NBA LIVE! Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers | July 28, 2025 | Warriors vs Blazers 2K25
Now Golden State’s starting five and for the Trailblazers Holiday out there with Sharp. Then it’s Avdia. Then it’s Williams and it’s Grant in at the four slot. Veteran players are well represented, Greg, in this one. And all that experience on the court only adds to the intrigue. Yeah. And it should make for a more polished game overall. More discipline, less mistakes, just high IQ basketball. Here we go. And Portland starts out with the ball. Now Holiday pass to Sharp. Java and a missed layup. And you don’t see that every day. Usually he’ll convert when he gets that close to the rim. outside. Green at the top of the key. Curry. Second shot opportunity and that’s two points on the layup. And the first of many to come. Explosive offensive talent on both sides. And if everything goes the and this could be a very fun matchup to watch. Williams gets the bucket. You know, when Williams gets positioned inside, he just looks to dominate physically and then he shows you the skill set on top of it. And you love seeing that great mobile one drive a second time and putting that pressure on the rim. That’s what it’s all about, threatening with that attack. And now just over a minute played here in the first. He tries for three. Rebound by the Trailblazers. Sharp. The pass to Holiday. Grant with the ball. Head shot off. Warriors have gone one of three from the field to start this one so far. Some nice passing by Golden Stadium. He gets it in there and once he got to the 10, I think he was surprised to find himself that wide open. Easy possessions like that literally are just a gift. You just dream of them. He’ll gladly take those. Now here’s Williams. Six to shoot. fades away and it’s Sharp missing. Well, I that’s what you get when you go for style points with a fadeaway and look, he paid the price. For so long, the Golden State Warriors were waiting to be back at full strength, but when one guy comes back, it seems like another goes down. The injury bug has been a real challenge for them. Injuries though are an obstacle the Warriors RJ have met head on. Yeah, it’s impressive how they’ve overcome those hurdles, insisting on still playing their best basketball even when they’re short-handed. And they’ve had a chance to develop some younger players when the older guys, the established players were out. Got to use these opportunities because 5 minutes can go to 10 just like 10 minutes can go to zero. Well said. He misses the free throw. GA something that’s kept Portland from getting over the hump is their defense. Kevin, their defensive rating hasn’t been pretty for several years. It’s a point of emphasis for the Blazers going forward. shore up the D and try and take that next step. And the second free throw good. What I appreciate most about Green is his leadership. Strong vocally on and off the floor. Fires for three. Kept alive. Oh, and a nice job of turning that miss into two points on the tip end. Hustle points. I believe they call them hustle points right there. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. Well, they’ll be happy with that look even though it didn’t fall. Tough to watch those miss. I’m sure they’ll convert the next chance. And the call on the shot that sends him to the line. The Trailblazers shooting their first free throw. First trip to the line in this one. And one of the highlights last year for this group was the fact that they were so efficient from the charity strike. That’s a huge factor. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. Ties it up. And this next one could give them the lead. No good on the second free throw. This team thinks they should be up in front, but at least they tied it up. First quarter of play, we’re about 3 minutes in. It’s deflected and they’ll keep possession. Passes it to Kerr offline with his three. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Yeah, coach’s pet peeve there. No box out. Oh yeah, you think you got to stop and it’s wasted because of sloppy work on the glass. You literally practice that every day. Green no luck. And so Holiday will bring it up for the Portland Trailblazers with a short break in the action. Gives us a chance now to send it over to David Aldridge. Earlier, I spoke with Chanty Phillips. Defensively, he wants his guys to protect the rim and do everything they can to push the offense out to the perimeter. He told me if we can do that, I feel good about our chances. Now, guys, obviously that’s a tall order, but he’s trying to get his guys to get geeked for the challenge. Thank you, David. The Warriors shooting their third and fourth free throw shot to the night. and And he knocks down the first one. And so he hits both. Well, he’s come through for them at the line today. And you love having a big fella who’s so capable on his free throw. The pass to Holiday. Pass to Sharp. Lets the three fly. Williams. And that one clearly a foul. Gets the whistle. and two shots coming up. Well, he is a behemoth in the paint. Once Williams establishes himself, you almost have to foul. It just seems Richard like Robert Williams is a guy willing to do anything to help his team and there’s a whole lot he can do. His defense has never been a question. He can dish it. He’s an aggressive rebounder. And look, his effort level, that’s something you don’t ever question. And that one falls for Williams. And we see Portland revamping on the fly. A lot of changes, but it’s not a rebuild. This new look roster hoping to keep the Blazers relevant while also giving them a greater upside long term. He makes one of two that time. You know, he just plays with such tenacity on both ends. Williams is a rising talent who wants to prove he belongs. Now Holiday after the miss three from Stephen Curry. Holiday against Kirk. Holiday gets the bucket. Able to absorb contact. Holiday is not someone that is prone to lose focus on these tough takes. And the Warriors decide to take their first timeout here. And they just can’t seem to get going offensively. And coach called his time out to try and reset things on offense, shake them up a bit so they can hopefully start getting some shots to fall. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And the Warriors with possession here. It’s a five-point game. And you know what? He had to clear some space for himself to get that rebound. Not an easy one there among the big boys. Now here’s Sharp and too long on the shot. He’s guarded by Williams. Kicks to Curry inside. Lays it up and banks it in. Just an unselfish play from Curry. Always ready to move the ball and his body to help an open shooter. Pass to Sharp. Shoots. He can’t get that one. Nothing seems to be going his way this quarter. Yeah, straight up, guys. Like, he’s ice cold. Like freezing. What’s colder than cold? But you don’t have to shoot it, my guy. It’s okay to pass the ball. Now here’s Odia following the miss by Draymond Green. Portland no good that time either. Warriors trail by three. Golden State moving it around to the paint. That shot off the mark. So the Trailblazers will take it the other way. Passes it to Abia. Now Williams, no good. That’s miss number two against three makes from the field. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Curry. Shoots from 14. That one’s off to a rough 0 for six start for him. Abdia dishes to Grant. Holiday with the three. Warriors with the rebound. And you could tell he thought that triple was going to fall. The pass to Green. The rebound by Grant. See that miss? That miss right there. It’s why teams try to avoid the mid-range jumper these days. Holiday the pass to Grant and here’s Sharp and he can’t stop this drought. Another miss to the middle. Here’s Green shooting foul. As the whistle blows, he’ll shoot two free throws. Jeremy Grant picks one up. I like when Green looks to score. He’s good at putting defenses in a bind. These are his third and fourth free throw attempts of the game. You know, this is not an area where they expect him to contribute. You know, he’s a guy that shot below 70% last season. That’s good from Green. Well, R.J., you played against Draymond Green. Do you agree with him when he calls himself the best defender in NBA history? No, of course not. He’s not the best, but he’s worked his way near the top. I’ll give my guy that. And look, he’s a defensive player of the year and he has been in consideration multiple other years. It’s his versatility that gives him such a boost on that other end of the floor. Oh, free throws good from Green. Portland’s gone 0 for four from three-point L to start out looking cold from outside and the first time out of the game called here for the Trailblazers. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. up top. Henderson pass to Fable. Lillard outside. Lock at six. The Trailblazers need to get off a shot again. The miss by the Trailblazers. Pass to Jay. That one goes. Count it. And the Warriors lead by one. Such a slept on attribute of his. Draymond can handle the rock. Kang pass it to Henderson. He kicks it to Lillard. They can use a bucket. The shot no good. Great D that time from Green. Here’s Moody from 13. Doesn’t go that time. So, the Trailblazers will take it the other way. healed against Henderson. Now here’s Lillard. He’s been quiet so far. Still no points in the game. Yeah, quick thinking. Wins Dane assist. Finds the open man and the ball instantly there for the finish. Passes to Jay. Golden State moving it around. Curry outside. He scores and he’s off the schneide with that basket. One for seven on a tough night for him. Pick works well there. Not much resistance from the deep. Yeah, that just comes down to a lack of effort. The defender has to do a better job fighting through the screen. Lillard scanning the floor. That one’s in. his first bucket of the game. He’s one for two. Outstanding handles from the clever guard. Lillard crafty with it in his hand and can create for anybody. Just two seconds between shot clock and game clock. Curry against Lillard takes the three and another three for Golden State. Even a half court shot is a good shot for Curry. That’s how good of a shooter he is. Lillard way outside. So at the end of one quarter of play, still a close game. Warriors ahead as they end the first quarter on a 12-4 run. And the second quarter will will get underway just after this short break. some good action already in this one, but a fairly even matchup after the first quarter of play. And the Warriors guys, what jumps out to you in this game uh stats wise? Just stretching out the floor in that first. They had the defense scrambling. Their points came almost exclusively from beyond the ark and as this game continues that should open up the floor for the rest of their offense. How did you react, Richard, to the changes in rules in 2021, specifically those banning non-basket moves? I loved it because the game has gone so far offensively that it put the defenders in such a bad spot. And so now that you’re allowing for the defenders to actually play defense now, I think it’s great for the game. And instead of right tricking your way to the free throw line. Yeah. Because they were using that it’s not a foul, it’s what they call. And let’s turn what they call into actual fouls. So the referees cleaned it up perfectly. So on the floor for Golden State to begin this second quarter. covered by Lillard. Fires top of the key. Basket good and the Warriors lead by five. Defense maybe too concerned with Butler there leaving his teammate all alone. There’s the pass to Sharp Williams with the ball. And there’s the call. It’s going to be an illegal screen. Beyond the leaning, you could see his feet weren’t set on that screen. Easy call. Look, guys get away with this all the time, but on this occasion, he got caught. And the replay demonstrating once again how aggressive that defense was. And boy did he get up quick to reject that shot. That’s as fundamental as defense gets. Javage checked in for Portland. Offensive rebound. Pass to Moody over Sharp. That one off the back iron and out. Normally he drains that. Abia the vast toart on the wing. Holiday from 12 feet out and the rebound goes to the Warriors. Time now to turn to our sideline reporter David Aldridge. David, thanks very much. Now, the Blazers missed the playoffs last season for the first time in almost a decade. Coach Phillips says, “It’s been a lot here so far, but I just know that I’m built for this. This is what I do and it gives me the opportunity to stand up as a man to show that I can lead. I’m ready for it. Kevin, I think he is and he’s embraced the challenge which is fun to watch. David, thanks. Now to Moody. Here’s Jay. He’s covered by Grant from deep. Moody’s shot is off. Trailblazers trail by seven. They need a bucket in a big way here to regain some confidence. Now here’s Obia. Defense right on him. Bucket is good. Great job of screening there. Nice job to take it to the rim and get the finish. Excellent D there from Williams. Look, the defense was locked in on him there. They know how dangerous he can be and they guarded him perfectly. Aia and it’s Williams with the jam. Yeah, hard trying to keep Williams off the boards. He makes it a mission to keep possessions alive. And here is Moody. He’s still scoreless so far in this one. down low and the basket by Jay. Yeah. And there it is again. On a lot of their possessions this first half, they’ve established great inside position. Passes it to Abia. Rob. Here’s the break. Here’s Moody. Rebound by Williams. Williams has got 12 rebounds here tonight. Big time effort. And another turnover here by Portland. Warriors leading by five. And there’s the pass to Moody. Golden State moving the ball around. