Coming Back

When Cleveland was throttling them in the finals last year, the Golden State Warriors went small, and the Cavs didn't have an answer.  In the Western Finals this year, the Thunder were too long for the Dubs smalls.  So down 3-1, the Warriors went big.  And won game 5 at home.  In the sixth game in Oklahoma, they went big again (except when they didn't) and won their second elimination game in a row--this time in a hostile environment.

That sixth game played a few hours ago was the most important game of the season, and some are saying it was the best Warrior game of the season, and more. It will grow in glory if the Dubs win the series by winning the next game at home.

Klay Thompson was key to keeping it close for three quarters, though the Thunder were ahead, often by double digits, for most of the game.  The Dubs were still down with only a few minutes in the fourth between them and done.  But Thompson's 3s, Curry's 3s, the defense of Green and Iguodala, and the fourth quarter belonged to Golden State.  So did the game.  These last two games were also strategic victories for Steve Kerr's coaching.

Game 7 on Monday in Oakland.  Playoff experience as well as home court are big advantages for the Dubs. Klay Thompson broke the single game record for 3s in the playoffs with 11, scoring 41 points. Thompson has been the Dubs' MVP of the playoffs so far. Now it's about time for Steph Curry to have one of his shooting nights (though 31 points tonight was crucial.)  The table is set.

Can't say I'm a big fan of Fox Sports but this story on the 6th game is prime.  And a follow-up piece in USA Today on the place of this game in NBA history. Plus more on the crucial defensive contribution of Iguodala.

Earlier in Colorado, the San Francisco Giants were leading 4-1 on the strength of Madison Bumgarner's pitching and Buster Posey's 3-run homer in the first.  Plus some stellar defense.  But as much too usual the bullpen couldn't hold the lead, and the Rockies went ahead 5-4 in the 7th.  But the Rockies bullpen wasn't much good either, and Buster Posey's 3-run homer in the 8th was the big blow but not the last.  The Giants won 10-5.  Variables in the game: Coors Field, the weird wind changes and a strange strike zone. Good to see the Giants' bats wake up in this hitter friendly park.  Bumgarner didn't add to his 6 wins, but the Giants have now won 11 times when he starts.

On Friday, the Giants' first game in Colorado started very badly and got worse.  Matt Cain, finally back to form as a starting pitcher, left in the second with a hamstring strain, and on Saturday went on the DL. The Giants lost 5-2. What's with the Giants and their hammies?  At least they aren't in another concussion epidemic.

  Hunter Pence came back on Saturday, which might have meant that Buster saw better pitches.  Jarrett Parker played left again, and continues to show a strong arm.  He was also part of the 8th inning rally.  If he doesn't go yard on Sunday the trip will be a missed opportunity, but if he can hit breaking balls better he's got a future with SF, and a late season role.

It's been awhile since I've mentioned my Pirates.  They also have been hot, winning 10 out of their last 12.  Buster Olney at ESPN writes that they might just be getting started--they're strong and getting stronger-- and are real competition for the Cubs.  To read exactly why Buster believes this you have to pay your bucks to be an Insider, which I don't and ain't.

And speaking of Pittsburgh, congrats to the Penguins, who came back to win their series and will play in the finals for the Stanley Cup.

Giants Way Up, Dubs Way Down

Jake Peavy didn't get the win on Wednesday afternoon but he earned it.  He gave up one run in 6 2/3 and left leading 2-1.  The Giants added another before Osich gave up an unlikely homer for the tie.  So it took a solid smash to center by Brandon Crawford to finally win it in the 10th, another walk-off, 4-3, finishing a sweep of the Padres.  The Giants are now 9-0 against them this year.

Once again the Giants did this short-handed, but with a great defensive contribution from Kelby Tomlinson playing his second game in left, who threw out a runner at home (he also drove in the first run), and a nice throw from Jarrett Parker, starting in right (Parker is going to see a lot of big league breaking pitches until he shows he can hit them.)  The lineup may be even funkier at the beginning of the upcoming ten game road trip, as Brandon Belt has a mild ankle sprain and might be out for a game or two.

And a game earlier it was yet another 1-0 pitcher's gem--this time by Jeff Samardzija against James Shields--until the Giants erupted late and won 8-2, with a very efficient offensive attack.  Again it was Crawford leading the way.

So the Giants left for Colorado having quietly tied the Cubs for the most wins in the league at 30.  They've won an amazing 13 out of 14 games, and are sitting in first place by five games.

Not such great news for the Golden State Warriors, who lost the fourth game of the Western Conference Finals, once again by a lot, in Oklahoma.  It was the first time this year they lost two games in a row. They're down 3 games to one, and can't lose another.

It's not even improbable for the Dubs to win the next three, but this latest loss can't be entirely blamed on Steph Curry's slump.  Their real problem is that the Thunder now know how to beat them, and so far the Warriors haven't had an answer.  It's too reminiscent of last year's championship finals, when the Dubs figured out how to beat Cleveland in the third game, and never lost again.

