Steph was the eleventh player to win back-to-back MVP awards and the first to do it since LeBron in 2012 and 2013.
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If there is one player that epitomizes the word “dominant” it is Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry. It was his first game back since he sprained his right MCL in the first round against the Houston Rockets, but he still scored 40 points and connected on six of his seven shot attempts in overtime on his way to 17 points in the extra period. Damian Lillard and Co. definitely gained the Warriors respect in the hard-fought matchup, but Golden State gained the series-clinching win and the opportunity to have a few days of rest as they await the next round’s opponent.
“It felt like we were running on fumes a little bit at the end”, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. The defense of the 3-point line was late.
While watching the game, my buddy Alex and I talked about how it’s kind of a shame that Klay Thompson gets overshadowed by Curry. “There are not a lot of teams who play like they do”. But maybe that’s the problem-we’re used to LeBron’s greatness.
“I would have said that Michael Jordan was the MVP every year of his prime, and I would tell you that LeBron is as well”, Griffin said. Then the Blazers dominated the first three quarters only to see the Warriors get red hot and steal the second game.
Warriors: Golden State will appear in back-to-back Western Conference finals for the second time in franchise history, also done in 1975-76….
“I think it has something to do with all these kids we’re drafting out of high school… now we’re drafting kids after one year of college”.
The final result: Warriors 125, Portland 121, and the Western Conference finals are next for the defending champions.
So, are these Warriors, who set an National Basketball Association record with a 24-0 start and another top mark with that 73-win finish, better than they were a year ago during the postseason run?
Andrew Bogut strained his right adductor (thigh) and left the game in the second quarter without returning. However, he turned away just as Curry extended his hand.
“I want to be remembered as somebody that worked hard, that got the most out of my potential and talent and pushed the envelope”, Curry said.
There was nobody who could possibly replace Aldridge (his shots went to Lillard and McCollum), and so they tried different players at PF – Meyers Leonard (their other 2012 lottery pick) started 10 games; Noah Vonleh (Charlotte’s 2014 lottery pick) started 56.
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The game got ugly – a theme of this series – and there were more injuries: Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll and Heat forward Luol Deng both left the game with left wrist injuries.
