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OAKLAND, Calif. – The Golden State Warriors broke their 4-game losing streak, the longest in the franchise since 2013, with a 125-97 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Once again without the stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the Warriors rely on the brilliant performances of Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant to win the long-awaited victory.
Durant scored 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Thompson added 31 points in 12 out of 21 shots. Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 23 points on 9 shots.
KD does it all
Durant is one of the purest strikers in basketball history, but the Warriors need much more than to score him with Curry and Green to get him out of training – he has it all. provided Friday. Not only did KD ease the offense and find open teammates, but he was also incredibly active in defense, performing the right rotations while collecting flights and blockages en route. It was the performance the Warriors were waiting for from Durant, and that's when the team really needs it.
Klay the aggressor
Normally with a soft voice and even a keel, Thompson came out with a passion and a particular fire against Trail Blazers. He was extremely aggressive in looking for his finishing shot (which resulted in hilarious glances), and he quickly got hot, giving the Warriors an early source of points. After stumbling on a pointer that he had been defiled in the first quarter, Thompson headed energetically to the bleachers, urging the crowd to get stronger. It is clear from the jump that Thompson felt the need to assert himself on Friday. He also took control in the third quarter, when he lit the Blazers for 15 points.
ROARacle is back
In recent games, the Oracle Arena has been relatively quiet, but a huge quarter of a second has brought life back to one of the noisiest arenas of all sports. The crowd seemed to blossom not only from the heroic exploits of Thompson and Durant, but also from the movement of the ball "strength in numbers" that Oakland spectators have been in the habit of seeing. It was as if someone had shaken a bottle of soda for the last games, and on Friday, the Warriors finally pulled the cap off.
Cheering section of Lady
Damian Lillard, from Oakland, still has a lot of fans going to his hometown, but Friday's section was particularly impressive. Located just behind the press row in a luxurious box, about a dozen Lillard supporters burst each time the NBA guard touched the ball, and almost hysterical every time he scored, even when the Blazers were down. Oakland may be a land of warriors, but a special section is devoted entirely to Lillard.
The warriors back?
The big question now is: Was it a single match or did the Warriors resolve what was wrong physically, emotionally, and spiritually? With the home games between the Kings and the Magic, Golden State has a chance to stand out after a run of three wins before leaving for a tough road trip. But backtracking against the Kings would bring back all the anxiety and frustration they've experienced in recent weeks. We will have to see how they play on Saturday, but the good news is that Curry could be back on the field as early as Monday.
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