Warriors Lose to Phoenix Suns in Final Minute 119-116; Golden State loses six of last ten games

Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) hits the Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (28) in the face leading to Green’s ejection for a flagrant 2 foul. Green spun around and hit Nurkic in the face knocking Nurkic to the floor. (Larry Brown Sports till photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Phoenix Suns (13-10) beat the Golden State Warriors (10-13) for the third time this season 119-116. The starters for the Warriors gave Stephen Curry no help at all. Draymond Green was once again ejected and the team had to carry on without him. As in their last game, they had a chance to tie up this game and failed. The Warrior bench and Curry were the only positives coming out of this game. 

Game recap: While the Warriors did not have a great start in the first quarter of the game, they did have a good finish. After the first 12 minutes of play this game was tied at 25. Bradley Beal was back in the lineup for the Suns and hit a three in his first possession. He only played six minutes in the quarter. The Warriors protected the ball well in the first quarter with only four turnovers so some nice improvement protecting the ball.

The Warriors started rolling in the second quarter hitting shot after shot building a 40-27 lead at 7:53. They let the game turn around for the Suns with under four minutes left in the quarter. Phoenix had battled back going on a 16 to 5 run and trailed by two points 45-43.

 The Warriors had let the Suns back into the game and given up a sizable lead. With under two minutes left in the half the game was tied at 50. This game could not have been closer with Golden State holding a 56-53 lead after two quarters.

Curry had scored 16 points for Golden State and Devon Booker was the high for the Suns with 13 points. This game had started out fairly sloppy for both teams but picked up in the second quarter. Both teams had six turnovers in the first half of play.

With 8:23 left on the clock in the third quarter Green was charged with a flagrant 2 and ejected from the game. He used excessive force on Jusef Nurkic smacking him in the face and the saga continues as Green left the floor. So once again the Warriors would have to play without the defense that Green provides.

With 4:56 left in the third quarter this game was tied at 73. At 3:53 the Suns took the lead for the first time in the third quarter 77-75. As the clock ran out on the quarter the Suns had a 88-87 lead. They won the quarter 35-31 in a tight game. 

It was the Warrior bench that was keeping Golden State in this game. They had accounted for 54 points through three quarters. Curry was the only starter in double digits with 21. Once again he was carrying the team on his back and needed help from his starters. 

With seven minutes left in regulation it was a one-point game, the Suns clinging to a slim lead. With 3:03 left in the game, the Suns had extended their lead to 109-98. In the closing minute of the game the Suns coughed up the ball several times and Golden State pulled to within three points 115-112. 

The Warriors had gone on a 18-6 run and with 9.4 seconds left in the game they had possession and needed a three-pointer to tie up the game. Curry got a look but missed on a very tough shot. 

It was another tough loss for Golden State as Curry came away with 24 points but got absolutely no help from Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson. The loss of Green in the third quarter was just another blow for the Warriors. 

It was the bench that kept the Warriors in this game finishing with 78 points collectively. The Golden State bench was the story of this game. The Warriors got a handle on the turnovers committing 15.

The fourth quarter was the Devon Booker show as the Suns took this game away. Booker finished with 32 points and Bradley Beal had 16 points in his return. The Warriors did come roaring back but it was just too late. Golden State will now wait and see what the ramifications of the Green ejection will bring about.

Post game notes: Tuesday night the Warriors traveled to Phoenix to take on the Suns. After a very disappointing loss to the OKC Thunder last Friday night 138-136, the Warriors had been gearing up for Tuesday’s game. They cleaned up not only the fouls but the turnovers giving up only four against the Suns. After committing 29 in Friday’s game they did better. Kevin Durant was not on the floor for the Suns out with an ankle, his second straight game however he is expected to play on Wednesday night. Chris Paul was back on the bench for Golden State.

Thursday night the Warriors will take on the Los Angeles Clippers at crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM.

