Stephen Curry scored 37 points, and the Golden State Warriors rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit before holding off the Portland Trail Blazers for a 114-111 win on Thursday night and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
C. J. McCollum missed a driving jumper with 32 seconds left and Draymond Green scored on the other end for the Warriors, giving Portland one final chance with 12.3 seconds to go. Andre Iguodala then blocked a 3-point attempt by Damian Lillard on the left wing.
Seth Curry, Steph’s younger brother, put Portland ahead on a 3-pointer with 1 minute 3 seconds left before Kevon Looney’s dunk on the other end put Golden State back on top at 112-111.
Stephen Curry posted his third straight 30-point performance while Klay Thompson needed a half to heat up, scoring 13 of his 24 points in the Warriors’ 39-point third quarter — reminiscent of those old third-quarter outbursts that helped defined this group.
McCollum scored 22 points for Portland and Lillard overcame a slow start to add 23 points and 10 assists as the Blazers looked far more in sync than in a 116-94 defeat two days earlier.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is on Saturday night at Portland.
Green made a pretty bounce pass through the paint to a cutting Iguodala for a dunk with 3:06 left to make it 108-105, then Green assisted on a layup by Looney the next possession.
Green had 16 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks. His seven straight playoff games with at least 10 rebounds are a career high.
Kevin Durant for a third straight game because of a strained right calf. He will miss at least Games 3 and 4, and he is scheduled to be re-examined by doctors in another week. That means he wouldn’t be expected to return until the N.B.A. finals if Golden State advances.
The Warriors missed Kevin Durant for a third straight game because of a strained right calf and he isn’t likely to return at all this round.