Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 4 vs. Blazers

5. Livingston Needs To Be Better

On the one hand, Shaun Livingston‘s second quarter ejection wound up being the indirect cause of the Golden State Warriors’ comeback in Game 4. His absence forced head coach Steve Kerr to ride Curry the rest of the way, and without Curry, the Dubs would have almost certainly lost this game.

But with the league MVP coming off a two-week absence due to a knee sprain — and after logging 37 minutes in Game 4 when he was only supposed to play 25 — Livingston’s importance cannot be understated.

After tallying 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds through the first two games of the series, Livingston struggled in the Game 3 loss, finishing with five points. In Game 4, he only had four points on 2-of-5 shooting and was a -17 overall in 12 minutes of action, quickly racking up two technical fouls to earn an ejection in the second quarter.

The dependence on Curry worked in Golden State’s favor in the end, and the infamous Scott Foster was in peak form when he tried to make the game about him with an over-the-top ejection.

But Ian Clark was only able to hold the fort down for so long before the Dubs needed Steph to check back in, putting an unnecessary toll on a guy who will be needed for a championship run. Livingston not only has to be smarter, but he also has to be better than he was in Portland.

Luckily, perhaps the strain of the added minutes was what weighed him down, and with Curry back, he can return to a more appropriate role as the team’s backup point guard.

Next: No. 4