Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 4 clincher vs. Blazers

2. Total team effort for Golden State

Hours before the start of Game 4, it was announced that Andre Iguodala would miss the crucial matchup with a sore left calf. Already down both DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant, the Warriors would have to climb even deeper into their bench so as not to run their best players into the ground.

Rookie Alfonzo McKinnie would be given the chance to make an impact as a member of the starting unit. Having averaged just 3.7 points per game during this series, he answered the bell by finishing with 12 points in 26 minutes of action.

Another strong performance at both ends by Kevon Looney has him in line for an increase in salary when he hits the open market this summer. Kerr turned to him when wanting to match Portland’s size, and the big man obliged with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with 14 total rebounds, six of which came on offense.

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Aside from those two, no one outside of Golden State’s Big 3 did anything particularly noteworthy, but it was their sheer presence on the court that made the Warriors very unpredictable. Ten players were given a minimum of nine minutes, led by Looney’s 29 and followed by Shaun Livingston‘s 21. Even Jacob Evans, an unused rookie who had played just three minutes so far during this conference finals, matched that total in Game 4.

Heading into the Finals, the Warriors’ core is no doubt exhausted from another grueling NBA season. For role players to come in and contribute in any way, not only does it force defenses to readjust their strategies, it gives guys like Curry and Klay Thompson a slight rest that could pay dividends late in games.