Blake Griffin strikes again, as Clippers pull off 105-91 victory over the Warriors
Blake Griffin continued his excellent form, as he registered 23 points and 12 rebounds for his 23rd consecutive double-double, to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-91 win over the Golden State Warriors at Staples Centre in Los Angeles. The victory marked
the Clippers 12th win of the season.
In addition, Griffin was 9 for 11 from the line, which was nice to see. Eric Gordon played fantastically and scored a team-high 25 points for the Clippers, who won seven of their last 10 games, equalling Portland and San Antonio for the best record in the
Western Conference over their last 10. Baron Davis had an impressive night with 17 points and 11 assists for his first double-double of the season.
Clippers Guard Eric Gordon said after the game, "We are practicing crisper and getting to know each other better. The chemistry is good and we are really active out on the court.”
Only two of the Warriors players managed to score in double figures. Dorell Wright did all he could and scored a game-high 27 points in the defeat. Monta Ellis ended with 13 points, six assists, and five boards for Golden State, who lost their 22nd game
of the season.
First Quarter
Both the Clippers and the Warriors began the game at a crisp pace, but Los Angeles got it going offensively later on. The Clippers managed to make it to the free throw line early, to help build a four-point lead at the end of first quarter at 32-28.
Gordon and Griffin played one of their best games in Clippers uniform, and led all scorers with 12 and 11 points respectively, helping Los Angeles to a 30-25 lead with two minutes left.
Blake Griffin said, "After we got going, we felt good as a team and I was able to just make the easy pass and we were knocking down shots.”
Second Quarter
In the second quarter, the Warriors fought hard to trim the deficit. However, with the score tied at 44-all, Davis got into a stare down after a hard foul by Vladimir Radmanovic. He then proceeded to score nine points in the run, including a three-point
basket with 2.5 seconds left in the second.
The Clippers went on a 21-4 run to close the first half and take a 62-48 lead into half time.
Third Quarter
In the third quarter, Los Angeles stepped up the pace and controlled every aspect of the game; limiting turnovers, making shots in the third, and playing a tenacious defence.
Ryan Gomes then scored a three-pointer to give his side a 22-point lead at 80-62, with five minutes left in the stanza.
Eric Bledsoe made a driving lay-up in the closing seconds of the period to give Los Angeles a 91-73 lead heading into the final stanza.
Fourth Quarter
Golden State struggled early from the field, but Los Angeles got enough of a rhythm to push the lead to 19 early in the final quarter. The struggling Warriors did not get any closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
"We got guys in foul trouble and never had a chance to get into a rhythm," Golden State head coach Keith Smart said.
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