Kevin Durant: Warriors Played with 'S--tty Energy' in Game 5 Loss to Clippers

Kevin Durant's solution to the Golden State Warriors finally finishing off the Los Angeles Clippers: start with more energy. 

"It was a perfect storm for the Clippers last game, you know," Durant told reporters before Friday's Game 6 matchup. "We came out with s--tty energy to start. I mean...I wouldn't say s--tty, but more so just a little bit more relaxed than we were the two games before."

Durant said the Warriors' lackadaisical start allowed an already-loose Clippers team to gain confidence with easy drives to the rim and open threes.

"We've just got to do a better job of starting off the games and doing the little things," Durant said.

The Warriors actually outscored the Clippers 41-37 in the first quarter of their 129-121 loss in Game 5. It was the second quarter where Golden State began showing signs of sluggishness, with the Clippers outscoring them 34-22 to hold an eight-point halftime lead.

Durant's point was largely about the Warriors' defensive lapses, though, as the Clippers gained confidence early and never wavered. They answered back with a 15-5 run to close the game after a Klay Thompson three gave Golden State a 116-114 lead with 4:04 remaining.

The Clippers, who were led by a combined 57 points from Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell off the bench, shot 54.1 percent as a team and knocked down 13 threes. The Warriors currently rank 11th in defensive rating for the playoffs in what's been an up-and-down series.

Durant more than did his part on the offensive end, scoring 45 points and adding six rebounds and six assists. He's unquestionably been the Warriors' best player in this series, averaging 32.0 points, 5.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game on 56.9 percent shooting.

With the Houston Rockets waiting for a rematch of last year's conference finals, the Warriors better pick their energy up and fast.