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. Now here’s Shark. Tight defense on him. There’s the dish to Williams. And up the court come the Warriors on the break. Offensive rebound. That one’s in. His first bucket of the game. He’s one for two. Great positioning from Butler on the play. Refusing to be boxed out. He he really sets the example for his team with that energy. Now here’s Shawn. Here’s Grant. Jimmy Butler with the rebound. You know, Greg Anthony, people talk about Jeremy Grant as a scorer, but what about his passing? Significantly better moving the ball along. He He’s leaving no stone unturned as he looks to maximize his abilities. He is singlehandedly dropping the temperature in here with that cold streak. Yeah, right now he’s just in his own head. Not much you can do to try and push through it. Warriors leading by seven. Six on the shot clock with the fadeaway. That one wide left. The Trailblazers have gone just two of eight shooting here in the second quarter. trying to get something going. No good. That’s miss number two. He’s one for three. Here’s Moody. Portland grabs the miss. Well, the defense didn’t have any impact on that shot, but somehow he still misses it. Knowing it’s his responsibility to find open teammates. Holiday. Nice job setting the table there. Pass to Santos. Now here’s Moody. Launches it. Rebound by Williams. Williams has got rebound number 15 here tonight. And that’ll be two free throws coming up. Officials on the call with the foul. And now in his 14th NBA season, just one Allstar appearance for Drew Holiday. But that belies his greatness as a player. Shooting two. That free throw good from Holiday. You know, Greg, you can make the case Drew Holiday is the prototypical 2A guard. And you know, and defense can sometimes go overlooked, just one Allstar game, but Drew’s impact perhaps greater than some other players with multiple All-Star seasons. Both free throws good from Drew Holiday. And here’s Heield. He’ll bring it up for Golden State. Three-point lead from about 19 ft. Struggling getting it in. That’s his seventh miss in nine shots. Here’s Holiday. The shot no good. Great T that time from Green. Out of bounds. Portland takes possession. And Portland making a change here. Henderson’s checked in. Trailblazers trail by three. Lillard outside. Curry with the defensive effort. Golden State’s gone 03 from Vi on the arc to start the second quarter. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. Kicks it to Lillard outside. Williams a shot that time not on target. So Golden State will take it the other way. Here’s Curry. Good work there as it goes. Curry’s got eight. And you’re asking for trouble when you give Curry this positioning. He’s so efficient down there. That was the 2K drop as that move deserved another look. And that’s what a coach loves to see in a close game. Just put your head down and make something happen. There’s a minute 47 left in the first half of basketball. It’s good on the putback. And those second chance points really become almost like bonus points when you can get them. Now here’s Curry. Eight points for him to the inside and the layup is good. Curry’s got four points this quarter. I mean, the number of points they’ve scored in the paint already here is eye opening. Henderson passes to Williams. 107 left to play here in the half. Offensive rebound. Hang. And the basket is good. And he’s got a chance here for one more at the line. He knows his job on the glass and he does it well. Cleaning it up and sending it right back. The Trailblazers shooting their seventh attempt at the foul line in this one. Matis Styles checked in for the Trailblazers and Golden State also making a change. Jay’s checked in for Jimmy Butler. 103 left in the second quarter. Curry kicks to Heield. Back to Curry. Golden State moving the ball around. Jay misses. Portland trailing here. Anderson with it. Still looking for his first bucket in this one. and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. Yeah, easy call. The Warriors shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Yeah, a year ago though, Kevin, 78% conversion rate from the free throw line. So, that’s a nice allaround effort. and he makes the first. and he can’t hit the second. Trailblazers trail by three. Henderson no good. I don’t know if he got in his own head there or what cuz the defense can’t really take credit for that miss. The Trailblazers shooting around 29% from the floor. Tough night for them all around on the offensive end. Here’s Yang and he bangs it home with one hand. Good to see a player going all out in the game’s this tight. You know, G, he knows what his job is. Patrol the offensive glass. He’s just giving them everything he has. It’s why his teammates appreciate and enjoy playing with him. So that’ll be it for the first half. Fairly even battle underway in this one. The Warriors on top leading by three. It’s time now to go courtside as we send you over to David Aldridge from the sideline. David, take it away. Kevin, thank you. With Draymond Green, Draymond rebounding a bit of a struggle. How do you improve that? Hit your man. you know, get five guys to the boards. Guards, get in there and clean up those boards that’s loose, but you know, our big guys got to hold our mans off and we’ve been doing that this time. We’ll see if all five can get you more boards in that second half. Trey, thanks a lot. Back to you, Kevin. Okay, David, much appreciated. And now, time for halftime. So, we’ll be back in just a bit to get the third quarter underway. The 2K Sports Halftime Show. Hey folks, welcome back. Ernie Johnson alongside the Jet. That’s Kenny Smith. The Diesel, that’s Shaquille O’Neal. A lot of big time action so far in this one. Golden State found themselves in a close game in the first. In the first period, their biggest lead was a slim three points. Scoring-wise, they broke even in the second, so little ground was lost there. Taking a look at the Warriors, Kenny, what you think? What you like is many of their baskets come off assist. That’s a sign of a team that’s working together and functioning at a high level. No need to have this hero ball. I’m going to shoot and no one else is going to get the ball. Nope. They moved it and we’ll see if they can keep it up in the second half. Looking at Portland, Shaq, your thoughts. I like how they’re working the ball down low and finding easy looks. Uh they may be tempted to switch things up in the second half, but I say stick with it. Force the other team to adjust to the way you play. And that should do it. With the second half about to begin, let’s send you back to Kevin Harlon. Go back to Kevin Harland. Go. Just go over there. And after a fairly even first couple of quarters, the second half could turn out to be a great one as both teams try to gain an edge. Curry with a strong contribution so far in this one. And how about the amount he’s contributing in the scoring column through two quarters? He has been terrific. He always wants to be a go-to guy for them. I’m sure he’ll be calling for the ball even more in this half. We’ve got second half action for you. And if the next couple quarters are similar to the first, this one could go down to the last possession. Aia out there with Grant. Then it’s Holiday. Then it’s Sharp and it’s Yang in at the five. Roaming the paint. So that’s who Chanty Bilip starts the second half with. Pulls up high post and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And the lack of effort to fight over the screen there makes that an easy shot. Yeah, as soon as these guys feel contact, they are just disappearing like they’re not even there. You got to show some fire and keep defending. Grant finds Holiday and he floats in for the easy two. Credit the assist on that one. A really smart player. Holiday can find the spaces inside and exploit them for points. Stolen by Grant. And it’s the Trailblazers on the break. Hia with the ball. Pass to Sharp. Grant outside for the tie. Knocked away. And he’s been a force on the glass all game long. It’s because he’s reading where the shots are going and getting to the right position. Just outworking everyone early on the glass and he drops in the layup off the glass. Hey Richard, as soon as your playing career ended, you got right into this business into broadcasting. When did you decide that this would be the next step? Uh well, the first time is when I thought I was going to be out the league. And so I started uh doing more and more work uh until I retired in 2018. So it started way before uh I retired. That laid the groundwork for you. Good job. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. The first one falls. The Trailblazers making a switch here. Williams has checked in. And so he’s able to get one of two. Trailblazers have gone two of three from the field. To start the second half with a tie and the rebound goes to the Warriors. Green’s got six rebounds in the game. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. And so Grant will bring it up for Portland to the wing on the left. Sharp. The pass to Williams. Not quite two and a half minutes played here in the second half. Portland grabs the miss. Williams has got his 16th rebound on the night. Now here’s Odia guarded by Kurt. They blow the whistle just as he gets it off. That’s two points with a chance for another one at the strike. Important point there. Got him on a nice play getting the ball inside and right to the bucket. And he’ll be shooting his first free throw of the game here. Yeah. 76% from the line a season ago. And most would consider that to be a success. and that drops. So they now lead by one. Just over two and a half minutes gone by here in the second half. Holiday against Curry. It’s good from the top of the key. He’s got eight. This game has a lot of character here in the third period. Six changes of the lead here. Intensity is the theme for this one. Now here’s Odia. He has five. Pass to Sharp. Releases. Jimmy Butler comes up with the rebound. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. The layup missed. Here’s Holiday. And again, it’s the Trailblazers missing. He scores his fifth field goal. He’s taken nine shots to get those five. And that tells the tale here today, guys. Throughout this game, they’ve been able to get the ball in tight and finish. And that was another look at the fantastic Mobile One drive that happened a moment ago. Man, a nice score that came from just attacking the rim. Huge play in this hotly contested game. Yeah, showing some strength in the paint there. Tough, tough rebound. 16 ft away. The rebound by Grant. Grants got his sixth rebound on the night and holiday kicks to a Here’s Williams and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here and it goes on Draymond Green. Just such a physical player. Williams has no off switch. He is which is how he gets these calls. The Trailblazers have scored six points from their eight attempts at the line. So far. Two. The first free throw is good. So he gets them both. The Warriors have gone three of eight so far in the third quarter looking to lock in that rhythm. Curry against Holiday. Add basket number six to his stat sheet. He’s now six for 10. Really well done there. Just confident and composed. Never in a hurry. Now here is Holiday. Six points for him. Grant up toped by Green. No good from Grant. And it’s still a rare sight to see rebound numbers like the ones he’s had tonight. He is totally in the zone, showing his incredible focus when it comes to attacking the glass. Shot clock at six. Great open look there. And now a six-point Warrior lead. And man, is he in his zone right now. Seems like he can’t miss. Now a timeout called by Portland trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they need to regroup and maybe try and draw something up that can get them a clean look at the basket. Let’s go. Lillard’s checked in for Avdia Moody. check in for the Warriors. Here’s Lillard. Now the pass to Grant. Clock at four. Draymond Green pulls it in. Green’s got rebound number eight here tonight in the game out left to the wing and the officials calling for a 3second violation. Chase checked in for Golden State. He comes in for Curry. Trailblazers trail by six. pass to Henderson. Their turnaround jumper. He hits the back iron and sinks the shot in that mid-range area. Lillard as deadly as anybody. His mechanics and technique on that jumper flawless. Kamaran guarded by Green. Dishes it to Henderson. Six to shoot. Williams trying to break free. Lillard misses. Warriors leading by four. And if you need a walk down defender Richard, look no further than Matis Thyber. Yeah, I watched him play in college at Washington and in a short amount of time, this guy has proven that he can take on anyone. Exceptional at blocking shots at his position, but he’s someone that you can throw on any team’s best player, and I mean any teams. Love how selfless he is setting brick screens like this. Plays like that right there are what help create easy scoring opportunities. Now, here’s Lillard. He hits Henderson on the wing from outside off the mark. Golden State’s gone one of two from beyond the arc since coming out of the break. They get it again. Here’s Jay. Excellent D there from Williams. Now Henderson. He’s gotten some minutes but nothing on the board yet. That’s a two from Lillard and the shot is long. I didn’t see that miss coming. I mean, he’s usually been money from that range. An emphatic loop jam. Incredible passer at his position. Green is especially good at getting it to the open teammate. Now a timeout called by Por and clearly he’s in a lot of pain. They call time and the trainer is going to get a chance to go out and check him over. