Stephen Curry erupted for 36 points as the Warriors won Game 1 by a comfortable margin of 22 points. At the final buzzer, the scoreline showed the difference in play. Yes, the Warriors' backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson finished with 62 points with 12 made 3's but it was the Blazers play that probably cost them the game. The visitors committed a season-high 21 turnovers which led to 31 Warriors' points. They only shot 30-of-83 (36.1%) from the field including just seven made 3's on 25.0% efficiency. On the other hand, the Warriors shot 42-of-84 (50.0%) from the field and shot 17-of-33 from beyond the 3-point line while only allowing 12 points on their 14 turnovers. Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers Final: Warriors 116, Trail Blazers 94 It was only a six-point game before the final period but the Warriors opened it up in the fourth quarter. Outscoring the Blazers 39-23 in the fourth, the Warriors improved to 18-1 in Game 1s under Steve Kerr. Curry finished the game with 36, his highest score since Game 1 against the LA Clippers. His nine 3-pointers were a playoff career-high for Curry. Klay chipped in with 26 as well. Rodney Hood scored 17 points off the bench for the Blazers but the reserves for the visitors were outscored by their counterparts 36-28. End of third quarter: Warriors 77, Trail Blazers 71 Curry continues to go off, scoring 14 in the third period of his game-high 33. The Warriors have scored 28 points on the Blazers' 18 turnovers and yet, the visitors are only down by six points. The Blazers continue to fight, being down by 17 at one point in the third quarter. Halftime: Warriors 54, Trail Blazers 45 Stephen Curry, who finished with 19 points for the first half, knocked down two 3s in the last 39.4 seconds of the first half to give the Warriors a 9-point lead at halftime. The other Warriors in double figures is Klay Thompson with 11 points. Draymond Green continues to fill the stat sheet - 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. Meanwhile, the Blazers are hanging in there. Shooting 32.6% from the field with 13 turnovers that have led to 20 points for the Warriors, the Blazers would take being down just nine. Damian Lillard is the only scorer in double figures for the team with 12. End of first quarter: Warriors 27, Trail Blazers 23 For the two-time champions, the Splash Brothers have contributed 14 points while Draymond Green is doing a little bit of everything, recording six points, six rebounds, and 3 assists. Both teams have five-plus turnovers (Warriors - 5; Blazers - 6). Meanwhile, for the Blazers, Maurice Harkless and Damian Lillard were the top-scorers with seven points each. The first quarter ended with a buzzer-beating three from Rodney Hood: S Dot with the assist pic.twitter.com/pbOe3GfhJY - Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 15, 2019 Pre-game The Curry's have picked their sides<doc-sep>Portland and Golden State meet in the postseason for the third time in four years. Can the Trail Blazers push for a different outcome against a potentially shorthanded Warriors team? Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors enter the Western Conference Finals after incredibly taxing series-clinching wins on the road. Portland endured a seven-game slugfest with the Denver Nuggets that included a four-overtime game while the Warriors, already without DeMarcus Cousins who has not played since tearing his quad in the 1st Round, outlasted the Rockets despite losing Kevin Durant in Game 5 with a strained calf. These teams know each other well as they met in the playoffs in 2016 and 2017. The Warriors swept the Blazers in the 1st Round in 2017 and beat them in five games in the Conference Semifinals in 2016. Series Schedule Game 1 - Tuesday, May 14 at Golden State, Time: 9:00 p.m. Game 2 - Thursday, May 16 at Golden State, Time: 9:00 p.m. Game 3 - Saturday, May 18 at Portland, Time: 9:00 p.m. Game 4 - Monday, May 20 at Portland, Time: 9:00 p.m. Game 5 (if necessary) - Wednesday, May 22, at Golden State, Time: 9:00 p.m. Game 6 (if necessary) - Friday, May 24, at Portland, Time: 9:00 p.m. Game 7 (if necessary) - Sunday, May 26, at Golden State, Time: 9:00 p.m. Recapping the Season Series Result: Series split 2-2 Best game: Dec. 27, 2018 - Trail Blazers 110, Warriors 109 (OT) Best performance: Damian Lillard - 40 points, 14-23 FG, 6-13 3-pt FG on December 29 Although the teams split the season series, only one of the four games - the overtime thriller on December 27 - was particularly close. Each team had a blowout win (Portland won by 22 in February and Golden State won by 28 in November) while the Warriors led by double digits throughout almost the entire fourth quarter of their other win. In the overtime game on December 27, Portland blew a 10-point lead with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter before ultimately pulling out the win in overtime thanks to a game-winning 3-pointer by Damian Lillard with 6.0 seconds left. Both Lillard and CJ McCollum played in all four games as did Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green each played in three of the four meetings while DeMarcus Cousins did not play in any of the four matchups. Key Storyline: Which backcourt decides the series? https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/NBA_Global_CMS_image_storage/d4/86/damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum_u53us424v7ak1xd5m4xqpsdhh.jpg?t=-1316423294&w=500 