled down 10 rebounds and had the game winning 3 pointer. Together with him and Monta on the court our future is bright.

Look at the faces in the crowd … I’m loving it!

And the Warrior Wonder: Finally Monta! I know I’ve been hard on this guy all season but I’ve been waiting for him to wake up from his early season nap. Last night he did just that. It looked as though the 76ers had no answer for his speed, breaking down defenders and leading the fast breaks with Baron. Ellis ended the night tying his career high 31 points and gaining the confidence back we need him to have.

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Great game and a great trip

even good teams struggle but they gut out wins so I take this trip to be a very good sign

Anyone know what Al's personal issues are? He looks like crap out there.

by Zig on Nov 25, 2007 12:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Big Al issue. . . .

We had known that Matt is besides his cancer-stricken mother. We knew the 'personal reason' of Pietrus who joined the team at Toronto from France because of his son's birth. As for Big Al, everybody only wonders because of this

"Al has not played well for a long time," Nelson said. "It just wears on the team, all these away-from-the-team issues. There's been so many this year."

http://www.insidebayarea.com/warriors/ci_7555064

by muritqua on Nov 25, 2007 2:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Despite the finish that was the worst effort

of the season.

I don't think YaoButtaMing and I could have interpreted this game any differently:

They came out flat and it was boring to watch.
The Sixers are flat out bad. They're "marquee player" is really more suited as a second option and he was struggling last night. They have no go-to player and the Ws still couldn't close it out when we have 2 go-to guys.
Missed layups. How many missed layups? To quote a great man: "My word"!
Buke's 10 rebounds: 4 were offensive and at least 3 (maybe all 4?) were from his own missed lay-ups. Maybe he wanted to pay tribute to Moses Malone while he was in Philly.
If it were not for Baron's no-look-reverse-no-glass-flip-shot it would have been a loss.
The Buke 3 was the only time I wasn't ill and frustrated the entire game. This is really a testament to how bad the Sixers are and how ill-equipped they are to close out games. I was 100% sure the Ws were going to lose when the loose balls would kick around and land in a Sixers hands for a basket. I was not alone:

Philadelphia turned a potential disaster -- Andre Iguodala's too-high alley-oop pass for Dalembert -- into a 6-foot bank shot from Iguodala with 13.4 seconds left. The last of Iguodala's team-high 26 points gave his team a 98-97 lead.

"Usually, it's just fate," Nelson said. "You don't win a game like that."

As a fan, I did not have any fun watching that game until the very end. That is a team they should have blown out. From an entertainment perspective, that was unfun. I'm just relieved they won so that the game won't have any long-term ill effects.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Nov 25, 2007 12:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Agreed ... the game was ugly ... however

the last 2 minutes and overtime was exciting. We should have won this game hands down, but I think the second half was reminiscent of our play we had in the playoffs last year.
When Azu hit the game winner i jumped out of my seat and was entertained.

by YaoButtaMing on Nov 25, 2007 1:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed on the Buke shot

that was exciting, entertaining even shocking. The last 2 minutes of regulation was fugly with a capital FUGLY.

It was 90-90 with 2:12 to go! What ensued was a brickfest of fugly proportions. That was hideous basketball. The highlight was the Dalebert 2 missed free throws. That's horrid. What's worse? The fact that the Warriors hit the 90 point mark with almost 4 minutes left (3:54)! Can I get a FUGLY from the congregation?!?!?

I am Random Fool.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Nov 25, 2007 1:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope its not a trend

In all of the games on the road trip the dubs came out shootin' blanks. It wasn't until they were down double digits (9 in the case of the knicks game) that they started to ball. Against really good teams cough celts cough cough, you get blown out.

They need to start better against the suns.

Best duo since...

by Tim N Chris Burger on Nov 25, 2007 12:55 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

blown out on the road

by Zig on Nov 25, 2007 1:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Helloooo, Al

Zig, my thought is that Al is simply not a consistent player, and too often his game performance is dictated by how his first two shots go. When he misses a few he plays tentative, and starts limiting himself to threes -- which he then often misses, even when open -- instead of focusing on driving.

