playoffs

Casey Holdahl

Greetings Trail Blazers fans. With the 2016 NBA Draft scheduled to take place on Thursday and the Trail Blazers recently making changes to their broadcast team, Joe Freeman, he of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net/TrailBlazers.com, felt like it was a good time to break our hiatus to record a new edition of the Rip City Report podcast, which you can listen to below...

In this edition we discuss the Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA Championship, talk to Kevin Calabro, fresh off of calling the deciding Game 7 of the NBA Sunday night, about taking over play-by-play duties for the Trail Blazers, discuss Portland's options going into the draft considering the team doesn't have a pick in either round and answer a host of your Twitter-submitted questions. Hopefully there's enough here to get you through until the next time we record, which probably won't be long.

You can find the Rip City Report on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Listen to it with your dad if you forgot to get him anything for Father's Day.

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Podcast: Rip City Report, Calabro And Pre-Draft Edition

A happy Friday the 13th to all of you loyal podcast listeners. Before everyone goes their separate ways now that the offseason is here, Joe Freeman, he of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net and TrailBlazers.com, hit the Moda Center studio one last time to record a season-ending edition of the Rip City Report podcast, which you can listen to below...

On this edition, we attempt recap the series versus the Warriors, which ended in five games with a 125-121 loss at Oracle Arena Wednesday night, and the season in general, discuss the lasting effects of the playoff run and the respect that they earned from around the league due to their performance and look forward to some of the questions the Blazers will have to answer in the offseason, particularly in regard to free agency. And as always, we finish up by answering your Twitter-submitted questions on topics such as the culture the Trail Blazers have developed, (more) free agency, exit interviews and favorite moments from the just-completed season. It's been a fun one.

You can find the Rip City Report on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Thanks to all of you who listened and left reviews this season.

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Podcast: Rip City Report, End Of Season Edition

Less than 12 hours after being eliminated from the postseason, the Trail Blazers returned to their practice facility in Tualatin to meet with the coaches to discuss offseason plans, clean out their lockers and take questions from the media one last time before starting their vacations.

Here's the audio and a few quotes from Terry Stotts and the players from today's exit interviews...

"Like I said last night, this has been a special season. This group of players, what they were able to do individually and collectively, our chemistry was really good. We had good guys, they got along, players and coaches. It means a lot and it goes both ways. It was a joy. I think players enjoyed coming to work every day and I know the coaches and staff did, too."

On whether this was his most rewarding season as a head coach...

"No question. This was an extremely rewarding season because it kind of played out the way we wanted it to. And we're not talking about the record or the playoffs, everything was about growth, improvement, getting better throughout the season and being better at the end of the season. I think we did that individually and collectively and from a coaching standpoint, that's as pure as it gets. That's what coaching is about. You don't get to experience that very much at the NBA level."

On whether he expects anyone on his staff to be interviewed for various open head coaching positions...

"I hope so. I can't say enough about how good my staff is. I think Jay Triano and Nate Tibbetts and David Vanterpool are all ready to be considering for head coaching jobs. I think they're all prepared to do a great job as a head coach depending on whatever a team is looking for. I hope they get consideration because they're all very deserving.

On many of his teammates deciding to stay in Portland during the offseason...

"That means a lot because I stay here every summer. I'm used to coming in here like 'I wonder when everybody else coming back to town,' you know what I mean? The trainers are here, the coaches are here and it's an empty gym. And even after the game last night, on the plane, I started getting worried already. I was sitting on the plane like 'Man, we had some success this year, it was unexpected it was no pressure. Next year people gonna expect a little bit more' and I started to get worried about too many pats on the back. 'They weren't supposed to do this but they did that.' I started getting worried, but we don't have those kind of guys. We've got hungry guys, we've got humble guys that work hard. We had a taste this season as a young group of how well we could do and what it takes. We lost to a really experienced, championship team. That makes me happy to hear that so many guys are going to be here working out in the summer because that lets me know that they see how close we are and they see how important it's going to be going forward."

