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The Golden State Warriors paid the price for not closing the game when they had the chance as the Portland Trail Blazers escaped with a 108-106 win at home. Damian Lillard turned up when it mattered the most to lead his side to a second consecutive victory.
The Golden State Warriors were scorching hot to start the matchup as they ran away to a 15-2 lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter. The Portland Trail Blazers then fought back and things remained neck-and-neck for the rest of the game.
The Dubs should've run away late in the fourth but Stephen Curry and Draymond Green missed point-blank shots. Lillard then joined the party and took his team across the finish line.
Stephen Curry wins the individual battle, Damian Lillard wins the game
Stephen Curry was unguardable in the opening moments of the game. He made three straight shots from downtown to start proceedings and had 23 points on 60% shooting during the first half.
However, he went missing in the second half and added just another 12 points to finish with 35 on the night. In comparison, Damian Lillard struggled for the majority of the game but came up big in the clutch.
Damian Lillard scored just 22 points on 6-of-17 shooting tonight but 10 of those came in the fourth quarter. Dame Dolla made two three-pointers in the clutch including the ultimate go-ahead basket to give the Portland Trail Blazers the lead. He also drew a charge from Draymond Green with seconds on the clock to condemn the Golden State Warriors to another loss.
Carmelo Anthony keeps the Portland Trail Blazers in the hunt as Golden State Warriors fail to take their chances
Carmelo Anthony has been on a phenomenal run of late. He was huge for the Portland Trail Blazers again tonight and kept them in the run with Damian Lillard struggling to get going. He finished with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and received deserved praise.
Opinions were divided over the late offensive foul call on Draymond Green that sealed the Golden State Warriors' fate. However, most were of the opinion that the visitors deserved to pay for not being clinical enough.
Both Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers have another game to play on Thursday ahead of the All-Star break. The Warriors will take on the Phoenix Suns while the Blazers will host the Sacramento Kings.
