PORTLAND, Ore. _ After months of trying to tap into the essence of a dynasty, the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday finally seemed to channel what made those teams great: Ball movement, 3-point shooting and a defense that gained strength as the game went on.
The Warriors lost to the Trail Blazers, 122-112, at Moda Center in Portland on Wednesday, but finally resembled something close to those teams that went to five straight NBA Finals. The difference on Wednesday was that they did not have the elite talent needed to win the game.
Entering the fourth quarter trailing 97-92, the Warriors could only muster 20 points to close the game while Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum scored 10 of Portland's 25 points in the final period to usher his team to a win.
Still, these Warriors (5-24) put together perhaps their best half of basketball this season. After falling behind by 13 points in the first quarter, D'Angelo Russell took control of the Warriors' offense scoring 18 points to guide the Warriors to a one-point deficit at the break. The Warriors assisted on 15 of their 23 field goals by halftime and, with 66 points, it was the Warriors' highest-scoring first half since Oct. 28, when they put up 72 points in New Orleans.
On the heels of committing 20 turnovers in a 21-point loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Warriors tied a season-low with eight turnovers against the Trail Blazers (12-16). For 28:46 between the first and third quarter, the Warriors went without a single turnover.
While the Warriors of old were known for polished ball movement and elite 3-point shooting, the depleted Warriors entered Wednesday night's game having made the second-fewest 3-pointers in the league this season. In Portland, their 16 3-pointers are the most they've made in a game all season. Last season's team reached that mark 22 times.
Two Warriors _ guard Alec Burks (four) and forward Glenn Robinson III (five) _ tied and set career highs for 3-pointers made, and forward Draymond Green's 3-pointer in the third quarter gave him a made 3-pointer in each of his last four games.
Russell finished with 26 points on 9-of-23 shooting (5-for-12 from 3-point range) and seven assists, and Robinson and Burks chipped in 17 and 16 points apiece. As a team, the Warriors assisted on 23 of their 41 made field goals and converted on 42.1% of their 3-pointers.
After the Trail Blazers made 13 of 20 shots (65%) in the first quarter, the Warriors' defense improved and held them to 45.4% shooting for the game.
Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard (31) and McCollum (30) combined for 61 points, while center Hassan Whiteside recorded 16 points and 23 rebounds.
In a season filled with many more moral victories than real ones, Wednesday's loss provides some reassurance for coach Steve Kerr and his staff that the lessons being taught are taking hold.
As they continue to preach development, the offense's ball movement and defense's improvement provide an indicator that the team is laying the appropriate groundwork for when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson return, and the talent gap between the Warriors and their opponent is no longer so wide.