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Kings Overwhelmed By Clippers 119-99

The Los Angeles Clippers center Daniel Theis (10) takes a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings center JaVale McGee (00) in first half action at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Los Angeles (13-10) Clippers routed the Sacramento Kings (13-9) for their fifth straight victory 119-99 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Clippers convincingly won the first three quarters of play. The Kings did win the fourth quarter 29-20 but it was far too little far too late. Sacramento at one time trailed by over 30 points. They had offensive and defensive letdowns throughout the game.

The Kings have been playing some terrific basketball this season and as they headed down to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers more great play was expected from the Kings. What transpired was totally unexpected.

The Clippers got this game going early winning the opening quarter 32-24 and they never looked back. They continued to pile it on in the second quarter extending their lead to 70-48 at the half. The Clippers continued to expand their lead throughout the first half and the Kings were helpless to do anything about it. Sacramento was trailing by 22 points but had an entire half to do something about it.

The Kings were clearly anything but engaged. They fell short offensively and defensively. De’Aaron Fox and company were quiet on both sides of the ball. Sacramento lost the third quarter 29-22 and the Kings had dug a huge hole making a come-back near to impossible. The Kings were not at all focused and it just came down to one of those games where nothing worked.

Sacramento did win the fourth quarter by the slim margin of 31-29 which did not make much of a dent in this game.

This was a huge disappointment for the Kings. Nothing went right for them in this game. Kawhi Leonard continued the scoring binge he has been on scoring 31 points and Sacramento could not contain him. 

The Kings starters had a quiet night; they were just off. Harrison Barnes came away with two points and one rebound. Kevin Huerter finished with three points. Their bench came away with 48 points collectively scoring almost half of the points in this game. 

Keegan Murray led Sacramento with 17 points and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kings superstar D’Aaron Fox finished with 14 points, a quiet night for him. The Kings had won five of their last seven games but just could not get it done tonight. 

Sacramento has had a few games this season that were blowout losses but they weathered those storms and came back stronger. There is no reason that they will not come back after this game as well. Returning to Golden 1 Center is going to look awfully good to these guys. There is truly no place like home.   

The Kings will welcome the OKC Thunder Thursday night getting a six-game home stand underway. They will be looking to put this game behind them and move forward. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

No Buzzer-Beater for Warriors Lose to Clippers 113-112 in the Southland

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives on the Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in first half action at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Dec 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

In a crazy turnaround, the Los Angeles Clippers (9-10) beat the Golden State Warriors (9-11) 113-112. The Warriors led for almost the entire game and it came down to the final seconds. Draymond Green attempted a shot from downtown with 8.9 seconds left on the clock that fell short. There would be no buzzer-beater for Golden State. They had blown a 22 point lead.

Saturday, the Warriors took on the Clippers for an afternoon rematch at Crypto.com Arena. Last Thursday the two teams met at Chase Center with the Warriors prevailing 120-114. Warrior guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the Warriors in that win; Curry with 26 and Thompson with 22.

Game recap: The Warriors had a nice start in the opening quarter leading after the first 33-22. Draymond Green had an exceptional quarter hitting 4 of 5 from downtown. The Clippers have a loaded starting roster with three Titans Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden but despite that Golden State held them to 38% shooting while the Warriors had a great offensive start shooting 55% in the quarter.

Golden State kept the pressure on in the second quarter leading at the half by the score of 67-48 a 19 point lead. They won the quarter 34-26 and after two quarters had control of this game with a great offensive effort. They did have ten turnovers in the first half but despite that they were in complete control throughout the two opening quarters of play.

The Clippers had some work to do in this game and started to roll in the third quarter. The 22 point lead that the Warriors had in the game was cut to two points 87-85 with 41 seconds left on the clock in the third.

The Warriors pushed back and after three quarters had a 92-85 lead. The Clippers were now shooting at 46 percent to the Warriors 47% in a Los Angeles turnaround. The Clippers had won the third quarter 37-25.

This game came down to the fourth quarter. The Clippers had really turned this game around continuing to hang around but unable to take the lead; in fact they had not led once in this game so far.

