3 stars from Warriors’ win over Trail Blazers
Who stepped up the most in the the Golden State Warriors’ 125-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Wednesday night.
If the Golden State Warriors thought they were just going to roll to a third straight blowout win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, they actually got a fight this time. The Trail Blazers shot lights out just like Golden State and they were off to the races at Oracle. C.J. McCollum had 26 points in the first half of the game on Wednesday and Portland was shooting 60 percent from beyond the arc in the first half.
In the second half, the Warriors locked in on defense and held the Warriors to just 46 points after giving up 71 in the first half. Draymond Green played a brilliant stretch of defense and Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry put up buckets on the other end. McCollum was held to just nine points in the latter half and the Warriors came out with the tough victory. Here are the three stars from the win on Wednesday night.
3. Draymond Green
While we all know Draymond Green is going to often flirt with a triple-double performance and put up numbers across the board, he has certain stretches of play that really make you appreciate him. Early in the fourth quarter, Green stayed on the court while others got rest and he looked exhausted out there.
Still, he didn’t quit and he continued to rack up blocks and steals in an incredible defensive stretch of plays. It was just one of those things where he continued to give everything he had while pulling a ton of weight on the floor. That’s what Defensive Player of the Year is all about.
2. Kevin Durant
Just like the last two times these two teams met on the floor, Kevin Durant had another 30-point performance. He made some brilliant cuts to the hoop and had the dagger layup late while also picking up the and-one call from officials.
1. Stephen Curry
There’s been a lot of talk about Stephen Curry lately and whether or not he’s matching up to last year. Even if his numbers are off, he’s been finding his scoring touch at home and put together a fantastic performance against Portland. He finished with 35 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. It was the signature performance from Curry that you come to expect from him in games like this against Western Conference opponents.