NBA Playoffs -- Warriors take 3-0 lead in West Finals ( PHOTOS)
By Ponciano Melo Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 19 May 2019
PORTLAND -- The Golden State Warriors rallied from an 18-point second quarter deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 110-99, on Saturday night (Sunday morning Philippine time) before a jampacked crowd of 19,441 at the Moda Center.
The remarkable comeback propelled the Warriors to a 3-0 lead in this best-of-7 Western Conference Finals , putting the two-time defending champions one game away from a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals.
Stephy Curry accounted for 36 points, hitting 11 of 26 field goals and six of 16 triples. But it was Draymond Green who provided much of the muscle that allowed the Warriors to push aside the hard-charging Blazers, who erupted for 37 second-quarter points that put Portland on top at halftime, 66-53.
Green carved his seventh career playoffs triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. He logged in 38 minutes and was a force on both ends of the floor.
"He was a wrecking ball. Destroying everything in his path," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.
Without Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined by a calf strain and whose return remains undetermined, Green emphasized the need to step up for Golden State to keep its three-peat hopes alive and well.
"When Kevin is not on the floor I know I have to be more aggressive. So whether that's attacking the basket, putting more pressure on the defense, I understand that," Green told reporters at the postgame presser said.
Klay Thompson sank only eight of 20 shots but he finished with 19 points to aid the Warriors' cause, while the reserves, led by Kevon Looney's eight points, contributed a total of 33 points. Golden State made 41 of 84 field goals (48.8 percent) and 8-of-26 threes (30.8 percent).
C.J. McCollum tallied 23 to lead the Blazers and Damian Lillard added 19, but the All-Star duo struggled immensely. They shot just a combined 12 of 38 from the field and missed 14 of 19 three-point attempts. Meyers Leonard chipped in 16 but the other two Blazers starters -- Al Farouq Amuni and Mo Harkless -- only had eight points between them.
Veteran Evan Turner came off the bench with 12 but it wasn't enough to rescue Portland from a poor shooting game in which the Blazers went just 34 of 85 from the field (40 percent), 11 of 35 from long distance (31.4 percent) and 20 of 33 from the free throw stripe (60.6 percent).
OVERTIME. Blazers guard Seth Curry, the baby brother of Golden State's Steph Curry, threw what may be deemed as a little shade on Kevin Durant with his post-game assessment of the Warriors.
"They move around faster when he's not out there. They're definitely not a better team but they're harder to guard," said Curry who played for 30 minutes and scored five points with three rebounds.
Durant reacted to Seth Curry's analysis via Instagram with an emphatic: "Hell No."
Meanwhile, the Warriors go for the series sweep on Monday (Tuesday morning in the Philippines) at the Moda Center where the Blazers were an impressive 32-9 during the regular season.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ponciano Melo Jr..
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
A TRIO OF MATCHUPS ADDED TO "CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH: A NIGHT OF BOXING" PRESENTED BY 555 MEDIA AND BASH BOXING
Fri, 09 May 2025SHAW SURGES AS CAPITO STUMBLES IN TITLE DEFENCE | 2025 UK OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Fri, 09 May 20252025 USA Boxing Youth Men’s and Women’s High Performance Teams announced
Fri, 09 May 2025Jessie Villasin chess tournament on Sunday
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 09 May 2025Press Conference Notes: San Diego Favorite Emanuel Navarrete Set to Reignite Mexico-Philippines Rivalry against Charly Suarez
Fri, 09 May 2025SALITA PROMOTIONS PRESENTS: UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLARESSA SHIELDS vs. LANI DANIELS SATURDAY, JULY 26 * LITTLE CAESARS ARENA
Fri, 09 May 2025Unbeaten Anthony Velazquez pitched shutout at home in Springfield
Fri, 09 May 2025TYSON FURY VOTED THE MOST ENTERTAINING BOXER IN THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO BRITISH FANS
Fri, 09 May 2025Undefeated super middleweight contender Darius Fulghum preparing to ‘Make a big splash’ vs. Bek Melikuziev
Fri, 09 May 2025OKC Routs Denver; 149-106, Ties Series; Semis Series in East Remain Topsy-turvy as Boston Goes Down 0-2 With 91-90 Loss to NY
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Thu, 08 May 2025SHAW SENDS A MESSAGE IN HUNT FOR UK OPEN GLORY | 2025 UK OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Thu, 08 May 2025WBO presents the Amanda Serrano Championships
Thu, 08 May 2025GM Antonio faces tough competition in ASEAN Seniors Chess Championships in Penang, Malaysia
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 08 May 2025Boxing: Entertainment Sport or Sport Entertainment?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Wed, 07 May 2025JIM LAMPLEY'S BOOK TOUR IS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEK!
Wed, 07 May 2025