Rookie Caleb Love capped a season-best 26-point performance with two key late 3-pointers and the Portland Trail Blazers put themselves in position for advancement in the NBA Cup with a 127-123 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday in San Francisco.
Deni Avdija also put up 26 points and Donovan Clingan chipped in with 22 points and 10 rebounds as Portland moved to 2-1 in West Group C, good for a first-place tie with the Denver Nuggets with just one game to play.
Toumani Camara added 20 points for the Trail Blazers, who defeated Denver in an earlier NBA Cup game.
After an 18-point second quarter by Stephen Curry offset a 19-10 Trail Blazers start, the clubs batted on even terms until Love buried a 3-pointer and Avdija dropped in five straight free throws in a run that gave the visitors the lead for good at 109-102 with 7:56 remaining.
The Warriors got within 119-118 on a layup by Gary Payton II with 1:43 to play, and later within 122-120 after two free throws by Jimmy Butler III with 43.2 seconds left, but both times Love responded with a 3-pointer to help Portland keep the hosts at arm’s length.
Love, a two-way player whose previous season high was 17 points, shot 6-for-14 from 3-point range to account for a majority of his points.
Avdija went 12-for-13 at the free throw line and also found time for a career-high 14 assists for the Trail Blazers, who also stunned the Warriors with a 139-119 home romp during the first week of the season.
Robert Williams grabbed 11 boards to complement eight points and three blocks for the Trail Blazers, who had lost four in a row. Sidy Cissoko aided the visitors’ cause with a career-high 15 points.
Portland played without Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe due to calf injuries.
Curry connected on nine 3-pointers in a 38-point effort for the Warriors, who were playing for the first time at home after a 3-3 road trip. Curry hit 14 of his 23 shots overall.
Butler and Brandin Podziemski finished with 20 points apiece, Draymond Green with 11 and Moses Moody 10 for the Warriors, who fell to 1-2 in West Group C.
Butler had a team-high eight rebounds and Green a team-high eight assists for Golden State, which lost for the first time in six home games this season.