The easy answer is the injury to Kevin Durant which looms large over the series. How many games will he miss? Nobody know for certain and it's a question that tugs at the strings of this series. MORE: Medical expert weighs in on Durant injury What we do know is that if Durant is out, the series will fall into the hands of the dynamic backcourts of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson for Golden State and Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum for Portland. These are the two best backcourts in the NBA and both are cooking. Lillard was perhaps the biggest star of the opening round when he torched Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, slamming the door hut with an emphatic 50-point game and game-winning buzzer-beater to clinch the series. Last round against Denver, it was McCollum's turn to take over as he scored 41 points in Game 3 before dropping 30 and 37 in Game 6 and Game 7, respectively. For the Warriors, both of the Splash Brothers are coming off signature performances in Golden State's epic road win in Houston without Kevin Durant in Game 6. Thompson erupted for 21 points for the Warriors in the first half to keep them in it with Curry going scoreless before Curry atoned for his poor showing with 33 points of his own in the second half including 23 in the fourth quarter. Each of these guards has shown an incredible knack for timely shot making at various points in this postseason and especially given the uncertainty regarding Durant's strained calf, whichever backcourt steps up will give their team the upper hand. Three Players to Watch Kevin Durant vs. Portland in 2018-19 (four games): 29.8 points (57.5 FG%), 6.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.0 blocks The longer Durant misses, the greater opportunity that Portland has of making this a competitive series. Prior to limping off during the third quarter of Game 5 against Houston, Durant was playing the best basketball of his career. Coach Steve Kerr called him the best player in the world during the Houston series and during his on-court interview following the win in Game 6 without him, Curry echoed Kerr's sentiments. He's averaging over 34 points per game on better than 50-40-90 shooting while also at times guarding the other team's best player. One key to watch? If Portland steals a game or two early, will Golden State feel pressure to rush Durant back before he's fully recovered? And if that happens, what kind of toll might that take on Durant moving forward not only in this series, but for potentially an NBA Finals matchup against either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard? Andre Iguodala vs. Portland in 2018-19 (three games): 4.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks (in 21.9 mpg) Curry and Thompson might get most of the credit for that Game 6 win, but the Warriors simply do not win without Iguodala who hit five timely threes while also recording five steals. He also played 38 minutes and averaged just under 35 minutes per game, far more than he did during the 1st Round (25.7) or regular season (23.2). Golden State's bench is shallow and the Warriors are relying heavily on the 35-year old Iguodala who has risen to the occasion. Can he continue to hold up carrying this significant of a load? Seth Curry vs. Golden State in 2018-19 (four games): 6.8 points (36.4 3P%), 1.8 rebounds (in 16.4 mpg) It's impossible to talk about this series without hitting on the fact that this will be the first time in NBA history that brothers will face off in the Conference Finals. Beyond simply being the younger brother of a two-time MVP, Seth Curry plays an important role as a shooter off the bench for Portland, a role that's all the more critical after Rodney Hood hyperextended his knee in Game 7 against Denver and did not return. Curry shot a sizzling 45% from beyond the arc during the regular season and can get hot quickly. He's the type of player that Golden State does not have off the bench and if Lillard or McCollum gets in foul trouble, becomes an incredibly important player in this series. Picks and Predictions Gilbert McGregor: Warriors in 5 Scott Rafferty: Warriors in 5 Micah Adams: Warriors in 6 Kyle Irving: Warriors in 5 Alex Novick: Warriors in 6 Carlan Gay: Warriors in 7<doc-sep>The Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors begin the 2018-19 Western Conference Finals Tuesday at Oracle Arena at 9 p.m. Eastern. The Warriors entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the West while the Trail Blazers move on as the third seed after upsetting the Denver Nuggets in Round 2. Odds provided by Bet365; for a full-set of today’s sports betting odds, access them at USA TODAY Sports. Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors: By the Numbers The Warriors are in their fifth consecutive conference finals while Portland makes its first trip to Round 3 since 1999-2000. Golden State is averaging a playoffs-best 18.1 points per game. Portland’s 111.2 PPG through two rounds is the third-best mark of the four remaining teams. The two teams rank first and second of the teams in the two conference finals in 3-point percentage. Portland is 7-5 against the total this postseason, while Golden State is 8-4. Both teams are just 4-6 against the spread over their last 10 games. Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors: Key Injuries Warriors PF and back-to-back Finals MVP Kevin Durant joins C DeMarcus Cousins on the sideline for the beginning of the series after suffering a calf injury in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets. Blazers SF Rodney Hood is questionable for the series opener due to a bruised bone in his knee. Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors: Best Bet Moneyline: Golden State is a heavy favorite at -340 even without Durant. The Trail Blazers are worth backing at +270 against an undermanned opponent, even if the Warriors were able to get past the Rockets without their MVP. Against the spread: The spread is 7.5, which the Trail Blazers have lost by just twice this postseason. Take them to cover at -110. Over/under: Both teams have played to the OVER more often than not these playoffs. Roll with the higher number once again at -110 on Tuesday’s projected total of 219. Follow Esten on Twitter @EstenMcLaren<doc-sep>
Before the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors tip off in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night, here’s a quick look back at how each team has made it to this point. The Warriors are the West’s top seed, finishing the regular season at 57-25. The Blazers went 53-29 during the regular season to earn the No. 3 seed in the West. Golden State beat each of its first two playoff opponents 4-2, while the Blazers took down Oklahoma City 4-1 before knocking out Denver in seven games. NBA PLAYOFFS, FIRST ROUND (3) Portland Trail Blazers beat (6) Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 Game 1: Blazers 104, Thunder 99: Enes Kanter has 20 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks, and Damian Lillard calls the Turkish center “the MVP of the game.” Game 2: Blazers 114, Thunder 94: Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have stellar games, and the Blazers rout the Thunder to go up 2-0 in the series. Game 3: Thunder 120, Blazers 108: Russell Westbrook and the Thunder pull within 2-1 in the series, but it’s trash-talking and gamesmanship that take center stage in Game 3 as the series heats up. Game 4: Blazers 111, Thunder 98: With CJ McCollum’s 27 points and Damian Lillard’s 24 leading the way, the Blazers “shut ... up” the Thunder and take a commanding 3-1 lead. Game 5: Blazers 118, Thunder 115: Damian Lillard drops in a 37-foot three-pointer over Paul George at the buzzer to finish with 50 points and send the Thunder into the offseason. (1) Golden State Warriors beat (8) Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 Game 1: Warriors 121, Clippers 104: Stephen Curry finishes with 38 points and drains eight three-pointers to carry the Warriors to victory. Game 2: Clippers 135, Warriors 131: The Warriors blow a 31-point lead at home, and the Clippers tie the series at 1-1. Game 3: Warriors 132, Clippers 105: With Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry leading the way, Golden State lays a beatdown on the Clippers. Game 4: Warriors 113, Clippers 105: Kevin Durant has 33 points and Klay Thompson finishes with 32 to stake the Warriors to a 3-1 series lead. Game 5: Clippers 129, Warriors 121: Lou Williams leads the way with 33 points and 10 assists, and the Clippers stave off elimination in Oakland. Game 6: Warriors 129, Clippers 110: Kevin Durant scores a playoff-career-high 50 points, with 38 coming in the second half, and Golden State wins the series in Los Angeles. NBA PLAYOFFS, SECOND ROUND (3) Portland Trail Blazers beat (2) Denver Nuggets 4-3 Game 1: Nuggets 121, Blazers 113: Nikola Jokic is dominant, finishing with 37 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks, to lead the Nuggets to the victory. Game 2: Blazers 97, Nuggets 90: Inspired by an ailing assistant coach on “bowtie Wednesday,” the Blazers get past the Nuggets to even the series at 1-1. Game 3: Blazers 140, Nuggets 137 (4OT): Rodney Hood hits a clutch three-pointer and the Blazers “dig deepest” to outlast the Nuggets in a thriller to go up 2-1 in the series. Game 4: Nuggets 116, Blazers 112: Led by Jamal Murray’s 34 points and Nikola Jokic’s triple-double, the resilient Nuggets bounce back from the Game 3 heartbreaker to tie the series. Game 5: Nuggets 124, Blazers 98: Denver routs the Blazers to take a 3-2 series lead and push the Blazers to the brink. Game 6: Blazers 119, Nuggets 108: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Rodney Hood and Zach Collins all come up big for the Blazers, who fight off elimination and force a Game 7 in Denver. Game 7: Blazers 100, Nuggets 96: In the biggest performance of his career, CJ McCollum finishes with 37 points to carry the Blazers to the mile-high victory in Denver. (1) Golden State Warriors beat (4) Houston Rockets 4-2 Game 1: Warriors 104, Rockets 100: Kevin Durant finishes with 35 points, and Draymond Green has 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead Golden State to victory. Game 2: Warriors 115, Rockets 109: Kevin Durant has 29 points and Klay Thompson adds 21 as the Warriors go up 2-0 in the series. Game 3: Rockets 126, Warriors 121 (OT): James Harden has 41 points and hits a dagger three in overtime to pull Houston to within 2-1. Game 4: Rockets 112, Warriors 108: The Rockets tie the series at 2-2, with James Harden’s 38 points leading the way.