Tag: Portland Trail Blazers

Warriors roll over the Trail Blazers 116-94

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, still without the services of Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins, rolled over the Portland Trail Blazers 116-94 Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors finished off the Houston Rockets last Friday night and had a few days to recover from that grueling series. The Blazers, on the other hand, had to play in Denver on Sunday and flew to the Bay Area after the game. They did not practice Monday and did not have shoot-around on Tuesday.

The Warriors were tasked with shutting down Portland’s two backcourt aces, C.J. McCollum, and Damian Lillard. Lillard, an Oakland native, loves to play at Oracle and has averaged 27 points a game against the Warriors. McCollum is also a scorer who is capable of making threes. The Warriors wanted their Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry, to get into the flow of the game early so that they could lead the team to the win.

The Warriors and Blazers played a low-scoring first half. The Warriors led 27-23 after the first 12 minutes of action. The finished the first half with a nine-point lead 54-45. Curry made two-threes late in the period to give the Warriors the advantage.

The Blazers won the third quarter 26-23 to cut the lead to six after three quarters of action. The Warriors led by 17, 70-53, but the Blazers’ offense came to life and rallied to end the period trailing by six.

The Warriors used their second unit to start the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson was on the floor with Jonas Jerebko, Shaun Livingston, Quinn Cook, and Kevon Looney. Klay hit two buckets and two threes. Cook knocked down two threes, while Jerebko hit a bucket and was a force on defense. By the time Steph Curry and Draymond Green returned to the floor, the Warriors were in total command and cruised to the 116-94 victory.

Game Notes: Steph Curry led the Warriors with 36 points. He connected on nine threes in 15 attempts. Klay Thompson had 26 points. Draymond Green finished with a double-double. He had 12 points, 10 boards, and five assists. Jonas Jerebko had nine points, Quinn Cook had eight points, and Kevon Looney had six.

Damian Lillard had 19 points for Portland. McCollum and Mo Harkless each had 17 points. Rod Hood, coming off the bench, added 17 points.

The Warriors defense held Portland to 36% from the floor. The Blazers made seven threes in 28 attempts. The Warriors knocked down 17 threes. The Warriors had 13 steals and eight blocks and forced Portland into 21 turnovers.

Up Next: Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be Thursday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 6 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Curry to take on Lilliard and brother Seth in Semifinals; Can Warriors get by Blazers without Durant?

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Photo credit: @NBCSWarriors

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 What does it mean for Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors to be battling the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lilliard and his brother Seth in the Western Conference Finals?

#2 The Warriors are without Kevin Durant, whose situation is game to game during this series. What is the extent of his pain and injury to his calf?

David does the Warriors podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Gould insists on leaving 49ers, won’t report to practice; Kluber fractures forearm from line drive; plus more

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Photo credit: @theScore

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Former Chicago Bears kicker Kevin Butler has warned San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould to be careful what you wish for in Gould not reporting to practice for the 49ers. He has asked for the team to release him so he could kick for the Chicago Bears and be closer to his home in Chicago. The 49ers refuse and have told Gould they are holding him to his contract. Butler said that going back to Chicago a second time doesn’t guarantee success.

#2 Cleveland Indians pitcher Cory Kluber took a line drive off his forearm on Wednesday night and broke his forearm. The Miami Marlins’ Brian Anderson hit a line drive that Kluber tried to block and ended up using his glove hand to scoop throw the ball to first, but it too late. Kluber has an ERA of 5.81.

#3 Omaha Beach has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of breathing problems. Omaha Beach developed a cough and breathing problems and a medical team said that Omaha Beach will need corrective surgery and the surgery is not life-threatening or career-ending. The new favorite for the Kentucky Derby is now Roadster (6-1) with Improbable (6-1) just behind.

#4 The Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard didn’t set the world on fire against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, but his teammates came through to help for the 97-90 win. The Blazers’ C.J. McCollum led with 20 points and Lilliard finished with 15 points. With the win, the Blazers tie the series 1-1.

#5 It was reported by Yahoo Sports that Palm Beach Florida police issued a fake bomb threat in order to install cameras at the spa which New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft would be recorded receiving sexual favors at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida. Kraft’s lawyers said that the video was obtained by illegally installing the cameras. A masseuse has been arrested in connection with the case.

Tony does the Headline Sports podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings miss 40 wins by just five points!

