ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — Two nights after taking care of business against the Knicks, the Golden State Warriors (23-4) were home again to face the Portland Trail Blazers (13-15).
The Warriors welcomed back Zaza Pachulia to the starting lineup after recovering from a right wrist contusion. Also returning to action was David West (hip contusion). Head coach Steve Kerr placed Damian Jones and Anderson Varejao on the inactive list.
The Blazers were without Al-Farouq Aminu (back contusion) and Festus Ezeli (left knee surgery).
Q1: Splash & Jam
Stephen Curry broke out of his three-point “slump” (?) early on, getting three splashes from the left side, all assisted by Draymond Green.
Kevin Durant also drained one from distance, from the top to open the game, assisted by Curry, then KD added a long-armed reverse from the right baseline, made a bad pass that was easily stolen by Mason Plumlee, but made a deadly jab step against the iso’ed C.J. McCollum on the left side and knifed into the lane for a jam:
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Blazers head coach Terry Stotts called a timeout as the Warriors took an early 20-12 lead with 7:05 remaining.
After the timeout, Pachulia got an offensive board, but couldn’t convert on a repost inside, but Durant eventually led Klay Thompson with a beautiful lead pass that led to a hoop and the harm. Thompson, however, missed the free throw.
Curry missed three-point curl on a catch from the left wing, but Damian Lillard couldn’t get anything going, missing a runner over Green, and Draymond got his fourth assist of the night finding Steph on a cut for another “and-one”.
With 3:21 to play, the Warriors stretched their lead to 27-15.
Closing out the quarter, David West hit a jumper, KD found Ian Clark for a long two, then a three from the left wing fed by Patrick McCaw.
Lillard couldn’t hit again on a pull-up, hitting back-iron, Durant scored on the ensuing fast break, then after McCollum made a nice lefty scoop on a drive down the left side, Durant canned a stop-and-pop with 3.9 seconds to go, giving the Warriors a 39-21 lead after the opening period.
Q2: KD Hammerin’
Clark stayed hot at the start of the second stanza, draining a three, then cutting and scoring a layup on a feed by West.
Durant also fed West on a cut, Andre Iguodala splashed a catch from Clark beyond the arc, and Shaun Livingston got a one-hander to drop over Allen Crabbe.
After that, Iguodala probed with a dribble from the left corner, flipped the ball to KD, and Durant sliced inside again for yet another hammer:
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Stotts called another timeout as the Warriors burst ahead, 53-30, with 7:46 left.
Lillard finally showed a pulse, getting a lefty drive and drawing a rare five-second back-in “Charles Barkley rule” call while playing post defense isolated against Green, then made a “hesi” move to go inside and draw this and-one:
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That made it Golden State 62, Portland 37, with 1:57 to play.
Kerr inserted the “Death Lineup” with 3:31 remaining, but Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Durant, and Green couldn’t quite take advantage, although KD got a pull-up on a crossover easily over Plumlee and later drew a foul on Crabbe, who helped while McCollum was posted up on.
“Death Lineup” ended up evening up from 62-37 to 70-45 as Iguodala got a dunk fed by Draymond at the top as Klay misdirected the Blazers on a curl. Maurice Harkless, however, answered with a three at the buzzer from the right arc over Iguodala.
Golden State took a 70-45 lead into halftime. Durant led all scorers with 21 points on 7-for-8 field. Curry had 13 points on 3-for-5 downtown, Thompson chipped in 11, and Clark had 10 points off the bench on a perfect 4-for-4.
Side note: Iguodala clowned Klay on one of his three missed threes in which he may have traveled on the up-fake:
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Harkless led the Blazers with 12 points.
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(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @fadelahbenway)
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