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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors have made another move in hopes of finding a reliable backup to point guard Stephen Curry. The Warriors acquired Steve Blake from the Los Angeles Lakers for reserve guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks on Wednesday night, adding a veteran ball-handler to their beleaguered bench. Word of the deal started to spread just before the Warriors played in Sacramento and the Lakers hosted Houston, with the three players involved saying goodbye to teammates and coaches in the locker room. Both teams confirmed the trade before halftime of their games. "We think this just bolsters the bench and gives us some more options, some more weapons and a player when you give him the ball you know you can trust him," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said during intermission in Sacramento. "We just think it was a chance to improve our roster and that was our justification." The trade gives Golden State a savvy veteran off the bench without sacrificing any of its core players or moving into the leagues luxury tax. The Warriors used a $4 million trade exception they got in the deal with Denver that landed free agent Andre Iguodala last summer. The team is about $400,000 under the luxury tax, Myers said. The Warriors were hoping Blake would be uniform when they host Houston on Thursday night in Oakland. Blake, who is making $4 million in the final year of his contract, averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 assists while starting all 27 games he played for the injury-depleted Lakers this season. The Warriors are counting on the 33-year-old veteran to improve a bench that has been searching for a solid ball-handler since Jarrett Jack left for Cleveland in free agency last summer. The Warriors acquired Jordan Crawford and Brooks from Boston in a three-team trade on Jan. 15. Golden State sent struggling backup Toney Douglas to Miami in that deal. Crawford has been, at times, a prolific scorer but is still learning how to be a better distributor and playmaker on a Warriors team that has plenty of shooters. He entered Wednesday averaging 6.3 points and 2.2 assists in his first 13 games with the Warriors after starting for the Celtics while Rajon Rondo was injured. "We like our core, and I think our core likes each other. I think its a core that can win," Myers said. "And our bench, for whatever reason, struggled early on. Anything we could do to fortify it, we tried to do without removing what we consider our core." The Lakers received some salary cap relief and a pair of young and unproven players in the deal. Brooks appeared in just seven games with the Warriors and never caught on in Mark Jacksons rotation. Bazemore, best known for his animated cheering on Golden States bench, also struggled in limited action the past two seasons. 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Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year.CHICAGO -- Justin Ruggianos two-out, two-run double broke a tie in the seventh inning, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. Starlin Castro had two RBIs and Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored. The Cubs had dropped four of five games before the win. Denard Span went 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs for the Nationals. Neither starter was involved in the decision. The Cubs Travis Wood gave up three runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings and was hurt most by five walks. Washingtons Doug Fister also allowed three runs on seven hits. Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez (1-1) got the win and Hector Rondon pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save. Cubs centre fielder Junior Lake had to leave in the second inning after crashing into a door in the outside wall at Wrigley Field chasing a drive by Ryan Zimmerman. The wall is not covered with ivy. The Cubs said Lake has shown no signs of a concussion and has some bruises, including one on his head. The Cubs opened the scoring with three runs in the fourth by bunching hits. Ruggianos lead-off grounder surprisingly was scored a hit when third baseman Anthony Rendon threw well wide of first. Rizzo followed with a double. Castro, who took over the team lead in RBIs on Wednesday, added to his total with a two-run single. One out later, Welington Castillo singgled to drive in Castro.dddddddddddd Washington finally pushed across a run in the sixth. Span led off with a double and Rendon immediately drove him in with a single. It appeared the lead was about to shrink further after Wood walked Jayson Werth. But Wood got Adam LaRoche to ground into a double play. Following another walk, he struck out Ian Desmond to end the inning. Wood wouldnt be so fortunate in the seventh. He started the inning with back-to-back walks and, following a sacrifice bunt, two runs scored on a double by Span to tie the score at 3. The Cubs staged their rally in the bottom of the inning and took the 5-3 lead on Ruggianos double off reliever Craig Stammen (0-3). NOTES: Nats OF Bryce Harper (torn ligament left thumb) is on a rehab assignment at Double A Harrisburg and could be activated Monday if all goes well. "When he comes back we want him to feel good at the plate, feel good in the field and have his legs underneath him full go," manager Matt Williams said. "We dont know how the next three or four days will go, but hes well on his way." . Cubs manager Rick Renteria said he wont start catcher Castillo (rib cage inflammation) every day initially now that hes back from the DL. ... The Nats activated C Wilson Ramos (strained right hamstring). . RHP Tanner Roark (7-4) faces Jason Hammel (6-5) in the second game of the four-game series. ' ' '