Shots from downtown were clearly in favor of the Warriors with Golden State shooting at 45 % to the Clippers 33%; the Warriors hitting 16 from beyond the arc. With five minutes left in the game it was a five point game with the Warriors hanging on 105-99.

Los Angeles was coming up with some crazy defensive sequences but just could not get on top of Golden State. With 38.1 left in the game, the Warriors had a 112-108 lead. An untimely turnover at the end of the game plus a Clipper foul made things awfully tough for Los Angeles but they refused to back down.

With 8.9 seconds left on the clock, the Clippers took their first lead of the game 113-112. George made the shot of the game for Los Angeles hitting a 3-pointer with less than nine seconds remaining.

When it really mattered it came down to a potential game-winning 3-pointer from Green. The shot fell short and there would be no buzzer-beater for the Warriors. The Clippers won the fourth quarter 28-20 really coming to life and winning this game 113-112.

It was tale of two halves. The first half was all Warriors and in the second half the Clippers made a lot of winning plays to set up this win. Curry had the high for the Warriors with 22 points. Both Green and Moses Moody had 21 points apiece. The Warriors made 17 3-pointers in this game, with four each from Green, Curry and Thompson.

The Big Three for the Clippers had some terrific offense with 25 points scored by George. Harden finished with 21 points and Leonard had 20 points. After trailing for almost the entirety of this game, this win for the Clippers was most unexpected especially when the Warriors had a 112-108 lead with 38 seconds left on the clock. The Clippers had avenged the loss they had taken at Chase last Thursday.

This was a huge disappointment for the Warriors. They will have a few off days before they take on the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night at Chase Center. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings have huge task with Nuggets coming to Golden 1 Saturday

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) gets some ball control against the Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 On Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento the Los Angeles Clippers and took no prisoners with convincing 131-117 win.

#2 The Clippers got help from top scorer Kawhi Leonard who led with 34 points followed up by James Harden with 26 points. The Kings practically trailed most of the game.

#3 The Clippers Paul George contributed with 22 points all starting five Clippers finished in double figures and it was the first time the Clippers defeated the Kings since October 2022.

#4 The Clippers had some good defense going for them to hold back the Kings but it was De’Aaron Fox who opened up on the Clippers with team leading 40 points, with 22 assists, and forced 14 turnovers. It was not enough however for the Kings.

#5 The Kings have a huge task ahead of them when they host the Denver Nuggets on Sat Dec 2 at Golden 1 Center. The Nuggets who have won three of their last four games and in they’re last game they defeated the Houston Rockets by ten 134-124. The Nuggets are at an impressive 13-6.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors bounce back beat Los Angeles Clippers 120-114; Third win in last ten games for Golden State

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Cury (30) passes the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers forward Terrance Mann (right) and center Ivica Zubac (left) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Nov 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, smarting from the 124-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings Tuesday night, bounced back to play a complete game on both ends to defeat the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, 120-114. The Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Clippers scored 130 points and came into town intending to beat the Warriors. The Warriors were without three key players:

  • Chris Paul was out with soreness in his knee.
  • Andrew Wiggins injured a finger and was unavailable.
  • Gary Payton II suffered a torn calf muscle and is out indefinitely. 

Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Moses Moody into the starting unit instead of Wiggins. Kerr’s second unit consisted of Dario Saric, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, and Cory Joseph. The Warriors found the right combination, as they had seven players in double-figures, and Warriors stopped committing turnovers and too many fouls. The Warriors went on to win 124-114.

The Clippers are in the top five defensive units in the NBA. They also have players that can light up the board. Future Hall of Fame players Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook led the Clipper’s offense. The Clippers had Ivica Zubac and Daniel Theis in their lineup as rim protectors. The Warriors knew they were in for a dogfight.

The first quarter went to the Warriors, 31-24. The game was tied at 22-22 when the Warriors went on a 7-2 run to finish the quarter. The Warriors committed just two turnovers in the first 12 minutes. As they did in the game against the Kings, the Warriors played well and increased the lead to 11 at the end of the quarter.

