Warriors at Trail Blazers
The Golden State Warriors were looking forward to Sunday’s visit to the Portland Trail Blazers as a potential chance to move up into fifth place in the Western Conference. The Warriors have dropped back-to-back games instead and will have to be content to knock a game off the current 2 1/2-game deficit. The Trail Blazers left the door open with four straight setbacks but salvaged the final game of their road trip at New Orleans on Friday.
Golden State had a chance to pull within a half-game of Portland on Wednesday night but could not hang with the Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth quarter of a 111-98 setback that night and followed it up with a 103-94 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers while the Blazers were picking off the Pelicans. Portland managed to record that win without the services of All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who is expected to sit out a second straight game on Sunday due to a back injury.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (41-26): Golden State suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since Jan. 20 and 24 with the setbacks against Los Angeles and Cleveland and can’t afford many more with the group of teams chasing in the West. The Warriors came out strong and led by as many as 18 points early in the second quarter before getting run over the rest of the way by the Cavaliers on Friday. “The West is getting tighter and tighter,” center Andrew Bogut told reporters. “There were some key losses that helped us (in the standings on Friday), but once you start looking at other teams too much I think it hurts your overall performance.”
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (43-23): Portland made up for the loss of Aldridge on Friday by letting Nicolas Batum go wild underneath with a career high-tying 18 rebounds to go along with 22 points in 45 minutes. “I just couldn’t take him out,” coach Terry Stotts told reporters of Batum. “He was playing so well, doing everything as a facilitator, shooter, rebounder, various defensive assignments. I just couldn’t take him out.” The Trail Blazers had lost to San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Memphis previously on the road trip and have dropped 11 straight to teams currently in the top eight in the Western Conference.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors have taken four of the last five in the series, including a 103-88 triumph at home on Jan. 26 behind 38 points from Stephen Curry.
2. Portland reserve G Mo Williams (hip) is out, and the team got only eight points off the bench on Friday.
3. Golden State G Klay Thompson (personal) sat out Friday’s game but is expected back on Sunday.