The Warriors began a new home winning streak on Sunday night after defeating the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 136-111.
The Warriors began a new home winning streak on Sunday night after defeating the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 136-111. Stephen Curry scored a game-high 39 points to go along with seven assists. Draymond Green notched his 13th triple-double of the season with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Harrison Barnes reached double figures for the seventh-straight game, matching a career-best streak. With the victory, Golden State improves to 69-8 on the season.
GAME LEADERS
Two days after losing their first home game in over 14 months, Sunday’s game appeared it might be headed for a similar result for the Warriors after the Trail Blazers got off to a torrid start. Although Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard led their respective squads in scoring for the game, both star guards were the last starters to score for their own team. But, once they got their first shots to drop, it opened up the flood gates for both. Curry’s first points of the night came by way of a three-pointer that capped an 8-0 Golden State run to put the Dubs up 12-10 with 8:20 remaining in the opening frame. He’d score again on the Warriors’ next possession, after which Lillard got on the board with a three-point play to put the Blazers out in front 15-14 at the 7:36 mark. Golden State would trail by the same deficit exactly three minutes later until Moe Harkless hit a three-pointer to ignite an 8-2 Portland burst to expand their lead. Lillard would score the final three of his 14 first quarter points on a three-pointer with 1:37 remaining on the clock to put Portland up 37-26. That would prove to be their largest lead of the entire game, however, as Curry scored the final five points of the quarter to chip away at the deficit and send the game into the second quarter with Golden State trailing 37-31.
Klay Thompson’s three-point play capped a 10-3 Warriors’ run to open the second frame, putting the Dubs back in front at 41-40 with 9:19 remaining in the half. Portland would respond by scoring the next six points, but back-to-back three-pointers from Brandon Rush and Curry put the Warriors up 47-46 with 5:27 left and Golden State would never trail again. Al-Farouq Aminu tied the game up at 54-54 with a three-pointer, but Harrison Barnes sank a three-pointer of his own on the ensuing possession to put the Warriors out in front for good. After Maurice Harkless brought Portland within a single point with two free throws, Golden State ended the half on a 6-0 run to take a 63-56 lead into halftime.
The Warriors expanded their lead to 11 points within the first 75 seconds of the second half, but Portland would not go away quietly. Lillard’s three-pointer with 8:01 left in the frame pulled the Blazers within 71-66, but then Curry got going. His step-back jumper on the ensuing possession began a streak in which he’d score five consecutive baskets for Golden State, the final four of which came from three-point range. Lillard would not be outdone, however. Lillard followed Curry’s final three-pointer with a trey of his own to pull Portland within 85-76, and the final two of his 16 third quarter points cut the deficit to 87-82 with 3:32 remaining in the frame. It wouldn’t be enough though, as the Warriors’ bench unit rebuilt their lead to double digits in the final minutes of the quarter. Leandro Barbosa scored five-straight points within a span of 26 seconds in the final minute, and after Draymond Green converted a three-point play with 3.5 seconds left, C.J. McCollum’s free throws sent the game into the fourth and final quarter with Golden State holding a 101-89 lead.
Portland hung tough through the first half of the fourth frame, but as the game wound down, Golden State ran away with it. McCollum followed Lillard’s two free throws with a three-pointer to pull Portland within 112-103 with 5:48 remaining, but the deficit would only grow from there. After Curry and Lillard traded free throws, Klay Thompson’s three-point play kick-started a 14-2 Golden State run capped by Brandon Rush’s three-pointer that put the Dubs up 128-107 and the game out of reach. Marreese Speights’ first and only three-pointer of the night with 35.6 seconds left closed out the scoring in the game, as the Warriors coasted to the 136-111 victory. Golden State’s 73 second-half points and 136 total points for the game were both season-highs. With the win, the Warriors improve to 69-8 on the season. They’ll attempt to become just the second team in NBA history to reach 70 wins in a single season when they host the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.