Golden State Warriors produce insane second-half to stun Trail Blazers
The Golden State Warriors have produced their biggest comeback of the season, rallying from a 23-point deficit to stun the Portland Trail Blazers amid a barely believable second-half performance.
Portland utilized an 18-4 run in the opening period to take a 41-27 lead after 12 minutes, before extending that advantage to 23 with less than two-and-a-half minutes left in the second-quarter.
The Golden State Warriors have moved to a tie for fifth in the Western Conference thanks to a resounding 123-105 comeback win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The hosts found a slight bit of momentum to close the first-half, but they still trailed by 17 in a sloppy first 24 minutes. They had just 48 points thanks to floundering ball movement and decision-making that resulted in a number of comical turnovers.
In contrast, Damian Lillard continued on from his 71-point performance against the Houston Rockets, leading Portland with 19 points despite Golden State’s best efforts to quell his influence and make other Blazers beat them.
The Warriors turned slight momentum into a signature explosion in the third. After trailing 74-58 four minutes into the period, the reigning champions propelled a 21-4 run to take their first lead of the game in the final two minutes of the quarter.
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The avalanche didn’t stop there though, with Golden State never again relinquishing the advantage as Portland remained stunned with no response. The turnaround was so stark that Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups threw the towel in with over three minutes left in the ball game.
It may have been the kind of third-quarter that’s become synonymous with the Dubs’ dynasty, but the Warriors did it in a different way to what fans are usually accustomed to. Both teams made 12 three-pointers, yet it was Golden State’s ability to attack and finish in the paint that proved the ultimate difference. They finished with a remarkable 66 points in the paint as they shot 53.8% from the field.
The three-guard lineup of Jordan Poole (29), Klay Thompson (23) and Donte DiVincenzo (21) combined for 73 points, with the former in particular igniting the third-quarter blitz. Draymond Green returned from a knee contusion and shook off an apparent wrist injury in the second-quarter, nearly recording a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks.
Kevon Looney finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in another solid display from the ever-reliable center, while Jonathan Kuminga produced the finishing touches with 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting off the bench.
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The Warriors third-straight win and losses to the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday have moved them to a tie for fifth in the Conference. Golden State will be hoping their second-half display will be a sign of things to come ahead of a matchup with the Clippers at home on Thursday.