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Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers: Warriors get the win

12th March, 2016
Tip-off: 2:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: NBA League Pass (subscription required)
Betting: Warriors $1.09, Trail Blazers $8.00
Last meeting: 19/02/2016 – Warriors 105-137 Trail Blazers @ Moda Center, Portland, OR
The Golden State Warriors are more likely to chase a championship than records this year. (Photo: AP)
Roar Guru
12th March, 2016
0

Match result:

Golden State have taken a win over the Trail Blazers by the margin of 16 points on Saturday, thanks largely to the efforts of stay due Klay Thompson (37 points) and Steph Curry (34).

Final score
Golden State Warriors 128
Portland Trail Blazers 112

Match preview:

The Golden State Warriors sideshow continues as they play host to the dangerous Portland Trail Blazers. Join The Roar from 2:30pm for live scores.

Portland is one of only six teams to have beaten the Warriors this season. If they can pull off another win then they would likely be the only team to record multiple victories against Golden State.

This game pits two of the game’s best backcourts against each other. Golden State’s Splash Bros and Portland’s Rain Bros have wreaked havoc among most of the NBA, seeing what they do when facing each other should ensure a cracker of a game.

Damian Lillard might be the most exciting point guard in the league after Steph Curry, they are the only players with multiple 50-point games this season.

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After Portland lost four of their starters last off-season Lillard has put the team on his back and brought them back into the playoff picture. However, he’s received some help from backcourt running mate CJ McCollum.

McCollum is averaging over 20 points per game and shooting over 40 per cent from three-point range – both career highs. He and Lillard have combined to form a devastating duo that has regularly torched opponents.

In this way they are similar to the Warriors’ own duo, Curry and Klay Thompson.

These players can literally attack you in any way imaginable. They shoot the three well – ridiculously so in Curry’s case – attack the rim, draw fouls and have more runners, floaters, pull-ups and step-backs than you’d care to know about. Expect some fireworks offensively when they share the floor.

What will likely be the difference in this game is depth and defence, both of which the Warriors have more of.

For all their offensive brilliance Golden State have been exceptional on both ends of the floor. They have the fifth-best defence league-wide this season – a 100.3 defensive rating.

Thompson is one of the better NBA guards defensively and you can expect to see him making life difficult for either Lillard or McCollum. Andre Iguodala has made a habit of shutting down opposing wings and don’t forget Aussie Andrew Bogut who clogs a lane and blocks a shot with the best of them.

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Admittedly, Golden State have seemed beatable more frequently of late, they’ve needed overtime on several occasions and they lost to the Lakers – yes, those Lakers!

The Trail Blazers have beaten them already this season – but to do it they needed 51 points from Lillard, 21 from McCollum and Golden State to shoot below 40 per cent from three and the field in general.

The Rain Bros could very well go off again, but I can’t see the Splash Bros misfiring so poorly again – they had their bad game earlier this week against LA, surely it can’t happen again so soon with this team.

Prediction: Warriors by 6

Join The Roar from 2:30pm for live scores.

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