Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Golden State Warriors dominated the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-98, Sunday afternoon at Oracle Arena.
Though the final score suggests otherwise, Golden State (49-12) was in control throughout the second half, thanks to a 30-18 advantage in the third quarter.
Draymond Green racked up a game-high 23 points, while Klay Thompson and Shaun Livingston both tallied 21 for the Warriors, who achieved some history, per GSWStats:
Los Angeles (40-23) committed 18 turnovers, the team's most since a Jan. 5 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Austin Rivers paced the team with 21 points, mostly in garbage time.
The Clippers played without Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford, two players they dearly missed in what was basically a blowout loss.
| Chris Paul | C+ |
| DeAndre Jordan | C- |
| J.J. Redick | B+ |
| Glen Davis | C+ |
| Rest of Team | D+ |
| Stephen Curry | B- |
| Klay Thompson | B+ |
| Draymond Green | A |
| Shaun Livingston | A |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: C+
The Clippers' leading scorer did more of his damage as a passer than a shooter, though, an 0-of-4 clip from three-point range certainly didn't help Chris Paul's efforts.
CP3 capitalized on J.J. Redick's pure shooting and dished five assists to his backcourt mate, but Paul committed five turnovers and four personal fouls, too. The point guard really could have used Griffin to counteract the Warriors' lineups.
Paul registered 14 points and 11 assists, his 32nd double-double of the year.
DeAndre Jordan: C-
Andrew Bogut silenced DeAndre Jordan offensively, but the physical center abused yet another frontcourt on the glass. Jordan fell one rebound shy of tallying his 11th straight 15-board performance.
Golden State picked on his limited offense, though, using a small-ball lineup to render Jordan largely ineffective. He trudged to six points for the second consecutive game.
Glen Davis: C+
Spencer Hawes essentially disappeared, so Glen Davis attempted to fill the void left by Griffin's absence. Big Baby chipped in eight points on a 4-of-11 clip from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds.
Davis helped stall Curry when he ran around ball screens, which was a key reason Los Angeles contained the sweet-shooting guard for most of the afternoon.
J.J. Redick: B+
Following a 26-point outing Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Redick ripped into the Warriors for a while. The sharpshooter showcased elite off-ball movement, using screens to create uncontested opportunities.
However, Redick strangely didn't play during the fourth quarter despite leading the team with 18 points at that junction. He finished the afternoon 8-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-5 from downtown.
Rest of Team: D+
Hedo Turkoglu connected on four trifectas, all of which came when the Clippers trailed by 14, 15 or 16 points. Matt Barnes and Rivers misfired on each of their combined six triples.
Nate Robinson made his team debut and managed five points in 20 minutes but was severely outmatched by the Warriors' backcourt length.
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry: B-
The MVP candidate was held scoreless through the game's opening 18 minutes but broke his funk with a gorgeous shot-fake that sent Paul in a different direction.
Stephen Curry scored just 12 points—his lowest total since Jan. 23— but drained both of his three-pointers, recording four assists and three steals. His biggest impact was being the pass-to-assist man, setting up teammates for easy buckets.
Klay Thompson: B+
The shooting guard entered the contest having converted just eight of his last 32 three-point attempts, but Los Angeles' early focus on Curry allowed Thompson more favorable looks. He drilled three of his four triples during the opening half.
Thompson buried nine of his 13 attempts, registering 21 points before sitting out the fourth quarter. The high-percentage outing was an important step for him to break out of his slump.
Draymond Green: A
Green's defensive versatility was on full display when Kerr sent him out in a lineup of Curry, Livingston, Thompson and Harrison Barnes. The unit built Golden State's lead heading into halftime thanks to Green's ability to limit Jordan in the post.
The Clippers hedged and double-teamed the backcourt, which left Green as a terrific—and often unguarded—option. Green ended the afternoon with 23 points, three rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block.
Shaun Livingston: A
Livingston was stellar off the bench, netting a season-high 21 points—including seven straight during the second quarter.
The 6'7" point guard also allowed Kerr to remain in small-ball lineups for an extended period because he was an offensive mismatch. Livingston grabbed eight rebounds, which included a pair of put-back slams.
Rest of Team: B+
In a game where Thompson and Green carried the Golden State attack, Andrew Bogut was able to focus on contributing defensively. Jordan grabbed just two offensive rebounds with Bogut on the court.
Harrison Barnes added 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Andre Iguodala managed four points, four rebounds and five assists. David Lee and Marreese Speights spent extra time on the bench due to the breakout combination of Green and Livingston.
Play of the Day
Curry is not real; he is not from this world. See for yourself:
What's Next?
Los Angeles (40-23) returns home to battle the Minnesota Timberwolves (14-47) Monday, March 9, at 10:30 p.m. ET. Fox Sports West will broadcast the Western Conference bout.
Golden State (49-12) hops on a plane for the latter end of a back-to-back, challenging the Phoenix Suns (33-31) Monday at 10 p.m. ET. CSN Bay Area will televise the matchup.
The Warriors increased their lead over the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference to 5.5 games.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR
