WARRIORS

Warriors Bounce Back With Blowout Win Over Lakers

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The Lakers were historic in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Warriors. With Anthony Davis becoming the first Laker to drop a 30-20 since Shaq, the Lakers pulled off a 117-112 victory. The Lakers once again made a statement as they took the lead on yet another higher seed. LeBron and co had already seen off the two-seed Grizzlies.

That left the Warriors in a hole, and with a lot of soul-searching to do. They had played well, putting up 21 threes, but they had let the Lakers slip by them. They needed to lock it down on the backcourt while keeping their volume shooting high. But most importantly, they couldn’t fall to 0-2. Not again.

Warriors Rout Lakers By 27

While the Warriors didn’t make history with their three-point shooting like in Game 1, it was a key to their victory. Behind Steph and Klay, Golden State shot 21-42 from three. That was combined with holding the Lakers to just 10 makes from beyond the arc. In total, the Splash Brothers combined for 50 points with Klay Thompson leading all scorers with 30 points. The Warriors’ defensive efforts were also crucial, putting up 42 defensive rebounds. Overall, Golden State out-rebounded the Lakers by 15. They also won despite the decision to bench Kevin Looney in favor of Jamychal Green to start the game. However, the small-ball approach worked, with Green putting up 15 points in 13 minutes.

The Lakers’ attempt to go up 2-0 was led by LeBron and Rui Hachimura. LeBron had a team-high 23 points, while Hachimura added 20 from the bench. Anthony Davis was not able to replicate his Game 1 performance, putting up just 11 points in 33 minutes. The other Lakers starters, Jarred Vanderbilt and Austin Reaves, combined for 13 points. Now it’s the Lakers’ turn to be on the back foot, striving to find answers on how to bounce back. With the Warriors as deadly as ever from the three-point range, perimeter defense is a must for the Lakers. The Warriors can’t be allowed to make 21 threes, let alone attempt 42. The series heads to LA for May 6’s Game 3. Be sure to make HotNewHipHop your go-to place for all the latest sports news.

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Lakers Put Up Historic Performance To Top Warriors

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After dominating the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers had made their intentions clear. They may be the seven-seed, but they are no underdog. Meanwhile, the Warriors overcame an 0-2 deficit to top the Sacramento Kings in the first round. After Draymond Green’s mid-series suspension, the Warriors came alive. Behind Steph, Klay, and their deep supporting cast, they flashed their potential once again.

Those two series victories set up an all-star, all-California second-round series. However, despite the tantalizing premise of LeBron versus Steph, the two teams have surprisingly little playoff history. This 2023 series is just the eighth playoff matchup between the Lakers and Warriors. Furthermore, it is the first time they have met in the playoffs since 1991. Heading into Tuesday’s Game 1, the Lakers led the Warriors 24-11 in playoff matches.

Lakers Prevail in High-Scoring, Historic Matchup

The Lakers came into this matchup knowing that if they wanted to stand any chance of winning, they needed to lock down on defense. Specifically, they needed to defend the perimeter in a way they hadn’t against the Grizzlies. They would also need to dominate the backcourt paint to ensure Steph and Klay didn’t spend the whole night being fed second chances. In this regard, they absolutely succeeded. Anthony Davis pulled down 19 defensive rebounds on a 23-rebound night. He also recorded the first 30-20 game by a Laker since Shaq. LeBron also put up a double-double, with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

However, the Warriors never let the Lakers run away with the game. Despite increased perimeter defense, Golden State made some history of their own. Steph, Klay, and Jordan Poole became the first trio in NBA playoff history to all make at least six threes in a game. In fact, with 9.1 seconds remaining, Poole had the chance to tie the game at 115. However, his three-point attempt from 28 feet out didn’t sink and the Lakers held on for a 117-112 win. This was just the tenth loss the Warriors had suffered at home this season. Despite the disappointment, they have shown that they can keep pace with the Lakers. The series will resume on Thursday.

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50 Cent Distraut On IG After Warriors Beat Kings

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50 Cent voiced his disappointment in the Sacramento Kings on Instagram, Sunday, after the team fell 120-100 to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of their first-round series. During the game, Steph Curry dropped 50 points to set an NBA record for the most scored in Game 7 of a playoff series.

