The Golden State Warriors were facing a much younger team — more athletic, more physical, and much faster than they were.
Moreover, it was a team that had the tools to disrupt whatever they wanted to do on offense. Lengthy, quick, and highly switchable — a recipe for what was the eighth-best half-court defensive rating (94.2) in the league and the best team in terms of forcing opponents into high turnover rates (16.9%).
The Warriors’ offensive struggle was one thing. While the Portland Trail Blazers were far from world beaters on offense, their collective youth and bounce pushed the Warriors around.