The 26-year-old Thompson said the Olympics are definitely in the back of his mind despite his Warriors team on a historic campaign in the National Basketball Association right now. The main statistics I calculated and used are three-point differential, which is the per-game difference of points for and points allowed on three-point shots, and three-point percentage differential, which is the difference of three-point shooting percentage and opponent three-point shooting percentage.
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Saturday’s 115-112 win over the host Los Angeles Clippers, a victory the Warriors’ garbage-time unit turned into a nail-biter, revealed a refocused Warriors squad.
“I’m going to let him play first, really, and then we’ll figure it out”, Rivers said. “We had to give some back”.
The second half offered the Clippers a chance to remedy the woes that consumed them over the first 24 minutes, but the Warriors continued to space the floor effectively while largely neutralizing Jordan on his trademark dives to the basket in the pick-and-roll. “That’s our mentality. We can have a letdown night like we did last night and come back and refocus and turn it on and find a way to get a win against a great team that’s playing well”. “I’m not sure we did that tonight”. That brought Thompson, Curry, Green Harrison Barnes back in a hurry. “It frustrates you when you know nothing’s going on, but what can you do?” “We had a few bad stretches”.
“We’re the first team in history to be “all of a sudden” after a championship”, Draymond Green said. However, the Dubs also have a rest advantage (though they play the next night in San Antonio) because the Grizzlies play in Dallas the night before. The only game they’re not favored?
The Clippers were led by 25 points from Jamal Crawford, who hit one ridiculous shot after another as he single-handedly attempted to erase the Warriors’ double-digit lead.
Andre Iguodala’s pass was stolen by C.J. Wilcox, but his panicked shot fell well short of the basket as time expired. The year before, Jerry Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels had beaten Duke by 30 points in the NCAA final, and if you remember the game, it looked and felt like 60.
From the outset, the Warriors sought to blitz the Clippers in transition, and L.A.’s defense simply couldn’t keep up. Damian Lillard, the Blazers firebrand who got another NBA All-Star game snub, scored 51 points and his backcourt mate CJ McCollum, who was involved in trade rumors prior to the deadline, scored 21 in their 137-105 drubbing of the Dubs. When you face what feels like a never-ending barrage of 3-pointers from a team that’s shooting 42 percent from deep, it must become overwhelming. The Stephen Curry-led Warriors stopped LeBron James and the Cavs in six games.
The Warriors played without centre Andrew Bogut, who missed the contest with a strained right Achilles’ tendon.
Steph Curry will win the MVP unanimously. The Clippers signed F-C Alex Stepheson to a 10-day contract. The league’s leading scorer is averaging 33.8 points over the past five games, and his 29.8 season average is the highest by a Warrior since Ricky Barry’s 30.6 in 1974-75. Stepheson, who is 6-foot-10, has played overseas since failing to be drafted in 2011.
“He gets up for every kind of matchup”.
“It will be a great feat, just because growing up as a sports fan, that’s one of those records you doubt you’ll touch”, guard Klay Thompson said. “We’re doing OK. I don’t see the need to do much”.
He added: “We’ve got a lot of those guys on the team”.
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The Clippers controlled the boards, 49-39, but were outclassed in the paint (58-46) and on fast-break points (32-19). I BELIEVE the Rockets can pull out a win or two in a seven game series, but won’t be able to stick together to win the series.
