Warriors’ big fourth quarter puts Blazers away

The Golden State Warriors used a high-energy fourth quarter to defeat the Portland Trailblazers and take a lead over them in the series.

A wise man once said “there’s levels to this.” This is true for the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs have several different gears and the Portland Trailblazers got the business end of it.

The Warriors have taken a 1-0 lead in the opening round of the playoffs. They defeated the Blazers 121-109 in an extremely exciting affair at Oracle Arena. It was a tight battle, but Golden State’s talent proved to be too much in the end.

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Portland’s gameplan was pretty simple: let C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard cook. They were dancing all over the court and there was nothing the Warriors could do for most of the game. McCollum and Lillard finished with 41 and 34 points respectively.

They attacked the rim at will, attacking and beating every single look the Warriors’ defense gave them. Even when the defense was right on them. they converted tough basket after tough basket. They were stellar while the Warriors’ struggled to take care of the ball.

The game was tied after three quarters at 88. Every time Golden State tried to pull away, the Blazers would make some big plays to get back into it. The Warriors struggled to match and maintain the level of intensity that Portland was at.

Then Draymond Green happened. He showed why he should be the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He reminded everyone that he is the heartbeat of the best team in the league and he’s seeking revenge.

Heading into the playoffs, there was a lot of talk about “flipping the switch.” Of course, that wasn’t in reference to the Warriors (because they actually play hard all year long), but they did it. The defensive intensity turned up in the fourth quarter.

Green and the Warriors didn’t give Portland any good looks. They had active hands, they rotated quickly and they were physical. They swarmed the Blazers.

The highlight of the quarter and, possibly, the night was one of Green’s five blocks. Lillard drove towards the middle and rose up for the slam. Green came weak side and showcased his perfect timing and sent the dunk attempt back where it came from. He stood triumphantly as Lillard laid on the ground.

The Warriors’ MVPs put the ball in the basket a lot. Stephen Curry had 29 points on 47 percent shooting. Kevin Durant had 32 points on 60 percent shooting. They were able to get big buckets when Golden State desperately needed them.

The Warriors also got good production from several punch guys. JaVale McGee was +9 with 6 points and 5 rebounds in just 9 minutes. He also blocked two shots and protected the rim nicely when he wasn’t swatting away attempts. He gave the Dubs an energy boost.

Ian Clark also made the most of his 12 minutes on the court. He scored 12 points and had one steal. He provided some production when the Warriors were starting to falter.

Draymond Green stole the show though. He had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. He shot 60 percent from the field and made three of his four three-point attempts. He added five blocks and three steals. He only had one turnover.

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He gave highlight play after highlight play. He sparked the Warriors’ fourth quarter win. He was everywhere and did everything.

The Blazers wouldn’t go away until late. If McCollum and Lillard can continue to play at that incredibly high level, then this could be a long series. The Dubs were nowhere near where they wanted to be in terms of execution, but they got the right result.

Game 2 is on Wednesday.