Warriors ride early blitz to sweep of Blazers
Powell provides pop as Raptors take 3-2 lead on Bucks Balanced Hawks hold off Wizards to even series at 2
In the wake of a 14-0 run to start the game en route to an early 28-point lead, the Golden State Warriors cruised to a 128-103 rout as they swept the Portland Trail Blazers out of the first round on Monday night.
It was a fitting cap to a dominant series. Even as acting head coach Mike Brown subs for the ailing Steve Kerr, Golden State continues to reinforce why it is the odds-on choice to win the NBA title, what would be its second in three years.
“Our guys were locked in on both ends of the floor,” Brown said. “Give our guys a lot of credit for the focus they brought. That was at a high level.”
Though most teams would be content to ride Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors instead showcased their depth. All five Golden State starters scored in double figures for the first time this postseason. Though Curry (game-high 37 points) recaptured his unanimous-MVP play after two off-shooting nights, complementary pieces like Zaza Pachulia (11 points) and David West (12 points) also helped eradicate any doubt Monday.
It wasn’t until almost four minutes into the game, when an Evan Turner three-pointer halted the Warriors’ 14-0 blitz, that the Blazers got on the scoreboard.
That first quarter was the stuff of video games: spectacular dunks, uncontested jumpers, rundown blocks. By the time JaVale McGee took a feed from Green for an eye-popping slam with 2:15 left in the period, Golden State was up 41-13.
Though the Blazers began to show signs of life, cutting the lead to 18 in the second quarter, they had no answer for the Warriors’ deluge of scoring options.
It hardly mattered that Durant, back in the starting lineup after missing Games 2 and 3 with a strained left calf, attempted only seven shots and finished with 10 points. He watched the latter stages on the bench alongside Curry, Green (21 points) and Klay Thompson (18).
Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Blazers down 31 points, Damian Lillard trudged toward the sideline after playing his last minutes of the season. The Oakland native’s 34-point, six-assist outing was for naught on a night the rest of Portland’s starters scored only 15 points. Teammate C.J. McCollum, who topped the 30-point mark in two of the series’ previous three games, shot 2-for-12 from the field.
“They’re a championship team,” Lillard said. “Watching them and playing against them, it’s obvious. They’re very consistent.”
A day after announcing he would take an indefinite hiatus from in-game coaching, Kerr watched the shellacking from the visiting locker room. A reduced role has been difficult for a man who is so competitive that he has shattered multiple clipboards this season.
Sights like McGee’s alley-oop only underscored that his team is in good hands.
(San Francisco Chronicle/TNS)
Raptors 118, Bucks 93
Norman Powell, starting for only the second time in the series, scored 25 points as Toronto defeated Milwaukee to take a 3-2 lead in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup.
Powell was put into the lineup for Game 5 in Milwaukee after Toronto’s poor effort in Game 4. Kyle Lowry added 16 points and 10 assists for the Raptors. Serge Ibaka chipped in with 19 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18.
Toronto lost Game 6 on the road at Indiana in the first round and at Miami in the second round last year, rebounding to win Game 7 at home each time. They were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference Final against the Cavs, losing at home in the clincher.
DeMarre Carroll scored 12 points as all five Raptors starters reached double figures. Cory Joseph had 10 points off the bench for Toronto.
“We’ve got to treat it like Game 7, period,” DeRozan said. “We can’t be happy with these last two games. We’ve just got to treat this next game like it’s Game 7.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds, while rookie Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points and Greg Monroe had 11.
Hawks 111, Wizards 101
Dennis Schroder, saddled with three early fouls and held scoreless in the first half, finished with 18 points to help Atlanta defeat Washington, evening the firstround Eastern Conference playoff series at two wins apiece.
Schroder scored on two three-pointers, a jump shot and a driving layup in the final four minutes as the Hawks rebuffed Washington’s comeback effort.
Also, veteran Jose Calderon, picked up on waivers late in the season, made a huge contribution as Schroder got in early foul trouble. The 35-year-old Spaniard played 20 minutes, scored 10 points and dished out five assists.
Dwight Howard had his best game of the postseason, putting up a double-double by halftime and finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Paul Millsap bounced back from a sluggish start to score 19 points for Atlanta.
Bradley Beal scored 32 points for Washington, bouncing back from a dismal performance in Game 3, and John Wall had another stellar performance with 22 points and 10 assists.
“We’ve got home court for a reason,” Wall said. “It’s an opportunity for us to go home, take care of what we need to do and come back here on Friday.” (Reuters)