Lowell Cohn: Warriors close out another foe on way to next round

OAKLAND - And so the Warriors move on after eliminating the scrappy, brave, wonderful, admirable Portland Trail Blazers 125-121. Classic closeout game. The Warriors always take care of business. They close.

The Warriors kept their journey going straight to the conference finals, their magical journey in this magical season - nothing like this season - which includes, but isn't limited to, the league record for regular-season wins and the league record for an MVP getting every single vote in the lopsided MVP competition which wasn't really a competition.

The Warriors move on.

They have lost exactly two games in 10 playoff tries, that's how dominant they are. They lost the third game twice. The Warriors were ahead of the Houston Rockets and Blazers 2-0, and both those teams went home and won Game 3, the one game a desperate team rises up to win, feeling the euphoria and love of the home crowd. And then the Warriors closed out both of them. Right away.

Taking care of business. Doing the required. Moving on.

They were the best team in the league the 2014-2015 season, and they are even better now. Listen to Steve Kerr comparing this season to the one before:

“It does feel different. There's a deeper level of confidence, a better understanding of what it feels like when you lose and what it feels like when people are questioning you and critiquing you and things aren't going your way. I think that experience definitely helped us get through these past few weeks without Steph (Curry).”

These Warriors almost certainly are an all-time great team, although the Warriors still have problems to solve. “Problems” is too strong a word. The Warriors have issues to address. The standard issues. The inevitable issues - the Thunder or Spurs in the conference finals. And then the league championship probably against Cleveland, if the Warriors get that far. But that's getting ahead of the story.

And the story is this.

The Warriors have solved every issue the league presented them. The Warriors solved their issues with Stephen Curry and solved them without Stephen Curry. They never lost twice to any team in the regular season - not to the Spurs or Thunder or Clippers. Not to nobody.

They solved their issues because they have the best player on the planet - he would have been a great player in any era including the eras of the Big O and Magic and Michael. No need to give their full names. Just as Stephen Curry exists as Steph. The first name nickname suffices. Or just call him the Anointed One.

The Warriors solve all issues because their power forward Draymond Green guards every position on the court and murders conventional centers when the Warriors go small. Because off-guard Klay Thompson would be the best shooting guard in the league if Curry didn't exist. Because Thompson guards the toughest, roughest, most destructive guards and still scores on his own.

Because Andrew Bogut jealously guards the rim like the gorgon guarding the magic palace in a pinball game. Because the Warriors bench is deep and varied. Because the Warriors play shut-you-down, rob-you-of-your-pride defense. Because the coaching staff is brilliant. Knows how to impose just enough order while allowing the players to run free.

Believe me, this is a difficult equation to maintain. Almost impossible. The Warriors did it all season. Still do. They are a machine.

After Game 4 on Monday, Green guaranteed a Game 5 win. “Of course I think they're done,” he said of the Blazers. Blatant bragging. Perfectly acceptable if you back it up. Green backed it up.

Here is Steve Kerr on Green's El Predicto. (Sorry, I couldn't resist writing El Predicto, never wrote it before.)

Kerr: “It's Draymond. This is who he is. I think not only do his teammates and coaches understand, but I think the opponents understand, too. It's just Draymond being Draymond. It doesn't mean anything. It's just everybody has to motivate themselves for the game. He's our guy who's going to do a lot of talking. I don't think there's any damage done. I don't think there's a lot of offense taken, either.”

No damage except to the Blazers. To paraphrase Green, of course, they're done. Out. Gone until next season.

And the Warriors move on.

Not that the Warriors were quick about it. Trailed by five at the half. Gave up 63 points to Portland in the first half. Had to struggle to hold off Portland at the end. Not the defense we've seen from them. Not the defense they'll need going forward.

But they did what they needed to do. Ended it. Just ended it. Not the way you expected. You kept thinking Curry would take over. Like he did in Game 4. Maybe he was tired or sore. Maybe he didn't have another miracle in him. At least for a while.

For a long time, it was Klay Thompson. And then at 6:59 of the third quarter, Curry rose for a 3, a 25-footer, and drained it. Pure as mountain spring water. And the Warriors took a two-point lead. And the Blazers called timeout. To stop the flow. The flood. And in the arena they played loud music and fans danced.

And later Curry ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer from Jack London Square. Pure as mountain spring water. Gave the Warriors another lead. The Anointed One comes to life. In the nick of time.

And then a 3 over Ed Davis with three minutes left in the game. And then a quick feed to Green under the hoop for a lay-in. And then a 3 with 24.9 left in the whole thing. Mountain spring water. Warriors up by 5. Checkmate over a valiant, worthy foe. What a closeout performance. What a statement. By Curry and by the Warriors.

And the Warriors held.

And so the Warriors move on.

For more on the world of sports, go to the Cohn Zohn at cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.