 As I mentioned before, the Thunder suddenly became a killer team in the San Antonio series, better than all season. The Warriors are now going to have to prove they are the better team. So whether this is a coaching problem, personnel match-up problem, physical or psychic energy, or all of these, there's no more time for the Warriors to get it right.  Tonight's the night.

Giants Up, Dubs Down

The San Francisco Giants lost the battle of The Two Jakes as Arrieta was his usual invincible self this year and Peavy gave up another big inning against the Cubs.  But the Giants fared much better against the Cubs' second starter, and with their fifth starter, Matt Cain.  Jon Lester had an off game--giving up more runs than in any away game this year, and became the first Cubs pitcher this season to not make it through the fifth inning.

Meanwhile Matt Cain pitched an excellent game against this dangerous lineup, for his first victory this year.  His first hit this year--actually for several years--also was big, as his double drove in two runs.

Then the rotation rotated around to Madison Bumgarner, who pitched a shutout, and the Giants won their home series against the Cubs, 2-1.  Despite not scoring a lot of runs, and even with a jiggered lineup for Cain's game (hamstring strains to Pence and Pagan put Kelby Tomlinson in left field for the first time as a pro) the Giants have won 10 out of their last 11 games.  They've increased their division lead to 4.5 games over both the Dodgers and Rockies, both of them just under .500.

The Cubs still appear to be the most dangerous team in the league over a longer series.  Last year I couldn't figure out how they were winning.  This year it's easier: they have dangerous hitters for power and percentage, an excellent defense, excellent to good starting pitching, and a pretty good bullpen.  They're young and athletic.

For the Giants over the longer haul, the scoring is going to have to pick up.  In this streak they've been saved by one homer each game (except Sunday, when MadBum not only pitched a shutout, he drove in the only run.)  The Giants are learning they can rest and move around starting position players with little or no drop-off.  But their bullpen is still an adventure.  The return of Romo should help, but the jury is out on the rookies, and on Strickland as a potential closer.  Bochy said he's sticking with Peavy--he said the same about Cain, and that's paying off.

In Pittsburgh, beloved former Giants pitcher and current Pirates pitcher Ryan Vogelsong was hit by a pitch and seriously injured.  He was batting when a fastball hit him in the eye area, apparently impacting the orbital bone.

The NBA Western Conference Finals finds the Warriors down 2 games to 1.  So winning the fourth game in Oklahoma looks pretty essential.  The first game was close, the next two were blowouts, one for each team.  That's pretty normal for playoffs.  The historically likely scenario is for the remaining games to be close, and the series to go seven.  The Thunder's advantage is that they don't have to win two games in a row, though that would mean winning two on the road.  The Dubs advantage is home court for a 7th game, but they have to win one away to make that work.

P.S. Good news Monday night for the Western winner: the East Finals will go at least six, meaning that LeBron--who needs to be rested--won't get that extra rest. (Assuming that the Cavs eventually win it, that is.) And yeah, the Giants win 1-0.  No--again.  This time 1-0 behind Cueto's 2 hitter against the Padres at home.  So make it 11 out of the last 12.

Ways to Win

It's been a very good week for the San Francisco Giants.  They swept their seven game road trip, for the first time since 1913, ending it with an 8 game winning streak overall.  Meanwhile the Dodgers were losing, and the Giants go home in first place, 3.5 games ahead.

But the best news for the Giants continued to be starting pitching.  After Peavy and Cain had their best outings, the Big Three at the top of the rotation came within an inning of three complete game victories in a row over the Padres in San Diego.  Bumgarner and Cueto got them, and Samardzija got his victory with 8 strong innings pitched.  And again, the Giants scored just enough runs to win, usually on the back of a single home run: Crawford on Tuesday, Pence on Wednesday, Crawford again on Thursday.

Things may be a little different at home, though.  They host the extremely hot Cubs for three, and match up the end of their rotation with the top of Chicago's.  But Jake Peavy against one of the 2 or 3 best, if not the best pitchers this year--Jake Arieta--should provide some extra motivation for the Giants.

As suggested here last time, the Golden State Warriors went into the Western Conference Finals a little beat up, especially an ineffective Andrew Bogut, and lost a close one to the Oklahoma Thunder in the first game.  The Dubs righted the ship on Wednesday, however, with one of their patented third quarter blowouts that the bench maintained in the fourth.  Steph Curry found a new way to amaze by scoring 15 third quarter points in just over two minutes.

I don't know if it was by design, but that third quarter blitz--the great defense, the unstoppable Curry (who had an 8 point flurry late in the first half, but was relatively quiet the rest of the game)--not only added to their lead but took away the kind of run that Durant and Westbrook had in the first game's third quarter.

Bogut still looked hurt but Festus Ezeli had a very good game, and looks like a good match-up against the Thunder.  Best of all, the Warriors found ways to execute their ball movement offense despite the long-limbed defense of the Thunder.  They also found their own defense and rebounding, and the second unit played more and better--all good signs.  The series could still go 7 but the Warriors in 6 wouldn't surprise me.