“This is me after saying Sacramento Kings could beat Golden State,” 50 captioned a photo of himself in a hospital bed. “@stephencurry30 went off the man dropped 50.” One fan in the comments advised 50, “Never bet against Steph.” Another wrote, “That boy Steph is different.”

50 Cent At Game 1 Of The Kings-Warriors Series

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 15: 50 Cent stands on the court after the Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game One of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at the Golden 1 Center on April 15, 2023 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

Curry finished shooting 20-of-38, including 7-18 from three-point range. He also added 8 rebounds and 6 assists. With the victory, the Warriors advance to the second round to take on the Los Angeles Lakers. “We’re defying the odds by still playing at this high of a level,” Curry said. “I know everybody wants to see you fail. That’s kind of the nature of where we’re at right now. We love when we still prove a lot of people wrong. It’s part of our vibe now.”

Of the matchup, Warriors forward Draymond Green described playing LeBron James again as “epic.” “It’s going to be epic,” Green said. “You got Steph, you got Bron doing it all over again.” He added: “But … stop trying to turn the page on us so fast. Stop trying to turn the page on Bron. We get so caught up in what’s the next thing, we don’t appreciate the current. Then you get to the next thing and you’re looking back, like, ‘Man, I wish we still had that. I wish we could still see this.’” The Warriors have played James four times in the NBA Finals over the past eight seasons. Game 1 of the Warriors-Lakers series will tip-off on Tuesday at 10:00 PM, ET.

50 Reacts To The Kings Loss

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Warriors Take Series Lead Versus Kings

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Ten days ago, the Sacramento Kings had the Golden State Warriors on the ropes. The Kings led 2-0 in their first-round playoff series and the stacked Warriors looked lost. And then Draymond Green was suspended. It was arguably a deserved suspension, given the brutal stomp he gave Domantas Sabonis. However, it changed something in the Warriors. The team admitted as much, but the results soon became clear on the court as well.

The Warriors crushed the Kings 114-97 in their Green-less Game 3. Then they managed to hold onto a late lead to take Game 4 126-125. All of a sudden, the series was tied at 2 as things headed back to Sacramento. The Kings had lost just 18 games at home while the Warriors had won just 11 games on the road during the regular season. It was the perfect opportunity for the Kings to right the ship.

Warriors Dominate Game 5 To Set Up Potential Home Clinch

Game 5 was yet another high-scoring affair. The two California teams combined for 116 points by the half. However, the Warriors never let go of the reins and took a seven-point win. Steph Curry led all scorers with 31 points, with Splash Brother Klay Thompson also putting up 25. That said, the pair were cold from three, going a combined 7-21 from beyond the arc. The Warriors also got big performances from Andrew Wiggins (20 points) and Draymond Green (21 points).

The Kings did what they could, but ultimately couldn’t outshoot the Warriors. De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 24 points, followed by Sabonis and Malik Monk with 21 apiece. However, outside of Monk, the Kings’ bench contributed just 18 points. Now having lost three in a row, the Kings need to find a solution, and fast. The Warriors have gotten better and better with each playoff game, and now resemble the team we have always expected from them. The win sends the series back to the Chase Center, which is bad news for the Kings. The Warriors lost just eight games at home during the regular season. The Chase Center is well and truly their fortress. Do you think the Warriors win at home? Or will the Kings force Game 7 back in Sacramento?

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50 Cent Hopes To Avoid Getting Treated Like E-40

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50 Cent is a massive basketball fan who is a fan of numerous teams at this point. Overall, he seems to support the teams that carry his Sire Spirits brand. For instance, he loves the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and even the Sacramento Kings. Although two of these teams are in the postseason, he is putting his weight behind the Kings. This seems like a good idea when you consider how the Kings have been the better team and by a very wide margin.

In fact, the Kings are currently up 2-0 on the Golden State Warriors. Subsequently, they are expected to win the series. However, this has not come without any controversy. In Game 1, Warriors superfan and legendary rapper E-40 was kicked out of the arena by Kings security. This then led to accusations of racial bias against the Sacramento organization. Consequently, there has been a lot of talk about the security practices at these games Now, 50 Cent is taking notice, and is taking it all in consideration.

