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Friday, Nov. 12 10:30pm ET
Quick-starting Warriors get first win | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Still stinging from two dreadful home losses, the winless Golden State Warriors took their frustrations out on the Vancouver Grizzlies. John Starks' 14 first-half points as Golden State broke out to a 23-point lead and beat Vancouver 103-93 on Friday night. Golden State, which lost its first four games, scored 58 first-half points to roll to the victory. Starks finished with 22 points and Chris Mills added 20 points and seven rebounds off the bench. "I can put it in a simple phrase: We woke up," Mills said. "It was disappointing. We were at home and we had a disgraceful homestand. We came into practice the next day and said, `We never want to have that feeling again."' The Warriors were outscored by 42 points in home losses to Dallas and San Antonio and started the season 0-4. "We know we're a better team than our record," said Mookie Blaylock, acquired in an offseason deal from Atlanta. "We played four bad ball games. As a team, we know we're a lot better. It's still early. That's what I say." The Warriors opened the game with a 7-0 run and never allowed the Grizzlies within single digits after Blaylock sunk a 3-pointer to make it 25-13 with 2:18 left in the first quarter. Golden State eventually opened up 54-31 lead when Tony Farmer completed a three-point play with 3:24 left in the first half. The Grizzlies mustered a 9-0 run -- including Michael Dickerson's 3-point shot -- in the final three minutes of regulation to pull within 10 of the Warriors, before running of gas and time. Grizzlies' center Bryant Reeves, despite playing on a sore right knee he re-aggravated in the second quarter, scored 20 while Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and pulled down 15 boards. Along with blowing an opportunity to win three straight for only the second time in franchise history, the Grizzlies (2-3) lost to the Warriors for the fifth straight time. "It's unfortunate," Grizzlies coach Brian Hill said. "I thought we had a great opportunity that we let slip by tonight. All the things that we had made great strides in in our last two games, we completely got away from." The Grizzlies committed 21 turnovers that led to 25 Warrior points. Vancouver's bench, which entered the night accounting for 69 of the team's 385 points this season, managed just eight points. Worse yet, the Grizzlies lost Felipe Lopez (re-aggravated left shoulder injury) and Doug West, who reinjured the big toe on his left foot. Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo was pleased to get his first win under his belt. "You've got to win the first one before you get the second," he said. But Carlesimo was disappointed at how his team played in the fourth quarter, almost allowing the Grizzlies back in. "We got a little complacent," he said. "But you've got to give the Grizzlies credit. They kept playing." Game notesWarriors forward Jason Caffey (sore right Achilles) did not travel with the team and is also expected to miss Saturday's home game against Houston. ... In five games, all as a starter, Golden State's Adonal Foyle has yet to make one trip to the free-throw line. Utah's Olden Polynice is the only other center not yet to shoot a free throw this season. ... The only time the Grizzlies won three straight was in January 1998, a stretch which included two victories against Golden State. ... Before the game, a GM Place employee chased Golden State coach P.J. Carlesimo down a GM Place hallway after he pinched a game-meal cookie from the media room. Afterward, a smiling Carlesimo, who ate the cookie, said he believes he was set up. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Golden State Clubhouse Vancouver Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 80 New York 74
Golden State 103
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