Baseball Weekend, NBA Week Ahead

The San Francisco Giants went to Arizona for four games, scored a total of 14 runs including three games of four and under--- and swept the series.  That made five wins in a row, and put them in first place.

 They scattered a home run in each game (two by Panik, one by Pence and one by Trevor Brown) but the big story was starting pitching--not only excellent performances by Cueto and Samardzija but very good innings by Jake Peavy and Matt Cain, each of whom gave up only one run, though neither got a win.  They are beginning to justify Bochy's faith in them through the rough early season.

The Giants still weren't hitting much, and even less with runners on base.  Their defense improved, and despite giving up leads, the relief pitchers ultimately got wins and saves.  But the nature of these games--low-scoring, not many hits---in Arizona's hitter-friendly park was pretty strange.

Meanwhile the Pirates salvaged one game of their 3 game series with the Cubs, the hottest team in baseball.  They spoiled a no-hitter by Lester and won 2-1 behind Cole.

So the Western Conference NBA finals begin Monday, with a different matchup than expected: it's Golden State against the Oklahoma Thunder (and so San Antonio's stellar regular season, largely unnoticed anyway, goes into the forgotten bin.)  In some ways it's tougher for the Dubs, with two monsters to contend with, Westbrook and Durant, both playing at a high level in the playoffs.  The Warriors may also lack a key player, Andrew Bogut, at least for the first game.  With Draymond Green a bit banged up and Steph Curry not 100%, the start could be rocky.  This series could easily go six or seven.   But the Warriors have the upper hand.

Steph V P!

It looked bad.  With Steph Curry peddling a stationary bike on the sideline, the Portland Trailblazers ran out to a huge lead in the opening minutes.  Curry came off the bench and added some points, but the threes weren't falling and the Warriors were down 10 or more.  To make matters worse, Shaun Livingston--who started in Steph's spot--protested an uncalled foul, got a hairtrigger two technicals and was out of the game (his first ejection ever.)  Now there was no prime Steph substitute to spell him if, after two weeks of inaction, he got tired.

Instead Steph got stronger.  With Draymond Green leading a ferocious defense, the Dubs came back, and Steph dropped his first 3 late in the fourth--which became the first of many. The teams traded leads and ended tied.

Curry probably had played more than the coaches had planned for in regulation.  But he'd found his rhythm and took over overtime.  He scored 17 points in OT--the most points any player had ever scored in an overtime period, playoffs or regular season, in NBA history.  

The Dubs go home with a 3-1 series lead...and Curry's second MVP award ceremony in a row.  And it was revealed Tuesday--Curry is the first player in NBA history to be voted MVP unanimously.

Across the Bay the SF Giants managed only one run against Toronto, and spoiled a pretty good Jake Peavy start, to lose 3-1.

Shaky

Lots of MLB teams that ultimately make it to the playoffs and beyond have bad Aprils.  But while the Chicago Cubs are looking like the Golden State Warriors of baseball, the SF Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates aren't looking like playoff teams...yet.

I haven't followed the Pirates closely but their record is just 3 games above .500.  The Cubs are in first place by 7.5 games with the Pirates in second in the NL Central.  The only consolation is that the Cardinals are doing slightly worse, at .500 and in third place.  The Pirates were in good form Sunday, beating the Cards with their old formula of pitching and power, Andrew McCutchen is a notoriously slow starter and they've got key players returning from injuries, so they are still well positioned.

The Giants aren't in bad position either, in their familiar second spot just percentage points behind the Dodgers in the NL West.  But that's mostly because LA has started poorly, and the West is probably the weakest conference in the NL. The Giants too are barely above .500 and it's not because of overpowering competition.  They just aren't playing all that well.

The latest series is an example.  At home against Colorado, with the Rockies' main weapon of home park power hitters somewhat neutralized, they barely managed a split.  In the offseason they concentrated on bolstering their starting rotation, and their two big acquisitions are acquitting themselves well.  But after Bumgarner, Cueto and the Shark, the rotation falls apart.  And the relief corps remains unstable.

So the Giants tied a club record by giving up 12 runs in one inning, and about a weak later actually broke it by giving up 13 runs in one inning.  In their last two games with Colorado they scored a total of 2 runs, and it took until the 13th inning to get that second run.  They ran into some good starting pitching but they also did zilch against a statistically weak Rockies' bullpen.  In Sunday's game they also hobbled themselves by very questionable base-running.  Joe Panik saved the game with a lifetime-highlight play on Saturday, but the defense has been uncharacteristically uneven.  The team also paid for perhaps trying to be a little too smart in overshifts.

It's a long season but so far it's been annoying.  Losses are one thing, but even with flashes of brilliance, the team seems ragged, out of synch.  And, hey, it's May.

Meanwhile the Golden State Warriors won their first two second-round playoff games over Portland without Steph Curry.  Klay Thompson outscored the entire Blazers team in one quarter, very Stephlike.  But in the third game (in Portland) they lost the last three quarters and the game.

