Draymond Green continues to be the Portland Trail Blazers' worst nightmare in the Western Conference Finals for the Golden State Warriors.
The good thing about this nightmare for Portland: The Blazers will soon be put to sleep.
Draymond Green is doing a little bit of everything in this series, and the stats reflect as much:
Via @ESPNStatsInfo: "This is the 4th time Draymond Green has recorded 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a single half this postseason, most by any player."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) May 19, 2019
No player in Game 3 of the West Finals on Saturday night was more responsible for the Warriors taking an overwhelming 3-0 series lead than Draymond. Whether he is blocking shots, pushing the pace — even after made Portland baskets — or leading 4-on-3s to create easy buckets for his Golden State teammates, Dray has carried the day and the run of play against the Trail Blazers, his personal postseason punching bag.
Draymond dominated the last four minutes of Game 2 on Thursday to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead in this series after they were outplayed for the first 3.5 quarters. Saturday in Portland's Moda Center, Green was once again the Warrior who kept the team afloat when everything else was unstable and disordered.
Coach Steve Kerr made many smart moves in Game 3, including the use of Jordan Bell in the second half, but his first-half use of Damian Jones backfired, leading to a slew of fouls for the Warriors and an early deficit which caused them to play uphill. Draymond Green prevented the Blazers' 13-point halftime lead from being 20 points or more. Green then led another huge third quarter for the Warriors, who outscored Portland 29-13 in that period after winning the third by a similarly large 39-24 margin in Game 2.
Draymond Green finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, and four steals.
He has been the best player in this series, hands down. He has essentially — though not officially — lifted the Warriors to a fifth straight NBA Finals. The formal end will almost certainly come in the next few days.
Portland's personal nemesis won't have to face the Trail Blazers again until next season.
The Blazers will enjoy not having Draymond Green in their lives.
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