The Warriors would add three more points to their lead through the remainder of the frame and hold a 33-17 lead at the end of one. McGee can bring it. Suddenly, a team that built an elite defense mostly on the arms and chemistry of similar-size players switching off picks is thin on required parts. By the time he realizes he’s too far away from his man, pressuring a non-shooter near the three-point arc, McGee is already in the air sizing up a wide open lob pass.
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Forward Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors officially is listed as questionable for Game 2 against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
This is the Best of Seven formats in which Warriors lead the series by 1-0. Game 3 is Saturday night in Portland.
Durant has a strained left calf. He would go on to tie the Warriors’ postseason record for most field goals made without a miss.
“For me, it’s just going to make me raise the level of my game because I take [Green’s trash talk] as a challenge”, Lillard said after his team’s 121-109 loss. The led shrunk to just a single point (43-42), then Javale McGee changed the complexion of the game. He also augmented Golden State’s perimeter defense, stepping up when needed to contain Portland’s 3-point attack.
“Dame and C.J., if they get 80 between them we’ve still got to score another 40 or 50 from somewhere”, said Blazers coach Terry Stotts. “She said she was watching the game and she was screaming at the TV in the fourth quarter and stuff, but after that we didn’t really talk about basketball”. “We’ve got to try to limit that if we want a chance to win games”. In Game 2 of their first-round series, the Warriors were without Kevin Durant because of a strained calf, Shaun Livingston because of a finger injury and Matt Barnes because of an ankle issue that has kept him sidelined for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the Blazers are still underdogs at home, but they will be fired up for this one after getting embarrassed in Game 2.
“It’s a series and points don’t carry over”, Lillard said of the blowout’s potential impact on the rest of the series.
Head to head, the Warriors are 35-17 ATS in the last 52 meetings overall and 11-5 ATS in the last 16 meetings in Portland.
Westbrook delivered a triple-double of 51 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds but couldn’t get the ball to drop when it counted. “And playing with athleticism and energy, he’s still able to cover their smaller players and be a force around the rim offensively”.
In game two, the teams were whistled for 55 fouls and took a combined 71 free throws.
“He was fantastic all over the court for us (Wednesday)”, Warriors forward Draymond Green said.
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The alternate way to watch the Game 2 of Warriors vs Blazers if the user doesn’t have access to a cable or satellite log-in, then use Sling TV and watch the game on TNT. His ability to convert on those looks was a huge issue for Portland’s defense; those are the types of shots that they should be willing to live with, but they may change their tune on that if Durant continues to make nearly all of them. Pat McCaw netted 9 points, starting in place of Durant. Curry went 6-of-18 for 19 points.