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
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Photo/graphic: @NBCS

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went to Portland on Wednesday night with the opportunity win their 40th game of the 2018-19 season which would have been the first time a Kings team had recorded 40 wins since 2005-06. Much to the chagrin of the multitude of Kings fans, the 40th win did not happen.

Portland decided to rest all of their starters and most of their key second team players. That gave the Kings a significant advantage in their quest to reach 40 wins.

A Record-Setting First Half

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Buddy Hield hits his 600th 3-pointer in 3 seasons @ NBCS

The Kings started the game on fire. They scored a franchise record 87 points in the first half falling just three points short of tying the NBA record for the most points scored in the opening 24 minutes of an NBA game. They shot an incredible 66.7-percent (32/48) from the field. They hit 13-of-20 (65%) of their 3-point shots.

De’Aaron Fox scored 17 points. Rookie Marvin Bagley III scored 16 points in just over 14-minutes on the floor. Harrison Barnes, Nemanja Bjelica and Bogdan Bogdanovic all scored 10 points each in the first half.

The Kings went to the locker room at halftime with an 87-62 lead. It appeared that everything was going Sacramento’s way and that win number 40 was only 24 minutes away.

Coach Joerger’s Big Decision

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Maybe that wasn’t a good idea Photo: @NBCS

Head coach Dave Joerger decided that all of his starters would not play in the second half of the game on Wednesday night. That in part may have been a tribute to the job well done by the starters and giving a well-deserved opportunity to the second team and reserves. The problem is the plan did not work.

The Trail Blazers outscored the Kings 36-26 in the third quarter and cut the Kings lead to 15 points. As the Kings went to the fourth period, you might have expected Joerger to have reinserted Hield and Fox to reenergize his team’s scoring attack. He did not do that.

Joerger chose to stay with his reserves and that decision did not go well for the team.

The Final Quarter

Portland scored 38 points in the fourth quarter while the Kings only managed to put 18 points in the book. Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers scoring attack with 12 points. Frank Mason scored 10 for the Kings.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Trail Blazers had defeated the Kings 136-131.

Top Performers

Portland

  • Anfernee Simons led all scorers with 37 points.
  • Former Kings player Skal Labissiere put up 27 points against his old mates. Skal made it a double-double by grabbing 15 rebounds.
  • Jake Layman, Meyers Leonard, and Gary Trent, Jr. all scored 19 points each in the contest.

Kings

  • The Kings leading scorer was Marvin Bagley III with 20 points and nine rebounds. The rookie has had an incredible season.
  • De’Aaron Fox and Yogi Ferrell scored 17 points each.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic and Frank Mason III both scored 15 points in the game.

One Big Question to Ask

In his exit interview, this reporter thinks that head coach Dave Joerger needs to be asked why he did not do more to get win number 40 on Wednesday night. The psychological lift for the team and fans of crossing over into the 40 win plateau would have been huge. Joerger needs to be held accountable for letting that opportunity get away.

In the meantime, the NBA Draft is 72 days away.

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors looking forward to All-Star break after playing five games in eight days

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Photo credit: @warriors

On the NBA podcast with Jerry:

#1 Golden State were without Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and DeMarcus Cousins for Wednesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. How much of a load was it for the rest of the team in the loss to the Blazers 129-107?

#2 How exhausted is the team playing its fifth game in eight days?

#3 In the second and third quarters, neither team gave in. It was a tough bout, noting that the Warriors held a five-point lead at most and the Blazers had a six-point lead.

#4 Draymond Green had been hit with a flagrant foul, resulting in head coach Steve Kerr getting thrown out on two technicals.

#5 The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 21st and the Kings could be a handful at times this season.

Jerry does the NBA podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors run out of gas in fourth quarter, lose to Trail Blazers 129-107

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, playing their fifth game in eight days and the second in a row, fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 129-107 at the Moda Center in Portland. The Warriors were without the services of Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and DeMarcus Cousins.

For three quarters, it was a very entertaining game as neither team could pull away. The biggest lead the Blazers had was six points, and the best the W’s could do was five points. The Warriors finished the first quarter leading 33-31. Kevin Durant led the Warrior attack with 16 points. Oakland native Damien Lillard paced the Blazers with 13. The Blazers won the second quarter 33-28 and led by three 64-61 at the end of the first half. Durant led the Warriors with 20 in the first half. Steph Curry had 14. Draymond Green added 9, and Klay Thompson had 7. Lillard led the Blazers with 15. CJ McCollum had 9, Jusuf Nurkic 9 and Evan Turner 8.