The Warriors led 61-50. Warrior guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were not the leading scorers in the first half. Curry and Thompson each had seven points. The leading scorers were Draymond Green, Saric, and Podzienski, scoring ten points each. The Warriors made ten threes in 22 tries to give them the 11-point lead. Leonard led the Clippers with 12, Zabac had 11, and James “the Beard” Harden added 10.

The Clippers knew the Warriors were beaten by the Kinds in the second half of the game Tuesday night in Sacramento. They score the first four points to start the third quarter. Curry answered with a three. The Warriors went back up by 11, 71-60. The rest of the quarter was nip and tuck. The Clippers won the quarter by two points to finish trailing by nine, 86-77.

The second unit, plus Thompson, was on the floor to start the fourth quarter. Thompson led the Warriors with ten points to lead by 13, 99-86. The Clippers didn’t fold. They came back behind the efforts of Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Leonard.

The Clippers were down by five, 105-100. Buckets by Curry and Moses Moody gave the Warriors the lead 115-107 with less than a minute to play. The Clippers fouled Curry to get the ball, but their tactics failed as the Warriors won 120-114.

Game Notes: The date of Thursday night’s game was remarkable. The date of 11-30-23 are the numbers of Thompson, Curry, and Green. All three players are in the 12th season together and will be going into the NBA’s Hall of Fame. 

With the win, the Warriors improved to 9-10. The Clippers fall to 8-10.

Curry finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three threes in nine tries. Thompson’s numbers were 22 points, six rebounds, and two threes. Kuminga had a big night. Kuminga, coming off the bench, recorded 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three threes. Green, Saric, Moody, and Podziemski added 13 points each. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Clipper bench 44-31.

The Warriors committed seven turnovers, a major improvement from Tuesday night. They allowed the Clippers 24 free throws on Tuesday night, and the Kings went to the line 42 times.

The Warriors won the rebounding battle, 60-48, and made 30 assists on 41 baskets. As mentioned above, it was a complete game on both ends of the court.

The Warriors meet the Clippers in LA on Saturday afternoon. The game will start at 1 p.m

Kings come out flat and drop contest to Clippers 131-117 at Golden 1 Center

The Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings were set to take on the LA Clippers on Wednesday after defeating the Warriors on Tuesday. On the first night of the back-to-back on Tuesday, the Kings defeated the Warriors in a close game, 124-123.

The Warriors win was a big game for the Kings, as they had yet to defeat them this season. On Wednesday night, the tip-off for Kings VS Clippers was set for 7 PM PST inside a hostile Golden One Center. The Kings would come out flat and lose the game 131-117 to the LA Clippers.

In the first quarter, the Kings offense started to slow. For the second straight night, the Kings didn’t have any sort of rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. The Kings scored 27 points in the first quarter, but don’t let that deceive you. The Kings gave up 35 points to James Harden and the Clippers in the quarter. James Harden scored 17 of the 35 points in the quarter as he started red hot in the game.

In the second quarter, the Kings played terribly. The Kings defense was missing in action as the Clippers terrorized the Kings. The Clippers upped the intensity on the offensive end to score 37 points.

The Kings offense only scored 23 points in the second quarter as the Clippers lead ballooned to 22 points going into halftime. The Clippers got 16 from Kawhi Leonard, 17 from Paul George, and 19 from James Harden in the first half. The Kings, like Tuesday night, would be looking for answers in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings didn’t do much to bring the game closer. The Kings outscored the Clippers for the first time in the game 31-30 in the third quarter, but it appeared not enough to spark a Kings comeback. The Kings seemed out of gas on the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings offense would need to go on a terror in the fourth quarter. The Kings entered the final quarter of the game down 102-81.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings tried to rally, but it was a little too late. The Kings tried to get the game within single digits around the midway part of the quarter. However, the Clippers continued making shots and dashed hopes of a comeback for Sacramento. The Kings outscored the Clippers 36-29 in the final quarter to lose the game 131-117.

