Warriors End Road Trip With a Thud; Get Big Help From the Sonics
Coming off a big win in Memphis, and knowing the door had been reopened on their playoff chances with a Denver home loss to the lowly Kings, the Warriors were expected to put up a terrific fight in New Orleans. They did just that for one spectacular first quarter, where running on all cylinders, they raced to a nine point advntage. Sadly, they could not maintain the momentum and lost 108-96, ending the key road trip on a down note. The two bright spots were Monta Ellis who poured in 35 points on 17 of 26 shooting, and Andris Biedrins who added 17 points and 15 rebounds. Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson remained cold and combined to shoot 11 for 33 and could be feeling the effects of the long minutes they have logged over the course of the season.
Despite the loss, and 1-3 overall road trip, the Warriors remain in contention for the final playoff spot thanks to a second consecutive upset loss by Denver. The Nuggets have absolutely owned the Supersonics this year, but last night fell in Double OT 151-147 to the spoilers from Seattle. The result is that with 5 games left, the Warriors and Nuggets remain tied, and have a key game on the schedule Thursday night in Oakland. The upside for Dub fans is that the Warriors still control their own destiney. If they can run the table, or go 4-1 at the least, they have a great chance to grab the playoff spot they have been fighting for all year.
Does anyone still believe?
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