Warriors-Trail Blazers Regular Season Rewind

The Golden State Warriors face the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the playoffs. Here’s how they matched up in the regular season.

Today, the Golden State Warriors open up the second round of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Warriors fared well against the Blazers in the regular season winning the series with a record of 3-1.

January 8, 2016: Warriors (128) at Trail Blazers (108)

The Warriors opened up the season series by defeating the Trail Blazers in Portland 128-108. Klay Thompson led the team with 36 points including hitting 7 from behind the arc. Stephen Curry also contributed 26 points with the entire Warriors team knocking down 18 3-pointers. The Warriors were able to win despite Damian Lillard’s 40 points. A big reason in getting the win was the Warriors were able to hold C.J. McCollum to 17 points. The Warriors shot 52.9% from the field, while the Trail Blazers only shot 39.6%.

February 19, 2016: Warriors (105) at Trail Blazers (137)

The second game of the series was a completely different story from the first meeting of the season.The Trail Blazers routed the Warriors 137-105. Damian Lillard torched the Warriors defense with 51 points which included hitting 9 of his 12 3-pointers. Steve Kerr said Lillard looked “like Steph” that night. McCollum also contributed 21 points. The Warriors shot a series low 39.1%. Curry had 31 points along with Thompson’s 23 points. Draymond Green added a double-double to the night with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors only hit 12 of their 34 3-point attempts which was the season series low in 3-point field goals and 3-point percentage. 

March 11, 2016: Warriors (128) vs Trail Blazers (112)

The Warriors got back on track in the season series in the third game with a win at Oracle. Curry and Thompson combined for 71 points including 15 3-pointers. Green contributed 17-points for the Warriors while hitting all 9 of his free-throws attempts. The Warriors were able to hold Lillard to 17 points and McCollum to 18 points. The Warriors dominated the glass out-rebounding the Trail Blazers 65-46 including 16 offensive rebounds.

April 3, 2016: Warriors (136) vs Trail Blazers (111)

In the fourth and final game of the series, the Warriors knocked down 18 3-pointers to claim the season series. The Trail Blazers only hit 9 3-pointers. Even in losing, Lillard had a great night with 38 points. Curry, Thompson, and Green led the Warriors by accounting for 82 of the 136 points. Green recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Curry also poured in 39 points including 9 of 13 from deep.

Important Notables from the Season Series:

• In the four games of the series, there have been four technical fouls issued. Look for this second round series to be physical and intense.
• The Warriors hit 18 3-pointers in each of the games they won in the series while only hitting 12 in the one loss. The 3-ball played a major role in the regular season series, and it will be a deciding factor in the playoff series.
• Shaun Livingston, who will begin the series as the Warrior’s starting point guard due to Curry’s injury, only averaged 4 points per game in the season series. Granted, this was with less minutes than he will receive as a starter. Nevertheless, he and the rest of the Warriors will have to make up for Curry’s big production that he provided throughout the regular season series.  

Interesting Portland Stats to Note:

• Portland is 5-19 at Oracle since the 2003-2004 season. The Warriors only have one loss at home all season and are looking to continue their dominance at Oracle.
• In the Trail Blazers first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Lillard and McCollum combined to average 46.75 points in their four wins including 59 combined points in game 3. They only combined to average 31.5 points in their two losses. A big concern for the Warriors defense is stopping Lillard and McCollum. Limiting their production will limit the Trail Blazers chances of winning in this series.
• Trail Blazers’ center Mason Plumlee averaged 16 rebounds in the four first round wins against the Clippers. However, he only averaged 7.5 rebounds in the Trail Blazers’ two losses of the series. It will be important for the Warriors to keep Plumlee off the boards as he provides the Trail Blazers with more than one shot per possession by grabbing offensive rebounds.