 Now fans wait with abated breath to see if Steph returns tonight in Portland, which seems likely, even though he's still listed as doubtful.  They could win the series just by winning at home, and there's a little less pressure now that the Spurs-Thunder series is tied 2-2.  But getting that third win tonight would make things so much easier.

Curry or Not, Here We Come (Continued)

The Warriors led from beginning to end and beat up on the Houston Rockets 114-81 with Steph Curry on the bench, to take the first round of the playoffs 4 games to sort of 1.

Now the Dubs wait for Portland, the likely winner of their series against the LA Clippers.  The Blazers won by ten on Wednesday and lead 3-2, despite the Clips being at home.  Losing their two stars was too much.

It's one thing to close out a first round series without the league's MVP.  To do it by more than 30 points--well, you have to like their chances in the next series, especially since they'll be starting at home in the games most likely to be without Steph.

There were lots of heroes in the Giants 13-9 victory over the Padres to sweep the series and salvage a .500 homestand.  Brandon Belt was a puff of wind short of being the first Giant to hit for the cycle at AT&T Park.  But my player is Gregor Blanco, who came off the bench to hit and especially make a play in the outfield--he actually launched himself horizontally to make the catch.  He's been the guy off the bench for years who saved the Giants time and time again, in the World Series and throughout the seasons.

Okay, Back to Fun, Baseball

Two kinds of fun in baseball: one kind, a tight but exciting 1-0 complete game, with clutch catches, close double-plays and a couple of stealers thrown out at second.  Second kind, a 9-4 blast and a three homer night for a great player.

They both happened with my teams on Tuesday.  The San Francisco Giants won 1-0 behind a masterful complete game by Johnny Cueto, for his 100th career win and a 4-1 record this season.  He's been the Giants' best pitcher.

But it also took a couple of great throws by Buster Posey to cut down base stealers in dangerous situations, and a Crawford-to-Panik-to-Belt double play that was so close it needed a replay. If it had gone against them, the Padres would have scored a run with a chance for more.  Everything really counts in a one run game.  And maybe the best thing--the complete game.  No bullpen needed.

Out in Colorado, Andrew McCutchen hit three homers, two boomers to left center and a line drive to right, to lead the 9-4 attack for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It was his second career three-homer game, only the fourth Pirates player to do that (and I've seen two of these hit): Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell.

Two kinds of fun.  Baseball.

Basketball: The other shoe dropped on the Clippers when it was announced that Blake Griffith is out for the playoffs, as is Chris Paul.  The Clips are at home for their next game with Portland, with that series at 2-2.  If the Warriors advance by beating the Rockets one more time, they'll play the winner of this series next.

Meanwhile, the Warriors' Steve Kerr won Coach of the Year, and his coaching will be tested Wednesday when the Dubs host Houston.  It's the Warriors best chance to win this playoff series, and then also get everybody some rest.  Houston players are sounding desperately confident (or confidently desperate) but the Warriors have plenty of ways to win.

Curry or Not, Here We Come

Officially now, Steph Curry is out and his injury will be evaluated in two weeks.  He slipped on a wet court near halftime of the fourth game in Houston of the first round of playoffs.  He'd already missed two games with an ankle injury, with the Warriors winning one and losing the third game by a single point, on a shot that the NBA later said shouldn't have counted.

 But in that 4th game, the Warriors played an impassioned third quarter and were deadly accurate from threeville. They blew out Houston to come home leading 3 games to 1.

It wasn't only that they pulled together and knew what to do without Curry.  It's also that they saw his tears when he couldn't play.

Now the Warriors face at least another game against Houston and an unknown number of games against their next opponents without their MVP.  About the injury, the two weeks is not definitive, one way or the other.  It's probable some sort of evaluation will be ongoing, and taken seriously in one week.

The Warriors are unlikely to blow through opponents, but they are capable of winning this and the next series without Steph if necessary.  That became really evident Monday night when Portland tied their series with the favored Clippers.  And after some Clippers seemed to greet Curry's injury with glee, they lost their own star--Chris Paul--for an even longer time, with a broken hand. Blake Griffith also left the game injured.

Klay Thompson will have to step up and nobody else can be injured. Now the depth of this team, and especially the things they do in practice that they don't get to do in games, will be front and center. The Warriors are coming, and other teams should beware.  Steph Curry's tears may not be as strong as his court presence, but they are going to make a difference.

It depends on how the conversation starts.  How about those Giants? means the SF club is playing well and winning.  What about those Giants? means something else.

The Miami Marlins came to town just in the nick of time, after the Giants were swept at home in a four game series with Arizona.  But their inability to score a tying run with the bases loaded and no outs spoiled what should have been a sweep against a much weaker team.  (Though the Marlins beat LA the next night.)

Still, that series exposed the main weak point of the Giants now.  The Marlins, the Padres are relatively weak teams especially in the bullpen stocked with rookies coming and going through the swinging door.  Unfortunately though, so are the Giants.

