by George Devine, Sr.
The magnitude of the Warriors’109-105 win over the Clippers in the first playoff game can be described by three criteria: First, as KGO-TV’s Mike Shumann has reported, the team that wins the first playoff game goes on to win the series 77% of the time. Second, it was one of those down-to-the-wire finishes that exemplifies the Warriors’ gritty determination, a characteristic that has stood them in good stead all season. Third: they did it without Andrew Bogut.
The third factor may be the most impressive. Bogut is reminiscent of Bill Russell, whose defensive skills almost outweighed his scoring capabilities when he played for the Boston Celtics and, previously, the two-time NCAA championship Dons of the University of San Francisco. Bogut is out with a hip fracture, for an indefinite period. The mere presence of his 7 foot frame on the court is intimidation enough for many an opponent, and with his presence in the paint he prevents more field goals than he scores.
As the game began at Staples Center, Golden State was soon behind by a dozen. But as time went on it became a tight contest. At the half, the score was tied at 52. By the time the final frame was under way, the Warriors led by 11 points, and despite the Clippers’ best efforts the visitors squeaked out the win at the end.
Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry were the workhorses for the Warriors, playing 41:07 and 44:39, respectively. Thompson hit for 22 points and had 7 boards. David Lee had 20 points and 13 rebounds but committed 4 troublesome fouls. Curry had 14 points and 7 valuable assists. Harrison Barnes also scored 14 and had 8 rebounds. Jermaine O’Neal was right behind him with 13.
For Los Angeles, Chris Paul had 28 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, but committed 6 turnovers. J.J. Redick had 22 points and Blake Griffin 16. DeAndre Jordan scored 11 points and turned the ball over 11 times. In addition to turnovers, the Clippers suffered from foul trouble; the starting lineup totaled 17 penalties. This combined with the fact that Golden State outscored the home team from the charity stripe, 72%-65.7%.
The two teams meet again in Los Angeles on Monday, April 21, with a tipoff time of 7:30 p.m. PDT.