All-Star Sunday was a success for the NBA, but some teams may not have fared too well from the break. The Golden State Warriors traveled to Los Angeles for a matchup Thursday night with the Clippers, who were coming off a 3-game losing streak. However, perhaps still feeling the rust from the long break, Golden State had a long night ahead.
Forward Serge Ibaka got things going early for the Clippers, knocking down his first four shots for 9 straight points. Ibaka came into the game averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds against Golden State this season. Kawhi Leonard took over from there, dropping 14 points in the quarter to help keep his team in control.
Tough from the start
Golden State coach Steve Kerr elected to bench rookie James Wiseman in the first half for a missed COVID test. The team struggled to find their flow to start the game, as they began a dismal 1 of 10 from the field. Yet, they managed a 7 to 0 run midway through the quarter to keep themselves in the game. Veteran forward Draymond Green knocked down a pair of threes in the quarter, including a triple that tied the ballgame at 20 apiece. For someone like his teammate, Stephen Curry – widely known as the greatest shooter ever – that would be no big deal. Green, however, is only shooting 23 percent from beyond the arc on the year.
The Clippers would go on a run of their own to start the second quarter. What started as a 28-26 lead at the beginning turned into a 45-32 lead midway through. A 5-minute stretch saw only 2 points scored by Golden State as the Clippers went on their run. Jordan Poole of the Warriors finally stopped the bleeding with a deep three, but Leonard answered back with the same. The Clippers stayed in cruise control for the duration of the half and took a 59-43 lead into halftime. It was the lowest-scoring first half of the season for Golden State.
Things only got uglier for Golden State to start the second half. The Clippers jumped out to their largest lead of the game, going up as much as 39 points in the third. Despite Curry’s passionate attempt to wake his team up, Golden State could never find their footing. Paul George became more aggressive in the third. He attacked the rim relentlessly and hit Green with a mean step-back three that led to a 4-point play. By the end of the third quarter, Golden State found themselves trailing 104-68.
Throwing in the towel
Kerr mailed it in early for Golden State and used the fourth as a development quarter for younger players. Both Curry and Green sat the entire quarter, and the Clippers’ stars followed suit. The Clippers (25-14) went on to claim an easy victory over Golden State (19-19), 130-104.
“Early in the year, it felt like we just had a long way to go,” Kerr said. “So, there was frustration, but we knew we were going to get better. The frustration was greater tonight because we have proven we can be competitive and win games. That was a really disappointing, poor effort.”
No one scored over 15 for Golden State. Curry had a rough shooting night, scoring just 14 points on 6 of 16 field goals and 1 of 8 from three. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre, Jr., each added 15 points while Wiseman chipped in 14 and Green had 12.
The Clippers received a lot more input from their guys. While Leonard did most of his damage in the first half, he ended the game leading all scorers with 28 points. His efficient shooting performance was complete with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. George finished the game with 17 points despite a lack of efficiency, and Ibaka added 16 points with 14 rebounds.
“We definitely needed a win tonight,” Leonard said after the game. “I think we’ve lost 4 of the last 5. The West is competitive… We just want to keep striving and keep playing for ourselves.” Leonard went on to suggest that coaches have done a good job adjusting their schemes to his playing style.
For their next game, the Clippers will head to New Orleans to face the Pelicans Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PST.
