If you didn’t stay up late on Monday night you missed a good one. Here are takeaways from Golden State’s 132-125 OT win over Portland to take a 3-1 series lead.
Curry Rises
Steph Curry, soon to be named MVP for the second straight season, returned to action for the first time in 15 games. After being upgraded from doubtful to questionable early Monday, Curry was made active and saddled with a reported 25-minute restriction. You expected Curry to be rusty, and, naturally to still have a sizeable impact on the game. But few could have expected him to shake off the rust that dramatically. We should have known better.
Curry finished with 40 points, on 5/16 from three along with 9 rebounds and 8 assists. He missed his first nine three’s then hit five of the next seven. Oh, and he scored the Warriors first 12 points in overtime, eventually finishing with 17 points in the extra frame, the most points scored in OT by a single player in regular season or postseason history. It wasn’t just the total that was impressive, but the degree of difficult was breathtaking, every shot seemingly tougher than the next. Simply put it was one of the great playoff performances of our time.
Better late than never – Curry in 4th quarter and OT
| 1st three quarters | 4th quarter & OT | |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 13 | 27 |
| Field goals | 6 of 18 | 10 of 14 |
| 3PT FGs | 0 of 9 | 5 of 7 |
| Minutes | 22 | 15 |
Most points in OT, NBA history
| Steph Curry | 17 | 2016 vs. Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Arenas | 16 | 2006 vs. L.A. Lakers |
| Earl Boykins | 15 | 2005 vs. Seattle |
| Butch Carter | 14 | 1984 vs. Boston |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 14 | 2009 vs. Chicago |
Super Sub
Curry came off the bench for the first time since March 2012 and became the second player to score 40 points off the bench in the playoffs in the last 30 years, joining Nick Van Exel as the only other player to do so. Andrew Bogut’s foul trouble and Shaun Livingston’s second quarter ejection meant the Warriors bench was counted on heavily. Steph’s boost helped the Warriors bench outscore the Blazers reserves a whopping 71-27.
Draymond an MVP on Defense
Draymond Green finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks, five assists and four steals. Green’s seven blocks was a career high. He was a maestro and a menace on the defensive end, handling everyone from point guard Damian Lillard to centre Mason Plumlee with equal efficiency— at one point he even blocked each of their shots on consecutive trips down the floor. His rim protection all night not only helped Golden State get out in transition, but also allowed the Warriors to play small in their “Lineup of Death” 5-man unit. That’s the group that ended the court and started overtime and Green was just as valuable on defense as Curry was on offence.
Slump Buster
Not only did Golden State improve to 80-11 on the season, but they continued their streak of never losing back to back games, which makes the prospect of beating them in a best-of-seven series quite bleak.
On Monday, the Raptors and Heat combined for 14 points in overtime. Portland scored 15 points in overtime. Steph Curry scored 17 points in overtime.
