Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/767133
ByLarryLage TheAssociatedPress AUBURN HILLS, MICH. Draymond Green made a tiebreaking dunk with 1:31 left and Kevin Durant scored 32 points despite playing in foul trouble, lifting the Golden State Warriors to a 119-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Fri- day night. The NBA-leading Warriors have won seven straight, rolling with their new star, Durant, as they head into their Christmas NBA Finals rematch in Cleveland. The Pistons have lost five in a row. Golden State had a season-high 23 turnovers, surpassing the 20 it had in a 20-point loss Nov. 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers, and Detroit took advantage of them to score 33 points. Stephen Curry had 25 points and eight assists, Klay Thompson scored 17 points, including two on a lead-padding jumper with 22 seconds to go, and reserve JaVale McGee added 15. Detroit's Tobias Harris scored a season-high 26 points in his first game this season off the bench. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 25 points, Reggie Jackson scored 17 and Andre Drummond had 15 points and nine rebounds. NBA WARRIORS DEFEAT PISTONS ON ROAD Durant scores 32 points despite playing in foul trouble for Golden State PHOTOSBYCARLOSOSORIO—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts a er a dunk during the second half Friday against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Mich. Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant is congratulated a er a shot during the second half Friday against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Mich. WARRIORS119,PISTONS113 Up next: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers, 11:30a.m. on Sunday, TV on ABC. THESCORE BEN MARGOT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE The Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant, le , speaks with Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of an Oct. 4 preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers. By Janie McCauley The Associated Press OAKLAND As shootaround wrapped up one morning last weekend, once Stephen Curry had concluded his methodical session flicking jumpers from every spot on the same practice court he always uses, Kevin Durant took a pass from the MVP's main re- bounding man, Bruce Fraser, and let fly an extra-long 3-pointer from the right wing. Swish, Steph-style. When Curry recently hosted 14 children and their families through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and handed out shoes and bags, Durant did his part: He walked up and intro- duced himself to all the visitors, too, with plenty of high-fives. For everyone who questioned whether Curry and Durant could coexist and put their egos aside for the greater good — a championship chase, of course — the Golden State Warriors are a couple of months into the season and the two superstars are thriving together, feeding off one another and cherishing the chance to create spectacular plays night after night with arguably the best team in the NBA. As far as their on-court chemistry, it's obvious to anyone who watches they're having a blast. And, "they learn a lot from each other. ... They've had plenty of discussions talking to each other trying to help each other out on the floor," teammate Ian Clark said. Each guy mentions experiencing "wow" moments playing alongside the other for a team regularly reach- ing 30 assists. Golden State has even posted a handful of 40-assist perfor- mances. "Most definitely," Durant said. "The way he shoots the basketball coming off of curls, off the dribble, off the catch, guys flying at him, it's amazing to see. When he shoots the ball I think every shot's going in. I won't say that about a lot of people. But it's still the wow factor when I'm playing with him and Klay (Thomp- NBA Superstarsthrivingtogether Curry, Durant have both developed chemistry on Warriors so far this year Saturday: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, 1:25p.m., TV on FOX. TUNEIN By Cam Inman Bay Area News Group LOS ANGELES Rashard Robin- son's favorite game his rookie sea- son is surely the same one shared by all San Francisco 49ers. After all, it's the only one they've won: 28-0 over the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener. "The whole defense, we came alive and were together as one," Robinson said this week. Since then, the 49ers' defense has been dismantled and disor- ganized amid mounting injuries and a franchise-record, 13-game losing streak. Saturday's rematch with the Rams (3-10) won't showcase the same, shutout-caliber defense from Week 1. Instead, the 49ers are on pace to allow the fourth-most points in NFL history (496). Excluding the Week 1 shutout, they're giv- ing up 33.4 points per game, only slightly worse than their league- worst, 31.0 average for the whole season. Injuries have piled up and taken their toll on the game plans of Jim O'Neil, the 49ers' third de- fensive coordinator in three years. "It's drastically affected what we wanted," O'Neil said. "We've pretty much changed our whole identity in the run game from probably the first quarter of the season to what we are now." In the opener, O'Neil's defense limited Rams workhorse Todd Gurley to 47 rushing yards, with none of his 17 carries longer than a 10-yard burst. With two games to go, the 49ers already have set a record for most rushing yards allowed in a sea- son (2,568). They have allowed a 100-yard rusher in 11 of 13 losses, also yielding 22 touchdown runs, which is one more than their 2011- 13 playoff seasons combined. No injury impacted the defense and overall team more so than linebacker NaVorro Bowman's season-ending Achilles tear. The 49ers led the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 and were poised to even their record at 2-2. On the next snap, Ezekiel El- liott ran 22 yards to spark a go- ahead touchdown run for the Cowboys — and a go-get-lost sea- son for the 49ers. "We've been decimated obvi- ously at the inside backer posi- tion, which is difficult because the inside backer position is the bridge from the D-Line to the sec- ondary," O'Neil said. "They're so actively involved in everything that takes place in the run game, and they're so actively involved with everything that takes place in the pass game, and they're the guys that run everything." With Bowman and Ray-Ray Armstrong on injured reserve, the 49ers' lack of linebacker depth reared its ugly head last Sunday. Gerald Hodges didn't dress be- NFL 49ers' 'D' won't be shutout caliber The Associated Press OAKLAND Cuban right-hander Norge Ruiz agreed to a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics that includes a $2 mil- lion signing bonus. The team announced its deal with the 22-year-old on Friday. He spent three sea- sons pitching in Cuba's Serie Nacional and went 24-17 with a 2.55 ERA in 55 starts and five relief appearances. Ruiz's bonus is second-highest among the seven international amateurs the A's have acquired in the signing period that began July 2, behind Cuban left fielder Lazaro Ar- menteros' $3 million. In his first season of 2012, at age 18, Ruiz ranked sixth in the league with a 1.97 ERA while going 9-4 in 17 starts and four relief appearances for Sancti Spiritus and Cama- guey. He pitched for Holquin and Camaguey in 2013 and 2014. In the Dominican Winter League this year, Ruiz was 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA in three starts for Aguilas. BASEBALL Cuban pitcher Ruiz gets $2M bonus with A's FERNANDO LLANO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Cuban pitcher Norge Ruiz has agreed to a minor league contract with the Oakland A's. CHEMISTRY PAGE 2 49ERS PAGE 2 WARRIORS PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, December 24, 2016 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1