On free agency and having a say in the process...

"I'm pretty sure they'll communicate what the plans are with me, but like I've said in the past, my job is to be a good teammate, to make sure I put in my time and become a better player and that's what I'll do. They ask me my opinion on something, I'll give them my honest opinion, but I love all the guys that we have on our roster now. I think going forward, if we continue to grow together, we'll be a good team. Obviously it's a business and rosters change, players make decisions for themselves, so when that time comes, we'll see what happens. But when they come to me ask for my opinion or what I think about something, I'll tell them what I think."

"Any pay raise is going to be significantly higher than what I’m making now. But like I said earlier, it’s just situation really for me. It doesn’t make sense to make a lot of money and go to a team that, if you don’t fit that system, then get paid a lot of money to be frustrated? That doesn’t make sense to me. The culture here, it’s great. I know this organization well, I know the system, know the coaches, players. It’s just real comfortable here. I wouldn’t mind being here, I really wouldn’t. It’s really just coming down to situation and how I can continue to improve as a basketball player."

"Definitely think he should get an extension. I feel like everybody here knows that he should get an extension. He’s done a great job with this team. It’s really hard to put into words what he did with this group because nobody expected us to do what we did. Even from Day One, even through the games where we were 11-20, seven-game losing streak, he never folded and he always told us it’s all about trusting the process and we stuck with that throughout this whole year."

On spending time in Portland this offseason...

"I think, for one, it doesn't rain a lot in the summer, so that helps. Just being around the facility, 24 hour access, you're able to get a lot of things done without a distraction. You go home, you go to certain cities, you either got to pay to get in the gym or you've got to worry about people interrupting you while you workout. I go back to my high school but sometimes I've got to just like lock the door so I can just workout and not have to worry about certain interruptions because you can't get through a full workout when people are coming in, talk to you. It's meant to be a compliment to you, it's hard. So I think it helps that here, you just come in, the doors are locked, you've got your finger scan, you workout when you want, the weather is nice. You're paying rent here anyway, so it makes sense."

On the camaraderie of the roster and the changes that might be in store...

"I think we had a really unique group. They did a great job of putting together like minds, young guys who are easy to talk to. Nobody is really arrogant or overly cocky. We've got some ignorant guys on the team that you guys guys know who's outlandish with his statements. I won't put him out there, he knows who he is. Besides that, we all got along well, everybody spoke their minds, nobody was afraid to say certain things. If somebody played bad, if somebody wasn't doing things the right way, you could address it and nobody would frown or look at you the wrong way. So I like the way our team is put together, I like the work ethic everybody had. This is one of the rare teams where you could hang out with players off the court. Everybody's got their friends, but I could hang out with any one of the 15 guys off the court and be perfectly comfortable, eat dinner, et cetera... We've got a really good unit and a lot of guys made themselves some money this year, a lot of guy's prices went up. Hopefully we can rekindle the flame, but if not, we had a good run, we had a good year together collectively and wish everybody the best of luck in the free agency process.

On how he's approaching restricted free agency...

"To be honest with you, I haven't had a real concrete conversation with my agent about this. I wanted it to be, right now, about my rehab and about supporting the guys, being there however I could, I guess more from an emotional standpoint, for the team. I certainly wish I could have been out there. With that being said, I'm sure we'll talk within the next couple of days about how we're going to really approach this, the timing of things, I suppose what teams are interested, what teams would maybe like to meet in person. I don't have a concrete plan at this point. Restricted free agency, it gets a little hairy, it takes time, teams maybe don't want to tie their money up. I honestly don't know all the ins and outs of it. Like I said before the season when I didn't accept an extension, I'm confident in where I'm at. It's my agent's job to present whatever he has on his mind and what's on my plate from that side of things. My job right now is simply to rehab my shoulder, continue to work on my leg strength, which is a huge focus of mine for this summer, and just figure out different way in the weight room or out here, even simple things as ball handling, just trying to improve as a player and as a man."