Some of these kids are stars of the future, but it's not the future yet.  In the present the Giants are depending on them, and so the late innings of every game are suddenly up for grabs. The remaining (uninjured) veterans are not so dependable either. And third year Hunter Strickland is so far not turning out to be the closer in waiting he was hoped to be.  The starting rotation is getting into a groove, and the young arms in the bullpen are showing flashes of brilliance, but things still are askew.

It's certainly not all bad.  Casilla got his 100th save, Angel Pagan is having a career month, and Gregor Blanco continues to be excellent whenever called upon. And maybe it's that I'm getting too used to the brilliance of Duffy, Panik, Pence etc. but somehow, so far this year, this team still seems out of synch.  Maybe it's just April.

Stephless in Houston?

After outscoring Houston in the first quarter all by himself in the first game of the playoffs, Steph Curry left the action later in the game with an ankle injury that also kept him out of the second.  Golden State won both.  The difference was that they blew out Houston early in the first, but pulled significantly ahead late in the second.

Without Steph, they need tighter ball control and defense, and they need Klay Thompson and at least one other shooter to get hot.  They got all of that in the second game, and more.

Now the series moves to Houston, and Steph wants to play in the third game.  Will he?  Nobody associated with Golden State, including fans, would be upset if he didn't.  The ankle has to be strong, not just playable, because further injury might be disastrous.  Steph wants to stay sharp, and the team would probably like to sweep.  But a return for the fourth game on Sunday wouldn't bother anyone, regardless of what happens in the third game.

Whether Houston even wants to play is an open question.  Harden and Howard are not destined to be teammates much longer.

In baseball, both the Pirates and Giants have significantly cooled off since their fast starts.  Right now if the Giants didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all.  They held veterans back in spring training to prevent injuries, which seemed to work--for a week or so.  Now they are hit hard by injuries, particularly among relief pitchers, and their veterans show some signs of rust, with less than stellar fielding and pitching.

But two games lost on double play balls that were instead errors, and then a game that was won with the closer on the mound and just one strike to go but eventually lost in 11 innings?  That's just weird.

Romo and Kontos are on the DL.  Chris Heston was apparently so ineffective in short relief that he was sent down.  The bullpen is getting younger fast.  So far the new starting pitching acquisitions are doing well.  The lowly flu is hampering Bumgarner still, and the veteran back end of the rotation is having a rough time, as was feared.  But Matt Cain giving up three runs really doesn't matter if the Giants can't score at all.

#24 and #73

What an amazing night for basketball fans.

It was the wonder of the past and of the future, both dazzling in the present moment.

After 20 years, Kobe Bryant played his last NBA game Wednesday night. Older and coming off injuries, his farewell tour performances were often cameos, in the worst Lakers season in their history, breaking last year's record.  But in several games late in the season, there were flashes of the old Kobe.  He scored in the 30 point range a few times.

Wednesday the Lakers were playing Utah, a team that until game time was hoping for a playoff berth, but Houston had nabbed it.  The Lakers players fed Kobe the ball and urged him to shoot just about every time down the court.  But these advantages mean nothing unless you make the baskets.  And Kobe did.  Drives to the hoop, steals and one-man fast breaks, and three pointers.  He hit two three pointers in the last minute and a half of the game, to give the Lakers their first lead.  And improbably, they won.

Even more improbably, Kobe Bryant had scored 60 points in his last NBA game, 23 in the fourth quarter alone.  Nobody his age had ever scored even 40 in their last NBA game.  Kobe, who once scored 81 and had a string of 50 plus nights, hasn't scored 60 since 2009.  He retires as the NBA's third leading scorer.  He was praised before the game by Magic Johnson.  He even hugged Shaq, who was one of Kobe's former teammates on hand for the occasion.

Now Kobe is past.  But the future is at Golden State.

The Golden State Warriors won their 73rd game, breaking the single season record for victories nobody thought would ever be broken.  They had to win their last four games to do it, including two against another team having a remarkable year, the San Antonio Spurs.

Steph Curry scored 46 points, including 10 three pointers.  The record for 3 pointers in a season was set last year (by Curry) at 289.  Earlier this season Curry became the first NBA player to hit 300.  And Wednesday, he became the first to hit more than 400.  He finished the regular season with 402.

This storybook season ended where it should have, at home at Oracle Arena.

Next weekend the Warriors begin the playoffs as the top seed, beginning their quest for a second championship in a row.   That's their immediate future, with a pretty bright future as a team.

What a night for basketball.

#72

It had to be the most important regular season win in Golden State Warriors history that didn't have direct playoff implications.  Their victory over the Spurs in San Antonio meant they tied for the single season victory record of 72 wins.  They cinched the first time in NBA history that a team did not lose two games in a row, and/or without losing twice to the same team.

Their victory in San Antonio was Golden State's first since 1997, and it ended the Spurs' bid to become the first team to win out at home (though they could still tie the record for the most home wins in a season.)  The Warriors also set an NBA record with 34 road wins in a season.