The third quarter was more of the same. Neither team would give an inch. The Warriors managed to outscore the Blazers 34-30 and led by one point 95-94 heading into the fateful fourth quarter. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr sent out Quinn Cook, Jonas Jerebko, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, and Alfonzo McKinnie to start and that enabled Curry and Durant get some rest. The Portland bench had other ideas as they played well on defense and were able to increase the lead to nine 110-101. Jonas Jerebko made a bucket to make it 110-103. It was at this point in the contest that things went south for the Warriors. Draymond Green was called for a flagrant foul on forward Zach Collins. There was no question that it was a hard foul. However, to this observer, it was a long way from a flagrant foul. Steve Kerr went ballistic and went after the refs as he felt the call was not appropriate. There were three technicals called on Golden State. Two were on Kerr, and he had to leave the arena. Lillard made all three for Portland. Collins made his two, and the ball went back to Portland. The Blazers made a three, and they expanded the lead to 118-103. The Warriors were toast at this point. The Warriors removed the Big Three from the game, and the Blazers coasted to a 129-107 win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ 11-game road winning streak came to an end. They lost for the second time in the last 18 and finished 41-16 at the break for the All-Star game. Portland improved to 34-23.

Curry and Durant finished with 32 each. No other Warrior was in double figures. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green had 9. Thompson scored two in the second half, and Green did not score at all. The Warrior bench was outscored 52-23.

The Blazers had 8 players in double figure. Lillard led the club with 29. Jake Layman, coming off the bench, had 17 for Portland. Steph’s brother, Seth, added 11 to help his Blazer team beat his brother’s Warriors.

Up Next: The Warriors are off until February 21st. They face the Sacramento Kings at Oracle. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

Kings drop first game of 2019, fall to Trail Blazers 113-108

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — First off, Happy New Years from Sacramento!

The Sacramento Kings looked to topple the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday evening at Golden One Center. Today, the Kings were looking to brush off a disappointing loss to the Lakers that took place on Sunday in LA. The Trail Blazers came into the game this evening with a 21-16 record against the Kings’ 19-17 record. The tip-off was set for an earlier 6:00 PM PST.

The beginning of this game had a very “tired” feel to it as neither team could hold onto the ball leading to very sloppy first few minutes. Five minutes into the game, the Kings led 11-9, thanks to Buddy Hield’s five points. In the ensuing minutes, the game remained close. Buddy Hield added eight more points to his total, bringing his first-quarter total to 13. Maurice Harkless and Damian Lillard scored seven points apiece to lead the Trail Blazers to a first quarter advantage 26-25.

In the second quarter, the Kings tried to keep the game close. Halfway through the quarter, the score was 42-36 as the Kings trailed. The Kings didn’t do a good job of that. The Trail Blazers managed to rack up 64 points in the first half compared to the Kings’ 50. The Kings needed to come out strong in the third quarter if they wanted a shot at winning this game. Leading the way for the Trail Blazers was Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum with a combined 27 points in the first half. Hield was arguably the only reason the Kings were remotely in the game as he put up 19 first-half points and 5-6 from downtown. The score at the half was 64-50 with the Trail Blazers on top.

In the third quarter, the Kings came out strong. Four minutes through the quarter, the Kings cut the deficit to 66-59. The Kings continued to keep the game tight. With four minutes remaining in the quarter, the Kings trailed only 73-70. Harry Giles capped the third off with a jumper just outside the paint to make it 83-77 Kings headed into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings appeared to be on track to do what they have so many times this season. Win after a double-digit deficit late. Just shy of four minutes after the fourth quarter began the Kings had come from a 83-77 deficit to an 89-85 lead with 8:42 left to go in the game. As if Kings fans needed more drama this season, the end of this game was heart-stopping. Thanks to Damien Lillard, the game was tied with roughly six seconds remaining. De’Aaron Fox had the ball and pulled up for a game-winning jumper just inside the arc, and missed. The game went to overtime with the Trail Blazers getting the first possession with the game tied at 103 apiece.

In overtime, the Kings would score first after Bogdan Bogdanovic made two free throws after a foul. The game was 105-103 with 4:20 remaining. Lillard was subsequently fouled from behind the line and made all three attempts to give the Trail Blazers back the lead 106-105. At this point, the Trail Blazers hit a couple clutch shots, and the Kings couldn’t buy a basket leading to a 113-108 game with 13.6 seconds remaining. That proved to be the final score.