On why he's going to spend much of the offseason in Portland...

"I'm coming back to Portland just because went through all that rain, got to enjoy some of the sun. I like it here. I'm renting a spot, so I'm just going to stay here. I like Todd (Forcier) and BK (Ben Kenyon) and those guys, so definitely going to put a lot of work in in the weight room. It's always good vibes here so I don't think guys want to get away. Some teams, you want to get away just because you don't like certain people. It's not like that here. I enjoyed being here so that's why I'm going to stick around and do most of my training out here."

On the realities of keeping a roster with multiple free agents together...

"It's going to be tricky with all the salary cap stuff going on. I think a lot of the guys who are free agents definitely raised their value. I think everyone did. You never know. I hope all those guys get paid well, I think they will. They deserve it. You just never know with free agency, who they go after and things like that, but I hope everybody comes back, but that's not really realistic. It doesn't really work like that in the league. I just tried to enjoy that time yesterday because I've been around a little bit and I know how the business side of things work."

On his mindset going into the offseason...

"This summer is big for me, become more of a scoring threat. I think there's a lot to be added. I look forward, if the opportunity is there, to come back to have some stability from a staff perspective. I would look forward to coming back to a similar situation from one season to the next. I've played for three coaches in three years, so I think that would be something I'd look forward to as well... Once you've been traded, you never know."

"Free agency is something I haven't really thought about. I've tried not to think about it during the season and we just finished yesterday, so it hasn't really been on my mind yet. It's something that we'll have to think about soon."

I loved it. It was by far the most fun season I've had. These guys here are great, the organization is great. I really, really enjoyed it and looking forward to seeing what happens this summer."

"It's the most fun year I think I've had as a pro. We had a great group of guys, high character guys, silly guys and it was a fun year. That's without even being on the court. On the court, we had a special group. We came together halfway through, really made it a special year all the way until last night when we're playing against the champions, gave them all we had. Played a tough series, obviously it didn't end the way that we wanted it to, but it's a year we're all proud of."

His thoughts on entering free agency and what he's looking for...

This is my second time doing it and it'll be a little different than the first time. I think getting a taste of what this year and this postseason was like and how much fun, how competitive it is, I think, number one, being on a team that's a winning team. It's obviously tough to get on one of the elite elite teams, but that could be a possibility. That could easily be a possibility here. Being on a team that is about winning and that's a good fit for me.

On his first season with the Trail Blazers...

"It was an amazing journey of growth. We grew a lot throughout the season, personally and as a team. It was just fun to be a part of it."

How he looks back on the season in terms of enjoyment...

The season was great. Any time you have guys that are the same age, it just makes it a lot easier to get along. It's easy to have relatable points, different things like that. A lot of us are going through similar things in our careers so you get to relate on that note. When it came to comfortably in that sense, it was just unbelievable. And then I think that's why the chemistry was there as well. Even our vets and the older guys like Chris Kaman, they were a joy to be around as well. From top to bottom, everybody was kind of in that same wavelength of what they were trying to do. It just made it easy to get along.

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Trail Blazers Talk Season, Free Agency During Exit Interviews

OAKLAND -- Though they had every reason to do so, the 2015-16 Trail Blazers refused to give in to despair or doubt. Despite being picked as one of the worst teams in the NBA, they declared before training camp that their goal was to make the playoffs. When they were nine games below .500 before the start of the new year, they kept plugging along, never allowing themselves to take the easy road to the lottery.

When they eventually made the playoffs, they overcame a 2-0 deficit to advance to the second round for just the second time in 16 years. And after going down 2-0 to the defending champion Golden State Warriors, a team that set the NBA record for wins this season, they rallied to win Game Three, forcing at least a Game Five.

