The Warriors had however taken the best start thanks to the address of Stephen Curry but five minutes without scoring at the end of the second quarter changed the face of the match. The Clippers took advantage of many errors from the Golden State defense to take the lead by winning the third quarter 33-19.
The Clippers’ balanced mark, with each starter scoring 4 or more points, allows Los Angeles to take the lead but a boiling Stephen Curry, who ends the first quarter with 16 points at 4/5 from 3-pointers gives the lead. advantage to the Warriors (37-34).
In the wake of their star, the Warriors take an eight-point lead but Stephen Curry is too alone. His teammates only scored 5 of their 15 attempts in the second quarter and the defense left something to be desired. Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington then launch a 13-0 which reverses the trend of the meeting (61-59).
The Clippers confirm their “momentum” by starting the third quarter with a 17-6. Terrance Mann and Ivica Zubac feast in the Dubs’ racket and Los Angeles scores 18 of its 33 points in the paint. While Stephen Curry loses his address, Golden State takes the water (94-76). With his team in the hard, Steve Kerr does not insist and quickly opens his bench, conceding a third defeat in the last four games.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Stephen Curry in Hollywood mode. After twelve minutes of play, the Clippers could be worried. Stephen Curry had indeed started the match aggressively and with an address of madness. At halftime, the double MVP already had 26 points on 9 of 11 on shots and 6 of 7 on 3-pointers. If a performance like this will reassure all Stephen Curry fans, the Warriors star could not avoid the defeat of his team, as his teammates went through this match.
– Golden State’s defense in freefall. After the defeat against New York and the narrow victory against the Lakers, Steve Kerr’s observation was clear: his defense was already on vacation. Lack of communication, drop in intensity, forgotten delay screens, the best NBA defense was only a shadow of itself and it showed it again last night. The Clippers pressed where it hurts, scoring 56 points in the racket! And since the Warriors were also unable to defend the 3-point line, leaving their opponent 44% from far… Draymond Green is sorely missed in Golden State and the All-Star Game break comes at a good time for the team at second-best record in the league.
– Nicolas Batum rotates the Clippers. He did not finish as the top scorer or the best passer on his team, but Nicolas Batum continues to be the link that allows the Clippers to run at full speed. The intelligence of the French game allows his team to show more patience in attack to take back the opposing defense. That night, the captain of the France team also put in, finishing 4 out of 7 from 3-pointers. While Ty Lue has to do without three of his top three outsiders, Nicolas Batum takes responsibility for keeping the Clippers in the hunt for sixth place in the Western Conference.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Terrance Mann. Aggressive and efficient, Terrance Mann marched on the Warriors defense, scoring 14 of 25 points in the third quarter to help his team get away. He also had 7 rebounds and distributed 6 assists.
✅ Ivica Zubac. The Clippers center cruised past Steve Kerr’s small five, finishing the game with 18 points and 8 rebounds.
✅ Reggie Jackson. In the absence of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell, Reggie Jackson continues to play the role of conductor. Tonight, he blacked out the stat sheet with 19 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds.
✅ Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP started the game on fire, scoring 26 of his 33 points in the first half. Adroit, he finished at 8/13 from 3-point range, but he was too lonely to offer victory to his team.
⛔ Clay Thompson. Two days after the best game of his season, Klay Thompson went completely through, finishing the game 3 of 14 on shots.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (42-16): the Warriors return to the Chase Center for a final game with the All Star Game against the Nuggets.
Los Angeles (29-30): the Clippers go back-to-back tonight in Phoenix.
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