The Warriors' series lead was cut in half after falling 120-108 to the Trail Blazers in Game 3 on Saturday night.
The Warriors were unable to complete a second-consecutive double-digit comeback and fell to the Trail Blazers 120-108 in Game 3 on Saturday night. Draymond Green posted postseason career-highs with 37 points and eight three-pointers, while Klay Thompson added 35 points of his own in the defeat. With the loss, the Warriors now lead the series two games to one with Game 4 coming in Portland on Monday.
GAME LEADERS
For the second-straight game, Portland held a double-digit lead entering the fourth quarter. This time, the young Trail Blazers didn’t give it back. Steve Kerr implored his veteran squad to get off to a better start than they did in their eventual comeback victory in Game 2, and they did as Klay Thompson scored 18 of Golden State’s first 24 points to take a 24-16 lead with just under two minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Those 18 points matched Thompson’s personal postseason career-high for most points in a quarter set back in the Warriors’ Game 1 victory, but he wouldn’t add any more to his total throughout the remainder of the frame, and Golden State’s advantage would only shrink from there.
After a Leandro Barbosa layup put the Warriors up 28-20, Portland went on a 9-0 run spanning the end of the first and the beginning of the second quarters to take their first lead since the opening minute of the contest. After a brief response from Golden State, Al-Farouq Aminu followed Ed Davis’ putback with a three-pointer to put the Trail Blazers out in front 37-34 with 5:39 remaining in the first half, and the Warriors would never lead again. Thompson’s layup pulled the Dubs within two points at 46-44, but Portland closed the half on a 12-2 run to take a 58-46 lead into halftime.
Thompson and Draymond Green would do their best to keep the Warriors afloat in the third quarter, but the Blazers’ widespread scoring attack kept Golden State at bay. Green connected on back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to 63-56 just under three minutes into the second half, but Portland would respond with a 12-4 run to rebuild their advantage to double-digits. Their lead would remain that way through the end of the third quarter, although it could have been a lot worse for the Warriors if not for Green’s offensive onslaught. He’d add 13 points and three more three-pointers through the end of the frame, keeping Golden State within shouting distance at 93-80 at the end of three. In total, Green accounted for 19 points in the third quarter, the most any Warriors’ player has scored in a single frame this postseason.
A 5-0 Portland burst would give the Trail Blazers their largest lead of the night at 105-85 with 7:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, but just as it seemed Golden State was completely out of it, they’d keep the outcome in question by outscoring Portland 9-0 over the next two minutes. Despite the response, however, the damage had been done. Portland’s backcourt duo of C. J. McCollum and Damian Lillard would combine for the next four points, and after Golden State had cut the deficit to 11 points once again with just under two minutes remaining, McCollum sank a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to put an end to any thoughts of a dramatic comeback.
With Portland’s 120-108 victory, the Blazers now trail the series two games to one. They’ll attempt to even things up in Game 4 on Monday night.