The new-look Los Angeles Clippers got off to a rocky start, struggling with the Golden State Warriors in the early goings and heading into the half trailing by two. But in the second half, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and company found their rhythm, opening up a double-digit lead in the third quarter.
Clippers Vs. Warriors Final Score: Chris Paul, Blake Griffin Lead Los Angeles To 105-86 Win
The Warriors climbed back into it in the fourth, cutting the Clippers lead to one with just under seven minutes to go. Golden State was able to slow a bit of the Clippers’ momentum in the third, employing a Hack-a-DeAndre-Jordan strategy that put Los Angeles’ poor free throw shooting big man at the line. It work, at least momentarily, and the Warriors were able to weather the storm as they chipped away at the lead.
In the fourth, after Golden State drew within striking range, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin took over, hitting the throttle and turning a one-point advantage into a 17-point lead in just over six minutes. At one point, Paul looked unstoppable, taking on more of a scoring role as he drained jumpers on back-to-back possessions, taking advantage of defensive stops on the other end.
The end result was a 105-86 win as the Clippers proved to be too much for the Warriors in Mark Jackson’s head coaching debut. Griffin led all scorers with 22 points, followed by Chauncey Billups (21 points) and Paul (20). David Lee scored 21 points for the Warriors in the loss.
For updates and analysis of these two teams, visit Clippers blog Clips Nation and Warriors blog Golden State Of Mind.
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