He'd be much improved, and more consistent, if he'd start off games trying to drive or slashing to the basket on a PNR.

I suspect that's why Nellie wanted to bring him off the bench -- so he wouldn't just sit passively back and shoot the three, as he so often does at the start of a game. I hope once Barnes gets back and starts playing -- and Nellie gains enough confidence in Wright (who keeps showing me more and more) -- we'll see more of Al off the bench, and I think his play and his numbers will improve. Just give it a little time.

by johnl on Nov 25, 2007 1:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

wtf.

You guys are a bunch of fucking idiots. Shut the fuck up already.

They are giving up an average of 109 points and they give up 98 IN OVER TIME and you give them shit. They play like a tired team at the end of a road trip and a back to back would, pull out a win, and you fucking give them shit.

Bunch of god damn retards.

The season's started, so I went back to Albert.

by coma on Nov 25, 2007 1:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

honestly ... how old are you?

I'm really getting tired of this Coma. if you can't learn to converse or express your opinions without inappropriate remarks then let me just say please don't bother even coming here.

i don't mean to be harsh but i've bit my tongue way too many times in the past reading some of the things you have to put down and now i'm just getting sick of it.

if you don't like what people write then express that in a mature fashion showing us you are intelligent enough to respond to. I'd agree with the majority of the stuff you write but you make me not want to even stick up for you any longer!

by YaoButtaMing on Nov 25, 2007 2:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Translation:

"They played like a tired team at the end of a road trip, they only gave up 90 in regulation, almost 20 points below their average. I'm happy with that effort, you should be too."

And it was 4 games in 4 different cities in 5 nghts, not just a back-to-back.

But seriously dude, we don't need the cursing or the attitude. We're all on the same team here.

by Dubs fan in Boston on Nov 26, 2007 12:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I rather

Have a fugly win than a pretty loss.

by Dopey on Nov 25, 2007 1:30 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Yehhhhh

Get 'em Coma. :D

by WarriorForLife on Nov 25, 2007 1:30 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

i agree

with coma...

my words would be the same just less aggressive... (altho his way is more convincing)

by NinerWarrior on Nov 25, 2007 1:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

Everyone around here seems to criticize them more and point out what went wrong when the Dubs win. They WON guys. It might not have been pretty, but can't we focus on what went well?

-Monta having a monster game
-Kelenna hitting that 3
-DJ Banger with some solid D

Seriously lets just take this win and shut up about how "horrid" it was.

by danschmeck on Nov 25, 2007 1:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'll say it again

all teams, even the good ones, have flat and ugly games but the good ones find a way to pull them out.

On the road it is even more impressive

That was a great road trip.

Look for then to be rolling at home

by Zig on Nov 25, 2007 1:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

my Sixers helped you guys win

nice recap and great blog, congratulations

on mine I wrote my recap, from a Sixers fan's point of view, just curious to know who agree with me

http://sixers4guidos.wordpress.com/

Sixers deserved to lose because they missed too chances to win the game and because our players (Iguodala, Lou Williams + Dalembert in the regulation) weren't just as clutch as yours

I will try to come here often and I wish fellow guido Belinelli can crack the rotation soon, he's a player, believe me

kudos again, later

by Ricky Sixers4guidos on Nov 25, 2007 3:06 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Seriously

a win is a win. I think this road trip was great for the Warriors. Who thought they would go 4-1. Yeah they looked sluggish out there and not all their shots were falling, but the good teams take those bad nights and turn them into wins, and to do that on the road is damn impressive.

by Number22Drew on Nov 25, 2007 5:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Nice Recap but.....

Im the biggest Buike fan. Check my PS3 screen name Azubuike7 ..... had it for months. My record on 2K8 sucks, but ive still had it for daaaays. Get at me for a game!

by STIX on Nov 25, 2007 7:24 PM PST reply actions 0 recs