Golden State Warriors Lose Game 7 126-121 As Clippers Size, Depth Win Out (Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle)
The NBA’s third Game 7 of the day turned out to be the one we were all waiting for.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers went down to the wire, but it was the Clippers who came out on top with a 126-121 win.
The Warriors dominated the first quarter with balanced scoring as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green started the game off with back-to-back three point shots to give the Warriors an early 6-0 lead.
The Warriors continued to knock down shots early on, shooting 72 percent in the first quarter, including four 3-point makes to the Clippers none.
A the end of one, Green led all scorers with 10 points and Golden State led 32-22 even though they turned the ball over 7 times. They closed out the quarter on a 9-1 scoring run and never trailed in the first period.
In the 2nd quarter the Clippers came out and turned up the defensive intensity, forcing Warrior turnovers that led to a 9-2 run with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul on the bench. J.J. Redick’s 3-point shot that cut the lead to 34-29, but the Warriors maintained a 64-56 advantage going to the break.
The 8-point lead was built by a total team effort led by Stephen Curry’s 13 points and 6 assists. Green had 13 points Andre Iguodala had 10 points including 2 three pointers.
Marreese Speights was huge off the bench with 8 points and Golden State shot 58% from the field and 9 of 13 from the three-point line.
For the Clippers, Griffin and Jamal Crawford had 13 points each to lead Los Angeles, with Chris Paul chipping in 7 points and 6 assists.
Both teams struggled to score at the start of the third quarter. With 6:02 left in the third quarter a Redick jumper gave the Clippers their first lead of the game.
Matt Barnes followed with a one from the corner, giving Los Angeles the momentum and a 3-point lead.
At the end of the 3rd the Clippers lead 87-84 at Staples Center, where they hadn’t lost a single game after leading through 3 quarters (34-0).
But the Warriors weren’t without fight.
The Warriors’ Jordan Crawford came out firing to start the 4th quarter and catapulted the Warriors into a 92-89 lead.
The back and forth began as the Clippers responded with a 7-0 run to retake control 96-92.
It seemed neither team could score without an answer from the opponent.
With 4:27 remaining Iguodala took a rushed shot from beyond the three-point line and banked it in to take the lead 107-106.
The Clippers returned the favor when Griffin made back-to-back baskets to go up 112-109.
From that point on, Los Angeles never relinquished the lead.
In the end, the undersized Warriors just couldn’t combat the Clippers’ size.
The Clippers had 62 points in the paint to the Warriors 38, the first time Golden State had failed to hold the advantage in the series.
Griffin had 24 points and 5 rebounds while Jordan added another 15 points and 18 boards.
It was a gallant effort by the Warriors. Curry did everything he could, scoring 33 points and dishing out 9 assists.
Green was great as well, with 24 points and 7 rebounds, including a 5-8 mark from the three-point line.
All five Warriors starters scored in double digits, while Speights and Crawford contributed off the bench with 10 and 12 points, respectively.
It was just too much size and depth that gave the Clippers the series win.
The Warriors lost, but Mark Jackson and the organization showed they’re on the right track for a better future.
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