And in the end, the 2015-16 Trail Blazers died like they lived: by refusing to give up.

Though facing long odds of overcoming a 3-1 series deficit, the Trail Blazers gave a performance, both in terms of quality and effort, that typified their entire season, though it ultimately wouldn't be enough, as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to score 62 points to lead the Warriors to a 125-121 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 19,596 Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. With the win, the Warriors have eliminated the Trail Blazers from the postseason by winning the series 4-1.

"This was a remarkable season," said Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts. "I've been in the league coaching for 23 years, it was a special year. We had all young guys who got better. They worked hard. We had success. With success being more than just making the playoffs and the success is more than winning a playoff series."

Especially considering the circumstances at the start of the season. After replacing four of five starters and nine players in total, most assumed Portland's 2015-16 campaign would be one devoted to developing the young players they acquired in the offseason while and giving themselves the best odds to secure a lottery pick. But instead, they formed themselves into a tough, never-say-die team that took advantage of low expectations and a weaker than expected Western Conference to shock the NBA by not only making the postseason, but by getting the fifth-seed.

"The goal at the beginning of the season was that we were going to work with the players," said Stotts. "They were going to get better and we were going to get better as a team. I was talking with my coaches, a lot of times in this league, you don't get that opportunity to work with a group of guys who come to work every day, there is no drama. They came to work, they got better, we got better, and we had success because of their character and their work ethic every day. So I don't have to wait long to understand how special this season was."

The Trail Blazers would hold an 11-point lead in the second half, but, as was often the case in the five-game series, were never able to deliver the knockout blow. The Warriors would eventually take their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter, a lead that would grow to as many as eight points, though that wouldn't stop the Trail Blazers from hard-charging until the final buzzer. The Trail Blazers cut the Golden State lead to two with under a minute to play, but could never put together enough consecutive makes to win the game or force overtime.

"You've also got to take your hat off to (Golden State) and give them credit," said Damian Lillard. "They did what championship teams do. When it was time to win games, they did things a little bit better than we did in situations where it made a difference in win or loss, and those are the things that we've got to grow from. We've got to remember these teams and remember executing down the stretch and how important one rebound can end up being."

In a way, Portland's play in Game Five, and in the playoffs in general, was a microcosm of Portland's "special season." They fought hard, comported themselves far better than most expected, had their opportunities and even looked like they might have played well enough to extend their season before falling just short.

"We went out there and put our best foot forward, and obviously we've got a ways to go before we're a finished product," said CJ McCollum. "We can all get better individually and collectively as a unit and I think we will. There are no excuses. We competed, but we're not satisfied losing 4-1, even if the games were close. I don't think we went into this playoffs like let's get the gentleman's sweep as a goal. That's not how we approached it."

The Blazers were led by Lillard who went 7-of-24 from the field to finish with 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes. CJ McCollum went 11-of-23 for 27 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists.

"He was tough," said Stephen Curry of McCollum. "He kept his foot on the gas pedal, made some tough shots and took advantage of some offensive rebounds and had the confidence to keep shooting and knock them down. So he did what he could to keep his team in the game. He's a talented player, so that's what you expect."

Portland got the kind of performances they needed from the role players to give a team like the Warriors a run for their money. Al-Farouq Aminu shot 50 percent from the field to finish with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in 36 minutes. Maurice Harkless added 13 points in 19 minutes.

And then there was Allen Crabbe, who saved his best playoff game for last, going 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 from three to finish with 20 points and three rebounds in 32 minutes.

As for the Warriors, Curry went 10-of-20 from the field and 5-of-11 from three to finish with 29 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes. Thompson went 13-of-17 from the field and 6-of-9 from three for a game-high 33 points to go with two rebounds and an assist in 34 minutes. Draymond Green had one of his quieter offensive games of the series, going just 2-of-7 from the field for 13 points, though he did grab 11 rebounds and hand out six assists.  Shaun Livingston came off the bench to added 10 points.