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Passes to Yang. Good ball movement here by the Trailblazers. Lillard outside. Down to five on the shot clock. Henderson no good. The contest and the rebound, folks. That is how you defend. Those are some hustle points. Really bonus points when you put in a miss. Now here’s Moody defended by Thyel outside. Green pass to Moody for three. The Trailblazers pull it in over to the wing and the pass to Fel. Pass to Henderson. back to Thyel and two free throws coming up. Unable to get that one to go with all the contact and you look at the loyalty Lillard has shown stuck with the Blazers through thick and thin. It’s why he is beloved in Portland. The Trailblazers have shot eight of 10 from the line. That’s an even 80% free throw shooting here. Two shots on the first that free throw missing and known for being a clutch performer. Dame has his sights set on titles. A true leader with a winning mindset. Robert Williams. He’s checked in for the Trailblazers. Grant comes in for Matis Thyel. And he’s good on the second. Warriors leading by five. Kicks it to Heel. 40 seconds left in the third quarter. Five on the clock. pulls up on the wing off the left rim and out. And it’s Willard with the ball. He brings it up for the Trailblazers. Unloads again. The miss by the Trailblazers. It’s almost like he’s trying to make things hard on himself, you know? He’s just got to slow the game down, try to get some easy ones. passes it to Moody beyond the arc. And that’s going to do it for the third quarter. Warriors lead by five. Don’t go anywhere. The final quarter is coming up next on 2K Sports. And now we have a moment toh reveal our state farm assist of the game. And how about the big fella here showing us he’s got some point guard skill here with the tremendous setup. And for the defense, it’s so tough to guard a big man with that kind of court vision and dime dropping ability. Three tense quarters behind us. One more to go. Thanks for being with us as we begin the fourth on the court for Golden State here in the fourth. Pass to Grant. Aia Back to Grant and he dishes it to Alion. No good on the three. Warriors leading 55. Baseline jumper. The rebound by Grant. I think the defense will live with him taking mid-range jumpers, but maybe just a little bit more resistance to the paint. Here’s Abdia. The Warriors pull it in. It’s Curry outside. That shot missing and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Holiday surveying the floor over Curry. That’s good. And the Warrior lead is cut down now to just three on the basket from Holiday. plays mature and under control. Holiday doesn’t need the flashy plays. He’s very comfortable with that mid-range. And the Warriors miss again for Portland. They’ve gone one of three from the field to start the fourth quarter. Abdia dishes to Williams. He kicks to Abdia. to tie it up. They get it back. Here’s Williams and the layup falls. Showing that aggressive nature. Williams competes hard, doesn’t back down, and he’ll let his opponent know he’s not afraid of the contact. Now here’s Curry over Holiday. Curry gets the bucket. So challenging to guard in pick and rolls. Curry excels at exploiting the defense in these sets. The pass to Abdia. Pass to Holiday. tries it from nine. Good. He hits the jump shot. Holiday’s got four points in the quarter. You want to be an NBA point, take notes on Holiday running that pick and roll. Sometimes taking it yourself is the best option. And they’ll get another chance. Second chance shot. Some solid defense from Grant. The Trailblazers have gone three of six in the field so far in the fourth quarter. Java the pass to Grant to the middle and finished off by Aia. And nice pass by Grant. And this is what happens when you become a great scoreer. You draw defenders which often leaves someone open. Now here’s Curry trying his luck from deep and it’s Portland with the rebound. Grant’s got nine rebounds in the game. Getting it done now. Here’s Shunk. Guarded closely. Gets rebounded by Curry. The Warriors trailing. Passes it to Moody. The feed to Green down low outside for Curry. Shoots over Grant and that one hits back eye. Trailblazers have gone four of eight in this fourth quarter shooting an even 50% from the field. AA the vast to Grant shoots over Curry and there’s Grant on the assist by Aia and the Trailblazers lead by three. And mid-range isn’t exactly Grant’s go-to spot, but he takes a focus shot there and gets it to go. Another miss and they desperately need a bucket. And so Grant will bring it up for the Trailblazers. A great fourth quarter just giving up two points. Warriors trail by three, guys. They’re looking for a way to score here. Yeah, they’ve had a tough time taking the lid off. Moody the pass to Curry and the Warriors miss again for Portland. They’ve gone five of 10, 50% from the field. Holiday gets the bucket. He’s an explosive athletic guard and I tell you the coaching staff must love watching Holiday in the open court. Timeout called the Warriors. And the lack of rim protection top of the list. I’m sure coach is going to give them an earful about that. You can’t be happy with that soft interior D. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. And now we present our New Balance player of the game, Robert Williams. And as you’d expect, he’s done most of his damage in that low block. I mean, that was the game plan to get it to him in the paint and just let him go to work. And boy, has the big fella delivered. He has just killed them down low. And while we’ve got a moment, I’d send it over to our terrific reporter, David. David. Hey guys. Well, Steve Kerr talked to his team during the last time out. He said this is where we make our move. This game’s going to come down to big plays. Whichever team makes them is going to come out of here with the win. Kevin, you know what side he’s on. Thank you, David. Now, here’s Williams. Here’s Abdia and finished off by Abdia. The D just kind of stepping aside and letting him get to the rift. There’s a reason GA the lead is what it is right now. Yeah, it’s going to take better rim protection than that if they’re going to climb out of this hole. Green against Grant. Green taking his time here and the Warriors get it back. And they get it and the layup is good. Great game for him. Double double now. 11 points and 13 rebounds. Pass to Sharp. Now here’s Odia. There’s the pass to Sharp. Warriors with the rebound. Green’s got 14. Yep. 14 rebounds for him tonight. Wow. Outside curve and the officials will call the illegal screen right there. That’s going to draw a whistle every time down the floor. Not even close to being illegal screen. That’s a very avoidable turnover. You’ve got to focus on the details. Holiday. The pass to Sharp. Now here’s Odia. Not a lot of room. Now the Warriors moving it up. Pulls up. Rebound by Williams. Now here’s Sharp guarded by Ker outside. Holiday. Pass to Aia with the shot. Open jump shot off the mark. It’s three outside and no good that time. And the Trailblazers going the other way. Takes a three. Kept to wide. Holiday. That’s another rebound. Rebound after rebound after rebound. A GA. He is crashing the glass with energy. I love it. And what do you guys think so far about the offensive approach for Portland? And the first one at the line is good. Good on both. Warriors trail by seven. Guys are looking for a spark here. Yeah, a cold stretch offensively for sure. Timeout called. The Warriors trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they need to regroup and maybe try and draw something up that can get them a clean look at the basket. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Curry is inside. Guarded by Holiday. Fade away. Rebound by the Trailblazers. Grants got rebound number 12. Oh, you’re already in the game. Inside. Here’s Williams and foul on the shot. So, he’ll get a chance at the line. No question he got bumped on that shot. Two shots. gets the first and that stretches their lead to eight. So he goes two for two at the line and it’s a nine-point ball game here. There’s 154 left to play in the final quarter. Holiday against Curry pulls it up and again it’s the Warriors missing. Abdia kicks to Holland. Now here’s Obia. Passes it to Sharp. Lock at six. Off target there. That would have pushed the lead to double digits. To the inside, here’s Green. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s on Robert Williams. The game of green, it’s about testing the defense, finding their weak spots. He hits the first one and that brings them within eight. No free throws good from Green. 111 left in the fourth quarter. And here’s Sharp. Alia with it. Shot clock at five. Holiday with the three. The score is a six bucket from the floor with that one. He’s shot the ball 11 times. And you can sense that these fans, these players, they are ready to celebrate. It’s always night to perform like this, especially in front of the faithful home crowd. And it’s Williams with the ball for Portland. Outside Holiday. Pass to Avdia. Trailblazers moving the ball around. Here’s Sharp. Williams trying to break free. And it’s Sharp missing. Not enough ticks left on the clock to save them tonight. Yeah, they got to be disappointed with this result. Here’s Holiday. 15 seconds left in the game. So, the Trailblazers win it. Probably a little closer than they would have liked it, but a win nonetheless. Yeah, but I really got a sense that the fans gave them that emotional boost that was needed down the stretch. This crowd, man, they were electric. And now we’ll send it over to David Aldridge who is standing by Courtz. David from Allah. Thanks, Kevin. Jaru, congrats on the win. Everything seemed to start working in the second half. What changed for you? Um, I think we just picked it up in the fourth quarter. I mean, uh, they were kind of there the whole time, but the fourth quarter, we really, uh, you know, rev it up. Great to see you back on the court. Thanks very much. Back to you, Kevin. All right, David. Great job. Thanks so much. And that’s going to do it tonight, folks, for our broadcast. This is Kevin Harland thanking you for watching. So long, everyone. Well, Grant, we’ve got two savvy veteran teams on the court, so you don’t expect a lot of mistakes or sloppy play tonight. Yeah, definitely a lot of experience on the floor. So teams will play the right way. These guys know exactly what they’re doing. If both squads can keep things tight, we could be in for a very competitive game. Let’s take a look at our starters for the Golden State Warriors. Here’s Sharp. Warriors with the rebound outside. Curry three-pointer. He can’t get it to go now. Portland takes it the other way. Pass to Aia. No good with a layup. We’ll have a hard time shaking that one off. Perfect position. plenty of space. Just clank it. The defensive effort was lacking a bit, but hey, give him credit for finding a weakness there. Just really smart basketball the ball and exploiting whatever holes that he’s seeing right now in the defensive squad. And year in and year out, there’s one thing we know for certain about the Blazers. They’ve got some of the best fans in the NBA. Pass to Sharp. Outside Williams. Here’s Avia. He can’t hit that time. Green with the defensive effort. But how about the fan base in Portland? They’re passionate and they really understand the game. That’s so true, BA. I mean, even in lean years, they come out to support their club. And when they’re on top, all of Whip City gets caught up in the buzz. Portland’s a great basketball town. Five to shoot. from deep three-point range. Well, there’s the shot clock violation. So, they’ll turn it over for Portland. They’ve gone 0 for three from the floor to begin this one. Things just don’t seem to be clicking for them offensively. Yeah, they really need to find a way to get back on track. Here’s Grant. Here’s Williams. And Williams punches it home. Oh my. What a display of effort. That’s his bread and butter, right? Chasing down the boards. Stick with fundamentals there. Shot goes up. Box out or he’ll destroy you. Now here’s Green over Grant. And that one’s good. Green. Green’s got five points. Well, if the defense is going to back up that much, Draymond’s got to step into the mid-range shot. And he took it that time to the middle. It’s picked off. Just over two and a half minutes played here in the first. Pass to Curry. Clock at six. The shot from the low post is good. Stephen working hard on the inside that time to get his shot. Here’s Sharp. Here’s Obia. Holiday with the ball. Shoots over Curry. Rebounded by Green. Pass to Curry. First quarter of action. Just under three and a half minutes played. Gets it to go. That makes him two for three in this game. Yeah. All those things that Steph does before the game. And you think there’s no way he’s pulling those off in the game. Guess what? He’s pulling them off in the gate. And that was the mobile one drive. Little resistance to the finish line. Yeah. taken the onus on himself to make something happen. Got it into the teeth of the defense and made them pay. And it’s Jimmy Butler with the foul. That’s his first foul of the game. Warriors on D. outside. Holiday driving in. Shoots over Curry. The shot by Holiday. No good. Pass to Curry. And he can’t extend the lead to double digits. He didn’t make them pay for that weak defense, but they just can’t rely on him to miss those kind of shots. Here’s Obia. Boy, he’s been patient so far. Nothing yet on the scoreboard. Six on the shot clock to end the drought. That’s good. His first made shot in three attempts. But when Drew Holiday gets involved in the pick and roll sets like that one there, it’s very difficult to guard him. He uses his speed and quickness and change of direction and knocks down the shot. The Trailblazers have gone only two of six from the field. Pass to Abdia outside Holiday. Here’s Sharp. That is Stephen Curry with the rebound. The Warriors have gone four of eight and looking in control. Portland trailing here. And here’s Grant from the arc. They get it back. The kick out to Williams. Three-pointer sharp. And the rebound goes to the Warriors. shoots and the Warriors miss again. Pretty lacks defense there. He’s going to see fewer and fewer chances if he can’t bury those kind of jumpers. Grant and the foul is called. He missed it. So, he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. And you talk about a basket ball family. Jeremy Grant’s father was a pro, his uncle, his brothers. I mean, plenty of competition growing up. Shooting two. First one falls for him. And even though Jeremy grew up around the game, you know, success wasn’t handed to him, Grant. Not at all. I mean, he was a second round pick out of Syracuse and he’s really had to prove himself as an NBA player. He has truly come a long way. And good on the second. So, he makes them both. talk to most of the coaching staffs around the league, what is the first thing they think about with Jeremy Grant? And it’s that athleticism that comes to mind. Time called here. The Warriors decide to talk it over. