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Man, do I feel like a lucky guy. My first recap for ClipsNation and I get this game. I can't say I'm surprised by the result. Frankly, it could have been worse.
Before I say anything I have to give credit to Golden State, they shot the lights out tonight. They were on fire as a team and even if the Clippers played up to the standard we expect, the Dubs still might have pulled out the win. When a team hits that many threes with that high of a percentage, you are going to be in trouble.
The Clippers looked bad from the opening tip. After trading the lead early, the Warriors went on a 14-2 run and never looked back. At one point, Curry nailed a three and then immediately stole the inbounds pass and layed it in. It was just that kind of night. CP3 had a similar play, stealing the inbounds pass and kicking it to Reggie Bullock for a corner 3, but at that point the game was spiraling downward and it rang a bit hollow. It didn't help that Blake and CP3 opened the game 0-7 and Andrew Bogut out-rebounded the entire Clipper team in the first quarter.
Speaking of Blake, he was just out-of-sorts tonight. The Warriors defense really seemed to affect him. Multiple times he would drive into the lane only to be shut down by multiple defenders. Draymond Green appeared to get in his head.
Can I take a minute to note that I am not particularly fond of Green, he is a tool. The replay where he hit a three and ran down the court sticking his tongue out at Blake was just obnoxious. Even his picture in the ESPN graphic is annoying.
The game just got more brutal as it went on. The Warriors were getting everything they wanted and the Clips couldn't buy a bucket. They looked listless on defense and continually left shooters open. There was no answer for Golden State's offense (or defense for that matter). The lone bright spot in the 2nd was the half court lob from Jordan Farmar to DeAndre Jordan.
The second half was much like the first. It was interesting for a moment in the 4th when a steady dose of JamalBall closed the gap. But with the Clippers on a 15-2 run and down 13, Doc flew the white flag by pulling DJ and Crawford.
The final score was a lot closer than the game felt. To be honest, if I didn't have to write this recap I probably would have turned it off. By no means do I think this is a sign of doom for the Clippers, a lot of the problems come from missing shots. However, there will always be nights like this and they can't forget to attack the paint. It's still early and I have faith they will figure it out. But one thing is for sure - Golden State is for real and the Pacific Division title race is going to a battle all season long.