Warriors sweep Trail Blazers to advance: 3 takeaways from Game 4

The Warriors made quick work of the Trail Blazers in Game 4 to sweep the series with little resistance. Here are three big takeaways from the game.

Kevin Durant returned to the lineup just in time for Golden State to complete the sweep of Portland. The Warriors stepped on the necks of the Trail Blazers from the opening tip to silence the crowd at Moda Center. Though the Blazers showed life in the second quarter, they trailed by 24 points at halftime. The Splash Brothers came alive to combine for 37 points on 8-13 shooting from distance in the first half.

The Warriors continued their onslaught in the second half behind the hot shooting of Steph Curry. Their starters barely played in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. Damian Lillard scored 34 points, but his production was fruitless. Golden State blasted Portland 128-103 to advance to the conference semifinals.

Takeaways

Damian Lillard’s confidence was admirable but misplaced. He predicted the Trail Blazers would beat the Warriors in six games. Lillard later clarified the prediction as lighthearted, but maintained his confidence that his team could compete with the Warriors. Meanwhile, everyone beyond the Greater Portland area knew the Blazers’ chances were extra slim.

Portland is not a good defensive team. Golden State is an excellent offensive team. The Warriors set a franchise record by scoring 45 points in the opening quarter and led by 23 points to reinforce those facts. They blew the game open by shooting 8-11 from the 3-point line and never looked back. The Blazers just didn’t have enough good players.

Draymond Green does everything better than anyone else. The 6-foot-7 forward swatted three shots in the first quarter alone in tonight’s game. And if the blocks weren’t punishment enough, Green cruelly yells at his victims to deter them from returning. He drilled five 3-pointers, dished out four helpers, finished in traffic, defended point guards, and continued driving up JaVale McGee’s asking price.

Green is once again proving his value to the Warriors. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate averaged 13.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 4.3 blocks per game in this series. He is the league’s playoff leader in blocks. Draymond Green is the engine behind this juggernaut.

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If Steph is gonna Steph, then good luck against these Warriors. Steph Curry entered Game 4 shooting 35 percent from three, which is well below his averages. The good news is the Warriors’ opponent in this round did not require peak Steph. The reigning two-time MVP showed up in a major way to put Portland out of their misery tonight. He was dancing and pulling up from Beaverton.

Curry drilled numerous threes in the most disrespectful fashion to help Golden State keep the game out of reach. He scored 37 points and shot 7-for-11 from long range. If he’s going to shoot with that kind of efficiency, good luck to the Warriors’ next opponent.