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Pass to Green outside heel. Here’s Jay. The 17-footer connects. The jumper drops. That was not an easy move. I mean, especially against that length. Yeah, I don’t think he even sees a taller defender out there. Just a gifted scorer. Now, here’s Lillard and he got the whistle on the way up. So, he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. Yeah, you know, after a couple down years with key players injured, it’s safe to say the Golden State Warriors are back. The Warriors are back to contending for championships. Yes, they are. A testament to their perseverance and belief in themselves. They knew once they got healthy, they would be a threat, and they’ve been a fun team to watch as they get back to form. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. First free throw is good. 2022. What a year for Golden State. Another NBA title. Unbelievable. From the worst record in the league, climbing back on top, getting their big three healthy. Man, as long as you have a healthy Steph Curry, I think you’re going to have a chance to get there. What a run they were on. That one misses. So, he goes one for two. Well, Brent Portland has made a name for itself as a perennial contender. Well, the recent success started with Dame and with the exception of his rookie year, they’ve made the playoffs every year since, except last year when he was hurt. So, Lillard has single-handedly changed Blazers basketball. Here’s Green. He’s got five. Pass to Moody outside. Curry now. Here’s Green. Six to shoot. Here’s Jay. Pulls it in from the elbow. Oh, they get a hand on it now. Lillard pass to Henderson. There’s the block. Here’s Moody outside. Curry. Green with the ball and the Warriors miss again. Not a bad shot from the mid-range. The D’s giving it to him and he’s usually got an eye in that kind of range. His playmaking is something to watch. Threading that pass right in there. And it’s the Warriors with the ball after the basket by Portland. And a deep three from Curry. Sinks it. What range from downtown. And really the last guy that you like to see comfortable shooting the ball is Stephen Curry. Just automatic. Guarded by Heield. Pass to Henderson. Oh, and he got fouled on his way up. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. That one on healed. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. That free throw no good. Thyel, he’s checked in for Graham. He hits the second from the line. The Warriors have got six of 14 in so far to the paint. Here’s Jay. Nice dish and the layup goes down and the Warriors lead by six. Well, this is opening up scoring opportunities because Curry’s such a great shooter. Guys are going to be open. Lillard against Curry. It’s rebounded by Golden State. Green’s got four rebounds in the game. Pass to Moody. Outside heel outside. Green off target from outside. Portland has gone 0 for two from outside. Outside table. There’s 31 seconds left in the first quarter of the game. Pass to Henderson. There’s the three. He’s looking good. Two buckets and three attempts. Kind of like playing in the wreck league. Little to no defense on that possession and the easiest three-pointer you can imagine. Curry no good. It’s never easy from that distance, but we see him drill those and shoot around all the time. Oh, no. I know he can make, but that’s warm-ups. So maybe just a step too far. Controls the rebound and the putt back. Real smooth, guys. Great job with the tip in. Those are the kind of plays on the offensive glass that can tell you a lot about a player. One quarter in the books and it’s been a close one. Warriors ahead up one and we’ll get things started in the second quarter when we return. And getting it going again here in the second quarter. Fairly close game so far. And from what we’ve seen here from the Warriors, what’s your take so far? Just excellent first quarter defense. They’ve been really getting after it. Just a a great job really of making the game ugly, trying to muck it up a little bit out there. Hey, we see plenty of three-point shots every game. Brent, would you say it’s still a shooters league? Yeah, I would say it’s still a scores league, PA, rather than a shooter because look, a lot of people can take shots. uh there aren’t too many that make them efficiently. So, uh that part is is going nowhere. I think it’s about creating points and trying to get it to the the most opportunistic way you can score. That’s what the offense’s job is to do. Abdia out there with Robert Williams. Then they’re sharp. Then it’s Matis Thyel and it’s Holiday in at the point. That’s the group in the game for the Trailblazers. Portland trailing here. Pass to Thyel. Here’s Aia. Throws it up high. Here’s Moody. Always a nice way to start. Makes his first one. That’s just tremendous scoring instinct. So fun to watch him work in the half court to the inside. And that one’s good. Sharp. How about Drew Holiday? Unselfish team first player. Love that from the guard position. Pass to Jay. He’s covered by Holiday from the elbow. No good. A bit long that time. Well, if you believe in the numbers, that mid-range shot is not a high value shot, even with little or no defense on you. Outside Thyel, here’s Abdia outside Holiday. Just five to shoot. Chance there to take the lead, but a miss. The Warriors have gone just one of three to begin the second quarter. He’s covered by Holiday. Tries a 10-footer. Some solid defense from Holiday. The Trailblazers making a switch here. Grants checked in. Man, we have to take another look at that block. You know, you can’t ask for any better defense than that. He responded so fast to the shooter and it stifled him outside. Holiday Got it. Two for five now. You know Drew Holiday is a guard, right? You know he can handle the ball right on a string. Going all in. That was the 2K drive. Well worth the second look. Yeah. And in close games like this one, BA, you need toughness. Guys who will run to the fight and get after it. And the Blazers had been a mainstay of the playoffs for so long until last year. Yeah, BA. They ended an 8-year streak by missing the playoffs. The franchise has had a lot of sustained success. They missed the playoffs just 15 times in their 50 plus years. Two on the clock. Moody misses. Portland leading. Can’t connect from short range. Oh, they need this. No good that time. Some solid defense from Williams. Here’s Obia looking for his first basket still in this one. That’s no good. He’s 0 for four. inside. Here’s Moody. And it’s all from three-point range. I know he’s on a cold streak, but he can’t let that get in his head. Especially if you’re a player that doesn’t get a lot of shot attempts, but otherwise the mindset is I just got to get the next one to go and you don’t want to put that much pressure on yourself. Sharp. No good. The Warriors trailing. Soft touch off the glass. That is a tough two right there from Butler. Really his calling card. Rugged play and 100% effort. Here’s Sharp Odia from outside and Williams punches it home. And that really has to lift his teammates spirits right now. I’ll tell you, Grav, these second chance buckets could be what this game comes down to. Well, especially in a close game. Every possession matters for Portland. They’ve gotten only three of nine attempts to fall in the second. Pass to Abdia. Here’s Sharp. And here’s Holiday. Boy, he clanks that one off the back iron and it falls. Holiday’s got four points now in the quarter. Yeah, Drew aggressive there. Right, you can see committing to that shot, looking more than happy to rise up and fire. Time called here. The Warriors decide to talk it over. And at 69, Denn Obia with great size for a wing grant. Yeah, BA. And you combine that with his motor, too. I mean, he’s already an excellent defender with the versatility to cover inside and out. Heat. Heat. Lillard’s checked in for Portland. Stephen Curry, he’s checked in for the Warriors. The Warriors shooting just 37% so far in this one. Here’s Moody. He’s covered by Holiday. Pass to Curry from deep. Williams grabs the board. Williams has got his seventh rebound here tonight. And some changes here for the Warriors. Green comes in for Jimmy Butler. And he is subbed in for Moody. Holiday against Heel. And a foul called on the way up. So he’ll take two from the free throw line. Almost converts despite the contact. Heat. Heat. The first one falls. That one falls. So he hits both of them. And the big fella with the skill level showing a soft touch at the line. Pass to Lillard on the wing. Holiday outside. Williams down to five on the shot clock. Holiday up top over healed. The shot by Holiday. No good. The Warriors leading, takes the three and He gets the three. He’s got his first three points of the game. Wow. He has a beautiful release on his shot right there. Just barely off of his fingertips and buttery soft. Now here’s Williams. Lillard outside. Williams finds Lillard. Holiday from long range. It’s not going to go for him. And he probably thought he was going to bury that one. And it’s heel missing. Portland has gone 0 for two from outside in this second quarter. Lets it fly. And that one off the back of the rim and in. He’s got five. All eyes on Dame that time. So he just moves the ball casually right to the open teammate. Back to heel. Takes one from 10 ft. And the Warriors tack on two more. The effort has to be better defensively. Easy deuce. pass to Williams. Here’s Lillard. Shoots over Curry. Can’t get it. 0 for three in this one. Couldn’t quite line that one up. Just got to shake it off and move on to the next one. Second chance effort and it’s good on the layin and the Warriors lead by six. A stronger defensive presence would have saved them two points. It didn’t seem like anybody was really aware there to go and collect that rebound in the possession. Now here’s Holiday. Six points for him and looks like an illegal pick was set. That gets the ref’s attention. The screener was leaning a bit right there. His feet may not have been planted. Pretty obvious call by the officials. Got to hold firm or you’re going to get a call. Golden State has gone one of four from three-point land here in the second. Back to Curry from 11 ft away. Portland shooting just around 32% from the field down low and he was fouled in the active shooting opportunity for a three-point play here. If you look at career assist numbers for Damen Lillard, the stats don’t really jump off the page at you. He’s been asked to score more, but he’s a creative playmaker when need be. Find the lane. Find the lane. A minute 15 left in the first half. He passes to Curry and the layup falls. Curry’s got nine points. Yeah, even though he can pull up from anywhere, you love that he’s always looking to find a shot for his teammate. Grant left side. Out to Lillard. Fires for three and the shot counts. He’s fouled and it’s a chance for a three-point play. What’s up? Golden State has gone one of four from three-point land here in the second. Here’s Curry and that one hits the back iron. Portland trailing here. Here’s Grant. Tries again. unable to get that one. And here’s Curry for three. No good. And so a close game as we wrap up the first half of play. The Warriors on top up two. And don’t go away. After the break, we’ll see you right back here for the start of quarter number three. And now, the 2K Sports Halftime Show. Hey, welcome back to the NBA on 2K Sports. This is Ernie Johnson. Kenny the Jet Smith is right here. Say hey to the folks, Kenny. Hey, folks. Say hey to the folks. Hey, let’s get this party started. Okay. Golden State found themselves in a close game in the first. They ended the period holding on to a slim one-point lead. They were slightly better in the second. Not a big difference between these two teams. Taking a look at the Warriors. Kenny, what’ you think? The passing is what kept the offense rolling. The communication has been tremendous. Guys are working as a unit and not as individuals. They’ve got to repeat that kind of ball movement in the second half. Jack, how do you think Portland played? It’s time to wake up. They came out unfocused, unmotivated, unprepared, and it shows the efficiency of terrible field goal percentage. They could be way ahead in this game if they were taking better shots. And that’ll do it for our halftime report. Stay tuned for the second half about to get underway. And in that first half, we saw a pretty tight battle. We’ll soon find out what sort of adjustments were discussed during halftime. And for the Warriors, they’re shooting just 38% for this game so far on the floor for the Warriors to the inside. And he takes it in for the layup off a very nice feed. Curry’s got 11. A great move. I mean, the defense has no response. Well, just ripping through right there as he he finds the open spot and gets right through there. High basketball IQ play and the basket by Holiday. That’s a beautiful shot there for Drew. Defenses have to account for Drew Holiday out there behind the arc. And Grant, last season, Drew Holiday winning the NBA Teammate of the year award for the second time. Yeah. And in 2021 BA, he got the NBA sportsmanship award, too. So needless to say, Holiday tremendously respected by his peers and known for his dedication to others. Now here’s Holiday to Sharp. Here’s Obia Green covering. Oh, and there’s the whistle on the shot. So two free throws for him coming up. Two shot. And he makes a first. No good on the second free throw. The Warriors leading baseline try and he was fouled while in the act of shooting. So he’ll take two free throws. