There's HOPE

In her blog over on SFGATE.COM, Janny Hu received some comments from Stephen Jackson after Saturday's heartbreaking loss to the Denver Nuggets.

First, about the need for someone outside the Warriors' go-to trio to contribute:

"We got to get somebody that you don't expect to show up to show up some nights. Teams are really starting to play us on our guys. They want to take away my quick three-pointers ... they try to take Monta's left away.

"We need somebody on the bench to get us going, to help us these last couple of games, because that's what we had last year. We had Matt (Barnes) playing well, (Mickael Pietrus) playing well, and we needed that. And that's what we need now."

I would have never thought that it would succumb to Stephen Jackson have to call his team out, but times are changing. The Western Conference is tough and with last night's victory over the Dirk-less Dallas Mavericks, it was a "should win."

If there was any friction among the Warriors, they must have solved it before the game. One of the factors of this victory was that the Warriors were moving the ball. This helped our lackluster inside game and must've helped Andris Biedrins get back into his old self

The Dubz had 2 players play double digit minutes and they were Matt Barnes and Kelenna Azubuike compared to the Mavs' 3 players: Antoine Wright, Devean George, and Brandon Bass.

Last night , Kelenna Azubuike played 43 minutes with 15 points and 7 rebounds; a turnaround from his 6pt contribution to Saturday's loss. By now, I think Don Nelson has solved the issue of Al Harrington vs Kelenna Azubuike and who should be the 6th man. Obviously, Kelenna is better off the bench since Big Al doesn't play as well coming off the bench. Last night, Harrington had 14 points and had the second most rebounds for the Dubz with 9.

The Mavericks were without Jerry Stackhouse who joins Dub Mickael Pietrus with a groin injury, but the Warriors still came out meek in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Jason Kidd and company started with a 12-0 run but by the end of the 1st the Warriors' had a 1 point lead.

The rest of the game was all Warriors' with some close calls but in the end, the Dubz got away with the win. Now there is a 3-way tie between Dallas , Denver, and Golden State and only one will stay home while the others enjoy the post-season. In an instance of a tie , these are the deciding factors:

• Best head to head record amongst teams tied.
• Best conference record

Let's hope the Warriors' can pull through, but we know that they'll never give up. Tuesday's game will be another tough obstacle with Manu Ginobli being our biggest threat with his outside shooting. Don't forget that Al Harrington will have to try to manage Tim Duncan on the boards, but I believe Monta can hang with Mr. Longoria - Parker.

Groupie Love (No golddiggers)
Andris Biedrins

How M.B. Got His Groove Back

With the word of Brandon Roy being inactive for this game because of a groin injury (get well soon) and the Denver Nuggets defeating the Dallas Mavericks prior to tip-off, I could bet Warrior nation was in full nervous mode. TNT recognized that the Golden State Warriors have a huge tendency to play to level of their opponent and that is exactly what happened in the first quarter. LaMarcus Aldridge was getting anything he wanted handed to him. In the second quarter, the Dubz would let Portland extend their lead to 14 at one point, but the Holy Trinity along with Big Al would get us within four before getting us within a point at halftime.

The battle for the lead would continue with sharp shooter Steve Blake , but the Warriors were ready to come out a play. With contributions from each player on floor for the Dubz , they had 72-91 advantage over the Blazers preceding the 4th quarter.

With the lead in the 4th , the benchwarmers would make an appearance allowing much deserved rest to the Holy Trinity. Even though Jax and Ellis still played the whole game, it was alright because they played most of it without Baron who has been battling the flu.

The Portland Trailblazers played a great game but it just proved how valuable Brandon Roy is to their squad. I don't want to start any of that ALL-STAR talk because I don't any drama , but the match-up between these two teams will always be intense. I remember one of the TNT Commentators stating how great of team the Blazers will be when Greg Oden returns and how they're building for next season; we can only hope that the WARRIORS are doing that as well.

A Tale of One Biggie:

Andris Biedrins
It is no secret that AB is still in a full mental recovery state ever since his surgery, but how long will it last? With Pietrus' not being responsive to treatment, the Warriors' will need all the defense power they can get. Andris hasn't been finishing like he used to and is not playing as aggressive as he did, but WE BELIEVE he will come back at the right time.

Groupie Love (no golddiggers):
Matt Barnes
You know how the ESPYS have that award "Best Moment?" Well if I had to give that award tonight, I would give it to Matt Kelly Barnes. Even though Stephen Jackson was the highest scorer of the Golden State Warriors, but it was Matt Barnes finally getting out his emotional funk to get us the W. With 8 points and 8 rebounds that included two crucial threes that would begin our lead over the Blazers, M.B. was truly the hustle and flow of our offense and defense. I would give him the "Groupie Love" title , but I need to be greedy on this one.

