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[Moon-Man]

Golden State 104, Philadelphia 90



OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- Mike Dunleavy Jr. couldn't have had better timing for the best game of his career.

The hot-shooting Dunleavy had career highs of 32 points and 11 rebounds, leading the shorthanded Golden State Warriors to a 104-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

A second-year forward taken third overall in the 2002 draft, Dunleavy is coming off a disappointing rookie season. When the Warriors traded leading scorer Antawn Jamison in the offseason, it opened the 3-spot for Dunleavy, who was expected to fill the scoring void.

"I think it's going to be important for me to come out every night and bring something to the table, whether it be points, rebounds or assists," Dunleavy said. "I just want to help this team win. I'm just going to try to bring something positive."

Dunleavy was just 6-of-18 from the field in Golden State's season-opening loss to Dallas on Wednesday but bounced back by making 11-of-15 shots. His first career double-double also was the first 30-10 game by a Warrior since Jamison on April 6 vs. Denver.

Dunleavy scored 21 points in the first half, neutralizing some hot shooting by the 76ers and giving the Warriors the lead for good.

"I missed so many (shots) last game, I don't think I have ever shot so many shots between games in my life," Dunleavy said. "I did not want to come out and miss the open looks that I had again. I think that I did a pretty good job of knocking them down tonight."

"He's improving, and he's a very skilled player. It didn't surprise us," Sixers coach Randy Ayers said. "I think we saw that on the tape, but he got it going and they did a good job of finding him."

Golden State needed a big performance as it was without guards Jason Richardson (suspension) and Nick Van Exel (injury) and forward Troy Murphy (injury). Forwards Adonal Foyle , Popeye Jones and Dan Langhi also were limited by injuries to a combined six minutes, leaving the Warriors with seven healthy players.

"I don't think anyone expected us to win the game tonight with a limited roster," Warriors coach Eric Musselman said. "Some of the guys who were suited up should not have even been suited up."

Dunleavy wasn't the only Warrior with a sweet stroke. Calbert Cheaney scored 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting and former Sixer Speedy Claxton added 17, making 7-of-11 shots.

Golden State shot a sizzling 59 percent (41-of-69) from the field, the best it has shot in any game since December 22, 1995.

"We have some good shooters on our team," Claxton said. "Once we get our shots in our comfort zone, we knock most of them down."

Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie scored 19 points apiece for the Sixers, who hit 10-of-19 3-pointers but relied too much on the perimeter shot and didn't defend very well. They shot just 11 free throws and were outrebounded, 36-25.

"We're just not good defensively right now," Iverson said. "There's not a whole bunch to that. That's not like a Sixer team. We gotta be better defensively."

After missing all seven 3-pointers Friday in Sacramento, Philadelphia made four in the first quarter and grabbed a 27-25 lead. But a basket by Cheaney - who played all 48 minutes - gave Golden State the lead for good at 29-27 early in the second quarter.

Dunleavy's big first half helped the Warriors take a 55-47 lead. McKie thought the Sixers made things easier for him.

"Anytime you allow a young player to make shots early, you're just giving him more confidence," McKie said. "So once he got going and you get a few layups, things just start to open up for you."

A 3-pointer by Dunleavy made it 60-48 before the Sixers crept back in it. A basket by Iverson cut the deficit to 74-69 with 2:45 left in the third quarter, but Philadelphia did not score again in the period and trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter.

Golden State led by at least six points in the final period, when Erick Dampier scored six of his 13 points and Cheaney and Claxton beat the shot clock with long jumpers.

"They did a good job," Iverson said. "We had a lot of times where we had them at the shot clock going down, they threw up wild shots and they went in, long threes."

Clifford Robinson scored 12 points and Brian Cardinal added eight for the Warriors, who have won the last three meetings between the clubs.

Eric Snow scored 17 points and Derrick Coleman added 13 for the Sixers, who shot 47 percent (37-of-79). Philadelphia again played without forward Glenn Robinson , who returns from his three-game NBA suspension Monday at Portland.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/recaps/2003/11/01/16106_recap.html