Warriors Breaking the Trail Blazers' Spirit is Horrifying and Beautiful at the Same Time

Stop the fight!

The Portland Trail Blazers, a team built on resiliency, have been broken down by a true champion. It's tough to watch, but also impossible to look away.

The Golden State Warriors mounted their second straight third quarter comeback, this time on the road and essentially putting an end to the Western Conference Finals. The Dubs have another gear--and when they decide to go there, it's a scene out of your favorite horror movie.

Kevin Durant or not, these Warriors have found a new identity, a killer mentality if you will. Led defensively by Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Golden State clamped down on every version of life support Portland could fine. Gasping for breath, they brought in the finisher.

What Steph Curry is doing should not be understated. He is without a doubt the focus on this Warriors team. No squad is better without Kevin Durant, but this version of Golden State makes the argument given how they are playing, and the championship tenacity they flash without looking the other way.

The second-half scoreline was 57-33. Portland had everything to play for, yet come the end of the third quarter when they'd finally succumbed to the Warriors' pressure there was nothing left to give. Damian Lillard looked lost. CJ McCollum literally hit the side of the backboard on an open three (which he rushed because he had no other choice with Thompson baring down on him).

Curry hit dagger after dagger, displaying shimmy after shimmy. It was ugly. It was brutal. It was...a basketball masterpiece.