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. He misses the free throw. The Trailblazers making a switch here. Grant’s checked in. Good on the second one. We’ve got a close game here in Portland. Pass to Sharp. Here’s Abdia. Here’s Sharp. Here’s Holiday. He’s covered by Curry. Shot clock at five. Here’s Sharp. Rebounded by Green. Green’s got seven rebounds in the game. Pass to Curry. He’s covered by Holiday. Rebound by the Trailblazers. Grant’s got four rebounds now. Here’s Sharp. Lays it up and in on the nice reverse. Oh, just an easy reverse for him. He has nice feel and touch around the bucket. Curry against Holiday. Second half of play here with just under 2 and 1/2 minutes passed. Fundamental footwork and boxing out there that allowed him to rip that ball right off the rim. The Warriors have gotten two of four shots to go since the break. The shot no good. Hey, great D that time from Grant. Pass to Williams. Now Holiday. This for the tie. No, they’re unable to get the tying basket there from 12 ft. It’s deflected and a bit of a battle for the ball and the officials signal a jump ball here. And the Warriors with possession here. Green. The pass to Curry. It’s stolen by Holiday. They get it back. Williams. The bank shot. No good. More often than not, he’ll cash it in from that area. The defense might have done just enough to bother him. That one goes. Count it. He has six. The defense couldn’t collapse quickly enough. Outstanding dribble drive. And that replay was brought to you by Mobile One. Yeah, BA. I mean, that’s such a big play here in a close game like this one. Great concentration from him. Pass to Alia. The three ball rebounded by Green. The Warriors have gone three of seven here in this third quarter. Now here’s Curry. He’s covered by Holiday. Shot clock at six. Oh, he tries a three. Portland grabs the miss. Here’s Obia. Green covering. Back to Grant to the middle. Here’s Holiday. That’s bucket number five. He’s five for 12 now. And Grant with a nice heads up play, willing to make the next pass. Williams defending pass to Green. He shoots it. Williams grabs the board. Can’t blame him. Just trying to take what the defense allows. That ties it up. Grant’s always looking for those seams. So when he finds one, he’ll rip right into it. Like his aggressiveness there. Back to Curry. Grant against Green. Hook loose. Releases from the wing and drills it. Give him eight points now. Now Draymond Green patient enough to know when his teammates are running around. At some point one’s going to break open. Then he finds him and the officials will call the illegal screen here. That one stings there. Hurts so much more to turn the ball over especially with how tight the game is. We got to see that one again. That block was all out effort and this is exactly why he’s out here. In order to block shots in tight games like this. Thyel, he’s checked in for Abdia. Golden State is gone one of two shooting from the perimeter since halftime. Pass to Jay. Come get it. Come get it. Covered by Thyel outside. Curry. The three is up. The shot no good. And it’s Portland the other way. Holiday passes to Graham. throws it down and the official calls a foul. It may be a three-point play. It’s going to go on Draymond Green. Jeremy Grant came into the league as a defensive specialist, just really long and gangly, but after leaving Philly, he thrived as a role player on both the Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. Heels checked in for the Warriors. Watch out. And now they lead as the free throw drops in for him. And for Grant in 2020, he wanted the opportunity to finally be the focal point on offense. NBA, he got that chance. He averaged 10 and a half points in his first six seasons. when he jacked that number up to over 22 points a game in his debut season with Detroit. I guarantee you the Blazers are looking for that kind of production alongside Dame Lillard. And a moment to check out the scoring breakdown for the Trailblazers. They feel like they have an advantage inside and so far they have done an excellent job exploiting it. Their attacking of the offensive glass has also been a success story. All game long they’ve been committed to finding those second chance opportunities. And he knocks down the first one. So much has been given by Jimmy Butler over the years. Hard to believe it took him a little while to make his mark early in his career. Both good from the line that time and Butler didn’t get selected until the last pick of the 2011 draft. Bren, a lot of teams regret passing on him. Yeah, you can say that again, DA. Once he did get the chance to play, it did not take long to see just how special Jimmy Butler could be. By his third year, he led the league in minutes and he’s just a guy you always want on the floor. The Warriors leading back to Curry. Pass to Moody. Healed on the wing. Here’s Moody. Count that one. That’s how you draw it up right there. A screen to shed the defense, a quick move to the bucket, and you get the layin. Lillard against Curry. Pass to Henderson from the arc. And it’s Lillard who picks up the assist. Lillard’s got three assists now in this one. Here’s Jay out to Heel. The three. Williams grabs the board. Williams has got 13 rebounds in the game. Glass eating. Pass to Henderson. Now Graham over Moody. Here’s Williams. Goes back up and the layup is good. Williams has got six points. He seems to be in the right place at the right time more often than anybody that’s on the court here tonight. You see that payoff. Here’s Moody. Back to Curry. Wing shot on the way. Williams grabs the board. Williams has got rebound number 15 here tonight. And Grant gets it to go. Grant’s got seven points here in the quarter. Well, when he gets into the paint, he starts to get hungry. He goes right through the defense. He’s a straight line guy. Dyel against Heel. Pass to Moody. They need this. Out of bounds. It’ll be Portland’s ball. Lillard against Curry. Back to Lillard. Pass to Henderson. The Warriors pull it in. That’s not going to make you a favorite target of your teammates. They’ll think twice about feeding you if you’re going to keep missing layups. Second shot opportunity. So, it’ll be two free throws. He was fouled in the act of shooting. Yeah, you never want to let shots at the rim go uncontested. Shot two. And he drops a first. No good on the second. So he hits one of two. Here’s Henderson. Nine points in the game. Healed against Grant. Just five on the clock and they forced the shot clock violation. Great D. And it’s the Warriors with the ball. They’ve been having major problems offensively. Definitely in a bit of a dry spell to Lillard with two seconds left and it’s Jeremy Grant with a foul. That’s his first foul of the game. And we’ve just finished the third quarter. What a tight game we’ve got going. It’s the Trailblazers. They’re up by three. And right after this, we’ll bring you the start of the final quarter right here on 2K Sports. And while we have a chance, let’s go to our State Farm assist of the game. You talk about painting a magnificent picture with that Don. Just a great decision and a perfect delivery. Yeah, those are the kind of plays that you want to put on a canvas. Just beautiful basketball. And with these teams locked in a very close contest, this fourth quarter promises to be a good one. Sharp out there with Obia. Then there’s Damen Lillard. Then there’s Drew Holiday. That’s the group on the floor for Portland. Baseline jumper and out of bounds. The Warriors will take it. Now, I’m all for the crowd interacting with the players, but not so much the players interacting with the crowd. That one errant pass. The Warriors trailing outside. Green. Welltimed pass and he goes straight to the bucket for the layup and just great intensity down the stretch. I mean, he really wants to rock with the game on the line. Take a look at him locked in right now in this moment. Wants the ball in his hands and feels real comfortable with the shot he’s taking. That gives him the lead and the Warriors lead by one. This is the very definition of a back and forth contest. Yes, neither side taking its foot off the gas. I’m expecting a spectacular finish. And we just had to take one more look at that great drive. Pass to Holiday. Back to Lillard. Launches a three. Offensive rebound. And that one is hammered home. Patting the stat sheet, getting the board and the hoop all on one play. Yep. He’s earned his coach’s appreciation. And let’s take another look at that exceptional drive thanks to Mobile One. Yeah, no doubt about it. He’s been a force of nature and that drive just another of his great plays this game. The Trailblazers have gone one of four since the fourth quarter began. Holiday from long range. Oh, almost had a four-point play right there. But he’ll go to the line with a chance for three. Great body control from Holiday. gets the shot off while getting hit in the process. Three shots. That’s good from Holiday. And the reliability of what Drew Holiday brings to the hardwood. It’s about that menacing defense night after night with great hands and great instinct. Robert Williams checked in for Portland. Jeremy Grant comes in for Damen Lillard. Jimmy Butler’s checked in for the Warriors. And he’s good on the second. Well, Brent, after years of being an elite defender, Holiday is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Yeah. The best part of guys like this, BA, is that ask other guards around the league what it’s like to introduce your offensive game to a guy like Drew Holiday. They will tell you he’s one of the best perimeter defenders that you’re going to find. Now, here’s Curry. Fires from the line. That one a little long. Portland has gone 0 for two from outside here in the fourth quarter. Back to Holiday. Grant outside, pulls it. The Trailblazers rebound and Williams punches it home. And he’s battling for everything, doing all he can to help extend their lead. and just throwing down the putback with authority. Now team’s having a tough time containing him, attacking all the way there. Golden State calls timeout. Coach is not happy with their effort on the defensive glass. They’re giving up way too many second chance points. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And let’s swing it over to the sideline and hear from Ally. During that break, coach Steve Kerr had some advice for the team. He told them to be more careful about their selections, saying, quote, “Don’t force it at the ark. If it’s not a good look, don’t risk it. Move the ball. Attack inside. Use your options. And Alli, thanks. Pass to Abdia. Here’s Sharp. Back to Abdia. Lays it up and banks it in. Havia has got his first basket in crunch time. Trying to get the foul, the bucket, or both. Curry passes to Green. sinks that one from the post. Always a work in progress. Draymond Green wanting to be more consistent with his shot. The results were there. Back to Holiday outside. Williams. Here’s Sharp. Another one falls for Portland. Easy look when the defender isn’t fighting over the screen. Yeah, coach over there just asking for one simple thing and that’s some effort. Got burned on that one. Here’s Green. That one off the back iron and out for Portland. They’ve gotten four of nine shots to go during this fourth quarter. AIA can’t get it to go. Golden State has gone one of two from deep in this quarter. Out of bounds. It’ll be Portland’s ball. Portland leading. Here’s Sharp. Puts it up. Second chance shot and it’s laid up and in by Williams. Williams has got four points this quarter. Hard work on the offensive glass. You can see the coaching staff rise up and clap for that effort. It’s hauled in by the Trailblazers. Sharp’s got his fourth rebound in this one. That’s good from Graham on the assist from Holiday. And the Trailblazers lead by nine. That kind of looks like a predictable shot. One that they want. The defense has to prevent the ball from getting into that sweet spot. And he’s going to the line for two. The official saw contact while he was going up. It goes on Jeremy Grant. The pump fake can still be used this just in. And Butler with a great up fake to keep the defense off balance. Shooting two. And the first one at the line is good. Well, the great ones make their mark in the playoffs and Jimmy Butler has certainly done that. Some herculean performances when the chips were down. And that’s good as he hits both shots. And granted, in last year’s playoffs, Jimmy Butler became the first player since Jordan to author multiple 40point four steel games in a single series. And in 2020, the third player ever to record a 40point triple double in the finals. I mean, just legendary stuff. Holiday passes to Graham. Here’s Sharp. Pass to Holiday. Six to shoot. From outside the ark. The Warriors pull it in. Green’s got rebound number 12 now. Tenacity on the glass. launches it. Sharp grabs the miss for Portland. They’ve gone just six of 14 in the this final quarter. Outside Holiday. Five on the clock. Pulls up at the elbow. Rebounded by Green. Green’s got rebound number 13 tonight with that one. Up top, Curry. Grant with a steal. Tipped away. And it’s going to be out of bounds. Portland will have another go. Here’s Obia. Back to Holiday from behind the ark. Another miss by Holiday. Got a piece of it out of bounds. It’ll be Portland’s ball. Let’s go. Let’s go. pass to Sharp. Five to shoot. Looking to end the drought. Green with the defensive effort. Perfect timing to rise up and challenge the shot inside. Yeah, not easy to do there. And that’s a guy that you can tell takes every possession defensively very seriously. outside Holiday. Pass to Sharp. Lots of room. The shot no good. And it’s the Warriors taking it the other way outside. Curry from downtown. Another shot. Williams grabs the board. Portland has got nothing to fall from outside the ark here in the fourth. 