NBA scores 2017: The Clippers can challenge the Warriors, but it’s not happening right now

The thought that the Los Angeles Clippers could beat the Golden State Warriors in a playoff series was a popular one the first few weeks of this season. I remember hearing it and nodding my head, thinking, “Yeah, I think I agree.” In the moment, during those opening few weeks, the Clippers were arguably playing better basketball. In the moment, that thought didn’t seem nearly as dumb as it does now.

On Thursday, the Warriors thrashed the Clippers 133-120 in a game that Los Angeles never led. It comes five days after Golden State did the same thing but even more demonstrably, beating the Clippers 144-98 on their home court. Both games have come without Chris Paul, who is recovering from a broken thumb and isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break. Neither showing made you think his presence would have changed anything.

The two teams played “legitimately” early this season, with Blake Griffin and Paul both available against a healthy Golden State roster. It was another Warriors win, this time in a 115-98 variety. All three games were decided by a 13-point margin at minimum, which is rather telling.

Los Angeles hasn’t been the team that started 14-2 this year ever since, well, they started 14-2. That’s when the injuries started rolling in, first to Blake Griffin and later to Paul, robbing the team of the cohesion it would have liked. The Clippers can put together a unified effort on both ends that makes them incredibly challenging to play, and there’s still a month and a half left for Los Angeles to find that rhythm again once Paul returns and the postseason begins. You’d like to think that is all doable, even while holding off Utah or Memphis in the hunt for home court in the first round.

All that can set up the Clippers to get out of the first round, something injuries prevented them from doing last year. However, their chances against the Warrior seem more slim these days. Golden State is an even scarier basketball death machine since Kevin Durant ceded more control to Stephen Curry, in case his 29 points and 11 assists on Thursday wasn’t a clear enough example. The magic is back.

On paper, the Clippers’ blend of athleticism and defenders with versatility could come together to give the Warriors a few problems. At least in some timeline, you could imagine how Los Angeles could pull that off with the right game plan and some good fortune with missed shots. Cleveland is obviously the team’s biggest threat, and both Houston and Utah present interesting challenges. But behind LeBron James, the Clippers could potentially still be best threat to knock off the Warriors.

But that’s an unlikely upset bid even if the Clippers get back to their best selves, something that clearly has happened yet. Once Paul returns, Los Angeles has to lock in and try to regain whatever provided us the allure early in the season. The sharp two-way play that feed off each other with Griffin and Paul working in conjunction.

If they can’t find that again, well, the Warriors won’t be the ones to show any sympathy.

With less than nine minutes to play, Houston led Atlanta 97-77. That’s almost always a win for the team with the lead, especially when they’re at home, but not on Thursday. The game was supposed to be about Dwight Howard, one way or another, in his first return to Houston since this offseason. Instead, Hardaway Jr. decided he wanted to make it about him.

That’s Hardaway Jr. dunking to make it a three-point Hawks lead after erasing their massive fourth quarter deficit. He finished with 23 points in the fourth quarter alone (Rockets: 22 points) and a career-high 33 in the game, an absurd showing from a player who’s still only 24 years old.

It was a strange game in several respects. It looked briefly like Trevor Ariza had tied it late before it became clear this three-pointer of his actually missed.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened there.

Including Slam Dunk and the Three Point Contest. Here’s everyone involved.

I will begin grading the quality of chasedown blocks by the force with which they ricochet off the backboard and how far they end up back toward half court.

Hawks 113, Rockets 108 (Peachtree Hoops recap | The Dream Shake recap)

Wizards 116, Lakers 108 (Bullets Forever recap | Silver Screen & Roll recap)

Spurs 102, 76ers 86 (Pounding the Rock recap | Liberty Ballers recap)

Warriors 133, Clippers 120 (Golden State of Mind recap | Clips Nation recap)