ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — After a four-game roadtrip ending with a win at Charlotte, the Golden State Warriors (39-7) were back at home to face the Los Angeles Clippers (30-17). After yesterday’s practice, Stephen Curry was listed as questionable, but had an impressive pregame routine and gave it a go for the game.
The Warriors were without David West (non-displaced fracture, left thumb). The Clippers were without Chris Paul (ligament tear, left thumb), and Brice Johnson (acute herniated disc, lower back).
Q1: Steph In Rhythm
The Warriors drew first blood, taking an early 13-7 lead as Curry hit two field goals, one of them a triple, Draymond Green added two in a row from the free throw line, and Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson each hit jumpers.
Zaza Pachulia got busy underneath and fetched a miss from Thompson, throwing the ball out to Steph at the top for three more.
Later, Green found Curry for a touchdown run-out scoop after stealing the ball…
[protected-iframe id=”6cebc57cc9e7983ddbca2ec53710e51f-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FKNBR%2Fstatus%2F825521164176941056″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]…but J.J. Redick hit a catch-and-shoot before Durant could get there at the right side, and the Clippers trimmed down their deficit to 18-12 as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called timeout with 5:11 remaining.
Kerr inserted JaVale McGee, who immediately got into the action with a dunk on a dish from KD…
[protected-iframe id=”cfdb8ff14d2c3cbcac98f1ef93e4fa81-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fwarriors%2Fstatus%2F825522565191868417″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]…and later putting back a missed floater by Steph that went in and out.
Meanwhile, Klay found Durant in a nice system-generated play:
[protected-iframe id=”b8d05c5e82a86a6bc455522886045728-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fbballbreakdown%2Fstatus%2F825522829063970816″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]Wesley Johnson threw a bad pass into DeAndre Jordan, Andre Iguodala easily intercepted, and led the break to find Curry open on the left wing for an easy splash.
That gave Golden State a 29-20 lead with 1:04 to play, and after Jamal Crawford airballed a pull-up from the top, Steph dissected the Los Angeles defense at the other end and went with the righty bank off the left glass:
[protected-iframe id=”bbadd92dc7236588b542bb0104f5ec32-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FLaurenceScott%2Fstatus%2F825524611559219200″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]The Warriors took a 31-22 lead into the second stanza.
Q2: Splashin’
James McAdoo got the start in the second quarter and didn’t disappoint again, getting a “tic-tac-toe” bucket inside from Shaun Livingston via Iguodala, but then also missing a point-blank dunk.
Later, he teamed up with Durant for a beastly offensive putback display against the tame Clippers interior, and Livingston hit two patented jumpers:
[protected-iframe id=”1330bd504be22602d336b3bb3ec5f19e-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F825527909158752256″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]After Blake Griffin made a bad cross-court pass that Livingston easily tracked, Klay got an “and one” layup at the other end, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers called timeout, and the Warriors held a 44-29 lead with 6:58 to go.
McAdoo cashed in at the rim again, this time with a dunk assisted by KD, but Griffin smelled blood and took McAdoo to the hoop twice in a row for buckets.
However, Thompson came back again and got a drive against Austin Rivers, then Crawford hit a three over Patrick McCaw and Kerr took a timeout as Los Angeles crept back to 48-38 with 4:57 left.
After the timeout, the Warriors gained momentum as KD took Marreese Speights down the left side, Iguodala went Euro-step to get to the line, Curry hit a three on a catch from the left wing, and after Kerr had Pachulia Hack-A-Jordan (DeAndre missed both), Durant got a running banker on the right side and Golden State’s lead went back up to 57-42.
Griffin, who had scored the last two field goals for the Clippers on nice power moves to the tin, then got swatted by a retreating Green as he tried to attack again. The ball went to Iguodala who rushed up court and fed a trailing Draymond for the emphatic slam:
[protected-iframe id=”9f760d803a3dcc9425bf699d34eab05d-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F825531416481927169″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]The Warriors weren’t done, though, even as Rivers responded with a triple. Durant hit another jumper, and Curry threw an amazing pass between the legs of Crawford to Iguodala at the rim for two more, with 29 seconds remaining:
[protected-iframe id=”6194c783b0be5b683ef4689ea9860763-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F825560716799262720″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]Crawford missed with four seconds left, Steph got the board, went with a behind-the-back lefty dribble to avoid the defense, made it to half-court, sized up the missile, and launched from mid-court.
Splash!
[protected-iframe id=”68cd320313e2527672751fae2390e3f1-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F825532805866156032″ width=”360″ height=”260″ frameborder=”0″]It was bedlam at #Roaracle:
[protected-iframe id=”9817f0c8432f459e5192863e147d2b29-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F825532920878096384″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]The Warriors took a commanding 72-51 lead into halftime. Curry and Durant each had 18 points to lead all scorers.
[twitter-follow screen_name=’poormanscommish’ show_count=’yes’]
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @michaelr.vincent)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
