After Damian Lillard sunk a three at the third quarter buzzer to give the the Portland Trail Blazers an 11-point lead over the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors in Game 2, it would have been easy to write off the Warriors.
NBA playoff scores 2016: Draymond Green and Klay Thompson don’t need Stephen Curry to take over
The Warriors stormed back to beat the Blazers behind monster fourth quarters from Green and Thompson. Before that, the Heat held on to take Game 1 over the Raptors despite Kyle Lowry’s heroics.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Neither Klay Thompson nor Draymond Green had played particularly well through three quarters, Lillard and the Blazers were answering every run the Warriors could muster and, with Curry's return looming, a 1-1 series tie didn't seem that bad for Golden State.
These Warriors are special, though, even when they don’t have their star. Green and Thompson unleashed a fury of points and buckled down on defense as the Warriors stormed back to outscore the Blazers 34-12 in the fourth quarter and coast to a 110-99 win.
Thompson had 20 of his 27 points in the second half -- 10 of them came in the fourth -- and deserves a lot of credit for finally shaking free of Mo Harkless, but it was Green who ignited the Warriors’ fourth quarter outburst. Going 7-of-20 from the field, it was an off shooting night for Green, but he redeemed himself with one of his best overall fourth quarters to date.
The do-it-all Green had 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks on the night,. His fourth quarter stat line is eye-opening: Green had six points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He was an unstoppable force, whether he was blocking a Mason Plumlee shot at the rim or finding Thompson for a game-tying three.
Green can score, too. He put the exclamation on the Warriors win with a forceful dunk.
All signs point to Curry returning to the court eventually, but his little setback could be a blessing in disguise. The Warriors are learning just how good Green and Thompson can be, and it’s a scary sight for the rest of the league.
1 other thing
Dwyane Wade's block party is in full force
Hassan Whiteside led the NBA in blocks this season, but he's not the only one having a block party for the Heat. Dwyane Wade is getting in on the fun.
Wade had two big blocks to go along with 24 points and six rebounds as the Miami Heat picked up a 102-96 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1. The Heat nearly blew it, but survived a half-court, overtime-forcing heave from Kyle Lowry at the end of regulation and outplayed the Raptors in overtime to take an early series lead.
While Goran Dragic drove the Heat offense with 26 points and a monster second half, Wade’s attacking defense was a boost for a Heat team that needed a jolt. Wade hawks the ball defensively -- he had three steals to go along with the two blocks -- adding another layer to a stingy Miami defense.
Wade has always been an aggressor on defense. When he and LeBron James were together in Miami, no pass across the lane was safe. Those Heat squads were dangerous because the Big Three constantly wreaked havoc on offenses. Wade is still doing it, and the Heat are winning ball games.
Play of the night
Kyle Lowry couldn't hit a three all game -- it made sense that he'd make a prayer. Unfortunately for the Raptors, this stat exists:
Kyle Lowry is fourth player to hit tying buzzer beater from beyond 30 feet in playoffs since 2001. Their teams are 0-4 in OT. Via @bball_ref
— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) May 4, 2016
2 fun things
Scores
Heat 102, Raptors 96 OT (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Raptors HQ recap)
Warriors 110, Blazers 99 (Golden State of Mind recap | Blazers’ Edge recap)
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Draymond Green’s mom is the Warriors’ 6th Man
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