0 for four. Pass to Holiday. Here’s Sharp. That one falls. Nice feed that time from Holiday. Sharp’s got four points now in the quarter. Two teammates connecting right there. Slick feed and that’s a foul called on Stephen Curry. That’ll be his second foul of the game. And this kind of selfishness is great to see. Textbook positioning to draw the charge. A minute 29 left in the fourth quarter and the foul called on Draymond Green. That’s his third foul so far. 125 left to play in the fourth quarter. Pass to Avia. Pocket six outside. Holiday takes a three. Not going to go that time. And Golden State will come the other way. It all comes down to this possession. They must get points. You can’t make any mistakes right here. If you want to keep hope alive, their execution has to be precise. Here’s Obia. Pass to Graham and he banks in the layup. And it’s a 9-point Trailblazer lead. Well, he’s such an athletic forward. Absorbing contact is something that he’s learning to do, getting much better at it. Now a timeout called by Golden State. They’re down by nine. There’s 49 seconds left in the fourth. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. All right, time now to present our New Balance player of the game, Robert Williams. What an unbelievable offensive performance from him tonight. I mean, it’s been crazy fun to watch him just just go off. I mean, the defense had no chance. He just kept scoring over and over again. Wow. He really played phenomenal tonight, but we’ve almost come to expect that from him. He feeds off the energy from this crowd and it certainly plays a part in elevating his game. Now here’s Holiday. Pass to Graham. Shoots it from the high post and it’s good. Off the back of the rim and in. And the Trailblazers lead by 11. Williams grabs the board now. Portland with it. They lead by 11. Largest margin of the game. Here’s Sharp. So, it’s the Trailblazers winning this one easily. Even early on in this game, they appeared happy to be playing at home. And it makes a huge difference once they started to get into a groove. You never really felt like they wouldn’t come out on top. And that’s going to do it tonight, folks, for our broadcast for Ali Leforce, Brent Barry, Grant Hill, and our entire 2K Sports crew. This is Brian Anderson signing off. So long, everyone. Steve, as we know, this should be a battle of the back courts, and you know something about that. Who did you when you played love to face and play against? Well, two of the guys that come to mind right off hand far as backcourt players was Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway. Love facing those guys. And then at the end of my career, I love watching Allen Iverson not guarding. And now the Golden State Warriors starters off the mark there with the three-point shot to the paint. Here’s Grant and he lays it straight in. You know, there’s some power to Jeremy’s game now. He’s become hard to knock off balance. Back to Curry to Green and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. The way Draymond carries himself, plays with a chip on both shoulders, which can be good and bad. The Warriors shooting their first shots from the stripe in this game. first one falls for it. And after several playoff runs, the Portland Trailblazers Smitty decided to shake things up. The decision to deal key role players shows they wanted a change in direction. They felt like their team needed some changes, but it looks like they still are aiming to remain competitive. He’s perfect from the line this time. And so it’s Holiday with it. He’ll bring it up for the Portland Trailblazers. Here’s Sharp. The kick out to Holiday. Abdia the fast to sharp six on the shot clock high post try and Curry pulls it down and that’s okay even though you miss you had the right guy taking the shot and it’s Green missing. Those are chances almost always you can rely on him to get you two points, but the D just enough to keep him out of rhythm. Now here is Holiday. Here’s Grant off with the layup. What a defensive play. Gets the stop and does it without fouling. Here’s Curry. and he banks in the layup. Phenomenal screen and roll player because of his ball handling ability. Comes off the screen, makes the right play, bucket and that outstanding drive and finish brought to you by Mobile One. It’s all about the ability to get two feet in the paint, whether it’s creating for a teammate or for yourself. Now, here’s Sharp Grant outside. Hava the pass to Grant to the middle. Here’s Sharp. Good. And Grant gets the assist. A jack of all trades. Jeremy Grant also has a strong feel for when his guys are uncovered. Back to Curry. And a little over two and a half minutes gone here in the first. He dishes it to Green. Steps back and fires. Got a piece of it and he gets it back. And right now, let’s watch that terrific swat. And right out of the gate, trying to set the tone defensively. You got to love that energy. Here’s Holiday. Pass to Williams. Back to Holiday. The dish to Grant. A miss that time would have put him up. And so Green will bring it up for the Warriors. Some nice passing by Golden Stadium down low. Great pass to set up the layin. You love how fearless Butler can be charging through contact to get his shot. Sharp. The pass to Grant. And here’s Sharp at six. Williams in the post. Second chance effort. Count that bucket. Grant got his second bucket. Good touch from Jeremy Grant. Able to get himself inside and get the job done. Shot from the top of the key. It’s tipped. Lets a floater go. A gets the bucket. The Warriors have gone two of six from the field. Back to Curry. Passes it to Green. Some solid defense from Grant. Portland leading. Shooting foul. As the whistle blows, he’ll shoot two free throws. The Trailblazers shooting their first free throws of this. shooting two. And the first one drops. That one falls. So he hits both of them. And so it’s Golden State with it. four-point game. They need a good offensive possession. Yeah, they’ve gone a long time without a bucket. Now, here’s Odia. Here’s Holiday. Jimmy Butler with the rebound. A moment now to hear from our sideline reporter, Hall of Famer, David Aldridge. David. Well, Kevin, Steve Kerr gave me a few minutes to catch up with him. One point he made to his players was they’re going to try to attack us where we live. Right at home in the paint at the rim. We have to be ready to contest shots, play physical and match their intensity. Guys, we will all find out together how this plays out. Thank you, David. Beyond the clock, the 15-footer Warriors shooting a lowly 30% to start this game out. There’s the drive. That’s his second shot and his second basket. He’s two for two. An incredibly determined player. Butler is very hard to stop. Jimmy plays the game with passion. Outside Holiday. The pass to Sharp again. The miss by the Trailblazers. And on an open look like that, he’s very gifted at making the weak coverage pay. outside Curry. That doesn’t go in. Had a chance though to take the lead. Pass to Sharp. Outside Williams. Now here’s Sharp. Defense is right there. shoots from the elbow, buries the jump shot. Sharp’s got six. I tell you what, it’s it’s almost like stealing to watch how he plays the game from this seat. And the Warriors decide to take their first time out here. And just trying to get some traction offensively. Boy, it hasn’t been pretty. You know, this is a good time to maybe switch up your strategy a little bit. You can’t keep doing what you’re doing and expect a different result. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Here’s Moody up top. Curry. No good. Off the back of the rim. I guess even he has to miss one of those once in a while. The Warriors trailing. Steve Jimmy Butler is definitely a defensive difference maker. He is Kevin. Back in the 2021 season, Butler led the league in steals. He is so committed to forcing you to make mistakes with the ball. Here’s Sharp following the basket by Stephen Curry. And looks like the illegal kick was set. Yep, that’s right. That’ll get their attention. And guys, point of emphasis for the league is to really crack down on illegal screens. Yes. The last few years, the rules changes have tended to benefit the offenses. This evens things out a bit. They now take the lead. Curry’s got six points. Selfless pass by Butler. He’s always ready to put the team success ahead of his own. Portland moving the ball around. Curry against Lillard. Portland no good that time either. Golden State’s gone 0 of two for deep here. And Curry has it in the corner and the Warriors tack on two more. Here’s Lilith still getting warmed up offensively. No scoring yet from him. Now the pass to Yang. It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. He was able to simply lay it in over the top of the smaller man. Curry with the bounce pass to Moody. Outside Curry from downtown. No good on that one. So the trailers will take it the other way. Back to Lillard. Kicks it to Henderson. Shot clock at six. It’s rebounded by Golden State. Healed finds Curry. Now here’s Moody. covered by Lillard. Score it. His third straight basket in three tries. A good interior score. Jimmy Butler using his strength and explosiveness to full effect. Passes to Sharp. Back to Henderson. And there’s the whistle. 3second violation. Matis Styles checked in for Portland. 35 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Moody the pass to Kur and the three off target. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off to the inside and it’s Lillard missing. Puts one up from 19 and he sinks that one hitting the back of the rim on the way in. Keeping his head up at all times. Curry sees his teammate break free. Lillard from outside and he got that one up in time but doesn’t go in. It’s been all about Stephen Curry for the Golden State Warriors. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back. And for those of you just tuning in, the second quarter of action is where we’re at right now. What do you guys think about the Warriors here so far? You could see they were well prepared defensively coming into this one. Yes. What they do? They take away the things that teams like to do offensively. Also keeping them out of sync. Trailblazers trail by six. Rob Williams is out there with Jeremy Grant. Then it’s Holiday. Then it’s AIA. And it’s Thyel in at the two guard spot. They’re the group the Portland Trailblazers will start the second quarter with. Now here is Holiday. He’s been patient so far. Nothing on the scoreboard yet. It’s stolen by Green and it’s the Warriors on the break on its way from Curry for two. Unable to get that one. Grant kicks to Holiday. Pass to Williams. Back to Thyel. Five to shoot. Portland needs to get off a shot from deep. Williams. And it’s out of bounds. They say it was last touch by Williams. And I think Steve, now we see less real crud matches than we did before. But do you like seeing those games where there is no love lost? where there is some bad blood and some contention. Kevin, I love it. Yes, friends off the court, but on the court, you got to go at each other. And when it’s over, win or lose, you leave it right there and you go back to being friends. That one falls. Grant’s got six. And they’ve repeatedly probed inside in the first half, guys. And and it’s paid off. And a great job to get that angle on a tremendous drive. And you got to love the aggression that he had taking it to the rim there. Sets the tone in a close game like this one. Now here’s Moody hooked away to the middle. Here’s Green. He’s just scored his first basket with that shot, making him one for four. One of the more physical players in the league. Draymond can take it just as well as he can dish it out. And Holiday kicks to Abdia. And there’s the pass to Thman. Holiday left side. Can’t hit that one. And it’s the Warriors taking it the other way. And it’s going to be out of bounds. The Trailblazers will take Sharps checked in from Matis Style. And so it’s Williams who brings it up for Portland. Only given up two points this quarter. Pass to Moody. Quarter two and just under two and a half minutes gone by. Abdia with the rebound. Abdiaz got four rebounds now to Knight. The shot by Holiday. No good. And you don’t want to give up that kind of look too often. And it’s out of bounds. The Warriors able to retain possession here. Now about three minutes gone on in this second quarter of basketball. Out to the right wing. Just five on the clock. The rebound by Grant. Not sure if that’s the shot you were looking for, but it’s a fairly clean look. Almost have to take it. Pass to Holiday now. Williams. No points in the game yet for him. That one’s in there. The Warrior lead is cut down to just four points with a bucket from Sharp. I love it. Beautiful job getting to the rim, making a play. Pass to Moody. And the pass to Santos. Golden State needs to get off a shot and the Warriors miss again. Portland’s gone 0 or two from deeper in the second. A pass to Holiday and a miss there on the triple. Rare you’ll see him miss such an open look. Feeds it to Green. and foul on the shot. So, he’ll get a chance at the line. That one is on Holiday. And really credit Green for getting the favorable position down inside, forcing the D’s hand there. The Warriors shooting their third and fourth free throw attempts of the game. Yeah, a year ago though, Kevin, 78% conversion rate from the free throw line. So, that’s a nice allaround effort. free throw. Good. Green. that one misses. Trailblazers trail by five. Here’s Sharp. Misses from close range. The Warriors have gone one of six from the field in the second quarter. It’s been a rough period so far. Pass to Moody. Green against Grant. And that one’s good. Green. Green’s got the lead up to seven now for the Warriors. And whenever Green gets contact, he is so crafty at finding ways to get the bucket. