PORTLAND – After tangling with the Trail Blazers for four games of the Western Conference Semifinals, the Warriors now realize advancing is going to require outlasting a plucky young team with a deep reservoir of resilience.
The Warriors also realize they’re going to need their MVP.
Cleared before Game 4 after missing two weeks with a knee injury, Stephen Curry came off the bench to score a game-high 40 points – including 17 in overtime – as the Warriors pulled out a 132-125 win in overtime Monday night at Moda Center.
Curry’s 17 points in OT is the most ever scored by an individual in a single overtime in NBA history, regular season or postseason.
The Warriors, up 3-1, can close out the series with a victory in Game 5 Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.
Klay Thompson scored 23 points, Draymond Green had 21, Marreese Speights totaled 11 and Harrison Barnes added 10, including a 3-pointer with 51.9 seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
Damian Lillard led Portland with 38 points.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Curry and Green carried the load for most of the night and Curry carried the Warriors home.
Curry’s line: 40 points (16-of-32 shooting from the field, 5-of-16 beyond the arc), nine rebounds and eight assists. He played 37 minutes and finished plus-21 for the evening.
Green’s line: 21 points (5-of-9, 2-of-3), nine rebounds, six blocked shots (a career-high) and five assists. He played 42 minutes and finished plus-21.
TURNING POINT:
Portland led the entire first half and much of the third quarter, going up 76-68 on an Allen Crabbe 3-pointer with 6:01 to play in the third. The Warriors then responded with a 14-2 run to go up 82-78 with 2:51 left in the quarter.
The teams spent the remainder of the game separated by no more than five points before Curry took over in OT, scoring 12 straight Warriors points to take a 123-118 lead with 1:51 to play.
INJURY UPDATE:
Warriors: G Stephen Curry (R MCL sprain) was listed as questionable and declared available 90 minutes before tipoff. F Kevon Looney (L hip surgery) was listed as out and placed on the inactive list.
Trail Blazers: F/C Meyers Leonard (L shoulder surgery) was listed as out and, along with F Cliff Alexander (healthy), placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Game 5 is set for Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, tipping off shortly after 7:30.
