Golden State Warriors won their playoff opener of the Western Conference against Portland Trail Blazers with an emphatic 121-109 win on Sunday. Draymond Green was the man of the hour as he dazzled near the rim and was at his defensive best for the entire duration of the match. He upped the ante in the fourth quarter as Warriors went in for the kill.
“It’s mano-a-mano, man-against-man. Who is going to win the battle? It’s just a different type of emotion,” said Green after the match. This best-of-seven series might just end up being more competitive than anyone thought.
Blazers were the clear underdogs as they entered the arena, however, CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard were at their sublime best for Portland. McCollum finished with a playoff-high of 41 points and Lillard added 34 points, five rebounds and three assists.
However, it was Green’s night as he upped his game in the fourth game as the third period ended with a 91-88. Green registered staggering numbers of 19 points while making six of 10 shots, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocks and three steals, statistics no one had reached in playoff history since blocks and steals were first recorded in 1973-74.
“Well, when you get that block at the apex of the rim, of the player’s elevation and he’s right at the rim, you get a block like that, it energized everybody,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I thought our fans were fantastic. Our players were fired up, and Draymond made a couple of just huge plays there.”
“When you block it at the rim,” Green said. “It’s a little different because that’s one of those plays where you’re within a half-inch to a centimeter of being dunked on. So when you actually come up with the block, it’s a little bit more excitement. When you’re coming across and you get a swat, that’s usually weak side. You come across the top and you get a swat on a guy.”
“I heard the crowd,” Green said. “That’s about all I heard. Everything else, pretty much that’s it.”
“They were very aggressive,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “Obviously we didn’t shoot the ball well. We had six turnovers in the fourth. Draymond had an impact on the game at the rim and in the paint. They got more aggressive on the ball with the trapping pick-and-rolls a little bit more. In a quarter, if you have six turnovers and shoot 30 percent in the quarter, it’s going to be rough. It’s a credit to their defense, and we’ve got to be able to handle that a little bit better.”
Results:
Washington Wizards 114 beat Atlanta Hawks 107
Golden State Warriors 121 beat Portland Trail Blazers 109
Boston Celtics 102 lose to Chicago Bulls 106
Houston Rockets 118 beat Oklahoma City Thunder 87
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