It started badly for the Trail Blazers in Game 4. It never got better either.
It was all working for the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of their series-closing opportunity in Portland, Monday night. Up 3-0 and returning their All-Star forward Kevin Durant to the lineup for the first time since his knee injury in Game 1, it was important for the Warriors to start strongly, after they had to expend a lot of energy digging themselves out of the 17-point hole they created in Game 3.
It’s fair to say they did that to the tune of:
45 points, 8-11 from deep, 11 assists, and a quarter that saw their starting lineup record the following +/- : Curry: 26, Thompson: 24, Pachulia: 24, Green: 22, Durant: 24.
To be blunt: that is ridiculous.
A few of the nastier highlights from the Warriors' 45-point first quarter in Portland, a franchise record in the NBA Playoffs pic.twitter.com/Y0B1UCxixT
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 25, 2017