Star Efforts
Klay Thompson scored 28, Andrew Wiggins added 25 and the Golden State Warriors survived a furious second half rally from a youthful Blazers squad led by Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons in Portland.
Both Thompson and Wiggins picked a good night to find their former selves as star guard Stephen Curry struggled for open shots. Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski made key plays to seal the game and added a jack-of-all-trades 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Grant led all scorers with 30 points, six assists and seven rebounds while Simons came through late to add a solid 24 points and seven assists. Blazers rookie Toumani Camara also played a vital role in keeping the game close, frustrating Curry’s attempts to create separation off the ball. Camara’s defensive effort broke Curry’s 268-game streak for consecutive made threes.
Both teams were relatively healthy, with the Warriors missing guard Gary Payton II to a torn calf and Blazers backup center Robert Williams III out for the rest of the season due to knee surgery.
Game Story
The Warriors started hot, scoring 10 quick points behind Thompson’s shooting and Jonathan Kuminga’s active defense. Thompson was scintillating, curling off screens and finding gaps for quick shots. His range would strain the home team all night long, creating cracks for Kuminga, Wiggins, Moody and Looney to cut for the rim.
The Blazers settled into the game behind a balanced attack led by Scoot Henderson off the bench. Henderson showed off his speed and passing vision, driving to the rim, drawing contact and finding open teammates at the rim and behind the arc to power the Blazers within four at the end of the first period.
The second frame teetered on a game of mini runs as both teams started shooting from range. The Warriors received key points from rookies Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Blazers facilitated an offense by committee as a backcourt of Henderson, Simons and Malcolm Brogdon traded off point guard responsibilities.
The Warriors soon began to pull away with a 10 point lead before both teams would frustrate themselves with sloppy play and a rash of turnovers answered by turnovers before finding some more offense. Jerami Grant was a terror down the lane, consistently slithering his way to the rim for scoop shot after scoop shot.
However, the Blazers’ confidence faltered after an offensive rebound and putback dunk by Kuminga. The second-effort triggered an avalanche of open layups and dunks in the halfcourt and transition. This exhibition in discombobulation netted the Warriors a 65-49 advantage at the half on 59.1 FG% and 42.1 3P%.
The Warriors keep their playoff hopes alive, rising to 12-14 for season while the Blazers continue their precipitous seven game losing streak, falling to 6-19 on the season.
Curry was held to four points by a determined Toumani Camara, but it hardly seemed to matter as the Blazers starting backcourt of Anfernee Simons and Shadeon Sharpe combined for three points on a single make by Sharpe. The Blazers shot 42.9% from the floor, with a 35.3% mark from beyond the arc.
After the half, Klay Thompson continued his scorching shooting, opening the half quickly with 10 points to balloon the Warriors’ lead to 22. Simons would respond and lead the Blazers’ charge, scoring nine points in the first four minutes, before a layup by Grant and a three pointer from Camara (both assisted by Simons) forced Golden State coach Steve Kerr to take a timeout in an effort to break the Blazers’ momentum.
It would be for naught as the Blazers put together a 14-5 run, tying the game on a three from Matisse Thybulle with 2:14 left in the third frame. Jabari Walker struggled all night but was vital to the run, as he sniffed out a key offensive rebound to put the Blazers within tying distance before making a clean block on Dario Šarić to start the possession that would lead to Thybulle’s make.
The Warriors retaliated at the line, as Wiggins drew fouls on Henderson and Grant and Podziemski and Moody found ways to the rim to create five-point buffer before the final period.
The fourth quarter started on a 9-4 run by the Blazers, cobbled together at the line by Simons and Henderson and knotting it at 93-93. But a rash of misses helped the Warriors rattle off nine unanswered points en route to a 14-3 run of their own.
Grant and Simons steadied the Blazers, alternating possessions to score at the rim, from the free throw stripe and beyond the arc. Wiggins and Thompson continued their stellar play from the wings and Warriors guard Chris Paul made a jumpshot to hold an eight-point advantage with two minutes to go.
Grant responded with a three pointer of his own, as Simons and Sharpe made their way to the rim and the charity stripe en route to an 11-4 run. Paul made another jumpshot that appeared to be the dagger, but the Blazers went to Simons after the timeout and he found another three points at the rim.
To win the ball back, the Blazers were forced to foul Curry, intending to take the timeout and draw up a three point play. However, where the normally sterling Curry made his first, he missed the second. Deandre Ayton grabbed the rebound for the Blazers and made the pass to Sharpe.
Losing no time, Sharpe sprinted up the floor, intent on taking it all the way to the basket. He would come up short. Podziemski set his feet before Sharpe could take off and it was all over but for the final whistle. A pair of free throws from Podziemski would seal the victory, 118-114 as the Warriors survived one last charge.
Key Stats
While the Blazers would overcome early shooting woes to finish a respectable 47.1% from the floor, the Warriors came out shooting even better, making 52.9% of all field goals. The Blazers kept the game close through the free throw line, making 21 on 91.3 FT%, as Warriors shot poorly from the free throw line all night, making only 13 on 68.4%.
Both teams made 13 three pointers apiece, with the Warriors taking one more attempt (13-38), but the Blazers were lethal from the corner, shooting 61.5% as Toumani Camara repeatedly punished the Warriors’ rotation. On the other side, it was the same story with a different ending, as the Warriors repeatedly cut from the corner towards the basket for wide open layups and a 73.3% mark at the rim.
The difference would come from the bench, as the Warriors would find the points they needed off contributions from Wiggins, Paul, Moody, Jackson-Davis and Šarić for a total of 57 points to the Blazers’ 29. The Blazers responded with 30 points in transition to the Warriors’ nine.
Ultimately, it the key statistic was charges taken, as Podziemski set himself before Sharpe could jump to seal the victory. The Blazers did not draw a charge the entire night.
Where to Next?
The Blazers will continue their homestand by hosting the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and Washington Wizards on Thursday before heading to Golden State for another match on Saturday.
The Warriors will head home to host the powerhouse Celtics on Tuesday and then playing a weekend back-to-back against the Wizards and Blazers on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