Side note: I almost forgot but HAPPY 19th Birthday to mi prima, Daly City Girl. I love you , cousin; STAY THE SAME WONDERFUL PERSON YOU ARE!

Get blessed: Meet Baron "Messiah" Davis

http://goldenstateofmind.com/story/2008/3/26/124129/442

CANCELED!

"Don't Call it a Comeback!"

(Bullets Forever)

Don't call it a comeback because Chris Webber's return to the Golden State Warriors really wasn't that big of a move. For example, when Mariah Carey came back on the scene, she came back with a vengeance. Starting slowly with dance ballad "It's Like That," then stepping up with with the monster love song, "We Belong Together"; she really did come back.

Chris Webber , on the other hand, was fed with a silver (golden) spoon right when he stepped inside of the Oracle Arena. In his pre-party, on February 1, 2008 , the J-Rich Homecoming Game, Chris Webber received a video dedicated to his first years in the Golden State Warriors. The video would be played for the entire arena to "enjoy", but it would receive mixed reactions. The C-Webb dedication video was played side-by-side with Jason Richardson's video dedication, who undoubtedly deserved the honorary moment solo.

I'm not going to go on to re-hash what issues Chris Webber created for the Golden State Warriors' organization, but I'm not going to lie and say that I'm sad that the "Chris Webber Experiment" is over.

In his debut , the game vs. Chicago Bulls, Chris was given the start instead of Al Harrington. If you look at Harrington's stats, he loses some consistency off the bench. I'm not trying to reason Big Al's shortcomings, but Chris Webber surely didn't deserve to be a starter only after a few days of power practices.

His best effort was in the thrilling match-up of the Golden State Warriors vs the Boston Celtics. His defense against Kevin Garnett was exceptional and logged in the most minutes in his second run with the Golden State Warriors.

In the end, it's terrible that Chris Webber was never able to win a championship (even though he had Tyra Banks at her prime) , but we should thank him and wish C-Webb good luck.

I'm sorry, Chris Webber, your heart never was in San Francisco. You left it in Sacramento.

Lighthearted fun

Check out his myspace! The name is Bhi Bhiman and he believes, "God is a Warriors fan."
The full title of this masterpiece is "International Hater (God is a Warriors Fan)/I Hate Kobe a.k.a. Kobe Beef."

Stay tuned: "The City" Girl will be talking football! (Go 49ers!)

Us Against The World?

"It's unfortunate, in a situation like that, that we didn't get an opportunity to get a shot up," said Baron Davis, who had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. "You can't blame it all on the last play, but you can't blame it on our effort, either. I think both games, going down to the wire, they're good games."
- Canadian Press

This is what Baron did to Kobe. .

(AP Photo/George Nikitin)

but who is the real "dirty" team?

The Golden State Warriors are the epitome of passion in the NBA. After a split in a back-to-back , they are still able to be classy and respectful. Despite that terrible last call,throughout the game, The Warriors' made getting that W harder on themselves with their unfinished And1 crowd-pleasing plays and those missed free-throws.

Honorable mention: Al Harrington- rebounds 12
Dishonorable mention: Andris getting Al's disease of accumulating fouls.

Finally, Baron Davis is getting his groove back with 30 points , despite playing the entire game. Even though he was quiet in OT, Stephen Jackson scored 29 points and played the entire game as well.

But please, let's give a standing ovation to KELENNA AZUBUIKE. Special K (goldenstateofmind.com) is the reason the Warriors' had a fighting chance in this game. With his layup in the OT that gave the Warriors a good start and his hustle throughout the whole game and overtime, Buike is the water that quenched our undying thirst for a win, but his water wasn't enogh. I hate to say it but when Mickael Pietrus comes back, my boy Matt Barnes may become just another benchwarmer.

(AP Photo/George Nikitin)

Groupie Love (no golddiggers):
Monta Ellis
NBAE/Getty Images

From the official Golden State Warriors's website:

On tonight's game:
“With the team that we have, everybody’s gonna stay together and we’re gonna put this one behind us, learn from it, and keep moving forward. It was a terrific game, everybody got their money's worth, but they came out with the win.”

On the late foul call:
“They made the call, it’s over with, it’s done. We can’t do anything about it. We can sit here and talk about it all day but it still isn’t gonna matter, it isn’t gonna bring the game back, it’s over with.”

We love you , Monta. It's only been a week after the his brother's hospital scare, but his perseverance is still solid. And sexy as hell.

"Momma, there goes that man!"

I bet you all are thinking, "Which man is 'The City' Girl talking about?" Well you know that the Holy Trinity did their thing. (Disclaimer: In no way am I sacrilegious or trying to commit blasphemy, I am just a fan) But this win was another team win. Yeah, they nearly dropped it when they played like they were the no chemistry-Knicks, but no way in hell were the Warriors going to let their former selves lose them this game.