The Kings continue their homestand as they host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, January 3 at 7:00 PM PST.

Warriors regain their mojo, defeat the Blazers 115-105

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors snapped a two-game losing streak as they beat the Portland Trail Blazers 115-105 at the Moda Center Saturday night. The Warriors, coming off two ugly losses to the Lakers and Blazers, excelled on both ends of the court Saturday night. Klay Thompson, who had mired in a shooting slump, came alive and led the team to the victory with 32 points including four 3-point shots in four tries. The Warriors won the first three quarters, and each team scored 22 points in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors won the first quarter 30-27. Kevon Looney helped out with seven points early in the quarter. Looney hit his first 3-pointer of the season to help the Warriors get rolling. He, along with Draymond Green, was tasked with defending Jusuf Nurkic. The Blazers’ big center torched the Warriors for 27 points Thursday night at Oracle Arena. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr did not want Nurkic to be a force inside. Looney and Green responded and played well. Nurkic finished with 21, but the Warriors were able to defend him better in this game. The Warriors started the second quarter on a 10-0 run. Curry scored the first seven points, and Jonas Jerebko knocked down a 3 to give the Warriors the lead 40-27. They led by 18, 56-38, but Portland finished the first half on a 12-2 run. The score at the half was 58-50 in favor of Golden State. Andre Iguodala was charged with a technical foul and had to leave the game when he threw the basketball into the stands with force as the buzzer sounded to end the second quarter. The refs had no choice as it is an automatic ejection.

The Warriors were able to increase the lead to 10 at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors behind Curry, Thompson and Durant increased the lead to 14. The Blazers refused to wilt and were able to cut the deficit to five 83-78. Quinn Cook was in for Curry, and he made two big 3-point shots to propel the Warriors to a 10-0 run. Nurkic was a force for Portland in the third quarter as he kept using his big body to barrel into the rim. The Warriors led 93-83 at the end of three.

Neither team scored in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. Both teams played excellent defense, and the Warriors started to play sloppy and make mistakes as they did Thursday night in Oakland, Thompson’s shooting helped propel the Warriors to a 105-89 advantage. Portland went on a 9-0 run to make it 105-98. It was gut-check time for the Warriors. The Warriors scored the next four points, but Portland made a bucket to trail 109-100 with 2:07 to play. Curry was fouled attempting a 3-point shot. The best free throw shooter in the NBA missed two shots. However, on the ensuing play. The Blazers were charged with two technical fouls. Curry increased the lead to 112-100 with 1:49 left. Kerr pulled his regulars, and the Warriors coasted to the win 115-105.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, Golden State is now 24-13 for the season. Portland falls to 20-16.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 32 points, and he made four treys. Steph Curry had 22, and he connected twice on three-point shots. Kevin Durant had 25. Kevon Looney had 12, Jonas Jerebko 8, and Quinn Cook had six. Draymond Green scored three points, but he was a force on the floor. He had 9 boards and 6 assists. However, when Green was on the court, the Warriors were a plus-28. Jerebko was a plus-18 as he had another stellar performance. The Warriors shot 50% from the floor and made 12 3s in 25 attempts. The Warriors defense held the Blazers to 42.9% from the floor and the Blazers were 9-for 31 from 3-point range.

The Blazers were led by Damian Lillard’s 40 points. Nurkic had 21, and CJ McCollum finished with 14.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Phoenix Suns Monday night in Phoenix. Game time is at 5 pm.

Warriors lose to the Trail Blazers 110-109 in overtime

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors played well enough on defense to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night at Oracle Arena. The Warrior offense, however, did not take advantage of the many opportunities they had to put the game away, and they fell to the Trail Blazers 110-109.

The Warriors defense held the Blazers to 36% from the floor, but they lost. The Warriors, when they make 11 or more 3s in a game usually win. Until late in the fourth quarter, they were shooting 8-for-34 from the 3-point range. The Warriors literally gave the game to the Blazers as they missed eight free throws in 14 attempts. Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant all missed key free throws.

Both teams played a competitive first period. The Warriors finished the quarter with the lead 28-27. The Warriors were ahead 38-35 when Portland went on a 15-5 run to lead 50-43. Andre Iguodala connected on a 3 to bring the Warriors a bit closer. The Blazers scored the last two points of the half to finished with a six-point advantage, 52-46. They outscored the Warriors 25-18 in the quarter.

