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Five things to know as the Golden State Warriors defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 125-121 in Game 5, advancing to the Western Conference finals to face either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder.

1. The Warriors won in five games, but the defense needs tightening

Just like the rest of the series, Game 5 saw the Blazers put up a fight, and even jump out to a sizable lead to start. In the end, they succumbed to the superior Warriors' firepower. You can view it one of two ways.

  1. The Blazers really pushed the Warriors and made them earn it, even after Curry returned, as both games with Curry were close down the stretch.
  2. The Blazers made shots because the Warriors' defense continues to not be in gear, and they hung around, but in the end, they lost in five games and the Warriors established control.

Portland had leads in most of the games, but it never felt like the Blazers really had a chance in this series. And that's not bad, they weren't even supposed to be in the playoffs, much less the second round. Honestly, Portland only made this series because of the Clippers' injuries, and they took full advantage of every opportunity afforded them. They never quit, stuck with it, and kept the Warriors honest. That's more than most teams have done this year.

For Golden State, there have to be some concerns. They gave up a 105.9 defensive rating to the Blazers. That's high (though it's also the same as what Cleveland gave up to Atlanta in the semifinals.) They need to tighten their defense going into the conference finals.

2. Curry worked off the rust

The MVP struggled in the first three quarters of Game 4, then went bananas in the fourth and overtime to carry them to a 3-1 series lead. In Game 5, Curry finished with 29 points and 11 assists, hitting 5 of 11 3-pointers. It wasn't his best game, but it was a good game. He's not going to be 100 percent in the playoffs, that's just the reality with the kinds of injuries he's had. But Curry at 80% is still leagues beyond the rest of the universe, so it really doesn't matter. And down the stretch, Curry was the one to bury the Blazers' hopes of a comeback with another off-the-dribble 3-point launch that left everyone speechless.

3. Damian Lillard took a big step forward, but he still has a way to go

Lillard had a better season than he did in 2014-15. He learned to lead the team as the unquestioned best player, he improved defensively (even if he's still a minus on that end, slightly), he competed harder and learned about getting teammates involved. In Game 5, Lillard shot 1-of-7 for just 5 points in the closing quarter of his and his team's season. It's true that it's easier to guard him when he doesn't have All-Star teammates, but you're judged on the team you're on, and Lillard still sees a ways to go before he's ready to be the best player on a championship team.

The good news is that once again, Lillard showed this season that he's willing to work as hard as he has to in order to get there.

4. Injuries were a pain.

Curry had to recover from the strained MCL, which caused him to miss the first three games of the series. Andrew Bogut suffered a strained adductor in Game 5 and who knows when he'll be back. The Warriors have some nicks and bruises they need to tend to. The good news is that they'll get at least five days, and maybe seven, before the conference finals begin in their building.

5. Series MVP: Klay Thompson. Thompson really stepped up in Curry's absence, and got even better when Curry returned, going nova in Game 5 with 33 points. He didn't take a shot in the 4th as Curry went off, but Thompson was very good throughout this series and helped carry the Warriors.

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