Stephen Curry scored 27, Thompson added 28 and the Golden State Warriors celebrated Christmas early with an easy win over the Portland Trail Blazers in San Francisco, 126-106. The Blazers were led by Anfernee Simons with 25 points, while...
Stephen Curry scored 27, Thompson added 28 and the Golden State Warriors celebrated Christmas early with an easy win over the Portland Trail Blazers in San Francisco, 126-106.
The Blazers were led by Anfernee Simons with 25 points, while Jerami Grant added 17 and guard Malcolm Brogdon finished with a double-double.
Portland missed guard Shaedon Sharpe for the second consecutive game due to a thigh strain. Golden State went without forward Andrew Wiggins due to an illness and Gary Payton II with a torn right calf.
The Warriors clawed their way into playoff picture, rising to 15-14, as the Blazers continued a season of tribulation, falling to 7-21.
Star Efforts
Simons submitted a scoring effort of 25 points and made nothing that was not behind a line. He went 7-13 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. He also continued to develop chemistry with Ayton, making a beautiful wrap-around pass in the pick and roll.
Brogdon’s double-double was quite close to a triple-double. His 17p/12a/6r line looked worse than it was due to an effective Warriors defense cutting off the Blazers’ options. In reality, he showed why he was last season’s Sixth Man of the Year.
Scoot Henderson put in some solid minutes finishing with 12 points and a pair of assists. His most impressive feats came on the defensive end, pocketing three steals and forcing Chris Paul’s second eight-second violation of the night.
For the Warriors, Curry and Thompson cracked into the vintage vault and found an unopened bottle from 2015. Curry finished with 28 points, two assists and three rebounds. Thompson finished with 28 points and three rebounds.
Brandin Podziemski continued to energize his squad with wily defensive plays, timely rebounds and an unfazed off-ball offense. He ended the game with 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. A near triple-double and a game-leading +25 on the plus/minus. More importantly, he completely nullified Brogdon’s impact.
Fellow Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis also made an impact, finish with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. He gave the Warriors key backup big minutes that kept the paint secure from the Blazers.
Game Recap
Having finally received the message after seven-straight games where they fell behind by double-digits early, Portland’s starting unit came out determined not to let it happen again. They matched a red hot Golden State squad shot-for-shot in the opening minutes, keeping it close with their hosts.
Rookie Toumani Camara gave his team the lead on a nifty euro step layup after forcing a turnover by Curry, and the Blazers refused to relinquish it for the rest of the quarter. Deflections and ball pressure abounded as they controlled the passing lanes and forced six turnovers for the quarter. The away squad would amass a 30-19 lead before finishing the quarter up seven.
In the second quarter, however, the Blazers’ sizzling defense-to-offense fizzled out. The Warriors began to outrebound their visitors, securing offensive boards to keep possessions alive for easy baskets. Portland struggled to find offense as their hosts went on a 14-3 run to regain the lead.
Deandre Ayton fought hard for paint presence, but a drew a charge, mistimed his alley-oops and fell short on his jump shots. Simons attempted ill-advised three pointers and passes. The Blazers failed to capitalize on turnovers and rebounds and the Warriors started to find their rhythm.
A behind-the-head layup from Curry sealed the momentum shift as he buried the extra free throw to cement a six point lead. Portland would come no closer for the half, as Golden State outscored their guests 34-16 in the quarter.
Down 57-46 at the half, the Blazers were now in familiar territory. And they responded like they had been there before. Jerami Grant traded shots with Thompson and Curry to open the third frame. He would be joined by Brogdon and Ayton but Golden State tapped into some vintage offense. The Splash Brothers would score 22 points straight and the Warriors would maintain their lead.
Camara punched in a vicious dunk off a turnover or if Scoot Henderson strung together successful possessions off-the-ball. However, it did not matter what the Blazers did as the trailed the Warriors 89-77 entering the final period.
Once again, the Blazers were in familiar territory. This time, they responded like they wanted to go home early for the holidays. Despite an early three point make from Matisse Thybulle, the Blazers went cold and Podziemski went wild. The Warriors jumped out to a 19-point lead with nine minutes to go, dicing the Blazers’ defense to ribbons.
From there, Portland was left open to the whims of Golden State’s veterans. An easy backdoor alley-oop from Kevon Looney to Jonathan Kuminga and a three-point buried by Thompson kept the lead at 19. Head coach Chauncey Billups would call time, clear the bench and call it a game as the Warriors cruised to a 126-106 win.
Key Stats
Once again the Blazers shot 38 from the field on 84 attempts, 45.2%, a respectable figure. Once again, however, they were outshot by the Warriors, who finished 57.8% making 48 on 83 attempts. The Blazers finished with a solid 13-35 (37.1%) from beyond the arc and kept the Warriors at 10-33 (30.3%).
Unfortunately, teams have figured out the Blazers are porous in the paint when the substitutes enter the game. The Warriors punished the Blazers 62-42 inside the key. They finished with 38 assists to Portland’s 26 and dominated the glass 49-30.
The Blazers managed to pocket more steals, 13-8 and score more points off turnovers, 22-14. They also controlled their turnovers somewhat, pushing the Warriors to 18 while they limited themselves to 12. Transition play did not much factor into this game otherwise.
Both teams ended up at the line roughly the same amount, but Portland shot an uncharacteristically poor 17-25 (68%). Golden State connected on a solid 20-24 (83.3%).
Where to Next
The Blazers head home to host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. The Warriors will ready themselves for a Christmas game against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
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