PORTLAND, Ore. _ The shots fell into the basket nearly anytime the ball left Kevin Durant's fingertips.
Durant pulled up along the baseline. He pulled up from 3-point range. He drove to the basket. Most of the time, Durant scored.
That was still not enough. The Warriors lost to the Trail Blazers, 125-108, on Friday despite Durant posting 40 points on 12-of-21 shooting in a performance that offered various big-picture implications.
The Warriors (51-15) snapped their seven-game winning streak, while Portland (40-26) extended a nine-game winning streak and its 15th win in the past 16 home games. The Warriors squandered an opportunity to make up ground in the Western Conference race to the top seed after the Houston Rockets (51-14) lost to the Toronto Raptors (48-17) on Friday to end a 17-game winning streak.
And the Warriors learned that overcoming Stephen Curry's absence from a tweaked right ankle goes beyond relying Durant's heroics.
The Warriors simply lacked in other departments.
Like with most teams, the Warriors had no answer for Portland's backcourt of CJ McCollum (30 points) and Damian Lillard (28 points). Lillard offered a dagger with a 25-foot 3-pointer that gave the Blazers a 115-103 lead with 2:40 remaining.
The Warriors did not compensate in the hustle categories, including rebounding (46-33) and second-chance points allowed (21).
Portland shot 15 of 38 from 3-point range, while the Warriors often ended those makes by committing one of their 20 fouls.
Besides Durant, Klay Thompson (25 points) and JaVale McGee (10 points), the Warriors did not have enough offensive punch. The Warriors bench combined for only 18 points, while Portland had 47.
Then again, it does not help the Warriors missed other players besides Curry. The Warriors also missed key reserves in David West (right arm cyst), Andre Iguodala (left wrist sprain), Jordan Bell (right ankle sprain) and Patrick McCaw (fractured left wrist). Yet, the Warriors still have three All-Stars in Durant, Draymond Green and Thompson.
"We have other guys who are pretty good," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We have a deep team."
But not good enough against the Blazers. The loss leaves the Warriors with some things to fix on Sunday in Minnesota without Curry.
Kerr said that Curry texted him on Friday that he "had a good day of rehab" in Oakland. The Warriors added Curry did not show any additional swelling in his right ankle.
Kerr does not project absences to Iguodala and West to last long. While Iguodala completed a pregame shooting workout, West lifted weights. The injury, though, to Iguodala seems clearer. As Kerr said, "I don't expect him to be out too much longer."
As for West, Kerr described his injury as "kind of a strange deal" and declined to offer specifics as West plans to seek more medical opinions.
"Nothing I ever heard of before, but I don't anticipate it'll be anything too serious," Kerr said. "But I also can't tell you exactly when he's going to come back."
Both West and Iguodala could return as early as Sunday, though, against Minnesota. Meanwhile, Curry, Bell and McCaw stayed in Oakland with Warriors trainer Chelsea Lane for their respective rehab work. The Warriors plan to reevaluate both Curry and Bell on Tuesday in hopes for them to return on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. McCaw will also be reevaluated to see if he can begin practicing without any brace on his left wrist.
Still, Durant's production usually would have been enough. Then again, Durant posted 50 points in a loss last month to Portland, a game that featured Curry in the lineup.
