Curry, Thompson, Green reinforce All-Star cases in romp over Blazers

The scariest thing about the 34-2 Golden State Warriors is that there are nights where reigning the MVP is the third-best player on the team.

Stephen Curry scored 26 points and dished out nine assists in 29 minutes for yet another spectacular showing, but his immense star was overshadowed by Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Green, the Warriors' do-it-all Swiss Army knife scored 11 points on six shots, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists, while Thompson lit up the Trail Blazers for 36.

Thompson is averaging 33.2 points in his last five games while Green leads the league with eight triple-doubles. That puts him on pace for 18 triple-doubles, which would be the most of any player since 2000.

The supertanker that is the Warriors have looked weary of late, especially given the uncertainty of Curry's nagging calf injury. However, equipped with a Lionel Messi-inspired suit of armor for Friday's game, the Warriors got back to firing on all cylinders.

Green, Thompson, and Curry combined for 32 points in the first quarter as they immediately jumped on the Blazers for a 38-21 edge. The bench took over in the second quarter, and by halftime, the hapless Trail Blazers faced the daunting task of overcoming a 22-point deficit against the reigning champions.

A 40-point outburst from Damian Lillard, including 20 in the second half, hardly made a dent as Golden State easily cruised to a 128-108 victory before a deflated crowd at the Moda Center.

With every passing blowout, the conversation for the Warriors becomes more about hitting ethereal benchmarks rather than whatever mortal happens to be their opponent. Repeating as champions, besting the Bulls' 72-win record, and the immortal quest to become possibly the best team of all-time - everything is on the table for the Warriors.

If those are long-term goals (and perhaps they're premature fantasies at the halfway point in the season), then the immediate challenge is seeing how many Warriors will be at the All-Star Game in Toronto.

Curry and Thompson, who started last year, are shoo-ins. Luke Walton will probably coach the Western squad. But based on how this season has unfolded, voters would be remiss to leave Green off the ballot.

Green is currently in line to start, and for good reason: Since Nov. 27, Green is averaging 16.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists and the Warriors are outscoring opponents by 15.5 points in his 36.2 minutes per game.

"He 100 percent deserves to be an All-Star this year," Walton said Thursday, according to the Bay Area News Group. "He does everything right, anything you want out of a player. He plays hard every night. He's skilled. He passes. He shoots. He dribbles. He sacrifices for the team."