For 24 minutes we saw why the Golden State Warriors have had perhaps the most frustrating season in the NBA. By the time you had turned the TV on, they were already losing 8-2 to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The execution wasn’t there, but more worryingly, the effort wasn’t, either. They were repeatedly beat down the court in transition, even after made baskets. They were outhustled on the glass and for loose balls. They settled for stepback threes while the Blazers attacked the rim relentlessly.
Led by Damian Lillard, playing some of the best basketball of his career, the Blazers strung together an 18-4 first-quarter run, pushing the lead to 17, before settling for a tidy 41-27 lead as the teams headed to the second quarter.