Steve Kerr: “Steph was brilliant tonight”

The Golden State Warriors began the second half of the season with a big 132-95 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. Both teams started off at a blistering pace, but a 26-6 Warriors run in the second quarter blew the game open for the Dubs and they never looked back. Here’s some of the highlights from the Warriors postgame pressers:

Steve Kerr on his team’s dominant performance

The Warriors were firing on all cylinders for this game. Strength in Numbers was in full effect as Golden State had eight players finish with double digit scoring. But make no mistake, at the center of it all was Stephen Curry who displayed complete control of the game as he orchestrated the offense to a stat line of 18 points, 14 assists and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Head coach Steve Kerr had plenty to be happy about following the game so here’s what he had to say.

Kerr on the team’s effort:

Kerr on Curry’s performance:

Kerr on Otto Porter Jr.’s veteran savvy:

Jonathan Kuminga’s impressive performance

Kuminga continues to show why he was deserving of the 7^th overall pick in the draft, and now he is doing it consistently as a mainstay in the rotation. The Warriors’ rookie finished third on the team in scoring with 17 points as well as 8 boards and 2 blocks in 27 minutes. The most impressive part of his stat line was his 10-of-12 shooting from the free-throw line. Converting free throws at this rate on high volume would be a game changer for the Warriors as Kuminga’s strength and aggressiveness at the rim allows him to consistently get to the line.

Here’s what Kuminga has to say about his role on the team:

Here’s what Kerr had to say about what Kuminga brings to the roster:

Here’s Thompson talking about Kuminga’s athleticism:

James Wiseman Update

The Warriors’ lack of center depth has been an issue in recent games, but thankfully, it wasn’t one tonight. Last year’s rookie center, James Wiseman, is making progress in his return to the team as he has been cleared for contact scrimmages.

Here’s Curry talking about what he sees from Wiseman during scrimmages:

Here’s Curry’s full quote on Wiseman:

Quote of the Night

The quote of the night belongs to Steve Kerr who takes a moment to appreciate the great season that the Warriors are having:

Despite a few frustrating losses, it’s always nice to take a step back after wins like this one and appreciate how good this team has been this season.

Recap

The Warriors’ dominant win against the Blazers ends their two-game losing streak and improves their record to 43-17. They remain in second place in the West with 2.5 games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies and 6.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns. Golden State will now head back home for a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.