PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Golden State Warriors came back to beat the Trail Blazers 119-113 to go up 3-0 in a series that continues to bend to JaVale McGee's will.
That wasn't a typo, and more on that later.
It had been a while since the Warriors had suffered one of these clunky road beginnings. It was understandable under the circumstances. There's still no Kevin Durant, as he rehabs his left calf strain. Also, still no Shaun Livingston or Matt Barnes, the same as Game 2. In Game 3, Golden State had a new deprivation, with Steve Kerr too ill to coach, forcing Mike Brown into action.
The Warriors started out lackluster, save for rookie Patrick McCaw, who responded admirably to the stage. He poked away a few steals for Golden State, as teammates struggled with what usually comes easily. Stephen Curry began considerably off his mark, missing a couple of easy layups and awkwardly shanking a few wide-open 3-pointers. According to ESPN Stats & Information data, Curry was 0-of-4 on uncontested shots in the first half.
The Warriors were playing so poorly that actor/comedian and 1990s all-around force Jay Mohr got in on jabbing them. Before entering a free throw contest during a timeout, Mohr said, "I'm pretty sure I can do better than Steph tonight." Mohr proceeded to miss all three of his free throw attempts.
The Warriors, in contrast, corrected course. They trailed by 16 with 6:08 left in the third quarter when McGee entered and played the role of basketball defibrillator. He galvanized an otherwise lifeless team into action, playing with the kind of energy that is contagious. What some in the basketball world have been slow to see, and others loath to admit, is that McGee has turned into a valuable contributor to this contending team. When he's on, he changes the game. Apparently, "the game" includes the playoffs, as McGee has been lights-out in the first round.
Many have doubted that McGee would be trusted in the playoffs. Instead, he has been a rock for these Warriors through three games, channeling a level of fierce focus seldom associated with his name. Over the 105 minutes of this series when McGee has been on the bench, Portland has outscored Golden State by four points. In McGee's 39 minutes on the court, Golden State has outscored Portland by an astounding 51 points.
"They have a game plan for JaVale now," one Warriors official exclaimed after the game, marveling at the strides the Golden State center has made since emerging from the league's fringes. Portland switched pick-and-rolls, responding to McGee's presence, a strategic concession that speaks to his surprising impact.
On the other end, McGee, not known for his defense, trapped pick-and-rolls effectively, managing to either poke the ball away or disrupt offensive movement. It's something that, according to the team, he had just recently discovered was in his arsenal back on their last road trip through Texas.
McGee, sporting a dark Los Pollos Hermanos shirt, explained his ramped-up postseason play, saying, "I mean, you got to think about it. We get two days off, two days between games. It's a whole different atmosphere than regular season, like, 10 times. And it's just way more important than the regular season was, I feel like. Especially on this team, where we rest players because we're No. 1, because we're trying to stay healthy. But in the playoffs, we're not worried about health; we're trying to go as hard as we can."
The Warriors certainly did go as hard they could during that four-minute stretch in the latter half of the third quarter. That McGee-infused Warriors lineup went on a 19-1 run that turned order into chaos, a blowout into a nail-biter. Beyond his noted ability to catch lofty lobs, McGee's second-best attribute is his speed. He leveraged his sprints to pull Portland's defense apart in the third quarter as other Warriors cashed in. Klay Thompson awoke in this stretch, nailing 3-of-3 from deep. The game was tied on an emphatic Andre Iguodala dunk, followed by a McGee lob crusher to take the lead. Portland went 0-for-7 from the field during this 18-point turnaround that gave Golden State its first lead of the second half.
The fourth quarter served as a showcase for Iguodala to create separation before Curry delivered daggers. Iguodala hurt the Blazers in transition, and Curry killed them with two closing jumpers. In truth, it was more of a team effort than that. Draymond Green played excellent defense at the rim. McCaw finished one his strongest games as a Warrior with savvy plays and timely hustle, nabbing an offensive rebound that helped squeeze the life out of the Blazers.
Few will have sympathy for Golden State's difficulties during these past two games, given that they're better equipped than any team to overcome such obstacles. Still, the contributions of otherwise uncounted-upon players are notable. For all that All-Stars Curry, Thompson and Green continue to do, the Warriors would be in bad shape without the play of super sixth man Iguodala, rookie McCaw and, yes -- shocking as it might be to type -- McGee.