Kawhi Leonard, Paul George Lead Clippers Past Struggling Steph Curry, Warriors
The Los Angeles Clippers snapped out of their recent funk with a 108-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Wednesday's Western Conference showdown at Chase Center.
Los Angeles lost two of its previous three games, but Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Serge Ibaka led the way in a balanced effort and helped their team improve to 6-3 on the campaign.
A strong showing from Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall was not enough for the Warriors, who saw their two-game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 4-4 with Stephen Curry struggling with his shot.
Notable Player Stats
- Kawhi Leonard, F, LAC: 21 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 7 TOs
- Paul George, F, LAC: 21 PTS, 12 REB
- Serge Ibaka, F, LAC: 12 PTS, 14 REB
- Nicolas Batum, F, LAC: 13 PTS, 5 REB
- Stephen Curry, G, GS: 13 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB, 5-of-17 FG, 1-of-6 3PT
- Andrew Wiggins, F, GS: 19 PTS, 3 AST
- Eric Paschall, F, GS: 19 PTS, 3 REB
Stars Finish Balanced Effort for Clippers
It was fair to wonder what the Clippers would look like heading into Wednesday's game.
After all, George missed Tuesday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs with an ankle injury, and Leonard rarely plays on back-to-back nights. However, George returned, and Leonard played both games in a back-to-back for the first time since April 2017.
That gave the Clippers their two stars, but it was Ibaka and the supporting cast who spearheaded the initial effort for the visitors.
The big man was a single point shy of a double-double at halftime, while others such as Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris Sr. and Nicolas Batum helped Los Angeles take early control with Leonard and George taking something of a backseat compared to their usual production.
It was just a matter of time before the two go-to options started playing with a bit more aggression, and they both reached double figures in the third quarter as the Clippers opened up a double-digit lead. While Leonard struggled with turnover issues, George helped make up for that by battling for boards and scoring 11 in the third.
Winning time meant Leonard time, and he got to the free-throw line and found Batum in the corner for two critical threes in crunch time as L.A. pulled away for good.
It was a welcome sign for the Clippers, who will surely need their secondary pieces to win a championship but know Leonard can take over as a scorer or facilitating playmaker when the game is on the line.
Curry's Hot Streak Comes to an End in Defeat
The Warriors no longer have Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and a number of other contributors from their recent dynasty. They are also missing Klay Thompson because of an Achilles injury.
Yet they are still appointment viewing for one reason.
Curry was on an absolute tear during Golden State's recent resurgence, pouring in 30 or more points in all four of the team's wins and 62 in a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Opposing defenses are meeting him seemingly as soon as he crosses half court, but he is still dancing through openings, drilling contested triples and facilitating when too many doubles come his way.
While he flashed his brilliance with a three over Patrick Beverley's hounding defense to bring the Warriors within a single point by halftime, his teammates led the way in the early going.
Paschall provided an immediate spark off the bench, Draymond Green facilitated even though he wasn't a scoring threat, and Wiggins was on fire for much of the game.
In fact, Wiggins' step-back three and a triple from Damion Lee opened up a four-point advantage for the Warriors in the fourth quarter, but the offense eventually stalled when Curry was unable to match Leonard in the final minutes.
Beverley deserves plenty of credit for harassing the two-time MVP, and the Clippers also didn't hesitate to send double-teams at times. It was a rare off night for the sharpshooter, which proved costly as the Clippers gradually pulled away at the end.
What's Next?
Both teams play again at Chase Center on Friday.
