Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 2 vs. Blazers
1. Defense The Difference Without Curry
We shouldn’t feel too sorry for the Golden State Warriors. Even without the eventual back-to-back MVP on the court, they’ve still got two All-NBA caliber players, including a guy who’s scored 37 points in a quarter before. They certainly shouldn’t be pitied when they fall behind in a playoff game, especially as a team coming off a championship run.
But with Curry out and defenses playing so hard on every possession, it’s a lot more difficult for this Warriors team to shoot its way out of double-digit deficits. The Dubs put up 34 points in the final frame, sure, but it was their defense limiting Portland to just 12 fourth quarter points that made the biggest difference.
Kerr on how hard it is to make a comeback without Stephen Curry: "It's different. We have to rely on our defense".
— Ros Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) May 4, 2016
In the fourth quarter, Golden State held the Blazers to 5-of-19 shooting (26.3 percent) from the field and 0-for-6 shooting from three-point range. Portland missed a few open looks, but coming off a quarter in which the Blazers absolutely shot the lights out, Golden State turned the tide in the fourth by locking down on the defensive end.
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Having the Oracle Arena crowd backing them probably made it a bit easier, but all the Warriors’ defensive focus eventually got the best of the Blazers when Portland stopped knocking down those tough, contested looks. With Curry sidelined, Golden State will continue to rely on its defense to fuel its offense.