- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Trail Blazers vs. Warriors: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
- Updated: January 5, 2017
The Golden State Warriors (31-5) figured to cruise past the Portland Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard (ankle) out for a fifth straight game Wednesday night, but that wasn’t the case, as the defending Western Conference champions were forced to match the Blazers shot-for-shot in a 125-117 shootout win at Oracle Arena.
Golden State’s winning streak stretched to four games, while the Blazers (15-22) have now lost eight of their last 10 dating back to Dec. 15.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry led the charge with 35 points on 12-of-25 shooting (5-of-13 from three), five assists and seven rebounds, and the effort marked the first time that he eclipsed the 30-point mark in a game since Dec. 13 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Warriors have been unbeatable over their past 25 games when Curry tops 30 points:
The streak continues… pic.twitter.com/rszKizxMKe
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 5, 2017
Kevin Durant—who finished a team-best plus-22 in 37 minutes—added 30 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go with five boards and three blocks.
And as ESPN.com’s Ethan Strauss observed, the Warriors embraced a new schematic approach in pick-and-rolls to get their lethal scorers open for clean looks:
This game has more PnRs involving Steph and KD than any I remember
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) January 5, 2017
Draymond Green flirted with a second straight triple-double (9 PTS, 7 REB, 11 AST) in the win, while Zaza Pachulia (13 points) and Klay Thompson (14 points) both served as effective supplementary options.
C.J. McCollum funneled home 35 points (13-of-31 shooting) for a team that needed to compensate for Lillard’s absence, and he set the tone on a night when the Blazers shot 46.2 percent from three overall.
Blazers PR on Twitter offered some context behind McCollum’s scoring explosion:
CJ McCollum has recorded his sixth career game of 35+ points, fourth this season, including each of the past two games.
— Trail …
