The sight of Portland's Jusuf Nurkic lumbering up the court on a fractured right leg during Saturday's first-round Game 3 made Warriors center JaVale McGee uneasy. In the Warriors' series sweep of the Trail Blazers, with Portland's frontcourt thinned by injuries, McGee went from solid role player to low-post bully. A big man long known for his bloopers delivered a personal highlight reel of alley-oop dunks and rundown blocks. In 49 first-round minutes, McGee scored 39 points on 18-for-23 shooting and blocked nine shots. "To his credit, he's an athletic big man who can finish around the basket," Portland head coach Terry Stotts said. On a roster filled with shooters, McGee's ability to run the floor and catch lobs is an asset. McGee, who won Golden State's final roster spot in the preseason, finished the regular season with the NBA's No. 1 per-minute plus-minus. [...] the Warriors' coaching staff realized that McGee was most effective in short bursts. To limit the stress on his legs, McGee started a vegan diet, worked out daily on his own and lost 15 pounds. In November, after a road rout of the Pacers, he commandeered the team plane's intercom system and, feigning a female flight...