The Warriors cut the deficit to two at the end of the third period. They had ample opportunities to get ahead as Portland’s offense was non-existent at times. The Warriors couldn’t make 3s or free throws, and Portland was able to finish leading 75-71.

The Blazers’ Seth Curry made three 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter. The Warriors trailed by nine 83-74, and things looked dire. The Warriors tried to come back, but Portland was able to increase the lead to 10 96-86. The Warriors then went on a 16-6 run to tie the game. Curry made two 3-point shots, and Kevin Durant tied it with a 3.

In overtime, the Warriors took an early 106-102 lead. Portland turned the ball over three times, but the Warriors failed to capitalize. Portland went ahead 107-106 with 1:05 left to play. Draymond Green made a 3 from the corner to put the Warriors ahead for the last time 109-107. The Warriors had the ball with time running down. The Warriors inbounded the ball to Curry, who was double-teamed by the Blazers. Curry’s attempt to pass the ball went awry, and the ball went over to Portland, who made the Warriors pay as Oakland native Damian Lillard drained a 3 with 5.2 seconds left. The Warriors gave the ball to Kevin Durant for the last shot, but his shot bounced off the rim, and the Warriors were toast 110-109.

Game Notes and Stats: The Blazers had five players in double figures. They were led by Jusuf Nurkic. He was a force on offense and a monster on the boards. He scored 27 points and had 12 rebounds. CJ McCollum finished with 24, Lillard 21, Maurice Harkless 11, and Seth Curry 11.

The Warriors were led by Steph Curry’s 29. Steph was 6-for-15 from 3-point land. Durant had a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Draymond Green finished the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds for a double-double.

The Warriors drop to 23-23 while Portland improves to 30-15.

Up Next: The two teams play again in Portland Saturday night at 7:00 pm PST.

Warriors rout the Trail Blazers 125-97 to snap a four-game losing streak

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors needed something to get them on track to snap a four-game losing streak. The last time the Warriors lost four in a row was in the 2012-13 season when Mark Jackson coached them. The Warriors’ offense had been sluggish the previous four games, and they were without two All-Stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Steph Curry did not have a good day after Thanksgiving. On his way into Oakland, Curry’s car was involved in an accident as the car in front of him spun out and stuck his vehicle in the front. Curry was then hit by a second car in the rear. Thankfully, Curry was not injured in the accident and was in attendance to watch his team rout the Portland Trail Blazers 125-97 at Oracle Arena on Friday night.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson paced the Warriors’ offense with 32 and 31 points, respectively. The Warriors’ defense held the dynamic Portland backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to 42 points. The Warriors looked like team the team that had won three championships in the last four years. They ran, they played defense, and they made three-point shots to sent the Blazers down to defeat. They found their mojo in the second quarter and kept it going all the way through the game.

The Warriors fell behind early once more. The Warriors came close to grabbing the lead, but Portland held them off, and they finished the first half with the lead 27-24. The Warriors vaunted defense finally got untracked in the second quarter as the held the Blazers to just 27 points while the offense put 35 points on the board to finish the first half with the lead 59-44. Durant scored 19 points in the first 24 minutes of play. He rebounded, he passed off to teammates that were open for shots, and he blocked shots. Thompson had 14, Quinn Cook 6, Jonas Jerebko 6, and Damion Lee 5.

Portland played better in the third quarter as they tallied 29. The Warriors answered the challenge as they scored 33 to finish the quarter with a 19-point lead 93-73. Thompson and Durant showed the Blazers the reason that they are perennial All-Stars as they led the way for Golden State.

The Warriors’ offense continued to percolate in the fourth quarter as they outscored Portland 33-24 to finish the game 125-97. Quinn Cook knocked down a couple of threes to ice the win for Golden State.

Game Notes and Stats: It was the second time ever that Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant scored over 30 points in the game. The Warriors’ defense held McCollum and Lillard to 42 points.

The Blazers’ big center Jusuf Nurkic added 22. Al-Farouq Aminu had 12, and Meyers Leonard had eight off the bench.

Quinn Cook kicked in with 19, and he made five threes. The Warriors’ bench came to life as they tallied 37 and helped the Warriors blow out the Blazers.

With the win, The Warriors improved to 13-7 while Portland dropped to 12-7.

Up Next: The Warriors play the rapidly improving Sacramento Kings Saturday night at Oracle Arena. The Kings are 10-8 so far this year. The game will start at 5:30 pm PT.