It started very strong for the Warriors, with an 8-0 start, marked by an interception and a big dunk from Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State is in the lead with Klay Thompson who makes a 3/3 for 7 points in 7 minutes of play. But Portland is gradually coming back to the top thanks to its rookie star, Scoot Henderson, who comes off the bench and also places 7 points at 3/3 on shots (27-23).
While the Sharpe – Simons pair cannot find the target, the locals rely on Jerami Grant, back in action after an absence of four matches. The veteran winger scored a whopping 13 points in 12 minutes in the 2nd quarter, to limit the damage. Because, opposite, the Warriors play very clean, like a trio composed of Thompson, Kuminga and Wiggins who respectively accumulate 11, 12 and 10 points at half-time, at 4/6, 5/7 and 4/4 on shots!
Klay Thompson has the hot hand
Relegated to -16 at the halfway point, the Blazers were still subjected to the law of the Dubs after returning from the locker room, with Thompson still as hot as ever who scored his team's first 10 points. But Simons wakes up after a first half without a single point and he allows the Blazers to win the 3rd quarter (35-24), helped by Grant, who is still as productive.
Portland returns to -6, -3 and even tied at the end of the period, but Wiggins, Moody and the Warriors manage to maintain a small nest egg (89-84) before the home stretch.
Surprised coming off the bench, Trayce Jackson-Davis continues his work in the paint. He scores a basket in two stages then sends Henderson back to his studies on the block. With Wiggins regaining skill, it is he who drives the Californian dynamic in the last quarter. And Golden State regains a 10-point lead.
We enter “money time” and Simons tries to revive the ashes, and he allows his team to come back very close, at -2 but Chris Paul cools the Rip City public. For an instant. Because Curry misses a final throw. Sharpe then launches into a frantic “coast to coast” and thinks he has found shots to equalize but the referees whistle an offensive foul (118-114)…
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– End of series for Stephen Curry. It was 268 games in a row, since December 1, 2018, that Curry made at least one 3-point shot in each of his appearances on an NBA floor. But last night in Portland, the Dubs' star point guard finished 0/8 behind the arc. He also missed a throw at the very end of the match which almost cost him dearly…
– Andrew Wiggins regains confidence. Out of the major five for three games, Wiggins has found passing colors in Oregon. With 25 points and 7 rebounds, all on 9/12 shots including 4/6 from 3-point range, the Canadian winger quite simply had one of his best games of the season. A good sign for the Warriors lacking scoring lately…
– A two-faced Simons. Hood at 0/6 on shots including 0/4 on 3-pointers in the first half, Anfernee Simons showed a completely different side after returning from the locker room. It is he who will try to revive the Blazers and will almost succeed in doing so with 24 points in the second half, including an assortment of ultra-difficult shots near the circle.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
