The Warriors become the second team to advance to the second round.
FACT:
If, and only if, the Warriors sweep a team in the postseason, they win the championship. At least in the team’s west coast history, that is.
The Warriors swept the Trail Blazers, winning with a flourish: 128 - 103. They now can recoup and await the dust to clear in the Clippers - Jazz series.
THINGS I LIKED:
Curry got spicy.
The Warriors didn’t lose focus or need to re-win the game, which means...
(a) The team has lasered-in with the loss of Steve Kerr or
(b) Mike Brown is a good button-pusher
Durant kept something resembling a rhythm after his week-long sabbatical.
Green looked like a dominant box safety who spooks wide receivers crossing over the middle of the field.
Basketball nirvana was reached for a moment.
Portland class: Not every team in this league responds to a shellacking in an elimination game by putting their heads down and working harder. There’re no participation trophies in this league (besides the Player’s MVP), but there’s something to be said about a team’s fiber in how they fight adversity.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
Curry (attempting) taking charges with a 28 point lead. I loved it, but the pragmatist in me hated it. There’s leading by example, then there’s needlessly stopping my heart.
The Clark - Klay - Andre - Green - West lineup. It’s one of the odd boom-or-bust lineups in use for the Warriors. Either Klay needs to be a flamethrower or the West-Clark Connection has to be really oiled up. I’m struggling to remember a sequence where they methodically built/maintained a lead.
Bob and Jim’s sign off. For all my poking-fun at Fitz, the national broadcasts after Round One always makes me feel like I’m watching the game at a crowded WingStop, with three loud, apathetic guys talking over the game about how much they don’t like the game.
