Portland @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 16, 2017 ) Portland 109, Golden State 121

Kevin Durant put up big numbers in his first playoff game as a member of the Golden State Warriors, but it is Draymond Green who continues to make the engine run. Green will try to dictate the energy again when the Warriors host the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series on Wednesday.

Green recorded 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocks and three steals in a 121-109 Game 1 victory for the top-seeded Warriors, including stuffing a pair of dunk attempts in the fourth quarter as Golden State put the finishing touches on win. "The way that Draymond protected the rim tonight was amazing," Warriors star Stephen Curry told reporters after the game. "You can't get discouraged when (the Trail Blazers) hit tough shots, but everything else around it has to be kind of flawless for us on the defensive end. We figured it out." Green wasn't shy about letting Portland know he was around in Game 1 and talked trash throughout the contest. "For me, it's just going to make me raise the level of my game because I take (the trash talk) as a challenge," Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard told reporters. "I'm going to take exception to it, and I'm going to say something back. That's what it's going to be."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, KGW (Portland), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Lillard, who before the series predicted Portland would win in six games, scored 34 points and CJ McCollum added 41 but the rest of the team combined for 34 points on 12-of-39 shooting in Game 1. "It's going to take a team to beat (the Warriors)," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "Damian and CJ are talented scorers and they both had great offensive nights. ... But we need everybody. Guys have to be ready to make shots. (Golden State is) good defensive help team, so when the ball is swung out, they've got to be able to take advantage of those opportunities." Portland is still awaiting word on the return of center Jusuf Nurkic, who is out with a fractured leg and is considered questionable for the series.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Durant sat out 19 games with a knee injury before easing his way back into the flow in the final three games of the regular season and did not appear rusty in his Golden State playoff debut. "The game ratchets up when you get into the playoffs, so it definitely felt good out there," Durant told reporters after pouring in 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. "I didn’t worry about not playing 20 games in the regular season. I just tried to get out there and be me. Physically, I felt great." Durant averaged 29.3 points on 60 percent shooting in four regular-season meetings with the Trail Blazers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Trail Blazers SG Allen Crabbe (foot) played in Game 1 after missing the final three games of the regular season and managed three points on 1-of-5 shooting.

2. Warriors SG Klay Thompson is 7-of-29 from 3-point range in his last four games.

3. McCollum's 41 points marked his second-highest total of the season after a 43-point effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 1.

PREDICTION: Warriors 120, Trail Blazers 106