50 Cent Speaks

In the Instagram post above, Fif noted that he is likely not going to attend Game 3 in San Francisco. Although he was at the first two games, the potential to be treated as E-40 did proves to be a bit of a deterrent. “I was thinking about jumping on this jet to the Bay Area for game 3 but the KINGS kicked E40 out, They might want to kick 50 out the Chase center. LOL,” 50 Cent said. However, it should be noted that the Chase Center seems to be a lot more tolerant of opposing fans. Regardless, it is easy to see why Fif feels this way.

Besides, this series might be over already. Draymond Green was recently suspended for his stomp on Domantas Sabonis. This is a huge loss for the Warriors, and it may just be too much for them to overcome. If the Kings can go up 3-0, then surely, this season is over for the defending champs. Be sure to keep it locked to HNHH for the latest news from around the NBA world. We will always keep you informed.

E-40 Claims “Racial Bias” After Being Kicked Out Of Warriors-Kings Game

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E-40 says a “racial bias” was the cause of his ejection from the Warriors’ game against the Kings, Saturday night. The legendary Bay Area rapper addressed the incident in a statement shared on Sunday morning. The Kings ended up taking Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup with a 126-123 win over the Warriors.

“On Saturday night, I was subjected to disrespectful heckling over the course of the Warriors-Kings game in Sacramento,” E-40 said in a statement. “During the fourth quarter, I finally turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner. Yet, shortly thereafter, Kings’ security approached me, assumed that I instigated the encounter and proceeded to kick me out of the arena.”

Security Escorts E-40 Out Of The Arena

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 15: Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., known as the rapper E-40, yells at arena security personnel before being escorted from courtside seating during Game One of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on April 15, 2023 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

E-40 further alleged that a “racial bias” played a role in his ejection. He called on the Kings’ organization to investigate the “appalling conduct that transpired.” “Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent. Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault. I’ve attended countless NBA games throughout my life and have always prided myself in my professionalism, so this experience has been jarring. I was absolutely humiliated by the Kings’ security team and I’m calling on the franchise to investigate the appalling conduct that transpired.”

Mercury News reports an eyewitness at the arena saw a female Kings fan repeatedly yell at E-40 throughout the game. Eventually, things heated up between the two and they used profanity, resulting in security tossing the rapper out. The Warriors will take on the Kings again on Monday at 10:00 PM, ET. They’ll then return to their home arena later in the week for games three and four.

Video Of The Incident

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Andrew Wiggins Situation Gets An Update From Anonymous Warriors Player

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Andrew Wiggins has been through a lot with the Golden State Warriors. Following his vaccine status last season, now Wiggins is dealing with personal family matters. So far, the situation has been tight-knit, but the Golden State Small Foward has missed 13 games in a row. Others within the organization have spoken out about Wiggins and the real situations he has been going through.  It was confirmed by an anonymous player who described it as “some real s**t” in a recent report from The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II.

Steph Curry spoke out on Andrew Wiggins’ absence, Curry was well respective of Wiggins, by not giving out specific details about his situation or a timeline for a return date for the 28-year-old star player. “Friend to friend, teammate to teammate. Just sending him support. This is a tough situation in terms of him being away for so long but necessary. Life is bigger than basketball. Whatever he and his family are going through, that’s all that matters. … I’m sure he’s missing the vibe and being with us, and we miss him too,” said Curry.

The Andrew Wiggins Absence

Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Chase Center on February 13, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Warriors are in need of an extra boost on the defensive end of the floor. Without Wiggins, the Warriors may not be themselves, but the team understands the difficulties of life. “If we’re fine with it,” one player said, “and the people who pay him understand, then so should everyone else.” Still, teammates and coaches are hopeful for Wiggins to return this season. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr indicated that Andrew Wiggins’ return this season is not guaranteed.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters before Golden State’s 125-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at Chase Center that the team is hopeful Wiggins can return but will continue to give him space and did not provide any further update. “Life is bigger than Basketball” has been the theme in the Warriors locker room. One thing for sure is that Andrew Wiggins has the support from not only his teammates but his coaching staff all the way to the leaders at the top of the Warriors organization.

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