Though the game had no direct playoff implications--it didn't change the seeding etc.--it sent a powerful message to the Spurs.  The Spurs lost three times to the Dubs this season, including twice in three games. The Warriors beat them despite playing a tough game less than 24 hours earlier, in Memphis.  The Spurs can no longer count on beating them at home.  And it told the Warriors that with Bogut in the lineup, they can be competitive with the Spurs even in San Antonio.

Bogut's presence was crucial, but it was Green's defense and a return to shooting form and audacity by Steph Curry that made the difference in today's game.  Other players like Thompson and Barnes made key shots--and generally it was the kind of team effort that is the Warriors at their best.

One victory like this changes the story.  Recent struggles can be seen as learning experiences, partly due to reintegrating players back from injuries.  A victory like today's reignites the confidence that can buoy them through the playoffs.

Especially if they come out with crispness and confidence to defeat Memphis when they go for the record 73rd win at their home arena on Wednesday.  As unlikely as that possibility may have sounded at the beginning of the season, or a few days ago.  Just think what it must be like to have tickets to that game!

And if you are counting, Steph Curry made 4 3s today, for a season total of 389. [Update: My math seems to be off here.  It was more like 392.] Reaching 400 is an unlikely but possible feat still, though the least meaningful of these records and benchmarks.  After all, nobody has even hit 300 before.

In San Francisco, Johnny Cueto learned some of the major advantages of becoming a Giant.  He had a terrible first inning against the Dodgers, giving up 5 runs.  But Bruce Bochy did not take him out.  Even in the fifth, with two men on and two out, Bochy did not pinch-hit for him, and his at-bat ended the inning in what had become a tight game.

After the first, Cueto settled down and pitched well for the next six innings but he had given up six runs.  Still, he left the field to a standing ovation.  It was his first game in San Francisco as a Giant, and how could he not feel welcomed by that?

The Giants came back fairly quickly in the game courtesy of homers by Buster Posey and Brandon Belt, then again on a homer by Angel Pagan, before Joe Panik broke it open with a double.  The Giants won 9-6, to take 3 out of 4 from the Dodgers.

A word about Pagan.  Some commentators watching him last season came to the opinion that he's washed up.  But as I noted here, he was playing hurt, and it hurt his play.  But he did it to help the team.  This year he was asked to play left field instead of center, and he has done that without complaint and so far with success.  His speed and power are back.  He's been instrumental in several wins so far.  Angel Pagan is a true Giant and a tremendous asset to this team.

The Great Escape

The Golden State Warriors won their 71st of the season with a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, and escaped Memphis with a one point win, 100-99.

It was another horrible shooting night for Steph Curry, and by now this repetition might be concerning for the playoffs.  He was especially off on 3s, going into the locker room at half time with five misses and no made 3.  He made a crucial one in the fourth quarter, but in the last seconds he had two opportunities to seal the win and missed them both.  He ended up with 3, barely continuing his streak of games with made 3s, and making the mark of 400 in a season less likely.  (He's at 385, so it's not impossible.)

But he contributed in other ways, with assists, and in the final seconds, on defense. It looked as though he blocked or altered what could have been the winning shot.

Steve Kerr held Andrew Bogut out, and that makes the victory more impressive because Bogut has become so essential on both ends.  So Bogut will be fresh for San Antonio, where he did not play last time because of injury, and his absence was crucial in that loss.

So Golden State can still make history, and they will need to make a bunch of it on Sunday, handing the Spurs their first home loss of the season, and breaking their own decades-long losing streak in San Antonio.  If they do, they will tie the single season record for wins, with a chance to break it at home, against that Memphis team they barely beat today.

The San Francisco Giants almost escaped with another win over the Dodgers--they were leading 2-1 in the ninth with one out and a double-play ball on its way to the day's second baseman Kelby Tomlinson.  But it was starting to rain again in a rain-delayed game, and the ball was doing funny things in the wet infield.  It took just one weird bounce to tie the game, and the Dodgers--who had left runners in scoring position all day--finally cashed one in, and eventually won 3-2.

Neither Bumgarner nor Kershaw got a decision.  Kershaw pitched the more efficient game but Bumgarner showed flashes of his typical dominance, and left with the lead.  Part of that lead came from what everybody will talk about from this game--Bumgarner's laser shot home run off Kershaw, the only pitcher to ever ding him more than once.

The 4-0 Pittsburgh Pirates lost their first game of the season, with ace Gerritt Cole again failing to beat Cinncy.

Wild MLB Night, Unfair NBA sked

Think you've seen it all?  On Friday the San Francisco Giants played 10 innings, got not a single, not a double, not a triple, and won the game against the LA Dodgers 3-2.  They were no-hit for 7 plus innings.  They got just two hits in total, but they both happened to be home runs.

Ross Stripling, the Dodgers afterthought of a fifth starter, starting his first MLB game, dazzled the Giants.  He had a no-hitter going in the 8th.  But he was showing signs of wildness and after he walked Pagan on his 100th pitch, new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took him out, reportedly on front office instruction.

