Golden State Warriors: 3 Pivotal games are approaching
By Tony Pesta
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers (March 3)
The Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers have had a mini-feud for the past five seasons. While the Warriors always maintained a sizeable advantage, the Blazers are in the driver’s seat now – and Damian Lillard embraces every opportunity to stuff a dagger down his opponent’s throat.
We saw this earlier in the season when Lillard made quick work of the Dubs. He scored 34 points in 35 minutes as the Blazers stomped the Warriors by 25. Of course, Stephen Curry responded with a decent game himself, posting a career-high 62 points two nights later as Lillard still put up 32 of his own.
The back-and-forth battle between Lillard and Curry is always fun. However, this game might be decided by who’s supporting cast steps up the most. This shifts the advantage over to Portland, who recently enjoyed a 17 point fourth quarter outburst from Carmelo Anthony.
Portland has multiple guys who can catch fire and snuff out the Warriors. In return, the Dubs really only have Curry who is capable of propelling the team over an opponent. While it’s possible for Kelly Oubre, Andrew Wiggins or Eric Paschall to be extremely impactful, it’s less likely than someone on the Blazers pushing them over the top.
This means we will have to see someone on the Warriors accept the challenge. Luckily, the Dubs’ supporting group has been improving since they last played the Blazers.