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After the Golden State Warriors defended their home judgment and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, the Portland Trail Blazers needed a big response in Game 3. home. They delivered a goal in the first half, but were unable to sustain the effort and were overwhelmed in the second half, while the Warriors won a 110-99 victory to climb. 3-0 in the series.
The Blazers changed their lineup to start the third game by inserting Meyers Leonard into the starting lineup for Enes Kanter. Head coach Terry Stotts did this brilliantly, while Leonard gave a good boost to both ends of the room. At half-time, he had as many buckets as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined and played a decisive role in the Blazers' 13-point win.
But, which should come as no surprise, relying on Leonard to carry the offensive was not viable for the Blazers and the Warriors soon got back to the game. They finished the third quarter on a 22-6 run to take the front before the fourth. They never dragged themselves again and moved away in the last minutes.
Steph Curry led the Warriors with 36 points, while Draymond Green achieved another playoff masterpiece with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists and four interceptions. For the Blazers, Lillard and McCollum have once again struggled, cumulating 42 points on 38 shots.
Here are some points to remember from the Warriors' major victory:
Draymond does it all
There has been a lot of talk this season about the fact that Draymond Green has slipped a bit, and for good reason. He only played in 66 games, his numbers were very low and he did not seem to have the same impact on the matches. But in the playoffs, he was phenomenal and he made another masterpiece Saturday night.
Green was ubiquitous in this game and it is not surprising that he was not alone on the ground, but played a decisive role in their big 22-6 run to close the third. His playing, in particular, was fantastic during this period, since he had six assists in the third quarter alone.
Its ability to influence the game at both ends of the ground and so varied is almost unparalleled in the league, and the Warriors have needed all their weight in recent games. Green finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists and four interceptions for his seventh triple-double in the playoffs, either more than all the others in this story of the combined Warriors franchise.
The story repeats itself
In the second game in Oakland, the Trail Blazers fired in the first half and increased their lead to 17 points at the end of the first half. But the Warriors reacted with one of their patented third-quarter bursts and regained the lead even before the end of the match. They then held on in the fourth for a big win and took a 2-0 lead.
Fast forward to Saturday night. Once again, the Blazers played well in the first half and this time, their advantage rose to 18 points in the last minutes of the second quarter. Once again, the Warriors showed their determination and experience in the playoffs and fought back. Using a 22-6 run to close the quarter, they took the lead of the fourth and moved away to win their third straight win of the series.
A loss is a defeat and the Blazers have always had the difficult task of coming back from a 2-0 deficit in this series. But losing the third match in the same way as the second game, and doing it at home makes it even more brutal.
Leonard advance, but can not wear the Blazers
Blazers head coach Terry Stotts was rightly criticized for his defensive game plan in the first game, which allowed Steph Curry to have far too much space to work. But to his credit, he demonstrated his ability to learn from his mistakes and adapt, which he continued to do in the third match, inserting Meyers Leonard into the starter training for Enes Kanter. The move paid off right away, as Leonard provided a good boost of energy at both ends of the ground and led the Blazers in goals with 13 points in the first half.
At that moment he had as many baskets as Lillard and McCollum put together. The problem, of course, is that it's not sustainable, and that the Blazers have not produced enough of their two stars in the second half to compensate for the inevitable return of Leonard to Earth. The duo scored 7 of 20 field battles in the second half when the Warriors took over. To be honest, they did not get much help, but they had a lot in the first half, and that's when Portland needed their help. We want to thank the Warriors for their defense, which has made their lives difficult, but 42 points on 38 throws from Lillard and McCollum will never make you win a playoff game.
See you on Portland action tonight with CBS Sports' live blog.
How to watch Warriors vs. Blazers Game 4
- Date: Monday, May 20th
- Time: 21h ET
- Location: Moda Center – Portland, Oregon
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live Statistics: GameTracker
- Diffusion: WatchESPN
- chances: Warriors -3.5 (over / under 220.5)
TV Lists
All games will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV during the playoffs. Games on TNT and NBA TV can be streamed via fuboTV (try it for free).
Ratings and Analysis
Check out the Sportsline NBA Selection Sheet for all your daily odds.
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