While the Warriors now move on to face the winner of the Spurs/Thunder series in the Western Conference finals, the Trail Blazers head back to Portland to begin their offseason, albeit about a month later than most expected at the start of training camp. Though they head home unhappy with the result, they can take some pride in knowing that, while their season is over, their journey as an up-and-coming team is just beginning.

"I think the experience that we got was great," said Lillard. "Regardless of what other people expected, I think what we were able to do was reassure ourselves that the foundation that we built this year is the right thing. We did it the right way and that's what allowed us to be in this position. So we've got to continue to work and continue to grow that same thing and do the same things that we have been doing all season long and try to continue going forward."

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Portland's Season Comes To A Close With Gutsy Game Five Loss At Oracle

Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts took questions from the media on a conference call Tuesday afternoon prior to the team departing for San Fransisco for Game Five Wednesday at Oracle Arena. Stotts discussed moving on from Monday's overtime loss to the Warriors at the Moda Center, how the team has improved offensively during the playoffs, Draymond Green's trash talk and whether close losses make the team hopeful or discouraged. Here's what Stotts had to say (questions are paraphrased)...

In a season that was in many ways about development, what did the team develop or take from the playoffs?

Terry Stotts: Right now, I’m worried about Game Five. We can talk about that at another time, but I think the important thing for right now is that we’ve played better in every game, which is improvement obviously. Just like in the Clippers series, we played better as the series went along and the same thing here. That’s part of the process and part of the growth.

How do you move on from emotional loss like Game Four?

Terry Stotts: I get asked that a lot after losses during the season or during a losing streak. I got asked kind of similar questions after getting down 0-2 against the Clippers and against Golden State. You just ramp it up for the next game and give the next game all you have.

What is it about group that has allowed them to continue to “ramp it up” during the playoffs?

Terry Stotts: You guys have been following the team all year and you know that they’re competitive, they’re driven, they want to get better. So I think it’s in their character to go out and compete. Obviously it was a disappointing loss and I would expect a quiet locker room, but we haven’t had any problem coming back. I think it has a lot to do with the character of each player.

What have you liked about your offense during this series and how has it improved?

Terry Stotts: I like the pace that we’re playing. I think as the series has gone on we’ve done a better job of screening and creating opportunities for us. Our passing has gotten better as the series has gone along,which creates better shots. And I think we gained some confidence in our shooting. We’ve shot the ball better and I think that feeds on itself.

Has the team gained confidence during this postseason run?

Terry Stotts: Yes and no. I think we were confident coming into the series, but I do think that we’ve played better each game. I think there is a tendency to feel, even after losing Game Two and losing Game Four and the way we lost, I still think that we look back on it that we played better. The confidence is there, I don’t think it’s ever wavered, but I think it has grown.

Is there an update on Maurice Harkless’ hip injury? Did he play limited minutes in Game Four because of the injury or was that just the flow of the game?

Terry Stotts: There's no update. He was fine last game, so there's no update.

Do Draymond Green’s comments during the series motivate your team?

Terry Stotts: Draymond does a lot of talking. That’s what he does. We’ll worry about our business and go about our business and really whatever he says doesn’t have much of an impact on us.

Does your team still discuss the low expectations many had for them at the start of the season?

Terry Stotts: I don't think that we bring it up. I think that's more of an outward perception. The people that were writing us off are the ones talking about it. We've always been pretty confident, from the beginning of the season, going back to September and October, that we were going to be a competitive team. We felt like we would be competitive in the playoffs and in both series'. So I know it's something to talk about, but I don't necessarily think it's served as a chip or anything. I just think that a lot of good things came together at one time and we worked and got better. That's kind of looking in the past and I don't think we as a group necessarily look in the past.

Does the way your team lost both games Two and Four help or hurt their confidence going into Game Five?

