Thursday's Game 2 was bound to be a disappointing night for the Golden State Warriors, who quickly saw themselves trailing the Portland Trail Blazers 65-50 at halftime and in need of answers. The Dubs got those answers in the next two quarters and pulled off a 114-111 win to defend their home court advantage and go up 2-0 in the series, but not without their share of adjustments.

These are 5 Clutch Points from Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals:

The one that got away

Game 2 was the picture-perfect road game the Blazers could have stolen to make this a more interesting series. The roles had finally reversed. This time it was Portland who pumped in a bevy of 3-pointers (18 for the game) and made the necessary adjustments in the pick-and-roll game after a stark back-and-forth with Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater made Terry Stotts look at the film more closely.

Curry was no longer getting open looks and shot only 4-of-14 from deep — day-and-night from the 9-of-15 shooting outing he enjoyed in Game 1.

Enes Kanter was no longer a huge liability on defense, actually being the only Blazers starter to log in a positive plus-minus (plus-4) in his 19 minutes of play. Meyers Leonard made small, yet significant contributions.

This was set up for a Blazers win to even up the series and bring the fight to the Warriors.

Yet the Blazers couldn't hold on to an eight-point lead with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter, letting this game get away from their very fingertips.

Instead, the Warriors closed the game in a 14-3 run during that stretch and the magical backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were held to a combined 0-for-9 from the field in the last 7:40 of regulation, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

While this was a major letdown for Portland, it's also speaks volumes of the high-caliber championship defense this Warriors team has been able to put together in the last three games, stonewalling opponents with heady play and great tactical know-how.

Andre Iguodala's late steal on a Lillard pull-up jump shot was perhaps the perfect moment to symbolize how Golden State can clamp down on defense when they choose to, and this team sure did to steal this game back and go up 2-0 in the series.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted “we stole that game,” noting the Blazers had done everything necessary to walk away with the win on the road, but Golden State closed with championship mettle.

Terry Stotts: Pick your poison

Terry Stotts' post-Game 1 back-and-forth with Slater was more than just having had enough after a tough blowout loss. The point he argued is that a player like Stephen Curry could find other openings if one is denied.

The Blazers chose to play the system that got them this far into the postseason, but they had yet to face as lethal a shooter as Curry throughout the first two series.

Portland died a very similar death like the Houston Rockets did in Game 6, this time trapping Curry up high and keeping him from delivering a game-winning shot from the perimeter.

Yet it was this type of trapping that left Stotts' team playing 4-on-3 with one of basketball's best-decision makers with the ball in Draymond Green.

No player is more aware of Curry's gravity than Green, and he showcased it here by delivering a pinpoint-accurate bounce pass to a darting Andre Iguodala for the easy two.

There is certainly no other way to explain this defensive breakdown at this pivotal point of the game besides the sheer attention a shooter of Curry's caliber commands when running off the ball, as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum find themselves running at Curry while leaving Iguodala wide open under the basket.

Yet nothing encompasses what Stotts was worried about when trapping and double-teaming Curry than this game-sealing play here: Curry takes on the high pick-and-roll and Meyers Leonard; the Blazers hero late in the game, stays high on the screen to keep Curry from having a clean look at a three. Draymond Green anticipates this and makes a quick stride outside before darting to the rim.

If frozen at the 0:05 mark, all five Blazers players are looking at Curry — leaving Green unguarded for an uncontested layup that eventually gave the Warriors a 114-111 lead with 12.3 seconds left in the game.

Curry's pass had to be picture-perfect to get past the long arms of Rodney Hood and Leonard, yet it found its target right on stride for the score.

This is surely the slower, gentler poison, but one that is lethal nonetheless. Stotts was worried about this, as Curry can hurt a team with much more than his shooting, as displayed in the last two plays. His gravity and intellect as a floor general can't be underestimated, and while the Blazers made the right decision to play Curry more firmly, they were still bit by the venomous accuracy of his passing game.

The return of the third-quarter Warriors

Golden State was notorious for the halftime adjustments and furious third-quarter runs they put on display during the past two seasons. Not so much in 2018-19.

Yet the two-time defending champions found themselves down 15 points at halftime and needed a vintage performance to have a shot at winning Game 2, and their effort did not disappoint.

The Warriors knew that if they were to come back, it must start with defense — so they outscored the Blazers 39-24 in the period, effectively bringing a tie game into the fourth quarter after Klay Thompson delivered some big shots to pull his team even.

Thompson scored 13 of his 24 points in the third after having a rough first half, starting a ghastly 3-of-12 from the field — yet the shined in the transition game, fearlessly spotting up for open looks and letting it fly despite his shaky start.

The Warriors would spark a 13-0 run through two minutes and 25 seconds — one that quickly had them trailing by three with 7:11 left in the period. This Andre Iguodala chest pass to Draymond Green right below the rim was symbolic of how out of sorts the Blazers were after a searing run quickly saw their lead dissipate.

The Blazers led by as much as 17 points in the second quarter, yet went into the fourth in a tie game — a dangerous proposition against a team with championship experience and multiple rings to their name.

Draymond Green's defensive master class

Draymond Green started out Game 2 with top-notch intensity, rejecting four shots in the first quarter, including a crazy sequence to start the game.

The former Defensive Player of the Year took a charge on a driving Al-Farouq Aminu, then had enough gas to recover in the next play, pinning this Enes Kanter layup and outletting the ball to Stephen Curry for a driving layup.

Yet no game would be complete without Green blocking a 3-point attempt — something that has become his specialty after the last couple of seasons.

The defensive monster would have no mercy on Steph's younger brother Seth Curry, swatting this corner three into the second row.

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But Draymond's biggest test would come in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul with 7:42 left in regulation.

Green begged to stay in and he did, playing catalyst-level defense the rest of the way to spark his team to a win.

The 2017 DPOY came mighty close to fouling out after closing out on a Damian Lillard 3-point attempt, but good fortune and discipline helped him play out the remainder of the game, even sealing the victory with a game-winning bucket.

Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell's impact

Perhaps the most contrast this series has seen over the Western Conference Semifinals against the Rockets is the use of the bench throughout these two games.

Steve Kerr has put in a second unit led by Klay Thompson, surrounding him with Quinn Cook, Shaun Livingston, Jonas Jerebko, and Jordan Bell.

While Andrew Bogut has gotten the start in the last three games, he's gotten the hook faster every game — playing 12 minutes in Game 6 vs. Houston, eight in Game 1, and only four in Game 2.

This speaks to the trust Kerr has on Kevon Looney, a younger and more versatile player at both ends of the floor, and one that has come out with vital efforts throughout the playoffs.

It's likely Loon could get a start for Game 3 at the Moda Center, as Kerr switches things up a bit and gives his bench a slightly different look.

Jordan Bell had undoubtedly his best game of the playoffs after getting next to no run before Kevin Durant's injury. The second-year forward had played only 16 combined minutes throughout this playoff run before Durant went down with a calf strain in Game 5, but has seen 11, 11 and 14 minutes in the last three outings.

Bell put up 11 points and made some energy plays on both ends of the floor, first with this cutting dunk in the second quarter, only to show his defensive capabilities in the very next possession, ruthlessly swatting Evan Turner in a drive-in layup attempt.

It's worth noting that Bell is playing for his future with the organization, as the Warriors did not pick up their team-option to keep him for another year, setting him up to be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Bell has expressed his willingness to continue playing for Golden State, but he must show more of his upside throughout this playoff run after a disappointing regular season saw him warming the bench more than originally expected.