It was a disappointing loss for the Kings, who were on a strenuous second night of a back-to-back. An impressive individual performance led the Kings from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 40 points in the game. Leonard led the Clippers to victory, scoring 34 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors without Green due to suspension in Atlanta tonight

The Los Angeles Clippers Russell Westbrook (0) and the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) jump for the ball at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Mar 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (36-34) guard Stephen Curry carried the Warriors on his back scoring 50 points but it wasn’t enough as Golden State lost their 27th road game of the season dropping their road record to 7-27. 

#2 Regardless the Clippers were able to get their own offensive house in order and keep up with Golden State with the Clippers Kawhi Leonard who led with 30 points and was followed up by guard Paul George with 24 points. 

#3 Nonetheless the Clippers Leonard kept the Warriors at bay on the scoreboard and the Clippers defense well enough to keep the Warriors away for the win with the help of George. In spite of all the hard work by Curry the Warriors just couldn’t keep up and lost by eight 134-126.

#4 Losing Draymond Green for their next game in Atlanta on Friday suspended for accruing his 16th technical foul. At 40.8 seconds left in the contest Green picked up the technical after throwing a ball against the Clippers Russell Westbrook’s face after Westbrook scored a layup.

#5 The Warriors will try to pick up their eighth road win in Atlanta this Friday a 4:30 pm tip. The Hawks (34-35) have won five of their last ten games and are slightly over .500 for their season home record at 18-15.

Join Jerry for the Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors and Clippers battle for fourth spot tonight in Southland

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half  at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 11, 2023 against the Milwaukee Bucks (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Dave talk about Stephen Curry who virtually single handedly helped Golden State (36-33) come back during the overtime game against the Milwaukee Bucks (50-19) on Sat Mar 11th.

#2 Dave it was a fourth quarter where the Warriors came back and tied the score after going back and forth with the Bucks in the first three quarters. The Bucks are one if not the toughest customers in the NBA and the Warriors were able to pull off a win.

#3 The Warriors head to the Southland to face the Los Angeles Clippers (36-33) at Crypto.com Arena on tonight who are coming off a 106-95 win over the New York Knicks (39-30). The Clippers led by Kawhi Leonard have won five of their last ten games. How do you see this match up?

David Zizmor does the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings edge Clippers 128-127 at Golden 1; Sac extends win streak to five

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) spins away from Los Angeles Clippers center Mason Plumlee (44) during the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Fri Mar 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings ((37-25) were back in action on Friday night. The Kings last played on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. The Kings played two games against the Thunder with an off day in between. The Kings played the Los Angeles Clippers (33-33) not long ago Fri Feb 24 when they had the second-highest-scoring NBA game in history.

The Kings won in double overtime 176-175. On Saturday, the Kings looked to put away the LA Clippers for the second time in as many weeks. The Kings defeated the Clippers 128-127 on Friday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings and Clippers both got off to hot starts on offense. The Kings scored 35 points in the first quarter to jump out to a quick three-point lead. The Clippers started with 33 points in the first. The defense for both teams was lacking early on in the game. The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard in the back-to-back game after losing to Golden State on Thursday.

In the second quarter, the Kings added two points to the lead. The Kings managed to outscore the Clippers 33-31 in the second quarter. This led the Kings to take a 68-63 halftime lead. The Clippers in the absence of Kawhi were getting a great performance from Russ Westbrook. Westbrook had 15 points at halftime. The Kings were led in the first half by Kevin Heurter who scored 14 points. The Kings in the second half would need to turn it up on the offensive end to put away the Clippers.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Clippers didn’t move an inch. The Kings scored 33 points in the quarter as the Clippers followed with 33 of their own. The Kings and Clippers would head to the final quarter with the Kings leading 101-96. The Kings and Clippers might be a first-round playoff preview. It would be an exciting series if that is the case. The teams are very competitively matched. The Kings would look to secure the game on the defensive end of the floor in the final quarter to seal the deal.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings barely held onto the lead. The Kings were outscored by the Clippers 31-27 in the final quarter. The game was an absolute nail-biter. Like the game a couple of weeks ago, it came down to one point and the final shot.

