The Warriors saved their best offensive showing for last.
Golden State closed the preseason with a 128-118 win over the Trail Blazers on Friday at Chase Center, and the ball movement, spacing and pace looked sharper than it had in any of the other exhibition games. Stephen Curry led the way with 20 points, and 13 of those came after halftime. Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski added 17 apiece.
Draymond Green was right in the middle of it, turning in a classic all-around line with seven points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals. The contrast was obvious when he was on the floor.
Against the Lakers on Tuesday, the Warriors were down 20 three minutes into the third quarter without him. On Friday, they were up 14 at the same point.
Golden State’s only rough patch with Green came in the first four minutes, when it fell into a 10-2 hole. Steve Kerr said before the game he wanted to see how Charles Bassey would look with Green in the starting lineup, but that was all the evidence he needed. Once Kerr pulled Bassey and shifted Green to the 5, the offense found its groove.
Kerr opened the second half with Gui Santos replacing Bassey, which again moved Green to center. It’s a demanding role for Green at this point in his career, but it remains the Warriors’ best answer there. Until Kristaps Porzingis returns, he should spend more time at the 5 than the 4.
Lendeborg gave Golden State exactly what it needs from a young, versatile piece. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, handed out five assists and committed just one turnover. He also knocked down two off-the-dribble threes, which stood out even more than the box score.
That lone turnover came on a drive-and-finish attempt that was ruled an offensive foul. The Warriors challenged it and lost, but the play itself didn’t seem like one he should scrap from his game. Lendeborg closed the preseason averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting 60.4% from the field and 43.8% from three.
His defense still has room to clean up, but Friday brought some better possessions on that end. By the end of the night, the Warriors had every reason to feel good about the draft pick.
When Golden State was down 10-2, Kerr also turned to Niang, Santos and Gary Payton II for Bassey, Podz and Lendeborg. The response was immediate. The deficit disappeared within two and a half minutes, thanks largely to Niang, who scored nine points in three possessions during what amounted to a quick burst that changed the game.
Al Horford hit five threes in 15 minutes, while Payton finished with eight points and four rebounds in a solid 17-minute run. It was also a welcome finish for Niang and Horford, who had not always had clean preseason stretches.
If Kerr’s opening night rotation looks anything like this, it would include Curry, Podz, Santos, Lendeborg and Green as the starters. Brandon Williams, De'Anthony Melton, Payton, Niang and Horford would be in the group guaranteed to play, with Bassey and Will Richard available depending on game flow.
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