The Golden State Warriors were sloppy and slow for the first three quarters of the game on Thursday night before gaining momentum in the fourth.

The Warriors appeared to be losing until Steph Curry turned it on and Kevon Looney came off the bench to lead the team to a 100-92 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, one of the poorest teams in the NBA.

Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Portland, “We did not execute very well, so it was a tough night for us.” “But in the end, we succeeded.”

Although Looney hasn’t played much this season and was a healthy scratch on Tuesday, he came in and changed the tide of the game as Portland’s second-chance points were putting the Warriors down.

Kerr said, “Loon just saved us, like he has dozens of times in his career here.” “For the past six weeks or so, he has kind of been off the roster. And he’s always prepared. When he entered, the game was altered. Early in the game, we were seriously being harassed on the glass. I believed he entered and set the internal mood.

With the victory, the Warriors jumped up to the ninth seed in the Western Conference, one spot ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors might rise as high as the No. 8 seed if they can win their next two games and the Sacramento Kings lose at least one.

In order to rest some of his finest players against the Trail Blazers (21-58), Kerr chose not to start Draymond Green (bruised knee), Klay Thompson (calf strain), or Gary Payton II (calf tightness). The Trail Blazers were not expected to pose much of a danger. On Friday, all three players are anticipated to play.

as their absence, Kerr selected Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Chris Paul, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Curry as the starting lineup.

With his ability to stuff stats and clog paint, rookie big man Jackson-Davis dominated the first quarter and made it impossible for Portland to penetrate. But the Warriors were unable to establish a rhythm offensively.

The Trail Blazers took advantage of their five mistakes in the first four minutes of play, setting up a trend for the rest of the game. The Trailblazers once outscored the Warriors 0 to 15 points in turnover margin.

They didn’t establish a rhythm until halfway through the first, when Brandin Podziemski checked in. He defended a crucial defensive rebound, turned it around, and split two opponents with a deft pass to set up Kuminga for a layup. The Warriors led 24–22 at the end of the quarter as he got space inside and finished off a 14–2 run with a layup.

The Warriors shot the ball effectively enough to lead 49–46 at the half despite having 15 fewer field goal attempts and being outrebounded by Portland in offensive rebounds after a closely contested second quarter.

“Box outs and rebounds,” reporters were informed by Podziemski. “In the second half, we were able to limit that slowly but surely.”

With 9:09 remaining in the game, they were behind, 85-79.

There was not a single field goal made by the Trail Blazers in the following six minutes and 37 seconds. After Jackson-Davis was replaced, Looney put an end to Portland’s chances for a comeback. Podziemski defended Scoot Henderson with precision. Curry’s customary dominance in the fourth quarter completed the picture.

Curry, Looney, and Podziemski appeared to be playing three versus five at one point. Curry would feed Podziemski, who was more inclined to drive and find space than to shoot the rock himself, when he was unable to get loose on the perimeter. After driving inside, he pivoted and shot the ball again, finding Curry, who made a 3-pointer.

On the subsequent possession, Curry dribbled his way through several screens of Looney until he was open, at which point he fed him for a simple layup.

Subsequently, the pivotal moment arrived when Looney amassed a steal in his own half and passed it to Curry. Curry skillfully handled the open floor, finding Podziemski for a and-one bucket that effectively ended the Trail Blazers’ season.

Portland was outscored 17-1 by the Warriors in those magnificent 6 minutes and 37 seconds.

Kerr stated, “I felt Loon and Brandin were the two key guys.”

With just three days remaining in the regular season, they avoided what could have been a humiliating defeat by winning the game 21–7.

“We demonstrated tenacity,” Podziemski declared. “Earlier in the season, things were reversed; we started out playing incredibly well and then let it slip away. It all comes down to figuring out how to win.

Curry only shot 5-for-16 from three-point range, but he still finished with 22 points. In addition, he had two blocks, seven rebounds, eight assists, and a steal.

Leading the squad in plus-minus were Looney (plus-19) and Podziemski (plus-13). Looney also contributed nine points, a team-high eleven rebounds, two steals, and four blocks.

Following the game, Looney stated on the NBC Sports broadcast, “I knew that everyone had to step up with Draymond, Klay, and GP being out.” “I made an effort to be prepared and try to change things. We were aware that this was a crucial game. We anticipated that playing without our men would be difficult. However, we succeeded in finishing it.

The “Road Warriors” concluded their away portion of the regular season with an incredible 25-16 record on the road, including 17 victories in their last 21 games played away from Chase Center, thanks to their late-game heroics.

On Friday night, they’ll be back home to meet the New Orleans Pelicans (47-32).

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