Terry Stotts: I think it’s encouraging. Going back to the last couple years where San Antonio we weren’t close, and Memphis we weren’t close, so to muster up the energy and the confidence can be a little bit more challenging. When you are in a competitive position in the couple of the games that we lost, I think it tends to trend toward having more belief.

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Stotts On Bouncing Back From Tough Losses, Trash Talk And 'Ramping Up' For Game Five

PORTLAND -- For four quarters, the Portland Trail Blazers did a good job of keeping Golden State Warriors point guard and reigning MVP Stephen Curry in check. Sure, he had 23 points in 31 minutes in his first game back after suffering a sprained MCL in his right leg roughly two weeks ago, shot just 10-of-25 from the field and 2-of-13 from three.

But Game Four went more than four quarters, which provided Curry five extra minutes to put on the kind of show the NBA has come to expect from the Golden State point guard. And in that extra time, Curry scored an NBA-record 17 points, four more than the Trail Blazers combined, to lift the defending champs to a 132-125 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 19,583 at the Moda Center Monday night.

"Remarkable," said Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts of Curry's performance. "He looked fresh, he had his rhythm. He made tough shots, he made nice passes, he fought through screens. Obviously 17 points in overtime, it was a hell of a performance."

The Warriors now lead the series 3-1 with Game Five scheduled for Wednesday in Oakland.

The Trail Blazers build an early 16-point lead and scored a franchise playoff record 41-points in the second quarter, resulting in a 67-57 halftime lead. But an 11-2 run late in the third gave Golden State their first lead of the game, though both teams would take turns snatching the lead away for the rest of the contest.

"We jumped out," said Damian Lillard. "We had a great start to the game. I thought we controlled the game for the most part, but against a team like them, they're going to make runs, they're going to make shots. They stick to their principles defensively, they're going to disrupt some things. But I thought even with the things that they did on offense, when they made runs, we always answered."

After seven lead changes in the fourth quarter, Portland led 111-108 with just under a minute to play in regulation. But a wide-open Harrison Barnes three after a timeout with 51.9 seconds to play in regulation would tie the game on what would be the last score before the game went to overtime.

"It was a well-played game," said Stotts. "Both teams really competed hard, made great shot making, some hard fought defense and we just didn't have enough at the end of regulation."

And from there, it was all Curry. Though he was supposed to play only 24 minutes while working his way back into the lineup, the soon-to-be two-time MVP had to play extended minutes after Shaun Livingston, who started at point guard for the Warriors, was ejected for arguing with referee Scott Foster in the first half. Undermanned at guard, Steve Kerr had no choice but to play Curry almost 37 minutes, which turned out to be the difference.

"(Curry) had a great performance," said Lillard. "He's been great all season. He's the MVP again for a reason. He's been out two weeks and the kind of player he is, I'm sure he hasn't been sitting around. He was a bit rusty in the first half, but the second half we had some blown coverages and miscommunications and we allowed him to come off and get wide open shots. And then he got going. With a player like him, they see a couple go in, he's going to start bouncing around and feeling himself and that's just what happened."

The Trail Blazers were led by Lillard, who went 9-of-30 from the field, 5-of-18 from three and 13-of-16 from the free throw line for 36 points and 10 assists in over 46 minutes. CJ McCollum added 24 points while Al-Farouq Aminu put up a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes. Mason Plumlee also had a double-double with 12 points, 15 rebounds and Allen Crabbe scored 13 off the bench.

Curry finished with 40 points on 16-of-32 shooting from the field and 5-of-16 shooting from three, nine rebounds and eight assists in the winning effort.

"The guy's played basically one basketball game in three weeks," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr of Curry. "I expected what I saw early, I expected a lot of rust. I don't think anyone could'vs predicted the explosion. I figured that he'd find his stroke and make a few shots, but I mean, that was crazy."

Klay Thompson overcame a slow start to finish with 23 points on 7-of-18 shooting in 42 minutes. Draymond Green added 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 44 minutes.