The next batter was second string catcher Trevor Brown, brought up in late summer for a look last year, and who won the backup job in spring training.  He had never hit a major league home run.

But if you've noticed, the 8th inning is home run inning for the Giants this year. And Brown lofted one off reliever Chris Hatcher.  When you're being no-hit, a 2-0 score against you looks huge.  One swing and the game was tied.

Shortly afterwards Roberts went nuts and got thrown out of the game.  The Dodgers had chances but couldn't score.  First batter in the bottom of the 10th was Brian Crawford, who smoked an opposite field line drive over the left field fence.  Game over.

Roberts' decision was the butt of jokes on the Internet even before then.  In baseball terms he was trying to save the arm of a young pitcher who had never even approached 100 pitches before.  But imagine the noise in LA this weekend.

Lost in the fireworks (and there were scheduled fireworks at the Giants yard) was a strong start by Matt Cain.  He kept the Giants in the game through 6.

This game was played in the mist and rain.  The Pirates played in frigid Cinncy.  They fell behind but were powered to the win by Sterling Marte's first grand slam. His swing on this was beautiful.  Wearing a black face mask against the cold, he looked like Batman or maybe the Lone Ranger rounding the bases.

Tomorrow the Giants go for the sweep with Madison Bumgarner against Kershaw. More good news for the Giants--agreement on a long-term contract for first baseman Brandon Belt.

In the NBA, the SA Spurs played their subs in Denver and almost but not quite pulled off the win.  But the loss coupled with the loss at Golden State in their previous game means that the Warriors are the only team not to lose two in a row so far this year.

The Warriors play in Memphis Saturday and in San Antonio Sunday.  This is their second game in San Antonio this year, and the second time it is the second of road back-to-back games.  When the Spurs went to Golden State in January, they had two days off after their game a few hundred miles away in LA.  They had a day off before the Warriors came to San Antonio--the Warriors played in Dallas the night before.  They had a day off between road games when they came to Golden State on April 7.  And they will have a day off between a road game and their home game against the Warriors on Sunday.  Don't seem fair, do it?

#70 and #1

Golden State Warriors with a "convincing" win over the Spurs became the second team in NBA history to record their 70th victory in a season.  Perhaps more importantly, they secured the #1 seed and home court throughout the playoffs.

They also avoided back to back losses, and Steph Curry's shooting recovered. They took advantage of a Spurs injury to run a big lead.

These teams each have a game with another opponent before they meet again in San Antonio.  The Warriors visit S.A. again one day after a game in another city.  According to their coaches, the Spurs will rest their starters for the next game (in Denver) before returning them against the Warriors at home.  Popovich says this strategy has nothing to do with the opponent, nor the home winning streak.  Sure.  Right.

However, with the #1 seed accomplished, the Warriors will meet as a team Friday to decide if any of the starters will be held back from the next three games.  If it is up to the players (and it seems to be at the moment) then it's not likely.

So Golden State has to beat Memphis twice, a dangerous team and the kind that the Warriors have fallen to this season.  In between, a day after their game in Memphis Saturday, they go to San Antonio.  They must win out to break the record. Smart money is on them losing in San Antonio (although if they run out to a big lead, those Spurs starters might get another rest.)  But if the Warriors win in San Antonio Sunday it could well be the biggest regular season victory in their history.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants took their home opener against the Dodgers.  The Dodgers had shut out the Padres for their first three games, and in this game were an inning shy of the record for consecutive shutout innings to open the season.  But once the Giants scored, they kept on going, and won 12-6.  Hunter Pence hit a grand slam in the eighth (their big homer inning so far this year), Joe Panik tripled, Kelby Tomlinson had a pinch hit single, and the Giants had 17 hits. Jake Peavy started, had 5 labored innings, and Chris Heston won in relief.

Game On

It's game on at Oracle tonight.  Both the Warriors and Spurs have big stakes to play for, and the word is that the Spurs will not rest its starters.  The Warriors must win out to get the single season record, but the higher stakes are the top seed in the playoffs.  The Spurs can help their cause by beating the Warriors twice, starting tonight.

Also on the line: the Warriors have not lost two games in a row this season, though now they've lost two out of their last three.  The Spurs also haven't lost back to back (though they also have lost two out of three during the season, but not recently.)

Everyone will be watching Steph Curry.  Was his horrendous shooting night against Minnesota a fluke, or is he facing shooting woes the equivalent of his miraculous shooting for most of the season?

Fascinating that while the Warriors broke several regular season records already, the Spurs may quietly break some significant ones that the Warriors couldn't.  They still can win out at home for the entire season (while the Warriors have recently lost twice), and tonight the no back-to-back losses record is in play for the Warriors.

Baseball: The Giants sent their first off-season pitching acquisition to the mound yesterday.  Jeff S. pitched smart and even without his best stuff managed a 3 run no-decision (the Giants ultimately lost 4-3.)  But that was better than the pitcher he essentially replaced, Mike Leake.  Leake (who got a humugous contract) started for the Cardinals for the first time, in Pittsburgh, and had a terrible game.  He walked in a run and was otherwise ineffective as the Pirates swept their central division rivals (one of them anyway).