The Kings of last year would have lost this game. However, the new look Kings didn’t give in. Putting my critical hat on, the Kings should have won this game by five or more points. However, the win is all that counts for a fan base dying to make the playoffs. The Kings were led in victory by De’Aaron Fox who had 33 points. In defeat, Paul George was the leading scorer with 28 points. The Kings will look to continue the winning streak in the next game.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday at 7 PM PST.

Poole leads Warriors to comeback win over Clippers 115-91 at Golden State

Every is okay with the Golden State Warriors Jordan Poole who led Golden State with 32 points against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

As Yogi Berra once said, “it was deja vu all over again.” For the second game in a row, the Golden State Warriors (33-30) played a sub-par first half and then stormed back in the second half as they beat the LA Clippers (33-32) 115-91 Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors won their fourth consecutive game while the Clippers lost their fourth in a row.

Still, without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors kept pace with the Clippers in the first quarter. The teams exchanged the lead several times in the first 12 minutes. The Clippers finished the quarter with a slim one-point lead, 27-26.

Things changed for the worse for the Warriors in the second period. The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George made life miserable for the Warriors. The Warriors’ offense went ice-cold. The Warriors could not buy a bucket. They made three threes in 22 tries.

The Clippers made six threes. The Warriors shot 33% from the floor, the Clippers 50%. Los Angeles entered the locker room at the end of the first half with an 11 point advantage of 56-45 

The Warriors wanted to avenge the 134-124 loss to the Clippers last month in LA. It didn’t look like that would happen. The fans thought it would not be a good night for the Warriors. The fans knew the Warriors shut down the Portland Trailblazers in Tuesday night’s second half. Could they do it again? The Clippers are a better defensive team than the Blazers.

The Warriors answered the question. Yes, they could do it again, and they could do it again against a better defensive team. How did they do it? Jordan Poole was the man in the third quarter. Poole was all over the court. He scored 22 points in the quarter, and the Warrior defense shut down the Clippers’ offense.

The Warriors won the quarter 42-16 to finish the quarter leading 87-72. The Warriors went from an 11 point halftime deficit to a 15-point lead. At one point in the quarter, the Warriors went on a 38-8 run.

In the NBA, 15-point leads can disappear quickly in the fourth quarter. The Warriors knew that they should not turnovers the ball or start to commit fouls. Those mistakes could allow the Clippers to get back into the game. Steve Kerr’s team did not make those mistakes, and they increased the lead to 24, 100-76.

Everyone made contributions to get the win for Golden State. Kevon Looney, Jonathan Kuminga, Donte DiVincenzo, and Anthony Lamb performed well. Poole was the star of the game. Poole finished the night with 34 points. Poole did not make a three-point shot in the first half.

Poole knocked down five threes to lead the Warriors to the win. Klay Thompson was second on the team with 19. Thompson had a career-high 11 rebounds. It was his first double-double game since the 2017 season. The Warriors cruised to a 115-91 victory.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 33-30. They are three games over the.500 mark for the first time this year. The Clippers fell to 33-32. The Warriors are now in third place in the Pacific division of the Western Conference.

Kuminga played well on both ends of the court. Kuminga recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Jonathan knocked down three threes. Kerr had to be pleased with his 20-year-old phenom. Draymond Green finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Looney added 11 points and pulled down eight boards. DiVincenzo scored five points. DiVincenzo played a ferocious defense all night long. He also had eleven rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard paced the Clippers with 21 points. Leonard made two threes. Eric Gordon had 16, Paul George 11, Mason Plumlee 12, and Russell Westbrook had eight points.

The Warriors shot 41% from the floor. The Clippers were held to 36%. The Clippers shot 50% in the first half. The numbers show the great defensive effort the Warriors had in the second half. The Warriors made 14 threes, the Clippers nine. The Clippers had six in the first half, nine-for-43 from three-point range. 

Curry is almost ready to rejoin the team, possibly as early as Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers in LA.

The Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.