OAKLAND, California (AP) The Golden State Warriors dominated once more, even without their MVP Stephen Curry, to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-106 Sunday in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals while the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors both won Game 7s to advance to the second round in the Eastern Conference.
Klay Thompson scored 37 points in another brilliant performance for Golden State while Draymond Green had his second career postseason triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the defending champions.
With Curry sidelined because of a sprained right knee, Green and Thompson took charge again. Thompson hit seven more 3-pointers to become the first player in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in three straight playoff games.
”Everything has to be racheted up,” said Green. ”I just told the guys that we’ve got to come out with a defensive mindset.”
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.
Golden State reserve Anderson Varejao and Portland’s Gerald Henderson were ejected late in the third quarter after receiving their second technical fouls. Both were hit with a technical at the 3:29 mark of the third when Varejao tripped Henderson after they collided and the Portland guard jumped up, pointing a finger at his opponent’s face.
Portland’s Damian Lillard had a slow start, missing 11 of his first 13 shots, before finishing with 30 points – 10 on free throws.
”They are an elite team either way, and they showed that tonight,” said Lillard, his voice hoarse because of a chest cold. ”We’ve just got to understand they’re a good first-quarter team. We’ve got to be better from the start of the game.”
Miami ousted the Charlotte Hornets from the playoffs with an emphatic 106-73 in Florida. The Heat won two elimination games to take the series 4-3 and will play Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting on Tuesday night.
”Just great competition,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, lauding the Hornets. ”Our hats go off to them. They made us better. … I think our basketball team needed to go through that, to be pushed and find a different level which we showed in the last two games.”
Goran Dragic scored 25 points in his first Game 7, Gerald Green added 16 and Luol Deng scored 15. Dwayne Wade finished with 12 and Hassan Whiteside had a 10-point, 12-rebound, five-block clincher for the Heat, who have won their last four Game 7s.
Miami led the whole way, taking a 12-point lead at the half and stretching it to 24 by the midpoint of the third quarter.
”I’m not a prophet or anything,” Wade said, ”but I knew we were winning this game.”
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 15 rebounds and 10 points as the Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers 89-84 to clinch their first postseason series victory since 2001.
Rookie Norman Powell added 13 points while Kyle Lowry and Patrick Patterson each had 11.
Paul George led Indiana with 26 points and 12 rebounds, George Hill scored 19 points and Monta Ellis had 15.
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