What looked like it might be a competitive series has instead become a blowout thanks to the championship mettle of the Golden State Warriors.
The two-time defending NBA champions have a 3-0 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals thanks to comebacks from double-digit deficits in the last two contests.
In Game 3, with Portland playing at home, the Warriors rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to win going away and all but lock up their fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals. Portland looked emotionally broken by the end of Game 3, and it is hard to see them coming out with the same fire again in Game 4.
Golden State is considered a -3.5-point favourite to win Game 4 and wrap up the series Monday night.
The Warriors’ emotional leader, Draymond Green, was at his very best in Game 3, pushing his team forward both physically and emotionally as Portland was trying to blow them out in the first half. Green wasn’t going to let the Warriors go down easily, and he continued to push the ball and look either for his own offense or for open looks for his teammates throughout. He finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, four steals, and a block, but even those stats don’t measure his importance to the team in the win.
Not that Green was alone. Stephen Curry seems to have found his shot again, going for 36 points, including six three-pointers, while Klay Thompson wasn’t his usual unconscious self but still finished with 19 points. Those three may need to do even more in Game 4, as forward Andre Iguodala isn’t expected to play after dealing with a calf strain that the team would likely prefer he rest for the Finals. That also means more time for the bench, which came through with 33 points in the Game 3 win when six different reserves recorded at least one basket.
Portland has had trouble putting together a sustained effort for 40 minutes in this series, though the Warriors have a lot to do with that. The Trail Blazers had 39 points in the second quarter in Game 3, then managed just 33 points in the entire second half. Damian Lillard has struggled to deal with the Golden State defensive pressure, as the Warriors would rather have anyone else beat them, coming with double-teams to get the ball out of Lillard’s hands. Lillard was just 5-of-18 from the field in Game 3, though it was revealed he’s been dealing with a separated rib that occurred in Game 2.
If Lillard can’t take over games, it will be up to the rest of the Trail Blazers to contribute even more offensively. That means CJ McCollum, who was only 7-of-20 from the field, including 2-of-10 from three-point range, in Game 3. It also means players like Moe Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Rodney Hood need to be better at finishing, either with open three-point looks or drives to the hoop. Meyers Leonard provided a spark in Game 3, getting the surprise start at center and finishing with 16 points, though he only had one field goal after halftime.
This is the ninth time the Golden State Warriors have gone up 3-0 in a series under Steve Kerr; they’ve completed the sweep in five of those previous instances. It’s very difficult to see them not doing the same thing here.
The loss of Kevin Durant to injury has toughened up this team, as everyone seems to be more focused because they know they have to make up for their leading scorer’s absence. That mental toughness is a major factor for Golden State and will lead them to another win in this one. I’m taking Golden State -3.5 to advance to the NBA Finals with a Game 4 victory.
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