Warriors Win: One Step Closer to History

Photo credit to Golden State Warriors via Twitter

NBA

The Golden State Warriors made quick work of the Portland Trailblazers in a four game sweep to propel them to the NBA finals.

The Warriors are attempting to make history this season, by being the first team since the 1998 Chicago Bulls to three-peat as NBA champions. They finished off the Portland Trailblazers in four games to capture the Western Conference title for the fifth straight year. It has been over fifty years since a team (Boston Celtics) as been to that many consecutive finals. The Warriors are doing this without two original starters in Kevin Durant and Demarcus Cousins. They have been led by other stars such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. This trio combined to average 75 points per game in this series and have reminded people of their first championship team of 2015.

Warriors Star Power

Without Durant they had to figure out how to make up for the 35 points that he was providing for them in this years playoffs. Curry stepped up to the plate and returned to his MVP level this series. Despite having a poor shooting performance in the previous series he led the Warriors with 36 points per game versus the Trailblazers. Portland could not stop him, especially in clutch moments. He may have been motivated by playing against his brother Seth Curry for the first time in the playoffs, but his performance was needed by the Warriors to advance to the Finals.

Curry was helped by Green who was the engine that made the Warriors run in this series. He almost averaged a triple double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assist against the Blazers. His defense and willingness to push to pace of the game were too much for Portland to contain. Even with Curry leading them in scoring, Green was the MVP of this series. He even contained his emotions and was not given a technical foul in the four games. He was very vocal in supporting his teammates and encouraging them when the Warriors were down. One instance was after Jordan Bell missed an open dunk, he was seen telling him, “Keep it moving,Its okay, you missed a shot, all of us have, nobody’s perfect.”

Total Team Effort

One of the main reasons for the Warriors series win was the performance of the role players. Kevon Looney had a great series and was the fourth leading scorer with 10 points per game. Andre Iguodala played well in his fill in role for Durant but got hurt in game three and missed game four. This provided opportunities for players like Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell to step up and contribute. They both made timely plays that helped the Warriors finish of the Trailblazers.

The Warriors also showed heart this series, having to come back from double digit leads multiple times. Portland had trouble holding on to leads and finishing games. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum did lead Portland in scoring, but struggled shooting from the field. They both shot under 40% and did not come through in clutch moments. The rest of the Blazers had their struggles as well. If it weren’t for the performance of Myers Leonard in the last two games, Portland would have not been in the game at all. Portland needs to find a third player that can be consistent help, and take the pressure off of Lillard and McCollum.

Going for Three

Golden State will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. Their quest for a three-peat will have its own challenges this year, but help may be on the way. Both Cousins and Durant are expected to return from injury, although they may not still be at full strength. Another factor is home court advantage, which both Eastern Conference teams own over the Warriors. This will be the first time that they didn’t have home court in the NBA finals. The Bucks own a 2-1 game lead over the Raptors and the series may go the distance. This would give the Warriors plenty of time to recuperate and prepare for whichever team they will face. The NBA finals will begin on May 30 from either Milwaukee or Toronto at 9 p.m. on ABC.

 

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Written by Blair Young

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Photo credit to Golden State Warriors via Twitter