The Golden State Warriors are one of those teams that is closing the NBA regular season with the accelerator pressed to the floor. Steve Kerr’s boys have gone in a matter of weeks from being threatened by the Houston Rockets to being the ones who are putting the Lakers and Kings ‘in check’; And with last night’s victory they have equalized the balance of both (45-35), sending the Angelenos to tenth position in the Western Conference.
Although now everything is satisfaction after winning nine of their last ten games, the truth is that those from San Francisco suffered more than expected on their visit to Portland to end up winning 92-100. For three quarters the match was even and at the beginning of the last quarter the Blazers even took a clear lead (85-78). It was then that the Warriors woke up with a 17-1 run that put them in a clear position to take home the victory.
«You know they are going to play hard and with a lot of energy. It worked for them for about 42 minutes, but we were able to be very disciplined down the stretch and get strong on defense. We just competed and those last six minutes were tough basketball. That’s what it took to win,” says Stephen Curry, author of 22 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds.
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The truth is that in Golden State the absence of some of its best men was noticeable. Klay Thompson, who scored up to 27 points in the previous game against the Lakers, was absent due to tendonitis in his right knee. Draymond Green (right knee bruise) and Gary Payton II (left calf tightness) also did not play. Despite this, they won and look to the future with optimism.
In order to maintain ninth place (or even reach eighth), the Warriors have two home games ahead of them. The first of them aims to be really tough when hosting the Pelicans who want to certify their direct qualification for the playoffs. The second, against the Utah Jazz, sounds more affordable.
Learning question
As for Portland, the truth is that the film has not changed since November. Youth and its development is what rules above all things and that is how Chauncey Billups, the team’s coach, treats what he experienced this past morning. «Everyone is going through the same maturation process. They are playing hard, they are playing very hard, they are giving me everything they have, which I love,” he explains.
Regarding individual performances, DeAndre Ayton was the best with a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds, while rookie Scoot Henderson had 18 points and 12 assists; yes, accompanied by up to 12 losses.
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(Photo by Amanda Loman/Getty Images)
2024-04-12 07:00:00
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