Now let's talk about the match-ups:
Jordan Farmar vs. Monta Ellis
Farmar, please, don't go to anymore L.A. hair salons; be a man and go to a barbershop. Second of all, even though you are improving, remember that you are playing last year and possibly this year's Most Improved Player.
Even though Farmar didn't reappear at all in the second half, "Baby Jesus" would struggle against the Fakers' Derek Fisher. So much that the lead the Dubz had created would disintegrate within 7 minutes in the 3rd quarter! By the 4th quarter, the Warriors were grasping to a 3pt lead, but leave it to the "Holy Ghost" to carry the Warriors' with the win in the "City of Angels."

Stephen Jackson vs. Kobe Bryant.
So , where do I even begin? After shooting that crazy ass 3 instead of driving, which I still haven't accepted as a daily occurrence, I thought "The Messiah" would have to save us. With Kobe Bryant finally lighting up in the second half and actually hearing the Staples Center crowd actually being a true audience (no disrespect), I thought the Dubz would lose composure. Then Jax and Kobe would give the people what they want with a shootout with back-to-back threes, but Jax having the last word. I'm surprised Kobe didn't fake an injury as he always does when the Fakers' aren't doing well (i.e. groin, finger). You know, Kobe's basic bitchassness

Groupie Love (no golddiggers):
Kelenna Azubuike

"Watch your biceps, Buike. -- Stephen Jackson"
(wwww.sportserver.co.uk)

I mean, Buike went from this ...

(BEN MARGOT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

to this! Check out his focus, his demeanor, and this time Kobe isn't moving.

(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

It is to be expected that the match-up of Los Lakers and Golden State Warriors will be mos def crazy , but let's hope for another "momma, there goes that man!" performance.

(206ent)

Rude awakening by Air France

Happy Easter Everyone!

Thanks to Air France, I woke up cranky because of a Warriors' report on the Mercury News website. After finally getting his game right , it is reported that Mickael Pietrus status' for tonight's game against Kobe and friends lies as "questionable." After sustaining a groin injury after Friday night's loss vs the back-on-track Rockets , Air France may be replaced by Al Harrington or Matt Barnes in tonight's starting line-up (Geoff Lepper).

On the bright side, or lack there of, the Fakers will be without Pau Gasol, who with the Memphis Grizzlies, gave the small Warriors a hard time in the paint during their January 11th meeting. Also, Andrew Bynum , is still sidelined because of his injury on his left-knee that has him out for two months but is seeking a return before the playoffs.

Will the Golden State Warriors' be able to capitalize without Mickael Pietrus, Chris Webber, and Austin Croschere? The Lakers are on top of the Western Conference after going 2-2 on their recent roadtrip which contained a win that ended the Utah Jazz 19-game home streak. The Golden State Warriors need to come out with a sense of urgency and need to play at a consistent high-level , but I know that I'm preaching to the choir.

Tonight's Match-Up
Stephen Jackson vs Kobe Bryant



Fun Match-Up
Monta Ellis vs Jordan Farmar

Let's Go Warriors!

** Update: Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Maverick has been carried into the locker room after a rough play. Possibly out for the game vs the Warriors on Sunday?

"Let's Get Physical"

There's 6-foot-9, 250-pound Bryan Davis, a sophomore who is eager to guard UCLA freshman Kevin Love because, he said, "I just like to get physical."
L.A. Times

After a day of great coverage, especially Duke's early exit due to power-rebounding by West Virginia and the close game between Stanford and Marquette but they did save the best for last: UCLA vs Texas A&M.
Why? Well Kevin Love is a NCAA Tournament virgin so everyone wanted to see if he could handle it. In the first half, it was basic Bruin basketball. Despite an equal beginning between the Bruins and Aggies, UCLA began disintegrating while Texas A&M began making a run. Bruin basketball has a tendency to a dig hole for comebacks, much like another team I know. On the bright side, Darren Collison did not miss in the first half from 3-point range or the field, but Texas A&M we're still able to have a 6-point lead approaching halftime thanks to Donald Sloan, Bryan Davis and co. In the second half, Texas A&M would continue to dominate, but the UCLA defense would come into full effect at the right time. With Texas A&M's poor free-throw shooting, the Bruins would take over and Kevin Love would give the game it's first tie in the second half with 3:03 left in the game. Love would continue to give the Bruins their first lead with another fadeaway jumper, but Joseph Jones and Donald Sloan would continue to carry A&M. In the end, the first-half hero, Darren Collison, would come through with layup to give the Bruins a 2pt lead before Texas A&M used their last 30-second timeout. The end... there aren't words good enough for this ending:

UCLA's Russell Westbrook, left, and Darren Collison celebrate after UCLA beat Texas A&M 53-49 during their second round basketball game at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday, March 22, 2008 in Anaheim, Calif.
(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Oh, and I would talk about Michael Beasley but I think the night should belong to Trevon Hughes.