The NBA regular season continues, and today the Warriors travel to take on the Trail Blazers. In the end, they won a thrilling 100-92 victory over the Trail Blazers. The Warriors had a large number of key players resting in this game, and Green, Thompson and Payton Jr. did not play in this game. Curry had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists today, and his hand was not particularly good compared to the last game against the Lakers. Just 5-of-16 from beyond the three-point line today. Kuminga had 19 points and six rebounds, and Wiggins had 15 points and five rebounds.
Due to the large number of players missing from the Warriors in this game, Kerr also expanded the rotation lineup. Today Moody's, Wayne Rooney and even Saric got playing time. Although the overall ability of the Trail Blazers against the Warriors today is not strong, they still have some strength inside. Ayton scored 25 points and 11 rebounds against the Warriors today, and he was very dominant inside. After all, Ayton is a center with projection ability, and Davis Jr. seems to be completely unable to affect Ayton's projection in terms of height, and Ayton seems to be in demand in the middle range today.
So it seems that when Davis Jr. didn't work today, Kerr played his new card, and Rooney played a very important role today. Looney played 20 minutes today and recorded 9 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Especially after he came on the court, the scramble for rebounds was immediate. The Warriors lost a lot of rebounding in this game, so Looney must be on the court to control the rebounding at this time. And Rooney knows very well how to align with Ayton. His toughness also completely crushed Ayton. So Looney's performance in this game is the key to the Warriors' victory.
After today's game, Kerr also praised Rooney's performance. In fact, Rooney has been abandoned by Kerr for a long time this season. It was also the first time in three months that Rooney had played more than 20 minutes. It's not that Cole doesn't play Rooney, it's that Cole has always hidden the card from Rooney, and he only draws it when it counts. So when it comes to the playoffs, many fans don't have to worry about Looney not being able to play, and in some key games or a series of rounds, Looney may be the pillar of the Warriors' interior line.
For example, against the Kings, Looney played a big role when he was playing against Sabonis. So Rooney is an alternate for Cole. Now Kerr is focusing on training Davis Jr., so that he can accumulate more experience and have a deep interior reserve when the Warriors play in the playoffs. It will also help the Warriors on their playoff journey. So when Rooney really plays in the playoffs, he may still show his iron side. After all, the Warriors' championship in the past so many years is inseparable from Looney's iron-blooded performance in the playoffs. Wayne Rooney is a player to trust in the playoffs.