OAKLAND - In a matchup between two of the top teams in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors wiped out the Los Angeles Clippers 115-94 on Wednesday in front of a raucous sellout crowd at Oracle Arena.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 31 points, eight assists and six rebounds. David Lee had 24 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Klay Thompson added 19 points for the Warriors, who have won four straight and 15 of their last 19 games to pull within 2.5 games of the division-leading Clippers.
The trio combined to shoot 58.7 percent (27 of 46) in the game. Curry was 11 of 16 from the field and 6 of 8 from the 3-point line. Thompson was 7 of 14 from the field and 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Lee was 9 of 16 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
“He's an all-time great shooter,” said Warriors coach Mark Jackson on Curry. “He's in a zone right now. He's a great shooter and you are shocked when he misses it. What you want to do as a coach or as a teammate is find a way to get him open.”
The Warriors shot 50 percent from the field (42 of 84), 52 percent from the 3-point line (12 of 23) and 86.4 percent (19 of 22) from the free throw line.
“They were so focused on Steph, especially coming off the pick-n-roll, that it allowed D-Lee to make plays off that roll,” said Thompson. “We really shared the ball well and everyone played great. We didn't take too many crazy shots and played very unselfishly."
Jamal Crawford had 24 points to lead Los Angeles, who shot just 36.3 percent for the game. Chris Paul had 23 points and six assists. Matt Barnes had 19 points and seven rebounds. Blake Griffin was held to just 10 points on 2 of 11 shooting.
After winning a franchise-record 17 straight games, the Clippers have lost two in a row. Denver ended the Clippers' streak with a 92-78 victory on Tuesday.
The Warriors set the tone early, jumping out to a 26-8 lead after just seven minutes of play. It was a total team effort. Curry and Harrison Barnes led the charge with seven points apiece. Lee and Thompson each had six points. A rejuvenated Andris Biedrins provided the defense with three blocks.
While Golden State started 11 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, the Clippers missed 11 of their first 13 shots.
Turnovers have been an issue for the Warriors all season long and that’s what allowed the Clippers back into this game.
After getting the 18-point lead, the Warriors committed six turnovers over the next eight minutes. Los Angeles took advantage with a 23-9 run to cut the lead to just four with nine minutes left in the first half.
The Clippers eventually cut the lead to two, but the Warriors closed the first half on a 19-8 run to lead 62-49 at halftime. The 62 points scored tied a season-high.
Curry led Golden State with 25 points in the first half on 9 of 11 shooting. The Clippers were led by Barnes, who had 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting. The Warriors shot 53.5 percent (23 of 43) and held Los Angeles to just 37.2 percent (16 of 43). Rebounding was 28-18 in favor of the home team.
The Warriors scored the first six points of the third quarter to extend the lead to 19. Then Festus Ezeli was called for a questionable flagrant foul on Griffin.
Griffin was driving towards the basket when his left arm was grabbed by Ezeli, causing him to spin in the air and landed hard on his head. Griffin held his head and stayed down for a few minutes, but was able to continue.
There was no doubt that Ezeli committed a foul, but what caused Griffin to land on his head might have been because of his own exaggeration. Jackson did not believe a flagrant foul was warranted.
“He’s a great actor,” said Jackson. “I’ve seen those Kia commercials.”
Whether it was a flagrant foul or not, it stopped all the momentum the Warriors had built up. Golden State managed just four points over the next six and a half minutes.
The Clippers managed to cut the lead to 10 with 3:19 left in the quarter. The Warriors finally woke up from their offensive drought and put the game away with a 10-2 quarter-ending run.
It was a physical game throughout and that was something Jackson had prepared his team for.
“Very physical game and we expected that,” said Jackson. “We expected to have some tough times against a very good team. They have a lot of guys that can carry them. I loved the way my team stuck with it and hung in there. I have a team that has developed an edge, toughness and confidence. They battled and we found a way to make plays offensively and defensively. Another quality win against a very good team in our own building."
Jackson did make note of the fact that the Clippers were playing the back end of a back-to-back.
"Let's be fair, they played last night,” said Jackson. “We are a good basketball team and we were ready. When a good basketball team is sitting at home waiting for another team that worked the night before, this isn't going to happen all the time, you impose your will. We did a good job of fighting and getting a win. I'm sure you will see a different Clipper team in Los Angeles and we will be ready."
The two teams will match up again on Saturday in Los Angeles. The Clippers will again be playing the second game of a back-to-back.
After the big win, owner Joe Lacob went into the locker room and congratulated Lee.
“He’s excited,” said Lee on Lacob. “Playing against these L.A. teams, for our ownership group, there is a lot of pride on the line. Another team in California. So, they are excited. We are very excited as well.”
NOTES: Lee recorded his 20th double-double of the season, second-most in the NBA behind Zach Randolph. Golden State also scored 62 points in the first half against Atlanta on Dec. 15. The Warriors improved to 3-4 against Pacific Division opponents and are 8-1 on Wednesdays. Carlos Santana, Andre Ward and Kenny Smith were among those in attendance.
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