|
 Then the Warriors sparked to life, outscoring Portland 7-0 over
the final 26.3 seconds rally for a 95-90 victory over the Trail
Blazers at the Moda Center.
Guard Klay Thompson scored the go-ahead basket on a runner with 8.7
seconds left, and guard Stephen Curry iced the verdict with four
consecutive free throws in the closing seconds as Golden State
improved to 3-0.
Thompson scored 29 points and Curry added 21 for the Warriors, who
took advantage of three Portland turnovers in the final 14.3
seconds.
"These are the moments we play for," said Thompson, who spent his
childhood years growing up in suburban Lake Oswego, Ore. "They are
the most fun. It's what the fans pay to see.
"This was a great win for us. It's always grew to come home and play
well."
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who collected 26 points and 13 rebounds,
scored the final 10 points for Portland, his 18-footer providing a
90-88 lead with 2:01 remaining.
 The Blazers never scored again.
"We didn't do what we're supposed to do," said Portland guard Wesley
Matthews, who scored 18 points. "We didn't take care of the ball.
"We had that game. We were in control. Then it kind of flipped on
us, and they came out with a victory."
After Aldridge gave Portland the lead, neither team scored again
until Golden State forward Andre Iguodala was fouled on a drive with
26.3 seconds to go.
Iguodala made the first free throw, then missed the second, and
Portland rebounded. The ball was knocked from Matthews' hands and,
after a scramble, the ball went out of bounds, the Warriors gaining
possession.
After a timeout, Thompson scored on a runner from the left side to
give the Warriors a 91-90 edge with 8.7 seconds left.
"We were trying to get a counter action going," Golden State coach
Steve Kerr said. "Klay faked like he was coming up off the weak
side, then we ran him off the baseline. Wesley played him perfectly.
He chased him right off. The good thing was, (Warriors center Andrew
Bogut) set a good screen, and he got just enough of Matthews that
Klay curled in.
"Once (Thompson) got the ball, he was in a good scoring position,
and he hit just a beautiful shot."
After another timeout, forward Nicolas Batum's in-bounds pass to
Aldridge was knocked away by Golden State forward Draymond Green and
picked up by Curry, who was fouled with 4.5 seconds remaining. He
made both foul shots to provide a 93-90 lead.
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Aldridge's inbounds pass was intercepted by Curry, whose free throws
salted away the win.
"In this league, a game's never over," Portland coach Terry Stotts
said. "When you're down, you have to keep fighting. When you're
ahead, don't take anything for granted."
Ahead by three points at the half, Golden State upped the margin to
63-56 midway through the third quarter. Then Lillard finally warmed
up, scoring on a drive and a 3-pointer, and guard Will Barton's wild
jumper pulled Portland in front 68-66 late in the period. The score
was knotted at 68-68 going into the fourth quarter.
The teams battled back and forth, the Blazers taking an 84-81 lead
after back-to-back jumpers by Aldridge with four minutes to play.
Thompson's driving dunk and three-point play pushed the Warriors
back on top 86-84 with 3:19 left. In the clutch, they had what it
took to get the win.
"That says a lot about the guys we have on the team," Curry said.
"No matter what situation you're thrown into, you can somehow
produce and have a good performance."
NOTES: Golden State is 3-0 for the first time since the 1994-95
season. ... Portland G Damian Lillard had 11 points, six rebounds
and five assists but was only 4-for-18 from the field, including
1-for-7 from 3-point range. The All-Star is shooting 26.8 percent
(11-for-41) from the field this season. ... The Warriors got an
excellent contribution off the bench from G Leandro Barbosa, who had
13 points on 5-for-9 shooting in 16 minutes. ... Warriors G Klay
Thompson and G Stephen Curry were coming off a game in which they
combined for 72 points in a 127-104 victory over the Los Angeles
Lakers on Saturday night. ... F Draymond Green started at power
forward again for the Warriors in place of David Lee, who missed his
third consecutive game with a strained left hamstring. ... Portland
reserve F Joel Freeland (foot) did not dress.
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