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standstill. Grant kicks to Holiday from past the arc. They get it back, fires the three. Green with the rebound. And there hasn’t been anything easy for him in this period. And you’ve seen they’ve made numerous attempts to try to get him going. Shows how valuable he is to this offense. The Warriors shooting their fifth and six free throws of the game. First free throw is good. And the Trailblazers making a change here. Lillard’s checked in. Jimmy Butler, he’s checked in for the Warriors. Buddy Heel comes in for Moody. And that one goes in. Two from the line that time. And here’s Lillard. He brings it up for Portland. They trail by nine points. Shoots the three. nailed from three-point land. Lillards got himself going with the triple, his first basket of the game. And quite the honor last year for Damen Lillard getting named to the NBA 75th anniversary team. Greg, it was a welldeserved acknowledgement of his skills. He’s a perennial allstar who continues to do astounding things on the floor. Just four to shoot. He can’t hear it. Trailblazers trail by six. This is it too obvious. Here’s Lillard. Portland moving the ball around. Here’s Sharp. Here’s Grant. And there’s the bucket. Stay with it on the offensive glass. Getting it done. Grant’s got eight. And he put on his hard hat on the offensive glass. Jeremy Greg knows where to be in these situations. Pass to Heel. Here’s the three. Cans it from downtown. He has five. A volume three-point sniper. Heel realizes his role is to help space the floor with his shooting. Now here’s Odia. Williams passes to and he can’t answer back. the three-pointer offline. Latay makes that one after missing his first six shot attempts. One for seven and hungry for more. I love that they’re continuing to attack despite being up big. I’m impressed with their intensity tonight. They’ve came in focused and they’ve executed. Aia with the rebound. Trailblazers trail by 10. kicks it out to Lillard. Havia the pass to Williams. Lillard right side. I mean, I like the call. I thought the defense was just there a little late. Chase checked in for the Warriors. Lillard right side. The pass to Sharp. Six to shoot. Moves back up. Lillard outside. dishes to Green out to the right wing. Hammer and again it’s the Trailblazers missing inside. Here’s Jay. That’s tipped and that’s out of bounds. Golden State will retain possession and Portland making a cheat this year. Henderson’s checked in. Stephen Curry, he’s checked in for the Warriors. 137 left in the first half. Heel can’t hit. Trailblazers trail by 10. Kicks to Lillard. Pass to Henderson. And that’ll be two free throws coming up. Officials on the call with the foul. The Trailblazers have been perfect at the line so far, albeit just two for two. Shooting two. The first one falls. both shots good from the strike. Warriors leading by eight, healed outside. Curry pass it to Jay and a strong finish with two hands. Oh, taking it to the rack with power, hammering down the two-hand slam. Henderson kicks to Lily from outside the ark. Here’s Yang. His second shot goes in. Off to a good start. Two for two. Back in the day, someone would have blocked him out, but times have changed. 44 seconds left now here on the second. Stolen by Henderson to the paint. Here’s Grant. Crane with the rebound. Green’s got six rebounds in the game. Pass to Ker Jay. That shot no good. Trailblazers trail by eight. Definitely got to use the clock here and get the last shot. But you know, this is where your patience is tested. If you shoot too quickly, you give your opponent a chance to close out the quarter. Some solid defense from Grant. The shot off that time. And so it’s the Golden State Warriors holding on to an eight-point lead heading into the break. And thanks to their outstanding defense, the impact Damen Lillard has had on this game has been minimal. And a chance now to send it over to David Aldridge standing by courtside. David, thanks very much. Draymond, of course, not unusual to see you going up against bigger players. So, how do you take advantage of that offensively? I mean, you just got to take advantage of mismatches. You know, most of the time there’s a big guy on me. If not, there’s usually somebody trying to switch off. I just got to know when to pop and just take advantage of the mismatches. You’ve done just that in the first half. Thanks. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be right back after halftime to start the third quarter. See you in just a bit. It’s the 2K Sports Halftime Show. Hey, welcome back to 2K Sports. Ernie Johnson alongside Shaquille O’Neal and the Jet Kenny Smith. Let’s get to it. What a start it was for Stephen Curry. He had eight points, two assists, and three rebounds. Hey big fella, what’s your take on Golden State so far? Well, it’s a defense that’s driven them in this game so far. They were high energy, high intensity, and it was that determination on D that’s allowed them to jump out to this lead. Every stop they’ve made just seem to pump them up. And Kenny, what did you see from Portland? They couldn’t get anything from beyond the arm. Obviously, plenty of bad shots, but they couldn’t even hit wide open ones. They need to regroup. I’m telling you, regroup with some kind of rhythm and get on pace. And that’ll do it for us. The third quarter about to begin with Kevin Harland standing by. We’ll catch you on the flip side, my brother. And if you’re just joining us in this one, first half is in the books. One half to go. Curry with a strong contribution so far in this one. Well, we’ll find out if they were able to find an answer for him over the break. He was scoring with ease in that first half. I think both sides probably adjusted a few things. The key for him is to bring the same level of energy over these last two quarters. We played through the first half. Plenty of basketball though left in this one. Trailblazers trail by eight. And Golden State looking at who they’ve got. Portland moving the ball around. Holiday looking over the floor. Pocket six outside Williams. Pass to Sharp. The offensive rebound. Williams trying to break free and that one drops. Eight points for him. And that’s a lesson for the D. Fight harder on the glass. Reason why lack of focus, lack of communication, which led to second chance points. Fires the three. It’s hauled in by the Trailblazers. And I thought that was going to drop. It looked good from here. Holiday against Kurt. Outside. Holiday and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up against Stephen Curry. One thing about Holiday, he knows how to get defenders off balance. We’ll see what he can do at the line. The Trailblazers have looked good at the line tonight. They’re perfect in four attempts. And one of the highlights last year for this group was the fact that they were so efficient from the charity strike. That’s a huge factor. And the first one at the line is good. And you know, Drew Holiday sometimes gets overlooked in the discussion of great point guards, but only because there’s so much competition at that position. And Portland making a change here. Grant’s checked in. Both free throws good from Drew Holiday. And if you’re just joining us, we play it over a minute here in the third. Curry against Holiday inside. Fouled on the shot and picks up two points. So, one free throw coming up. You know what? This is a skill set to be able to take the bump and stay on balance after the initial contact. The Warriors shooting their seventh free throw attempt here. What’s up? The toughness and passion that Butler plays with is admirable. A natural leader on and off the floor. The pass to Abdia. And here’s Sharp. Grant outside. Great D that time from Green. Warriors leading by seven. Pass to Kirk. taken away by Holiday and the ball out of play. The Warriors will inbound. You got to love strong defense, especially when it comes in the form of harsh rejections. Wow. And that has got to help the morale of this team. Let’s see if that sets up a run here. And here’s Green. He’ll bring it up for Golden State. They’ve led by as much as 10. And Draymond Green picks up the foul. That’s his first foul. Trailblazers trail by seven. Bounce pass. Holiday down low and then Sharp with the dunk. The underrated vision of Holiday. I like it when he’s distributing and I think his coach does as well. Here’s Curry. Holiday with the block. He kicks it to Abdon. passes to Shark. Curry against Holiday. Shoots it up and that one goes long. There’s the feed to Curry over Holiday. Just fine to shoot. outside Curry. This one for three. And this is what you like about his perimeter D. Never gave up and challenged the defense. You see some guys, they just mel. They don’t go out and contest it. Not him. He’s going to compete through the entire play. To the middle. Here’s Sharp. Good. And Grant gets the assist and 12 points for Shaden Sharp. And guys, the D has to show a little more fight on the interior than they did on that trip. Curry from deep three-point land. And it’s Portland with the rebound. Williams has got his fifth rebound right now in the game. They get the rebound. Count it. And the Warrior lead has been cut to just one on the basket from Sharp. Sharp’s got six points in the quarter. Relentless on the offensive glass. And then you love the finish. Addition out to Green. Misses off the right eye for Portland. They’ve gone an even 50% from before here in the third quarter. Four of eight. Grant the pass to Holiday. Grant outside. Pass to Sharp. They grab their own miss. That puts them in the lead. Branch got 10 points. That’s just good basketball. Can’t ask for a better look. Time out. Time out. Now a timeout called by Golden State. Jeremy Grant part of a loaded second round in the 2014 draft. Kevin Jeremy signing a max contract. Rare for a second rounder. Also in that 2014 second round draft, MVP, the Joker, Joe Harris, Jordan Clarkson, Spencer Denwin. Wow, that second round proved to have some players. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Udi’s checked in for Draymond Green to stop the drought. And the Warriors miss again. And there have been some terrible shot choices here, Kev. That’s not a good look at all. And there’s the call on Kirk. That’s foul number two for him. The Warriors making a switch here. Holiday. The pass to Abdia. Grant outside. Six on the shot clock. There’s the pass to Holiday. Burries it from three-point range. Now it’s a four-point Portland lead. Certainly capable from distance. Defense is no longer dare Holiday to shoot from out there. Now here’s Moody. Nothing yet on the scoreboard for him. And they get it back. He doesn’t hit that one. Now the Trailblazers take it the other way. Now here’s D right on him. Grant kicks to Holland. tries it from the top of the key and off the left side of the rim and it swirls in for him. As a coach, you’re comfortable with Holiday taking that shot. He has a good feel from the mid-range. Timeout called the Warriors and the lack of rim protection top of the list. And it boils down to the question toughness. One team showing it, the other allowing itself to be bullied. Heat. Heat. Chase checked in for the Warriors. Warriors trail by six. Pass to Moody. Back to Curry to end the run. Rebound by Williams. Williams has got his eighth rebound here tonight. Executing to perfection right now offensively. I mean, in total sake. Good luck trying to stop him now. Damian Lillard is so explosive inside and right there that got him the whistle. First trip to the free throw line for him in this one. and 88 from the line a season ago. He was one of the best shooters in the league. Two shots. and he knocks down the first one. He has excellent leadership skills. Damen Lillard preaches accountability. He wants his teams to get the best and most out of each other. And both free throws good for Damen Lillard. We’ve seen him put a lot of pressure on the defense and then cash in at the line. Curry. Pass it to Santos. Back to Curry and contact on the shot. So, he’ll be shooting free throws here. Steph Curry with a great move overall, but it’s the little adjustments in between that keeps defenders off balance. The Warriors have shot six or seven at the line. Shoot two. The first free throw is good. I love that Curry can dominate without the height, the vertical. It all comes down to high basketball IQ and skill. Stephan Curry hits them both. Here are the Trailblazers with the ball. They’re on a 19 to five run here. Passes it to Shark. Trailblazers moving the ball around. kicks it to Henderson. The Trailblazers rebound again. The miss by the Trailblazers. Warriors trail by six. And here is Moody still looking for his first bucket in this one. Feder on the way. Another shot. It’s good at that basket. He’s now five for nine. Look, when you play against Jimmy Butler, you know you’re in for a battle. Excellent job extending the possession. Pass to Henderson. Back to Lillard. He kicks it to Williams. The pass to Sharp. Five on the clock. It’s Lillard. Top of the key. Here’s Henderson. A three-pointer. No good. Here’s Sharp. 