"I'm still trying to figure out what's considered a foul and what's not a foul"...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span id="default"><span id="CCT_Article">PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Warriors returned Wednesday to the scene of one of their greatest triumphs from last season. Golden State coach Don Nelson and his players had danced like madmen at center court of the Rose Garden after the season finale, a 22-point victory against the Trail Blazers that clinched the Warriors' first playoff spot since 1994.

This time, there was no cavorting on the Warriors' part. Making do without Monta Ellis on the second half of a back-to-back, Golden State was unable to cope with what it perceived as 8-on-5 basketball -- fighting not only the Trail Blazers but also the three-man officiating crew.</p>

After a third-quarter burst, a disjointed and disappointed Golden State team fell apart in a 105-95 defeat. There could hardly be a worse springboard for the Warriors (12-10) to have heading into Friday, when the Los Angeles Lakers visit and try to extend their personal winning streak over Golden State to 10 straight games.</p>

"Well, we were beaten by a better team tonight," Nelson said. "I don't think we played well enough to win, and they did."</p>

Portland became the second team this month to have three players crack the 20-point barrier against the Warriors' improved defense. Star guard Brandon Roy had 21 points, while reserve forward Travis Outlaw put down a team-high 22 points and gunner James Jones punched out four treys and 21 points off the bench.</p>

<span id="default"><span id="CCT_Article"> But it was the work of referees Bennie Adams, Matt Boland and Dan Crawford that drew the most </span></span><span id="default"><span id="CCT_Article">ire in Golden State's locker room after the Trail Blazers shot 30 free throws to the Warriors' 13.

"I'm still trying to figure out what's considered a foul and what's not a foul," said Warriors captain Stephen Jackson, who fouled out in the fourth quarter. "I need to read the players' manual. I'm confused right now."</p>

In sharp contrast to the raucous coronation that took place in April, Wednesday was an aggravating, frustrating slog for the Warriors, and it showed in the obvious unhappiness of Jackson and Baron Davis.</p>

Davis, feeling unjustly fouled by Sergio Rodriguez as they chased down a loose ball in the second quarter, angrily flipped the ball in what appeared to be Rodriguez's direction, then wouldn't accept the Spaniard's handshake.</p>

Jackson was called for a technical foul with 4 minutes left in the third quarter at the end of a sequence that began with Joel Przybilla ripping a rebound away from Andris Biedrins. Jackson then grabbed hold of Przybilla's jersey before hacking him with both arms, at which point Crawford hit Jackson with his second technical of the season.</p>

"These days when I get techs, I don't know if I did something or not," Jackson said. "(It's) based on how people perceive me, so I don't even pay it no attention, man."</p>

Davis finished with 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and Matt Barnes added 15 points and 12 rebounds. But only two other Warriors reached double figures in points -- Kelenna Azubuike added 12 and Troy Hudson had another 10 -- as Golden State was held to 40.2 percent on its shot attempts.</p>

That number stemmed partially from the Trail Blazers' effective zone coverage. But was rooted in a change in tactics borne from dissatisfaction with the refereeing, which made the Warriors feel there was no great reward for running headlong into the teeth of Portland's defense.</p>

"We go to the paint, get smacked -- nothing," Barnes said. "Once we stopped going to the hole because we weren't getting any calls, we started settling for jump shots, and that really hurt us."</p>

Meanwhile, Jackson, who hadn't scored less than 15 points in any of his 15 earlier appearances, provided nine points on 3-for-15 shooting, 0-for-7 on 3-pointers.</p>

"When you are a scorer and you're trying to get into your rhythm when you drive and try to make a play at the basket and you don't get a call, that can throw you out of your rhythm," Jackson said.</p>

The Warriors trailed by five points at halftime but erased that deficit by scoring on eight of their first nine third-quarter possessions.</p>

But Portland was soon having its way with the Warriors defense. The Trail Blazers missed only three of 14 shots from the field in the third quarter, and Roy was the catalyst, scoring 11 points and adding four assists.</p>

The Warriors were behind by eight to open the fourth quarter and got no closer, even though Nelson tried everybody he could think of, going so far as to unearth Marco Belinelli and DJ Mbenga off the bench.</p>

None of it made a difference, as the Warriors couldn't come up with stops -- or at least not ones that didn't get negated by a whistle.</div></p>

Source: Contra Costa Times</p>

</p>
</span></span></p>
</span></span></p>