Warriors defeat Blazers; Quotes of the Night

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in Stephen Curry’s triumphant return. Here are some of the best quotes from last night.

In the Bay Area, the air felt a little different on Monday as the word “return” floated through the foggy skies.

Stephen Curry could return to action after missing the entire series against the Portland Trail Blazers thus far. According to reports, he had been getting some work in over the past week, strengthening his knee. Head coach Steve Kerr said before the game that Curry could play if he got through his pre-game routine comfortably.

He did and, for the first time in four years, he came off the bench.

The Warriors perhaps let the return of the MVP and the electric Portland crowd get to them earlier. Golden State started just 1/10 while letting the Blazers get to their spots when they wanted to. It was a poor start that saw Portland build a double digit lead, a lead that they would maintain for the first half.

Curry was, understandably, rusty. He looked a bit sluggish on the defensive end and just couldn’t quite find the range on the offensive side of the ball. Coming around a screen in the second quarter, he shot one of his trademark pull-up threes that missed everything and floated out of bounds. Just like his team in the early goings of this game, he only made one of his first ten three-point attempts.

This was, arguably, the best game of the postseason. Both teams were fighting as if it were a Game 7 and their careers were on the line. The normally mild-mannered Shaun Livingston was ejected early on and Draymond Green received a technical foul. There were clutch, jaw-dropping shots falling from everywhere. There was a comeback and an underdog fighting to stave off Goliath for just a few more minutes.

Then the MVP stepped in and it was over.

Steph Curry reminded everyone why he is the best player in the National Basketball Association. After missing the potential game-winner at the end of regulation, he completely took over the overtime period. He set an NBA record as he dropped in a light 17 points in the additional five minutes. He outscored the Blazers in overtime and he poured in more points than both the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors did in their overtime game combined.

Part of the reason why this game was so intense was the less-than-great officiating by everyone’s favorite referee Scott Foster and his crew. Both sides were visibly upset, but the Warriors definitely seemed to have a case more often than not.

After not playing in about three weeks, Curry’s conditioning was suspected to be a problem.

Curry played 36 minutes in what ended up being a historic night.

Green was upset at himself after his Game 3 performance. He nearly willed the Warriors to victory with his 37 points, but felt that his defensive performance was lackluster. It was clear, especially in the third quarter, that he wasn’t going to let this team go down.

Now he’s ready to put them away.

The Warriors will look to finish out the series on Wednesday in Oracle Arena. And yes, Steph Curry will start the game.