A true Strength in Numbers performance was spearheaded by the Core 4 dominating this game in what may be the final Western Conference playoff game played in Oakland
The Golden State Warriors overcame a 15 point halftime deficit to defeat the game Portland Trailblazers, 114-111. The champs activated their defensive force in the second half, limiting the Blazers to 46 points.
Steph Curry exploded for 37 points, while his fellow Splash Bro Klay Thompson poured on 24 of his own. Draymond Green looked like a max contract player with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks. Andre Iguodala ended the game with a monster strip of Damian Lillard.
Lillard led Portland with 23 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the field, while C.J. McCollum added 22 on 9-of-23 shooting. Seth Curry showed he might be a star in the making, scoring 16 points and punishing the Warriors whenever they left him open.
First Half
The Blazers clearly had enough of being clowned by the NBA world for their Game 1 performance, and came out tonight on a mission. They gave supreme effort on the defensive end, chasing the Warriors shooters around picks, and forcing them off of the line.
The champs seemed to be a bit surprised by the newfound defensive pressure, and coughed up 10 turnovers in the first two quarters. Seth Curry grabbed three steals, including two from his big brother Steph.
Those turnovers helped the Blazers get their confidence on the offense end, where they began bombing away. Portland finished with an 11-3 advantage on made three-pointers in the fist half.
McCollum and Lillard combined for six of the triples.
Blazers 65, Warriors 50
Second Half
The Warriors used a 13-0 run to immediately get back in the game. The difference? Kevon Looney started the second half at center instad of Andrew Bogut. The defensive traps on McCollum and Lillard cranked up Oracle’s energy,and the Blazers struggled to weather the storm. The champs REFUSED to let Lillard loose, even though he fought back vigorously.
Meanwhile, the Splash Bros got to splashin’.
The Dubs outscored the Blazers 39-24 in the third quarter, sending the game into the fourth quarter tied at 89 all.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr started both halves with a Shaun Livingston-Quinn Cook, Jonas Jerebko-Jordan Bell-Thompson lineup. They bought Kerr some restful minutes for his big guns, but trailed 97-94 with 8:04.
The Curry brothers took over the fourth quarter in an entertaining “game within the game” battle. Both of them kept drilling monster shots. It came down to the final possession with the Warriors up three and the ball in Lillard’s hands. WAS IT GONNA BE DAME TIME?
Absolutely not. They forgot about Dre.