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The Golden State Warriors took a commanding 3-0 series lead on the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals with a 110-99 win at Moda Center in Portland.
Trailing 66-53 at the half, the Warriors outscored the Blazers 29-13 in the third quarter to take control of the game.
With Kevin Durant out for a fourth straight game, Stephen Curry once again stepped up for Golden State. The two-time MVP scored a game-high 36 points and shot 6-of-16 from beyond the arc.
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Klay Thompson chipped in with 19 points, while Draymond Green filled up the box score with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals.
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McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for “Jennifer”
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The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season
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Wade’s Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season
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Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle
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Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear
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29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points
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Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami
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Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll
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Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year
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Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine
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LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books
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Young’s Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka
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LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album
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Wade’s #OneLastDance Dominated February
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Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph
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Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks
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Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans
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ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes
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Damian Lillard struggled in the first two games, shooting 10-of-28 from the floor. This issues continued into Game 3, as the Blazers star had 19 points and missed 13 of his 18 shot attempts.
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McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for “Jennifer”
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Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA
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The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season
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Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors
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Wade’s Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season
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Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle
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Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear
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29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points
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Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami
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Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll
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Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year
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Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine
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LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books
-
Young’s Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka
-
LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album
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Wade’s #OneLastDance Dominated February
-
Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph
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Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks
-
Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans
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ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes
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CJ McCollum added 23 points to the losing effort.
Re-Signing Klay Thompson Should Be the Warriors’ Top Offseason Priority
Nobody truly doubted Thompson’s value to the Warriors as he heads for free agency, but it seemed fair to wonder whether he might relish the opportunity to be the top star elsewhere. Earlier in May, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported on First Take that the five-time All-Star might be growing tired of being the third option in Golden State’s offense.
Nick Friedell of ESPN followed up by reporting the Warriors are feeling good about Thompson potentially sticking around the Bay Area for the long term: “The simple fact is that the Warriors love Thompson and Thompson loves being a Warrior.”
Golden State is clearly better with Durant healthy, and the team should make every effort to keep the 10-time All-Star if he opts out of his contract. In a perfect world, Thompson and Durant will stay in the fold heading into next season.
If push comes to shove, this series is driving home exactly why Thompson—not Durant—should be the star Golden State must re-sign above any other.
The Warriors systematically tore Portland apart in the second half. As soon as the they stared chipping away at the Blazers’ lead, everybody knew how the game was going to end. And that happened with the core of stars responsible for one ring and an NBA-record 73 regular-season wins before Durant arrived.
Look no further than Lillard’s numbers to see Thompson’s impact on the defensive end.
Kirk Goldsberry @kirkgoldsberry
Dame Lillard in regular season:
35 points on 28 shots per 100 possessions.Dame when guarded by Klay in this series:
12 points on 18 shots per 100
Chris Broussard @Chris_Broussard
Here’s a mouthful: Steph & Klay are making Dame & CJ look like Dame made Russ look. The gap between the NBA’s 1st & 2nd best backcourts is HUGE!
He didn’t have a great night on offense, shooting 8-of-20 from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. The Warriors were also minus-one with him on the floor, per ESPN.com. The last figure could be attributed to the fact Steve Kerr threw Thompson out to lead the second unit for stretches.
Golden State of Mind @unstoppablebaby
The Dubs are giving the Blazers major issues with the Klay + Bench Mob lineup to start the 4th….#KerrIsAGenius
Take Durant out of the mix, and the nucleus of a championship-winning squad remains. General manager Bob Myers and majority owner Joe Lacob shouldn’t lose sight of that fact when the time comes to formally offer Thompson a max contract.
Along with that, the team shouldn’t hesitate to communicate to Thompson exactly how much he’s valued in his current home.
What’s Next?
The Blazers host Game 4 on Monday, with tipoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Even if Portland comes out on top to push the series to five games, it’s likely delaying the inevitable with the Warriors one win away from a fifth straight NBA Finals.
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