(Credit: Courtesy Photo)
The L.A. Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors 134-126, despite Warriors point guard Stephen Curry exploding with a 50-point game. The game was the Warriors’ ninth consecutive loss and the Clippers’ fourth straight win. With this win, the Clippers move into fifth place in the Western Conference.
The closing play of Eric Gordon (16 points), Terance Mann (17 points), Ivica Zubac (19 points, 16 rebounds), Paul George (24 points, seven assists), and Kawhi Leonard (30 points) proved a winning ticket for the team. The Clippers are now 37-33.
“I guess we’re starting to know our tendencies, know when somebody’s going to pass you the ball or they’re going to cut — there are all sorts of things that tie into chemistry, and that’s built up with playing with one another,” Leonard said.
The Clippers did not get rattled as the Warriors refused to make the win easy. Curry scored 21 points in the third quarter alone. He had two rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Clipper’s star Kawhi Leonard had his fourth 30-point game, eight rebounds, and five assists. He was 10 of 19 from the field.
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(Credit: Courtesy Photo)
You know they are going to make big runs, but we kept our composure, stayed steady, and executed on the offensive end,” said Leonard
Steve Kerr, the Warrior’s head coach, admitted how lucky they are to have Curry on their side:
“It’s like one of the guys throwing a no-hitter. You just leave him alone. Let him sit in the dugout in between innings, and don’t say anything to him. It was stunning watching that show tonight, watching some of the shot-making, the playmaking,” Kerr shared.
The Clippers had a crucial run in the third quarter. They trailed 70-66 in the quarter but scored 14 straight points to take the lead. Clipper’s guard Eric Gordon was on fire as he had 14 points in the quarter and scored the last eight during their third-quarter run. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said:
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“We didn’t get stagnant. We executed our shots. When a guy like that (Curry) explodes, we stayed with the game plan. I thought our offense really carried us.”
Warriors power forward Draymond Green picked up his 16th technical foul during the first half after he bounced the ball off the head of Russell Westbrook. Green was suspended Thursday by the NBA for exceeding the league’s technical foul limit. He will miss the Warrior’s next road game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. received a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game with 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Referee Kevin Scott said on the ESPN broadcast: “All the components (for a Flagrant 2) were met: wind-up, impact, follow-through above the shoulders, high potential for injury, and a non-basketball play.”
The Clippers will host the Orlando Magic on Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena.
