Warriors...

everything. Down eight points with what, four minutes to go, or whatever it was, just got to keep going, because we know we can erase eight points.”

The Warriors missed Kevin Durant for a third straight game because of a strained right calf and he isn’t likely to return at all this round.

Curry scored Golden State’s first eight points of the third to get his team back within 69-58 then Thompson hit two straight 3s.

The Blazers had built a 65-50 halftime lead, capitalizing on 10 Warriors turnovers for 18 points.

Then two of the top backcourts in the Western Conference went at it in an entertaining final two quarters. The game was tied at 89 to start the fourth.

The Warriors already got past James Harden and Chris Paul in the last round — now it’s Mccollum and Lillard standing in the way of a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals.

Portland showed it made adjustments from Game 1 and brought it on both ends from the opening tip after the Blazers had regularly left Curry wide open on the perimeter off the pick-and-roll and he scored 36 points while matching his postseason high with nine 3-pointers.

“We’ve got to bring that same energy at home,” Mccollum said, “understand that this is the first time in 19 years we’ve been in the conference final.”

LILLARD AT HOME

Lillard isn’t ready to ponder this might have been his final game at Oracle Arena, just a short walk from where he grew up in Oakland. The Warriors are moving to new Chase Center in San Francisco next season.

The Blazers want to return to the Bay Area for a Game 5 next week.

“I doubt this will be the last time. We plan on being back here,” Lillard said.

DURANT UPDATE

Durant will miss at least Games 3 and 4, scheduled to be re-examined by doctors in another week. That means he wouldn’t be expected to return until the NBA Finals if Golden State advances.

Durant was re-evaluated Thursday and is not yet ready for on-court work — a necessary step before the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP can return to game action./ap