Lee's 29 not enough; Warriors fall to Blazers 93-91

BOX SCORE
OAKLANDWell, this one is going to sting.The Blazers came into Oracle Arena on Wednesday night without their leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge and snapped the Warriors three-game winning streak. The Warriors (11-15) now play eight of their next nine games on the road.
Blazers 93, Warriors 91Player of the game: Gerald Wallace had 24 points and six rebounds for the Blazers.
Key play: With the Warriors down two points and six seconds remaining, it came down to their last possession. Nate Robinson penetrated into the lane, but lost his balance and stumbled.Robinson still found a way to get a pass off to Brandon Rush in the corner, but Rushs potential game-winning 3-pointer came after the buzzer. It was short regardless.He was very effective getting to his spot and making plays, Jackson said of Robinson, who finished with 21 points in 21 minutes. He kept us in the game, kept us in control of the game so I was fine with it (the games last possession). At the end of the day, they hit some tough shots that hurt us. So I didnt think it had anything to do with the other end.
No Ellis: Warriors coach Mark Jackson didnt play leading scorer Monta Ellis at all in the fourth quarter, instead going with Robinson. Ellis didnt exactly have it goinghe was 3-for-9 from the field up to that pointbut still. The fact that Jackson didnt use Ellis in the final period was certainly noteworthy.Afterward, Jackson said Ellis was experiencing flu-like symptoms, and that he almost sent Ellis home from shootaround. Ellis refused to speak with reporters after the game.It really wasnt a decision due to anything other than the fact that he wasnt feeling well all day long, from shootaround all day long, Jackson said. He really didnt participate in it. I almost sent him home. Hes a gamer and hes a leader and he stayed. During the game, give him credit. He gave me everything he had and he came in the back for a second and when he came to the bench, I asked him, probably early in the fourth, Was he OK? And he said Yes.I guess it was a read for me -- it wasnt a normal Monta Ellis yes. He really wanted it but I made the decision it was best to shut him down. Nate was playing well, but that doesnt matter. Im going back to Monta Ellis whether it be for Nate or somebody else, but I just made a decision he wasnt 100 percent.Ellis was taken out of the game with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter.Ellis played just 27 minutes on the night and finished with 10 points and five assists.Backcourt drought: Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis werent their productive selves through three quarters. It wasnt that either was playing particularly badly, its just that they werent as involved as usualat least as it pertained to scoring.Curry had just six points through three quarters and had taken just nine shots up to that point. Ellis had 10 points, but he was just 3-for-9 from the floor.Warriors power forward David Lee more than picked up the slack, however. Lee had 25 pointson 12-of-18 from the floorthrough three quarters, and was the most productive frontcourt player for either team.Lee finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds, but after his three-point play with 3:39 remaining in the game, he didnt attempt another shot.Hes involved, Jackson said of Lee late in games. With pick-and roll situations, there are times we go to exclusively on the block. Hes a decision-maker in the pick and rolls because hes the guy catching it, whether it be shooting driving or passing. We love his versatility in those situations. So absolutely.
Lee big in first half: Warriors forward David Lee did a good job of keeping the Warriors in the game late in the second quarter. The Warriors had taken a 12-point lead early in the second quarter, but the Blazers spent the rest of the period catching up, then taking the lead.The Blazers eventually went up five, but on two separate occasions after forcing misses, Lee came up with the offensive rebound and putback. If Lee doesnt do that, the Warriors likely head into halftime down close to double-digits.Instead, the Blazers led by 57-54and Lee went into the locker room at intermission with 17 points and eight rebounds.3-point barrage: The Warriors entered Wednesdays game leading the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (.396). They did nothing to put that ranking in jeopardyat least not early.The Warriors knocked down six of their first seven 3-pointers, helping them to a 35-23 lead early in the second quarter.