How the Warriors' Historic First Quarter Locked Up Their Sweep of the Blazers
Last night, the Golden State Warriors scored 45 points in the first quarter of Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers. And their performance was a historic one for two reasons.
First, their 45-point outburst broke the franchise playoff record of 42 points in a quarter scored back in 1994. But, the feat is even more impressive because -- per Basketball Reference -- it tied the NBA record for the most points scored in the first quarter of a playoff game.
In 12 minutes, the Warriors went 15 of 24 (62.5%) from the field and 8 of 11 (72.7%) from three while tallying 11 assists on their 15 made field goals.
Here's how their shot chart looked through one quarter of play.
Believe it or not, there were even more o's than x's early on, as the Warriors started 4 of 4 from the field through two-plus minutes and 12 of 14 through the first eight minutes.
Here's a minute-by-minute breakdown of their first-quarter shooting.
| Time | Score | FGM/FGA | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | 0-0 | 0/0 | 0.0% |
| 11:00 | 4-0 | 1/1 | 100.0% |
| 10:00 | 9-0 | 3/3 | 100.0% |
| 9:00 | 12-0 | 4/5 | 80.0% |
| 8:00 | 17-3 | 6/7 | 85.7% |
| 7:00 | 20-3 | 7/9 | 77.8% |
| 6:00 | 25-5 | 9/11 | 81.8% |
| 5:00 | 30-7 | 10/12 | 83.3% |
| 4:00 | 35-9 | 12/14 | 85.7% |
| 3:00 | 36-11 | 12/15 | 80.0% |
| 2:00 | 41-16 | 14/17 | 82.4% |
| 1:00 | 43-19 | 15/20 | 75.0% |
| 0:00 | 45-22 | 15/24 | 62.5% |
How did Golden State's scorching-hot shooting translate to their probability of winning the game, minute-by-minute, in the first?
According to numberFire Live, their win probability reached 99% when they led Portland 43-16 (their largest lead) at the 1:54 mark in the first quarter. Things were all but decided much earlier than that, though.
Four minutes into the game, with Golden State out to a 17-3 lead, the Warriors held a 95% chance to win and move on to the next round. By quarter's end, that likelihood reached 98.39% with 36 minutes to be played -- and on the Blazers' home court at that.
After three more quarters, the outcome was as expected.
The Warriors rolled to a 128-103 victory as they closed out Portland in four straight games. They ended the game shooting 46 of 86 (53.5%) from the field and 17 of 29 (58.6%) from three -- all for an effective field goal percentage of 63.4%.
They now await their next victim the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Utah Jazz series, which is tied at two going into Game 5.
A rested Warriors team coming off a historic performance? Best of luck to you, NBA!
