Tag: D’Angelo Russell

Hot night beyond the arc not enough in Rip City, Warriors fall 122-112

Glenn Robinson III and D’Angelo Russell registered 16 long-distance makes, but it wasn’t enough to top Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Portland.

If you’re a casual basketball fan and haven’t watched much of the Golden State Warriors in 2019, their late-December tilt in Portland was a perfect synopsis of their season to this point. 

Golden State fell behind early, but a valiant second-quarter effort by D’Angelo Russell and Eric Paschall opened the door for the Warriors to claw back into the game with the Blazers. Again Golden State was in the game against a favored opponent late. However, the talent in Portland’s backcourt was too much for the struggling Warriors to handle.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 61 points, serving the Warriors a 122-112 loss in Portland. The Warriors have lost five straight, but will now head home to Chase Center for a five-game homestand over the holiday week.

Shades of the Splash Brothers

Without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the floor, the Golden State Warriors have mightily struggled from beyond the arc, but in Portland, things changed. 

The Warriors knocked down 16 three-point shots—a season-high, stamping 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. Russell, Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson all nailed four or more threes; even Draymond Green hit a triple during the Dubs hot shooting night. Robinson knocked down a career-high, five baskets from beyond the arc. 

The Warriors have only registered double-digit three-point makes in two of their last eight matchups. The 16 threes were the most triples the Warriors have made since November 6 against the Houston Rockets. 

Return of the Rook

Rookie phenom Eric Paschall returned to the Warriors lineup after missing the previous two games with a sore hip. Paschall played 15 minutes, scoring 11 points and grabbing four rebounds off the bench. 

Paschall has been a regular in the Warriors starting lineup but came off the bench returning from injury. With the Warriors reasonably healthy for the first time in 2019, it was an excellent opportunity to see the second-round pick as the primary scoring option off the bench— a role he could see in the future when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson return. 

Uphill Climb 

The game got off to a bad start for Golden State when the Blazers dropped 40-points in the opening quarter against the Dubs. While Golden State registered a measly 37 percent shooting in the first, Portland shot 65 percent behind a 16-point quarter from the Oakland native, Lillard. The first quarter ended with Golden State trailing by 11— an uphill battle from the start for the struggling Warriors in the Moda Center. 

The Warriors fought their way back into a close game, but falling down 11 in the opening period didn’t help their comeback cause.