Next up, the Trail Blazers face their first elimination game of the 2016 Playoffs Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

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Curry Returns To Down The Trail Blazers In Overtime

Both the Trail Blazers and Warriors are getting good injury news just a few hours before Game Four of their Western Conference semifinal series starts later tonight at the Moda Center (tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm on TNT and 620 AM).

On the home side, Trail Blazers starting forward Maurice Harkless is listed as probable for Game Four despite suffering a right hip contusion on Game Two. Harkless tried to play through the injury, starting in Portland's Game Three victory on Saturday at the Moda Center. Though he started the game, the 6-9 forward was severely limited and would go on to play less than seven minutes in the win.

But after sitting out most of Game Three and resting on Sunday's off day, Harkless said at Trail Blazers shootaround Monday morning that he was feeling better and optimistic about his chances of playing come Game Four.

"I tried not to do too much on the court but I did some running around, moving around, side to side stuff in the weight room," said Harkless. "It felt pretty good so I’m going to try to do stuff on the court and participate in the whole shootaround, see how I feel."

Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts wouldn't give any indication as to whether Harkless would start Game Four if he is in fact able to play. It's possible either Gerald Henderson or Allen Crabbe, who both saw significant minutes increases in Game Three with Harkless sidelined, could start in Harkless' place even if he's healthy enough to play Monday night.

"I’m going to try to go either way, but I don’t want to be a detriment to the team," said Harkless. "Obviously if I can’t move well enough, I’m sure Coach will take me out."

The situation with the Warriors and Stephen Curry, though improving, is not nearly as cut and dried. Curry, who has been sidelined since straining his right MCL on April 24, has been upgraded to questionable for Game Four, though his availability won't be decided until later Monday afternoon.

"(Curry) went through shootaround and he felt pretty good," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. "We’ll see, he’s going to get treatment again this afternoon."

Kerr said it was possible Curry, the reigning MVP, could come off the bench even if he's available to play in Game Four, as he's only played 39 minutes in Golden State's last eight games between his current MCL and an ankle injury in Game One that kept him out of most of the Warriors' first round series versus the Rockets.

But regardless of if Curry plays, the Trail Blazers say their preparation or game plan doesn't much change.

"We’ve played against them enough times to where we know how we will guard him," said Damian Lillard. "Our approach is the same either way. Coverages change when different guys come into the game, so that wouldn’t be a tough adjustment. We would guard him different than we would guard Shaun Livingston, we would guard (Leandro) Barbosa different than we would guard Livingston. It changes anyway, so when he comes back, we’ll just make that adjustment when he’s in the game. When somebody goes in for him, we’ll go back to what we’ve been doing these first couple games."

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Harkless Probable, Curry Questionable For Game Four

Greetings Trail Blazers podcast enthusiast, and a happy Mother's Day. Despite the pull of spending time with the women who give our lives meaning, Joe Freeman, he of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net/TrailBlazers.com, broke plans to hit the Moda Center studio to record yet another edition of the Rip City Report podcast less than 12 hours after the Trail Blazers defeated the Warriors 120-108 in Game Three Saturday night. Give it a listen...

On this Mother's Day edition, we discuss Portland's impressive performance in Game Three, particularly the efforts of Damian Lillard and Al-Farouq Aminu, the respective statuses of Stephen Curry and Moe Harkless for Game Four, Terry Stotts' wizardry throughout the playoffs, the perfection of the "Rip City" sleeve jerseys and answer some of your Twitter-submitted questions about Mother’s Day, Draymond Green’s histrionics, Ed Davis' increased playing time and how you should go about talking trash in the bay area. In the immortal words of House Of Pain, word to your moms, we came to drop bombs.

You can find the Rip City Report on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Listen to it with your mom, she deserves it.

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Podcast: Rip City Report, Second Round, Game Three Edition

Presented By

Moda Health

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