The Golden State Warriors defeat the Los Angeles Clippers

After the final whistle blew on April 27 in the Staples Center, the Los Angeles Clippers was officially eliminated by the five-star team Golden State Warriors. This summer, when all-star center DeMarcus Cousins signed for the Golden State Warriors, the Warriors’ chances of winning the championship reached an incredible 40 percent. Even so, they encountered some challenges. They won their first game as expected by 17 points, but their second game was jaw-dropping. Though the Warriors lost center DeMarcus Cousins to injury in the first quarter (which turned out to be season-ending), they still managed to build up a 31-point lead during the 3rd quarter. This is when the Clippers began their legendary comeback. At the start of the last quarter, the Clippers made a run of 17-3, almost evening up the scores. When there was only 1.12 minutes left of the game, the Warriors forward Kevin Durant was fouled out, and this was a big turning point in the game. A few seconds later, Clippers player Lou Williams hit a jumper to completely erase the 31 point lead and tie the game at 128. Then the Warriors’ Stephan Curry hit a three, but it was cancelled by another jumper from Williams. On the next play, Clippers player Landry Shamet hit a clinched three to take their first lead since the first half of the first quarter. Montrezl Harrell then grabbed the rebound after Curry scored a three and ended up scoring from 2 free-throws. The Warriors were now down by four points and ended up blowing a 31-point lead. In the next four games, Warriors won three of those games, winning the series 4-2. The Los Angeles Clippers don’t have any all-star players. Their best player, Lou Williams, who scored 36 points and 11 assists in the second game, is considerably lower in rating. Everyone was expecting the Warriors to sweep the Clippers, but the Clippers played well and won two games to pressure the defending champions. “They have our respect, for sure,” Kerr commented on the Clippers, “They outplayed us tonight, and they’ve got a hell of a team. So we’ve got to bring it if we’re going to beat them.” The Golden State Warriors are now in the Western Conference Semi-finals, meaning they’ll face the Houston Rockets and “The Beard” James Harden.

Featured Image – Warriors’ guard Stephan Curry hitting a three on Clipper’s foward Montrezl Harrell Courtesy of Kyle Terada

by Andy Kim