Coming off a record-setting road trip, the Warriors continued their recent streak of strong play in a 111-104 home victory over the Trail Blazers on Monday night. Playing without three of their typical starters, the Dubs relied heavily on both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, who scored 28 and 24 points, respectively, on 42 combined shot attempts. Golden State’s bench actually proved to be the difference in the contest, outscoring Portland’s reserves by 19 points through the first three quarters, over the course of which the Dubs built a double-digit cushion the Trail Blazers were unable to overcome. With the victory, Golden State improves to 22-6 on the season.
TEAM LEADERS
NEW LINEUP
With Stephen Curry still out due to an ankle injury and both Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia missing Monday’s game due to shoulder soreness, Steve Kerr opted to go with a new starting lineup, choosing Shaun Livingston, Omri Casspi and Jordan Bell to fill their respective positions. That five-man group hadn’t played a single second together entering the matchup Portland, and it showed in the first few minutes of the game. However, after some early stumbles, they recovered quickly and trailed the Blazers by only a single point at the end of the first quarter. Over the ensuing two frames, the Dubs would break open the contest.
ANOTHER ONE DOWN
The Warriors were already shorthanded entering Monday’s game, and they might have left it even more so. Nick Young provided some tremendous minutes in the second quarter, but suffered a concussion later in the game and did not return. On the bright side, Patrick McCaw returned from a two-game absence and played 17 minutes off the bench.
BIG GAME FOR THE BENCH
‘Strength in Numbers’ was in full swing on Monday night, and a few reserves stood out in particular. Casspi, in addition to starting, scored 11 points on six shots and hauled in nine rebounds. Jordan Bell scored in double-figures for the second time in his career with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and was a game-best plus-14. And then there was David West, who turned the clock back a few times on his way to 10 points and four blocks off the bench, scoring in double figures in consecutive games for the first time as a Warrior and first time since the 2015-16 season.
MILESTONE FOR IGUODALA
When Andre Iguodala entered the contest for the first time midway through the first quarter, he did something only 125 other players in NBA history have ever done. The win over the Blazers marked the 1,000th regular season game of Iguodala’s decorated career.
UP NEXT
The Warriors only have one more game this week, which comes on Thursday at home against Harrison Barnes and the Dallas Mavericks. Find Tickets