The Warriors took a commanding 2-0 series lead after coming all the way back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Trail Blazers 110-99 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The Warriors took a commanding 2-0 series lead after coming all the way back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Trail Blazers 110-99 in Game 2 on Tuesday night. Klay Thompson led Golden State with 27 points, including another five three-pointers. Draymond Green recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds to go along with seven assists, while Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston also scored in double-figures. The series will now transition to Portland, where the two teams will meet in Game 3 on Saturday.
GAME LEADERS
There is something to be said for a championship pedigree, and the Warriors said plenty on Tuesday night. After crushing Portland in the first quarter of Game 1, the first frame of Game 2 proceeded in an opposite fashion, as the Trail Blazers capitalized on Golden State’s cold start to race out to an early lead. After Klay Thompson drained his first three-pointer to tie the game at 3-3 only 63 seconds into the contest, the Trail Blazers held Golden State to one field goal over the next five minutes, over the course of which Portland managed to put the Warriors in a 19-5 hole. Golden State would get back on track offensively from there, but had no such luck on the defensive end, where it seemed as though the Trail Blazers couldn’t miss. After Andre Iguodala sank a jumper to trim the deficit to 11 points with 33.4 seconds remaining in the frame, Gerald Henderson responded with a jumper of his own to put Portland up 34-21 at the end of one.
After Allen Crabbe extended the Trail Blazers’ lead to 45-28 at the 8:06 mark, Golden State responded with an 18-4 run to pull within 49-46 with 2:43 remaining in the half. But, in what proved to be an ongoing theme to the contest, each time the Warriors would appear on the verge of cresting the hill, Portland would surge to rebuild their cushion. Al-Farouq Aminu’s three-pointer on the ensuing possession began a 10-2 Blazers’ run that would push Portland’s lead back to double-digits with just over a minute left in the second quarter. Draymond Green would then close out the half with a three-point play with 4.2 seconds left, sending the two teams into the halftime break with Golden State trailing 59-51.
The Warriors opened the second half with a 5-0 burst to pull within three points at the 9:54 mark, but once again Portland proved successful in maintaining their lead. That pattern wasn’t over yet, either. After Draymond Green’s finger roll cut the deficit to 68-64 halfway through the frame, the Trail Blazers responded with an 8-2 burst to push their advantage back to double-digits. Then, Damian Lillard began to take over. He’d score eight consecutive points for Portland on his way to 17 in the quarter alone, including a three-pointer that beat the quarter buzzer to send the game into the fourth and final quarter with Portland leading 87-76.
Festus Ezeli - who had yet to play in the series - started the fourth quarter, and paid immediate dividends. He’d single-handedly open the quarter on a 6-0 run, and after the Trail Blazers responded with two made baskets, it was Ezeli’s bank shot that ignited the Warriors’ 9-0 run that would finally pull Golden State even with Portland at 91-91 with 6:44 remaining in regulation. Klay Thompson’s three-pointer concluded that run, and after C.J. McCollum scored on the ensuing Trail Blazers’ possession, Thompson sank yet another trey to give the Warriors their first lead of the contest. In keeping with the theme of the night, Maurice Harkless momentarily stole back the lead with a layup on the ensuing possession, but Shaun Livingston’s turnaround jumper in response would end up putting Golden State in front for good. That Livingston jumper ignited a 10-0 Warriors’ run, as the Dubs would seize the lead and eventually run away with the game in the final minutes. After two Portland free throws, Golden State would score six of the final eight points of the contest on their way to a thrilling 110-99 comeback victory.
With the win, the Warriors take a 2-0 series lead. The Western Conference Semifinals will now transition to Portland for a matchup in Game 3 on Saturday.