Clippers vs. Warriors: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season
Billed as a renewal of perhaps the Western Conference's fiercest rivalry, the only battle turned out to be which Golden State Warriors star could embarrass the Los Angeles Clippers most.
In the end, Stephen Curry scored a team-high 28 points, Draymond Green added 24 and the Golden State defense continued its season-long assault on opposing offenses in the Warriors' 121-104 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night. The team tweeted the results:
Playing before an Oracle Arena crowd in full-on playoff mode, the Warriors set the tone for a blowout early. Golden State made 67.5 percent of its shots in the first half, including a ridiculous 9-of-13 mark from beyond the three-point line. Curry and Klay Thompson made 10 of their 16 field-goal attempts, while Chris Paul and Blake Griffin shot 6-of-19 as the Warriors opened a 23-point halftime lead.
While the Clippers played better in spots during the second half, the Warriors' dominance was ubiquitous. Golden State finished the game shooting 58.1 percent as a team, hitting 15 three-pointers and playing consistently solid two-way basketball. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News pointed out a couple of stats he felt Kerr was pleased with:
This was the type of game the Warriors envisioned when hiring Steve Kerr as their head coach. Kerr, a whip-smart offensive mind who surrounded himself with some of the best assistants on the planet, could rework Golden State's then-stagnant attack while holding Mark Jackson's defensive tactics in place.
The blend has worked like a charm through four games. The Warriors have flashed a greatly increased fluidity offensively and came into Wednesday as the most efficient defense in basketball, per NBA.com. There were no hints of the team that bowed out in seven games against the Clippers last spring, despite the Donald Sterling situation weighing on L.A. club's heads.
Of course, having all hands on deck for once tends to help.
Andrew Bogut, who missed the entire playoff last season with injuries, had six points, 14 rebounds and five assists. David Lee also made his first appearance of the 2014-15 campaign, scoring six points in seven minutes. Lee had missed the Warriors' first three games with a hamstring injury, though he was sparsely used once the game got out of hand.
Nate Jones believes the team's success hinges on Bogut:
While the early portion of the contest lent credence to the fans' playoff-level excitement, the on-court demeanor of both teams appeared different as well. Griffin and Bogut managed to get through four quarters of basketball without nearly coming to blows. Even the bouts of chippy trash talk, which were prevalent throughout their April series, were kept to a minimum.
The game felt like, as Kerr expected before the game, exactly what it was: a regular-season contest between two Western Conference foes.
"No," Kerr responded when asked by USA Today's Sam Amick if this matchup had special meaning. "What's important is beating a fellow Western Conference playoff team and controlling homecourt. That's the importance of this game. We want to be a great home team this year."
Golden State is now 4-0 for the first time since 1994-95 and has outscored both L.A. franchises by a combined 40 points.
Thompson didn't quite give the Clippers the 41-point treatment he gave the Lakers last week, but his impressive start continued. He scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The newly minted $70 million man has knocked down 60.3 percent of his shots over the last three games, flashing a versatility that's impressing teammates.
"I think he's trying to get to the basket more now. He's really made a concerted effort, and he's already dunked on a couple people this year," Bogut told Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. "He's starting to get to the line a bit more, so he's becoming what you would call an all-around scorer because he's not just focused on his jumper."
Curry added seven assists and six rebounds to his hot-scoring night, even throwing in some solid defense on Paul. More important was his 4-of-8 performance from beyond the three-point line, which may signal he's busting out of the uncharacteristic slump to start the season. Curry was shooting 27.3 percent from beyond the arc prior to the visit from the Clippers.
Of course, Curry's minor frustrations are nothing compared to the Clippers' stars. Dan Woike of the Orange County Register confirmed those "star frustrations" with a stat comparison based upon combined misses:
Paul had his fourth straight double-double with 15 points and 12 assists but hasn't found a rhythm with his shot. He's struggled from the field since his 22-point performance opening night against Oklahoma City, with his high being 16 points in those four contests. Jonathan Tjarks joined in the conversation regarding the Warriors' perimeter size:
"JVG making a great point about the Warriors perimeter size. CP3 and Redick look really small against a squad of 6'6 guys.
— Jonathan Tjarks (@JonathanTjarks) November 6, 2014"
Griffin, who finished with 14 points, has been off to an inconsistent start from outside the paint. He came into Wednesday night shooting 36.3 percent on shots 10 feet or longer, per NBA.com and missed eight of his 12 shots outside the restricted area against Golden State.
The Clippers have waited years for Griffin to develop a reliable jumper that he's comfortable shooting, but one has to wonder if he's straying too far from the basket. He didn't make a single free throw and only went to the line once. Andy Liu of SB Nation's Golden State of Mind believes Griffin is "in love with his jumper":
"It's just the confidence, really," Griffin said, per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times last month. "When I'm open, I'm going to shoot it because you just feel like it's going in."
Griffin also grabbed only a single rebound in his 31 minutes. The forward, who averages a double-double for his career, is yet to grab double-figure rebounds in a game this season. DeAndre Jordan (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Jamal Crawford (24 points) were the only two L.A. players in any type of rhythm.
The Clippers, though 3-2, are yet to look like a serious contender. Their wins this season came against lowly Utah and the Lakers, along with a closely fought game against a depleted Oklahoma City team. With six games in their next eight against playoff teams from last season, Doc Rivers and Co. are about to have their mettle tested.
If Wednesday night is any indication, Rivers will be spending a lot of time next to his drawing board.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
All stats via NBA.com.
