NBA playoff hopes boosted with win vs. Blazers – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

BOX SCORE

It was not a pretty performance in Portland, but it didn’t have to be for the Warriors to post a 103-86 victory over the Trail Blazers and maintain their status in the Western Conference standings.

The Warriors (48-33) took charge in the second quarter and never were threatened by the Trail Blazers (35-46), who were without six of their top nine players Friday at Moda Center.

The win allowed the Warriors to maintain their grip on sixth place in the West. They will finish at least that high with a win over the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the regular-season finale Sunday at Chase Center.

But a loss to the Clippers – who clinched a top-five finish Friday with a win over the Kings in Sacramento – and a Minnesota Timberwolves win over the lowly Utah Jazz on Sunday would drop the Warriors into the dreaded NBA play-in tournament.

No matter what happens Sunday, the Warriors can drop no lower than seventh in the West. In that instance, they could enter the NBA playoffs by winning a home game over the No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament.

Six Warriors scored in double figures, led by 24 points from forward Jimmy Butler III. They held the Blazers to 37.6-percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from deep.

Here are three observations from an evening when Golden State handled its business in its regular-season road finale:

Scary Moment For Steph

Curry’s right thumb, tender since sustaining a sprain in December, was aggravated by a blow late in the first quarter that sent him into the locker room for further examination.

Curry returned with 8:02 remaining in the second quarter and 79 seconds later drained his first 3-pointer of the night.

But Curry, wearing a wrap that went from his wrist to the base of his thumb, was not his usual self afterward. The bandage was big enough to inhibit his typical ballhandling and shooting, and it also forced him to play with a measure of caution.

Curry played 27 minutes, none in the fourth quarter, and finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, including 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and five assists and finished plus-8 for the game.

The mere sight of Curry leaving a game, going into the locker room and coming out wearing a heavy wrap, is a sobering thought for the Warriors as they move toward the postseason.

Butler Did It

Knowing Curry’s tenuous condition seemed to push Butler into a higher gear, and the Warriors welcomed the sight of it.

Butler essentially took control in the second half, ensuring there would be no Portland comeback that might even cause coach Steve Kerr to consider reinserting Curry.

Butler’s game-high 24 points came on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 1 of 2 from distance and 11 of 11 shooting from the line. He recorded seven assists – five in the fourth quarter to preserve the margin – and grabbed five rebounds before exiting with 5:25 remaining.

Butler played 28 minutes and was plus-22, behind only Brandin Podziemski’s plus-31 among the Warriors.

This is the Butler the Warriors are going to need in the games ahead, especially if Curry is even slightly hampered.

Buckets For Buddy And The Bench

On a night when the starters were scrambling to find offense, Golden State’s bench, the league’s second-most productive group, made significant contributions in building a 13-point (50-37) lead at the half.

Hield led the way, draining four triples in the first half to go into the locker room with a team-high 12 points. His third 3-pointer was his 200th of the 2024-25 NBA season, allowing him to reach that total for the seventh time in his career. He joins five others, including Klay Thompson and Curry, have at least seven such seasons.

The eight first-half field goals made the by bench equaled the total of the starters – and came with a higher percentage. The starters shot 8 of 26 (30.8 percent) for the half, while the subs were 8 of 18 (44.4 percent).

The starters found some rhythm immediately after halftime, but Golden State benefited from the early tone set by the bench.

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