116-94.

The final score speaks for itself.  As does 36 points for Steph.  As does nine made 3s for Steph.  As do 21 turnovers committed by Portland leading to 31 Warriors points.

But aside from the raw stats, the game plan from the Trail Blazers in Game One was the biggest concern and takeaway, writes our own John Canzano for OregonLive.

Canzano watched first-hand as the Blazers got off to a tough start, then kept slipping in any modest comeback attempt in the second half on their way to a 22-point blowout defeat.

“Burn it and start over,” Canzano says of Portland’s game plan in the series opener.

“Coach Terry Stotts won’t want to hear this, but when I went to the visiting locker room at Oracle Arena after the loss I walked in and immediately looked at the dry-erase board. I expected to see the words, “LET STEPH CURRY SHOOT WIDE OPEN SHOTS,” written on it. Because that’s essentially what Portland did.”

 

JC does point out this is a long series against a team in its fifth consecutive Western Conference Finals that has also won three of the last four NBA championships.  But the does not excuse the game plan against defending, or not defending, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history in Steph Curry.

“…when you defend him without trapping him, or without hedging with your big man on a high screen, you’re essentially taking your chances with a sniper in an open field.

Curry scored 36 points. He was 9 for 15 from three-point range. And too many of those were uncontested.

Let anyone but Curry beat you, coach.

That’s a better plan for Game 2.”

Read Canzano’s full column from Game One here, and don’t miss him live from Oakland on the Bald Faced Truth Wednesday and Thursday at Noon on 1029/750 The Game and 1029TheGame.com.

 

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