Warriors Game Day: Sights & Sounds From Staples Center – Golden State Clinches Playoff Berth As Steph Curry Records Triple-Double (Photo: @mrchaseellman Instagram account)
STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA — After squandering a 20-point lead and a chance to clinch a playoff berth at home last night against the Denver Nuggets, the Golden State Warriors took care of business and did so tonight against the second-worst team in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stephen Curry outclassed everyone on the court, collecting a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Steve Blake added 13 points in his retrun to LA and David Lee, after not playing for three weeks with a hamstring and subsequent nerve inflammation injury, chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Draymond Green had gotten the start in front of Lee, but Andre Iguodala was given the day off on the second night of a back-to-back. Jermaine O’Neal, who injured his knee last night in the Nuggets game, did not dress.
PRE-GAME
Things have changed drastically in recent times. Nowadays, any matchup against the Lakers requires the obligatory #LOLakers hashtag, first derived by @trappedingoldenstate
IN-GAME
The Warriors started out a bit sloppy, but so were the hapless Lakers. At the end of the first quarter, it was tied, 26-26. Curry had a steal, but blew the uncontested dunk, only to get the ball back for a trey on the ensuing sequnce. Meanwhile, Jordan Farmar got a bucket at the buzzer and #DubNation was left wondering if the Warriors would not take this game seriously as they had against the Nuggets last night.
With 7:15 to go in the second quarter, the Warriors managed to pull away a little bit, 38-34. Blake started heating up and after hitting a three, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni called timeout.
By halftime, the Dubs stretched the lead to 58-43. Curry was leading the way, taking over in that second frame, totaling 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists already. The Warriors were also displaying some better ball movement.
In the second half, the Warriors started to put away the Lakers. With 2:29 to go in the 3rd quarter, Golden State had stretched the lead to 20. By then, Curry had accumulated 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 27 minutes of play.
Up 14 at the end of the third, the Warriors could smell that playoff berth.
Even though the Warriors had control of the game, Jackson put Curry back in. Whether it was to encourage him to notch the triple-double or not, Nick Young all of a sudden started to heat up and Warriors coach Mark Jackson had no choice but to call timeout to try and stop his groove. Young eventually finished with 25 points, although the Lakers got as close as 103-92 with 2:52 to go before the timeout was called.
The Dubs righted the ship immediately and closed out the Lakers with a final score of 112-95. In the waning moments, Curry got his 10th rebound on a Lakers’ missed shot and got his fifth triple-double of the season, leading the Warriors to a playoff berth.
POST-GAME
After the game, Warriors owner Joe Lacob shook Jackson’s hand and gave him a little hug:
The celebration of the playoff berth has started.
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