OAKLAND – The Warriors take the floor Thursday night at Oracle Arena attempting a feat they've yet to achieve this postseason.
That is, win their fourth consecutive game.
[RELATED: How to watch Warriors vs. Blazers Game 2 live online]
Defeating Portland in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals also would leave the Warriors two wins away from a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals.
Pregame coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4:30 p.m. PT with Warriors Outsiders, followed by Warriors Playoff Central. Tipoff of the ESPN telecast is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PT.
The Warriors last week won Games 5 and 6 of the conference semifinals to oust Houston and then opened the conference finals Tuesday with a 116-94 Game 1 rout of the Trail Blazers.
Sports
While the Warriors anticipate playing most of, if not all of, their 13-man roster, Portland enters Game 2 seeking a cure for leaky perimeter defense that allowed the defending champs to make 51.5 percent of their shots from beyond the arc in Game 1.
If history is any guide, it's unwise to bet against the Warriors. They're 9-1 in the postseason against the Blazers dating back to the conference semifinals in 2016.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Warriors
F Andre Iguodala
F Draymond Green
C Andrew Bogut
G Klay Thompson
G Stephen Curry
Trail Blazers
F Al-Farouq Aminu
F Maurice Harkless
C Enes Kanter
G CJ McCollum
G Damian Lillard
INJURY REPORT
Warriors: C/F Kevon Looney (L knee soreness) is listed as probable. (C DeMarcus Cousins (L quadriceps tear) and F Kevin Durant (R calf strain) are listed as out.
Blazers: C Jusuf Nurkic (L leg fracture) is listed as out.
ROTATION OUTLOOK
Warriors: Coach Steve Kerr made it clear that he intends liberal usage of his full roster. All 13 active players saw action in Game 1, with everybody except rookie Jacob Evans III and Damian Jones (returning after missing five months with an injury) playing at least 11 minutes.
Quinn Cook and Jonas Jerebko were particularly good off the bench, combining for 17 points (including 3-of-4 shots from deep) and 28 minutes. Both finished plus-12. Though Looney is expected to play, should he be hampered in any way, Jordan Bell would be in line for more minutes. He played 11 minutes in Game 1, while Looney played 24.
[RELATED: Kerr explains one thing Warriors need to fix in Game 2]
Of note: Curry has not missed a free throw after the third quarter of a postseason game since the 2015 Finals. His streak is at 76 in a row.
Blazers: To better defend the arc, coach Terry Stotts could experiment with small lineups. One possibility is Aminu at center, Harkless at power forward and reserve Rodney Hood at small forward. That would invite the possibility of switching, as it's apparent that Kanter's lateral movement would fail on the perimeter. Backup center Zach Collins is slightly better, but neither did well in Game 1.
The danger is, of course, that few team can go small and stay with the Warriors. Hood was the most effective reserve in Game 1, scoring 17 points, but still finishing minus-11 over 26 minutes.
That all 12 active players finished in the minus column indicates the team's overall fatigue level in the wake of a seven-game series that ended Sunday. Expect the energy level to pick up in Game 2.
Officials: James Capers (crew chief), Ken Mauer, Josh Tiven. Alternate: Tom Washington.
