A roundup of Sunday’s NBA playoff games.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Klay Thompson scored 37 points in another brilliant performance as fellow “Splash Brother” Stephen Curry watched injured, and the Golden State Warriors again dominated without their MVP to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-106 Sunday in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.
Draymond Green had his second career postseason triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the defending champions.
With Curry sidelined because of a sprained right knee, Green and Thompson took charge again. Thompson hit seven more 3-pointers to become the first player in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in three straight playoff games.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.
Golden State reserve Anderson Varejao and Portland’s Gerald Henderson were ejected late in the third quarter after receiving their second technical fouls. Both were hit with a technical at the 3:29 mark of the third when Varejao tripped Henderson after they collided and the Portland guard jumped up, pointing a fin- Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, front left, is fouled by Portland Trail Blazers center Ed Davis while scoring during Sunday’s opening game of the Western Conference semifinals in Oakland, Calif.
ger at his opponent’s face. They kept jawing a few minutes later and were tossed with 15.1 seconds left in the period.
Thompson hit a Curry-esque 30-foot 3-pointer in the opening minutes followed by another jumper to put Golden State up 10-2, and the Warriors ran with it from there. Thompson scored 18 of his points in the first quarter on 7-for-10 shooting with four 3s as Golden State built a 37-17 lead.
Damian Lillard had another slow start back home in the Bay Area, missing 11 of his first 13 shots before finishing with 30 points — 10 on free throws.
Shaun Livingston added 12 points and six assists after scoring 16 in each of his firstround starts in place of Curry.
The MVP injured his MCL when he slipped on a wet spot just before halftime of a Game 4 win at Houston in the first round last Sunday. He said Friday he hoped to do some shooting within a day or two, and that happened Saturday. He still will have to test the knee by putting pressure on it and planting on it when he shoots, then in some 5-on-5 scrimmages.
The Warriors had 38 and 30 assists their previous two games — including six quarters without Curry — by generating the kind of snappy ball movement coach Steve Kerr called for without Curry’s playmaking. They added 27 more assists Sunday.
RAPTORS 89, PACERS 84
In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 15 rebounds and 10 points and the Raptors beat Indiana in Game 7 of the firstround playoff series to advance to face Miami in the conference semifinals.
Game 1 is Tuesday night in Toronto.
Rookie Norman Powell added 13 points, Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists, and Patrick Patterson had 11 pointed to help Toronto win a seven-game series for the first time in franchise history.
The Raptors won their first postseason series since a five-game triumph over the New York Knicks in 2001, ending the NBA’s longest active drought between playoff series victories.
Paul George led Indiana with 26 points and 12 rebounds, George Hill scored 19 points, and Monta Ellis had 15.
Up 78-64 after three quarters, the Raptors didn’t make their first basket of the final quarter until a 3 by Powell at 8:19. Joseph followed with a pullup jumper to make it 81-67, leading to an Indiana timeout.
The Pacers responded by scoring 12 of the next 14 points, cutting it to 85-79 with 3:23 remaining.