PORTLAND _ The Golden State Warriors' opening night woes bled deep into their first road trip. Narrow wins over a pair of bad teams in New Orleans and Phoenix didn't quell concerns.
October performances matter far more in the MLB than NBA. But the Warriors seemed due for a reminder _ to themselves, to their fans, to the league _ that talent, when clicking, can rapidly form into an unstoppable tidal wave. They delivered one.
Golden State blasted the Blazers 127-104 in Portland on Tuesday night. Smoked a threatening Blazers team that typically feasts on teams wrapping up an extended road trip, leading by as much as 35 at one point. And the Warriors did so despite not playing well for large portions of the night.
Stephen Curry went 2-of-9 shooting in the first half. He had four bad turnovers and missed all four of his 3s. But he was the star of the night, thanks to a scorching third quarter that provided Golden State its separation.
For the first (non-preseason) time alongside Kevin Durant, Curry accelerated into hyper-aggressive MVP mode. It started on a random possession early in the third quarter with the Warriors up six.
Curry, pushing a rebound into the open court, nearly lost control of a sloppy behind the back dribble at half court. To maintain control, he gathered about 30 feet out, on the left wing, with two defenders barreling down on him. Nineteen seconds still remained on the shot clock. Curry's touch was previously frigid. He jacked over two contesting defenders. It went in. The fuse was lit.
Two possessions later, Curry made another early-in-the-clock 3, this time from the right wing. Then he followed a layup with a give-and-go fade to the corner for another 3. In 2:02 of game time, Curry had erupted for 11 points. Golden State's lead had spiked to 13. He was just getting started in the third.
Over the next few minutes, Curry completed two of the more difficult reverse layups imaginable, driving baseline for a falling, right hand over-the-shoulder heave, kissing it off the top of the glass while absorbing contact from Mason Plumlee. Then a bit later, he spun in a whirling reverse while getting blasted by Allen Crabbe.
In all, Curry finished with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the third quarter alone. The Warriors won the quarter 41-20, pushing a previously close game into a laugher.
But in the win, Curry had plenty of help, particularly from a previously struggling bench. Golden State's reserves were outscored 54-16 by the Spurs in the opener and 118-54 combined the first three games. That flipped on Tuesday.
Ian Clark entered the game 3-of-14 shooting on the season. Against the Blazers, he went 8-of-8, becoming the first Warrior reserve since Chris Mullin in January of 1996 to take at least eight shots and go without a miss.
His first quarter spark was needed most. Clark entered with the Warriors trailing 21-14. He immediately nailed an and-1 floater, then hit a 3, then completed a steal and coast-to-coast layup, before following it up with another 3. Ten points in four minutes, helping spike a Warriors deficit into a 32-25 lead.
Clark finished the night with a career-high 22 points. The Warriors bench combined for 54 points on 21-of-30 shooting. Klay Thompson remained in his shooting slumber, missing seven more 3s. He's now 3-of-28 from deep this season. But Draymond Green chipped in with some game-changing defense and nine assists. Kevin Durant scored an easy 20. Curry exploded and the Warriors, finally, erupted in the fashion all expected.
