Trail Blazers at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors continue pursuit of the best record in NBA history while trying to shrug off the disappointment of having their 54-game home winning streak snapped when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Golden State was stunned 109-106 by the Boston Celtics on Friday at Oracle Arena, and must win five of its final six games to finish 73-9 and eclipse the NBA standard of 72-10 set by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.
"Everybody's bummed," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Steph Curry missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left. "I congratulated them. Are you kidding me? They just won 54 home games in a row. What our guys accomplished is incredible. I don't know if people understand the intensity it takes and the work that it takes to put together a streak like that." Five of Golden State's remaining games are against playoff teams - including a pair apiece with San Antonio and Memphis - as the Warriors on April 10 will have a chance to deny the Spurs from becoming the first team in NBA history to win all its home games in a season. Portland, which handed Golden State its most lopsided loss of the season 137-105 on Feb. 19, has won four straight after a 110-93 victory over Miami on Saturday. The Trail Blazers sit sixth in the Western Conference, one-half game behind Memphis and 3 1/2 games clear of ninth-place Houston.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, KGW (Portland), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (41-36): Portland tries to become the first team to defeat the Warriors twice this season and hopes Oakland native Damian Lillard snaps out of his shooting slump. Lillard (team-best 25.1 points per game) has been held to fewer than 20 points in five straight contests and is shooting 29.3 percent during that span. C.J. McCollum (20.7) scored 24 points and was 6-for-6 from 3-point range Saturday and with Lillard forms the third-highest scoring tandem in the league behind Curry and Thompson, and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (68-8): While Curry (NBA-leading 29.97 points per game) averages at least 30 points against more than half the teams in the league including Portland, Klay Thompson (22.4 points) averaged 32 in the first three meetings of the season with the Trail Blazers. Andre Iguodala is close to a return after missing 12 games with an ankle injury suffered while battling for a loose ball with Lillard on March 11. Any combination of Golden State wins and San Antonio losses equaling three clinches the all-important homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs for the Warriors, who could face Portland in the second round.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Golden State has won 113 consecutive games - playoffs included - when leading by at least 15 points at any point.
2. Lillard is shooting 95.4 percent from the free-throw line in the last 20 games and is seventh in the league at 88.9 percent.
3. The Warriors won two of the first three meetings in the four-game season series, including a 128-112 victory March 11 for their third consecutive home win over the Trail Blazers - their longest such run since winning nine straight from 2005-09.