Playoff Recap: Blazers Drop Game 4 to Warriors

Photos courtesy trailblazers.com, Bruce Ely/Justin Tucker

There’s been a lot of talk about putting an asterisk next to this year’s playoffs for the Blazers. Folks think that since both teams we’ve gone up against have been hobbled by injuries, us advancing and winning games should have a side note. I believe the Blazers 2016 playoff appearance should have a side note, but it should say something like, “The Portland Trail Blazers were a young team that nobody believed in, and they earned their playoff appearance by being badasses.”

Consider the first series against the Clippers. We beat them healthy in game three, and were looking confident and on our way to winning game four before Blake Griffin and Chris Paul were maimed. If there had to be an asterisk for that series, it should probably read, “The Los Angeles Clippers lost their composure because their two most important playmakers were injured, and they weren’t a good enough team to pull it together and win.”

Now with the Warriors, we’re looking at a wrecking ball of a team that had the best regular season record in NBA history this year. Yes, they did that on the strength of Steph Curry’s tendency to spit three-pointers like you or I hawk loogies, but a team can’t break records like that unless they’ve got a deep squad. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Shaun Livingston all have deadly three-point ability, so the Warriors have been completely crippled.

The Blazers can beat the Warriors when they’re healthy anyway. Anybody remember February 19th? That fateful day when the Blazers clubbed Golden State by 32 points? With our win against them in game three, we became the only team this season to beat them twice. Who’s to say we can’t keep doing it?

There isn’t an asterisk for this series just yet, but ideally it’ll read much like the one in the first paragraph. But, since the Blazers turned game four over to the Warriors 132-125 in overtime, the odds are not really in our favor anymore.

As soon as the clock started ticking, Damian Lillard was aflame. He dropped seven of the teams first 12 points, all while taking lumps and hard fouls from Shaun Livingston and Klay Thompson. The Warriors couldn’t get anything to fall. With six minutes gone the score was 16-2, Blazers. Golden State ended up shooting 28% in the first.

At game time last night Steph Curry was listed as available. Curry didn’t start, but he came in just after the six minute mark. He promptly fouled CJ McCollum, missed a lay-up, made a lay-up, and air-balled a three. Even though everyone’s buttholes clenched when he stepped onto the court, nothing really happened.

Curry didn’t start the second quarter either, but he came back in at the seven minute mark. Again, nothing really happened. The Blazers didn’t turn to stone, and Curry really wasn’t too much of a factor.

With about three minutes left in the half, Shaun Livingston got his panties in a bunch after a no-call and went off on an official. He got two quick technical fouls and was promptly ejected from the game. If my lip reading skills are as good as I think they are, I believe he called the official a “bitch-ass-motherfucker.” I suppose that’s enough to get you tossed.

Blazers essentially controlled the first half, taking a ten point lead into the locker room.

Warriors got their first lead of the night at the three and a half minute mark in the third. The game started to slip away from the Blazers. But, the Blazers drained three consecutive three-pointers to reclaim a lead. Despite putting up a good fight, the Warriors took a one point lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was a shoot out. The lead changed hands almost every up and down. Curry finally got himself a three just under the four minute mark, bringing his three-point column to a 1-11. Andrew Bogut got his sixth personal foul just before the two minute mark and had to leave the court. Another one bit the dust for the Warriors.

Of course, since the last quarter was such a tug of war, the game went into overtime. The Blazers quickly pushed ahead by three, but Curry snuffed it with a confident three-point shot. After that, it was the Curry show the rest of the way. He went bombs away and scored 17 of the Warriors 21 points in OT, finishing the game with a grand total of 40 points, shooting five of 16 from the three-point line.

Looks like the beast is back, and the Blazers are looking at a rough game five on Wednesday. Drag.