Skip to content

Curry praises McGee for 'extra boost' in Game 2

Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

The Golden State Warriors flattened the Portland Trail Blazers by 29 points without Kevin Durant, but it wasn't the other three All-Stars who stepped up.

The supporting cast, headlined by a stellar showing from JaVale McGee, led the way in Game 2. McGee led all bench scorers with 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting to go along with five rebounds and four blocks in only 13 minutes of play.

McGee's performance earned top marks from Stephen Curry.

"He's a professional. Doesn't matter if he's playing 13 minutes or five minutes, he comes in with the same effort and energy whenever he steps on the floor," Curry told reporters.

"It gives us a different dynamic. He puts pressure on the rim on offense, and he protects the rim on defense. You can always count on him playing hard. That was the best attribute about him.

"When he's out there, he's locked in and he's giving effort. In the play last game where he sprints full court after a block and gets a loose rebound. I get the three off of it, and just little plays that he can change the momentum of games on both ends of the floor, it's huge for us."

With all of Portland's defense focused on stopping the Splash Brothers on the perimeter, McGee was able to balance the offense by rolling to the rim and being an outlet against swarming ball pressure.

"You need to roll into the paint and he's able to get his feet set and take off and throw it anywhere and catch it. That's always a fun way to play," Curry said.

"Sometimes we kind of get caught up in looking for him sometimes too much when he's not open, just because we feel like he can do something spectacular above the rim. When he can electrify the crowd with a huge block and the alley-oop dunks and things like that, it's just a different dynamic that we love to have."

The Warriors outscored the Blazers by 19 points with McGee on the floor. They'll look for more of the same throughout the postseason.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox