Golden State Warriors Tie NBA Record with 1st-Quarter Outburst in Game 4

The Golden State Warriors hit the court running in the first quarter of Monday's series-clinching 128-103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, tying an NBA record with 45 points in the session, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

Three other teams have equaled that first-quarter scoring output in NBA history. The first occurrence came in 1985 when the Los Angeles Lakers put up 45 against the Phoenix Suns. The Dallas Mavericks followed suit the next year against the Lakers and the Houston Rockets managed the same feat against the Warriors in 2015.

Golden State finished off the series with relative ease Tuesday, possessing a 23-point advantage after the first quarter and coasting the rest of the way. The Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers each swept their respective first-round series, marking the first time since 2004 that both teams who made the previous NBA Finals recorded sweeps in the first round of the following season's playoffs, per Elias.

The two teams met in each of the last two finals, splitting the pair. They remain among the favorites to reach it again this season, but both will likely face tough challenges along the way. Cleveland will next match up against the winner of the series between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Warriors await the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz series.

Golden State will be much more rested for its second-round set, however, as the club's potential opponents enter Tuesday's Game 5 matchup with the series tied 2-2 and will require at least two more contests to determine a winner.