Train Wreck at Oracle; Giants, Pirates Looking Good

It had to be one of the worst shooting nights of Steph Curry's life, as he not only had a horrendous first quarter but blew shot after shot in the fourth quarter and in overtime, and the Warriors suffered a stunning defeat vs. Minnesota.  It was the first time this season that they've been ahead by 15 points at any time of the game, and lost.

Now the 73 win season looks much farther away--they have to win out, which means winning two games against the Spurs, one of them in San Antonio.  And two games over Memphis, a depleted team which nevertheless shocked the Bulls who are (or were) fighting for a playoff spot.

Thanks the gods for baseball starting.  The San Francisco Giants are undefeated!  They won their first game on hitting and the second on impressive pitching.  The front office look like geniuses since a lot of the hitting was done by acquisition Denard Span, and the pitching by acquisition Johnny Queto.  The whole team looks good--but they are playing Milwaukee, expected to have a terrible season.

The Pirates are also undefeated but their record is even more impressive because they've won their first two games against division rival St. Louis, the second in 11 innings.  And in the unusual cold at PNC Park.

In Sight

The Warriors scored 136--their highest point total of the season--to beat Portland for their 69th victory. Though it was close most of the way, the Warriors pulled ahead in the fourth with a tremendous burst that it seems only they are capable of. In the course of the game, Steph Curry hit the 1,000 3 pointer for the team this season, another record.  And they keep another record possibility in hand--no back to back losses.

Their next victory will be the one the Bulls chased 20 years ago: 70.  Only that Bulls team ever had more.

The interesting factor in this game was the return of Ezeli, who started in place of injured Bogut.  He did enough for them to win.  That's a good sign.

San Antonio won at home Saturday, and set a franchise record with their 64th win.
The Spurs also have not lost two games in a row this year, so it's entirely possible that this record will be broken by both teams.

The Spurs have but two remaining home games.  If they win them, they will be the first team to win out at home for an entire season.  One of those two is the Warriors, the other is Oklahoma.  Both teams have beaten them on their home courts.  For all the buzz about the Spurs resting players, can they pass up the opportunity to complete this record in the 3rd and second-to the last games of the year?  I'd be surprised if they did.  Their last game is at Dallas, and they can rest their starters then.  The Warriors on the other hand may well be playing for their 73rd win on the last day of the season, at home.

But the more intriguing possibility is this: if the Warriors win their home games against Minn. and the Spurs at home, and then their away game in Memphis, they will be playing for their 73rd win...in San Antonio.

And as the NBA season nears its end, it's time to play ball! on the MLB diamonds.  The traditional opener featuring St. Louis was on Sunday in Pittsburgh, won by their rival--and another of the elder franchises--the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1, on the dominant arm of Francisco Liriano.

The San Francisco Giants open in Milwaukee on Monday.  The team's biggest boast of the spring is that they emerged healthy.  It appears that some players--notably Denard Span--were brought along so slowly that they may need real games to get up to speed.  But the waiting is over.  Now it begins.

Wrinkles in Time for the Warriors-- and the Spurs

Golden State's loss to the Celtics on Friday night shakes up the rest of the regular season schedule, possibly for the Spurs as well as the Warriors.

The loss meant that the Warriors will not be the first team to win out at home for an entire season.  But the Spurs still can be.

The loss also means the Warriors must win one of its two remaining meetings with the Spurs to surpass the Bulls' season record by one game.

It also means that the Warriors will have to win one of its remaining two road games, either at San Antonio (where this Warriors team, like many before it, has not won) or in Memphis.  And of course, win out at home against Portland, Minnesota--and the Spurs.

What both the Warriors and to a lesser extent the Spurs do about resting their starters will likely be determined game-by-game by outcomes.  If the Warriors lose more than one game, Steve Kerr may well opt for rest.That will also depend on when the Warriors clinch the best overall record, giving them home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Which will also factor in whether or when the Spurs rest their vets.

Now the Warriors cannot tie the record by winning their home game against the Spurs.  That might lessen the pressure on the Spurs, and they might rest their veterans for that game.

But the game in San Antonio might be different.  If the Spurs haven't lost at home at that point, they would be highly motivated to go all out to win over the Warriors, so they can be the first team to win out for an entire season.  If the Warriors still have the 73 win possibility, they too will send out their starters.  But if either or both conditions don't pertain, this game may well be played by backups.

As for the Celtics game, the Warriors most prominent vulnerability was in evidence: turnovers.   Also the loss of Andrew Bogut in the second half allowed Boston to keep pace offensively.  Steph Curry and the team made adjustments to free Curry in the second half, but Klay Thompson was stifled--that's a problem.  Still, the tying shot rattled off the rim at the end of the gain, and there wasn't enough time for Curry to reload.  

In the end, of course, it's one game at a time.  And Sunday's game against Portland is no gimme, especially with Bogut listed as questionable, and neither Iguodala or Ezeili apparently ready to play.