14 points for him. Tries again. Here’s Williams. No luck. They battled on the glass but couldn’t knock it down. Curry with a wideopen look. And it’s off from three-point range. And here’s Portland. They’re on a 19-7 run. Here’s Henderson. Here’s Williams. Oh, and the jam by Williams. Yeah, hard trying to keep Williams off the boards. He makes it a mission to keep possessions alive. Pass to Santos. Passes it to Moody. Shoots over Henderson. Moody’s shot is off. And when you can’t get anything to fall, it definitely gets in your head. And his rhythm, it’s been way off. The goal now might be to get him something easy at the rim so he can just see the ball go in through the net and that helps. And it’ll go. And the Blazer lead is cut down now to just three on the basket from Santos. Pass to Sharp. Back to Lillard. He dishes it to Williams. 19 seconds left in the third quarter of the game to the right side. Now here’s Shawn. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. That free throw no good. and he sinks the second. Just 4 seconds left to play in the third and a deep three from Curry and we’ve reached the end of the third. Trailblazers out in front as they end the third quarter with a huge surge and 18-7 run from Portland. We’re back in a moment. Well, what a terrific game it’s been so far with this fourth quarter sure to bring more pressure packed basketball. Warriors trail by four. Shot about there with Holiday. Then there’s Matis Style. Then it’s William and it’s Grant in at the force line. That’s the group on the floor for Portland and the three ball is good. And that was the right call. When you need a basket, go to the guys you trust the most and it was great execution. Clutch effort all the way around. Now here’s Grant. Warriors with the rebound. Green’s got rebound number seven for him tonight. So they take the lead. Showing patience, taking time to read the defense. Draymond finds the open man and the pass to Sharp now. Thyel outside Holiday. That one’s not going to go. I love how he’s willing to sacrifice his body in there giving maximum effort. That’s what it takes on the defensive boards. Pass to Green and oh boy, a lot of contact there, but he gets the call and will shoot two. Great decision from Draymond to go up into the D there with his big body. Such an intelligent player. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. Free throw good. Green checked in for the Trailblazers. both free throws good from Green. Trailblazers trail by three. Passes it to Sharp. Fourth quarter now. We’re about A minute and a half in. Clock is at three. Williams trying to break free. Portland again missing. Warriors leading by three. He’s covered by Grant. Rebound by Williams. And you could tell he thought he had a little more space, but the defender was right there. The ability to close out on perimeter shooters is so important in today’s game. Now here is Holiday. Here’s Sharp. They can’t stop the run with that one. And they had some botched coverage that turned into no coverage. And now Portland on the break. Holiday with the ball. Here’s a Here’s Williams. the way up off target. Warriors have gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Knocks it loose. And hustle like that is why he leads this team in rebounds tonight. Controlling the glass helps them maximize their number of possessions. He’s done everything he can do to help them in that area. And stolen by Williams. Some tough offensive sets. They want to turn it around. Yeah, right now you just need a bucket to get some momentum. A pass to Grant. Fades back the put back and Williams is right there. The hard work and soft hands, guys. That’s what made that play possible. No simple offensive rebound there going for the tip in. Now a timeout called by Golden State. Well, it’s a players league, but certainly coaching has its place. Yeah. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t see so many coaching changes in the off season. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And the Warriors making a change here. Moody’s checked in. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sidelines. What do you got for us, DA? Thanks, Kevin. Well, Steve Kerr talked to his team during the break. He told him, “Hey guys, this is a close game, but if we execute right here, I like our chances. There’s no need for hero ball. Trust one another. Make the simple play. Kevin, back to you. Thank you, David. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. Assertive play in the paint from Jeremy Grant. Absorbing the foul while shooting. that free throw no good. You know, entering the league, Jeremy Grant was athletic, had topnotch physical tools, and now he has the skills to go with it. And it’s tied up with that one. You can tell that miss at the line might stick with him for a while. Always hurts to miss a chance to take the lead. Pass to Moody. Shot clock at five. shoots and again it’s the Warriors missing and here’s Grant. He’ll bring it up for the Trailblazers. They’ve allowed just seven points here in the fourth quarter. Abdiak kicks to Grant to take the lead. Misses off the left iron. Golden State’s gone one of three from outside the ark since we’ve reached the fourth quarter. And there’s the pass to Moody. Green deciding where to go with it to the inside and Grant sends it back. Nice defensive reflexes from Jeremy Grant able to get in there and throw off that shot. There’s the triple. Obna with the rebound. Pass to Holiday, dishes to Abdion, and he’s fouled pretty hard on that shot, but he’s got the chance to pick up the points at the line. Who’s that one falls and that puts him up by one point. Curry’s checked in for the Warriors. He hits both from the strike. The Warriors have gone just two of eight in the fourth quarter, the final quarter, not treating them well so far. Can they get it? Not going to go that time. So, the Trailblazers will take it the other way. Here’s Grant. It’s good. The assist that time from Holiday and the Trailblazers lead by four. He’s a long strider with good speed. It’s hard to stay with Jeremy Grant in the open floor. Oh, what an impressive dribble drive. That replay brought to you by Mobile One. And a close game like this, you’ve got to dig deep and just find a way to make things happen. Now here’s Green back to Curry and he takes it in for the layup off a very nice feet. That’s 12 points for Stephen Curry. What a effort from Curry in the paint. Not letting anything hold him back. Java inside. Here’s Sharp. And the rebound goes to the Warriors coming out of halftime. He wanted to start strong. Yet the opposite happened. And there’s the whistle that goes on Denny Alia. And that’ll be his third foul so far. Lillard’s checked in for Drew Holiday. And here is Moody to take the lead. And Jimmy Butler with a three. I’m sure coach is loving what Jimmy Butler is doing. Playing with real heart and getting his points. Time called here. The Blazers decide to talk it over. Yeah. and his shot selection iffy at best tonight. A lot of forced contested shots this game. He’ll be lucky if he just gets a talking to here instead of a a ticket to the bench. Heat. Heat. And now we present our New Balance player of the game, Jimmy Butler. and and he’s had a very good night shooting the basketball. A little over 50% from the field and a lot of those shots have come against some tight D. That shows the level of his focus and consistency. Portland trailing here. Passes it to Sharp. Back to Lillard. Eve to Grant. Williams trying to break free. No good from Grant. The Warriors shooting a poultry 33% in the fourth. Not a good showing for this offense. It’s hauled in by the Trailblazers. Av got eight rebounds in this game. Pass to Sharp. Grant in the post. Williams trying to break free from 8 ft away. He drops it in. And the Trailblazers lead by one. Now a timeout called by Golden State. And during this timeout, I’m sure they’ll be hydrating themselves with Gatorade. All the effort out there on the floor. These timeouts can be such a huge factor in getting a short rest and recharging the battery. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And here’s Curry who brings it up for the Warriors. goes up to the stripe. Two points. That one goes. That’s a momentum bucket from Stephen Curry. Big time shot from a big time player. Timeout. Timeout. Now a timeout called by Portland. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, these guys need to work together as a team, as a unit, try and carve out some easy buckets. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Lillard with it. Grant outside. Off target from three-point range. The Warriors leading Green inside the three-point line and they recover it. Shoots a faded rebound by Williams. Williams is Portland’s gone ice cold from three-point land four since the start of the final quarter. Kicks to Grant. Lillard out shot. Four on the shot clock. The basket to shut. Trailblazers keep it alive. Good on this shot. Williams has got four points in the quarter. How about the confidence? It’s just growing in this young man. Williams has that attitude of a goto guy in these big moments. Even though he’s still picking up the nuance of the game. The Trailblazers are shooting a low 30% mark from the field. Grant dishes deliver 116 left to play here in the fourth and he could not get that one to go. Lot of contact and he’ll go to the line for two and it goes on Draymond Green. High stakes moment but Dame is a high percentage free throw shooter. He knows he’s got this. Two times and no good is the first free throw missing for him. We’ll see if he can nail the second. You can tell Damen Lillard is comfortable at the line, looking very confident. That’s good. Going one or two from the line and that will put them up by two. And really if not for the miss they sitting in a much better position Curry against Lillard Curry good Curry’s got it all tied up now for the Warriors. Clutch shots Stephen Curry teammates they trust him in those situations. Curry against Willard. That doesn’t go for him. And the pressure he put on that shot forced the miscue. The rim protection at its finest. The result is the same whether you block the shot or simply change it. Here’s Sharp. Got it. That is world class. Incredible shot with everything on the line coming through for his team. Timeout called the Warriors. They’re behind by two. 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter. What do you think, guys? And usually you want to go for the two for one here to maximize the clock. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter with the floater. No good on that one. And the Trailblazers going the other way. Grant trying to break free. Pass to Sharp. Havia the pass delivered laces one from three. They’re in total command of this game with time starting to run out. Reason why they’ve tightened up the vice grip a little more each time up the floor. We’ll see if they can close this one out. Timeout call the Warriors. They’re down by five. There’s 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. outside Curry and the Warriors miss again. And so it’s Portland winning this one. It was up for grabs right until the final seconds. Yeah. And for me, Kevin, what stood out is just the overall trust this group has in one another when it matters most, doing what had to be done and to send these fans home happy. And now, let’s catch up with David Aldridge, who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. Damen, it looks like this team’s progress can be measured by your improvement at the defensive end. Did we see that tonight? Um, we we made some mistakes like every other basketball team does, but I think we did a great job of making adjustments. You know, we got a little more physical. Um, you know, we did a great job of that. That led to a big win. Damian, thanks for your time, man. Kevin, thank you, David. Great interview once again. Well folks, that’s going to do it for now for Greg Anthony, David Aldridge, Steve Smith, and the rest of our terrific 2K Sports crew. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.
📺 NBA LIVE! Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers | July 28, 2025 | Warriors vs Blazers 2K25
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