On the surface, the reason Portland had a chance to win Game 1 of this first round series is because Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum played lights out.
But in hindsight, there was a more pertinent reason Portland remained close for the first 42 minutes of this Western Conference first round series. It was Klay Thompson.
He is normally the punisher, the back-breaker, the lead extender. He is a primary reason the Warriors have played so few close games.
The Warriors can effectively end this series Wednesday in Game 2 if Thompson heats back up.
His fire is what scorches dangerous viruses like Lillard and McCollum.