Written by Beth Harris at the AP on Yahoo.com
The Warriors weren’t messing around, not even against a team they’ve dominated for a while now.
Stephen Curry scored 29 points despite making just three 3-pointers, Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 assists, and Golden State defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 133-120 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.
The Clippers gave up three dunks and had four turnovers to start the game. Curry forced two steals, feeding Durant and JaVale McGee for consecutive dunks that stunned the Clippers.
“We came out with intent, got two quick steals, pushed the transition, and set the tone that we were going to be physical on the defensive end,” Curry said.
Blake Griffin had 31 points, making 11 of 13 free throws, for the Clippers. They have lost nine in a row to their Bay Area opponents, the franchise’s longest active skid against a single team.
“Trying to make plays is a never-ending struggle,” Griffin said. “You just figure out the situation and sometimes it is just not your night. Open shots killed us.”
The rematch wasn’t the debacle that occurred last weekend when the Clippers lost by 46 points at Golden State.
But they still never led and trailed by 21. The Clippers got beat in every category despite Griffin’s hard-charging effort. The Warriors were dominant in the paint, on second-chance points and fast break points.
“Everybody came out with a great mindset in helping each other on the glass, knowing we were kind of thin on the front line,” Durant said. “Our bench was great, our guards, everybody came in on rebounding.”
Golden State has won 11 of its last 12.
The Clippers got within seven on a 3-pointer by Jamal Crawford with 1:55 remaining in the game. But Durant answered with a 3-pointer and Klay Thompson added another.
The Clippers’ defense was no match for Curry. He slipped through the lane for a fastbreak layup with Raymond Felton dogging him on the left and DeAndre Jordan on the right. Curry fell down scoring, drawing the foul and completing the three-point play that kept the Warriors ahead by 15 in the third quarter.
To continue reading this article, click here.
