3. The Dubs control the glass
Despite opting for a non-traditional small-ball lineup for most of these playoffs, the Warriors have found little to no resistance in controlling the battle of the boards. Even with Jordan Bell posing as the tallest of Golden State’s starters at just 6’9”, that trend continued in a big way in this elimination game.
The Dubs out-rebounded Portland by a final tally of 56-38, which included a 15-6 edge on the offensive end. The 56 boards pulled down were a team-high for this series and played a big role in Golden State’s ability to control the pace of what became a tightly contested battle down the stretch.
Offensively, the Dubs struggled during the overtime session, plagued by fatigue resulting from a third consecutive double-digit comeback. They shot just 3-of-12 from the field, yet managed to haul in five rebounds at the offensive end that helped tick the clock down and led to an extra four points.
Both Milwaukee and Toronto ranked inside the top 10 in defensive rebounds per game during the regular season. They can go small to match the Warriors or attempt to overpower them inside with bruising big men in Brook Lopez and Marc Gasol.
Kerr isn’t likely to make any adjustments in that sense, instead, forcing the opposition to bend to his will rather than vice versa. If his team continues to take care of the glass as they did in Game 4, there’s no reason to think otherwise.