Los Angeles Clippers pull away late to thump Golden State Warriors 105-86: NBA Recap Part 1
On Sunday night, in the last game on Christmas, the newly strengthened Los Angeles Clippers visited Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors.
The contest between two of the youngest teams in the competition was fought hard till the third quarter, with the Clipper holding on to a slight advantage. That lead was however slashed quickly and midway through the fourth frame,
the game was evenly poised at 81-80 in the favour of the visitors.
However what followed was a display of sheer offensive audacity from the Clippers, who sprinted to a 25-6 spurt to seal the game at 105-86.
Blake Griffin led the way with 22 points, 7 rebounds and a couple of steals. Chris Paul got going late and ended with 20 points and a game high 9 assists while Chauncey Billups made 21 on a 6 of 19 shooting. Caron Butler recovered
from a shocking first half to score 11 points and 10 boards while DeAndre Jordan had 6 points and an astonishing 8 blocks for the Clips, who after cold first half finished with nearly 46 percent shooting from the floor.
The Warriors were marshalled by David Lee’s 21 points and 12 rebounds. Monta Ellis had 12 points in the first half, but managed only 15 by the end of the game. Brandon Rush came off the bench for 12 while Biedrins finished the
night on 10 points and 8 rebounds. Dorrell Wright managed to connect only one of his 6 long range efforts and closed the night on 8 points and 9 rebounds. The biggest disappointment of the night however was the third year guard Stephen Curry. The ace swingman
started the game despite of an ankle niggle, but managed only 4 points on a 2 of 12 shooting.
In what was an offensively charged game, the Clips started with two point guards in the lineup and it soon paid dividends with both Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups knocking down three’s to start the scoring. The Warriors, led by
Alec Biedrins, however had the better initial phase as they raced off to a 12-6 lead inside the first five minutes. Biedrins had 6 points and 4 rebounds in that spell.
Los Angeles Clippers, who were struggling to find their shots early however responded with an 18-6 run to take a 24-18 lead, before Monta Ellis made a two to make it 20-24 after the first 12 minutes.
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