SAN FRANCISCO -- The Warriors are forging a new identity on offense, with the rhythmic, fluid style of recent seasons giving way to scrap and sweat.
And the fans at Chase Center are getting behind it.
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The starless Warriors laid it down well enough to stun a very good Trail Blazers team Monday night with a 127-118 victory that rocked the new arena hard enough to be felt all around the Bay -- earning a standing ovation inside the final minute.
Trailing by three at the half (63-60), the Warriors (2-5) took the lead late in the third quarter and held on for their first home victory this season.
Here are three takeaways from a game in which the Warriors displayed plenty of resolve against the Blazers (3-4):
Paschall stays hot
Golden State Warriors
There will come a time when Eric Paschall doesn’t look like a lottery pick, but neither he nor the Warriors are in a hurry to see it.
The 6-foot-6, 255-pound forward celebrated his 23rd birthday in style, with 19 points in the first half and 34 for the game, adding 13 rebounds along the way.
Paschall became the third rookie this season with a 17-point quarter (Miami’s Tyler Herro and Memphis’ Ja Morant) and the first Warriors rookie with back-to-back 25-point games since none other than Stephen Curry in 2010.
Paschall was efficient early, making his first five shots and going 6 of 7 from the field in the opening quarter, playing all 12 minutes. He finished 11 of 19 from the field, including 4 of 6 from deep and 10 of 10 from the free-throw line.
Not bad for someone selected in the second round of the June draft.
Triples from the sky
When Paschall drained his first three 3-pointers, maybe it opened up the rims.
The Warriors shot 38.5 percent (10 of 26) from beyond the arc, with six different players finding at least one triple. In addition to Paschall’s shooting, fellow rookie Jordan Poole (16 points) dropped in a pair of threes.
Two of the three centers, Marquese Chriss and Omari Spellman, also drilled shots from beyond the arc.
Portland, considered one of the league’s top 3-point shooting teams, managed to shoot just 32.5 percent (13 of 40) from deep.
[RELATED: Steph jumped for Paschall's big quarter]
Defense continues to be a work in progress
The Warriors entered the season knowing they would face defensive challenges the likes of which they have not experienced for the better part of the decade. There was little sign of improvement.
There is not much rim protection, and the Blazers took advantage, scoring 62 points in the paint. Hassan Whiteside used his 7-foot-1 frame to score 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting, nearly all of it within 10 feet of the basket.
Faced with trying to contain Portland guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, both elite scorers, the Warriors weren’t much better on the perimeter. Guards Ky Bowman, Jordan Poole and Damion Lee often seemed unaware that Dame is equally adept at driving to the cup or shooting from beyond 30 feet.
Lillard finished with 39 points on 15-of-26 shooting, including 5 of 13 from deep.
There were positive signs in the fourth quarter, when the Warriors sensed victory, but the work in progress continues.