U.S. Sports Desk, May 4 (EFE; odds by IDSca.com).- Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry sat out once more while recuperating from a right knee injury, but the Golden State Warriors again showed their depth of talent by rallying for a 110-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Western Conference semifinal action.

The top-seeded Warriors were down 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, but they rallied by ratcheting up the defensive intensity and holding the visitors to just a dozen points over the final 12 minutes.

Star shooting guard Klay Thompson tallied 27 points to lead all scorers, while do-it-all forward Draymond Green scored 17 points, grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and dished out seven assists.

Center Festus Ezeli also was a major factor for the Warriors on defense in the fourth quarter, when Golden State outscored Portland 34-12, providing badly needed rim protection down the stretch and finishing with eight points and six rebounds in just under 13 minutes of action.

The fifth-seeded Blazers were led by their sharpshooting guard tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who scored 25 points and 22 points, respectively.

The best-of-seven Conference Semifinal series, which the defending NBA champions now lead 2-0 after winning a pair of contests at home, shifts to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday.

Curry, who has played just two halves of basketball since the playoffs started due to an ankle injury suffered in Game 1 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Rockets and a Grade 1 MCL strain in his right knee that he sustained in Game 4, could be back in action on Saturday.

In one other contest on Tuesday night, the Miami Heat seized home-court advantage from the Toronto Raptors with a 102-96 Game 1 victory at the Air Canada Centre. EFE

According to Pay-Per-Head provider IDSca.com, Curry’s medical condition has prompted handicappers to adjust the NBA playoff odds; however, Golden State still remains a favorite team to take the playoffs, the Conference Title and even the Finals since the MVP is expected to return in a couple of games.

Sportsbooks in Costa Rica are seeing more bets stacking up against the Warriors, but the unstoppable team has managed to retain an advantage even though the lines are a bit tighter.

Bettors feel that Golden State could prevail against Portland without Curry, but the Warriors would be underdogs against the San Antonio Spurs if the MVP does not return to the court.