Green, despite that missed time, finished with his fifth double-double of this postseason, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Their team is young and led by a talented and well-liked star.
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Stephen Curry stopped just before leaving his postgame press conference with one final, important thought.
Later Wednesday, after the Warriors clinched the playoff series by beating the Blazers 125-121, Curry and Silver made sure they got the handshake right. “Of course I think they’re done”, which he later acknowledged wasn’t meant as disrespect but rather to fuel his own team.
The Golden State Warriors have eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers from the National Basketball Association playoffs, despite injuries to key big men Australian Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green. Portland was able to go toe-to-toe with Golden State in every game but one (game one) in this series.
Yet mere recitation of those tangible accomplishments does not communicate what made their performance so memorable. The shots weren’t always high-percentage looks, but the Blazers managed to subsist on them if only through sheer force of will. “I know how hard Steph works and how great of a team player he is”. There’s still time for him to find a rhythm and kickstart his confidence, but time – and the patience of Warriors fans – is running out. Obviously, they’re the better team.
The downside for Golden State was that two starters got injured. Tom Brady, who is a member of the unanimous MVP club after winning it in 2010, is one of those people. The numbers show they have an advantage over both San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
“I think we competed; games were very competitive”, said C.J.McCollum, who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
“Anytime you win a series, you’re just relieved and then you move on and at that point you have a brand-new set of challenges”.
The best shots of the game were of Curry’s wife Ayesha and mother Sonya celebrating his ball on a string, step back three-pointers. Portland had not demonstrated that same clarity of vision against the Clippers and apparently hadn’t convinced Draymond Green of it after Game 4 when he declared that the Blazers were done.
The Warriors lost only once over five games, but they were outscored in 11 of 20 quarters in regulation. By all measurements, though, this season was a tremendous success.
And it came on a night where he yet again displayed his magic.
In Bogut’s absence, Festus Ezeli played 14 minutes – his most this postseason – and Anderson Varejao saw his first action since Game 2.
The Warriors beat the Trail Blazers for the seventh straight time at home.
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This was the playoffs as they should be, 11 days of chasing and wrestling and winning and losing, each team probing itself as deeply as the other, and at the end the Warriors were exhausted, almost every one of them, though none more than those flinching with every step.
