NBA: Warriors rally from big deficit to beat Blazers
Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during their comeback win against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center on February 28, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP
Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson combined for 24 points in a third-quarter flurry Tuesday night that rallied the Golden State Warriors from a huge deficit and into a 123-105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in San Francisco.
Poole finished with a game-high 29 points and Thompson 23 for the Warriors, who welcomed back Draymond Green from a knee injury and won a third straight in part due to his 12 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocks.
Oakland native Damian Lillard, coming off a 71-point explosion in a home win over the Houston Rockets, had a team-high 25 points and Jerami Grant 24 for Portland, which led by 23 points at one point.
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Grant’s jumper had the Trail Blazers in front 74-58 four minutes into the third quarter before the Warriors took charge.
First, Poole contributed eight points to a 14-0 run that got Golden State back into the thick of things, down just 74-72 with 4:59 remaining in the period.
Lillard temporarily stopped the bleeding with a hoop, and Portland led 78-74 before Thompson had eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in a 13-4, period-closing run that gave Golden State an 87-82 advantage.
Portland never led again, with Donte DiVincenzo wrapping up a 21-point night in the continued absence of Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.
DiVincenzo shot 8-for-11 and Kevon Looney 7-for-8 en route to 14 points for the Warriors, who outshot the Trail Blazers 53.8 percent to 43.0 percent.
Jonathan Kuminga went 8-for-10 in becoming a sixth Warrior in double figures with 16 points off the bench, helping Golden State take a 2-1 lead over the Trail Blazers in the season series, with an April meeting in Portland remaining.
Lillard shot 9-for-21 and found time for seven assists and three steals for Portland, which lost for the third time in its last four games.
Matisse Thybulle added 15 points, Shaedon Sharpe 13 and Cam Reddish 10 for the Trail Blazers, whose big early lead was mostly a product of a 41-point, first-quarter burst from the gate. Drew Eubanks had a team-high eight rebounds.
