What started as a shooting contest at the Crypto.com Arena turned into a one-sided affair in the Warriors’ 119-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
It looked like it was going to be one of those nights for the Steve Curry Warriors. Curry started 6-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from depths. The Warriors went 9-14 from a 3-point range in the first quarter and topped 37-34. The hot start was nothing but a mirage, except for Stephen.
The Warriors finished the night 16 to 41 from long distance, shooting only 26 percent in 3-point attempts after the first quarter. After scoring 37 points in the opening frame, they combined for just 41 points in the next two quarters.
After scoring 33 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, in Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Klay Thompson was cold two nights later. Thompson made only 3 of 14 attempts off the field, was 1 for 5 with 3-pointers, and finished with seven points.
Terrence Mann, who was recruited in the same second round with Eric Paschal and Allen Smilage, led the Clippers with 25 points and was 11 to 17 from the field.
Here are three takeaways as the Warriors dropped to 42-16 on the season.
Clippers, Cupid, Carrie
Love is in the air when Carrie plays the Clippers. That was evident again Monday night in Southern California.
Curry scored the highest level in the game 33 points. He went 11 for 18 from the field and 8 for 13 from 3. Curry’s record 16 points in the first quarter And He was 26 in half. The problem is that it was a one-man show.
In the first half, Thompson was the Warriors’ second-best scorer with just seven points. Not registered again.
It was all Steve, and it was all buckets. While he lost 26 in the first half, he scored the most points in any half without any assists, rebounds, steals or blocks by any player since 2015.
Curry has now averaged 37 points in three games against the Clippers this season, averaging fewer than eight three-pointers in those three games. He has now scored 1,112 points in his career against Los Angeles, his most against any opponent.
bully ball
Clippers center Ivica Zupak entered Monday night averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season. Against the Warriors, the 7-footer scored 18 points, 8 to 10 off the field, grabbed eight rebounds and was a plus 13. Zubak tied 18 points to finish second in the standings this season.
Now imagine what Nikola Jokic might do on Wednesday night at Chase Center.
Warriors were rebounded with five plates and allowed 54 points in the paint against the clippers. It’s great to have Kevon Looney play and start every Warriors game this season. Nobody needs an all-star break more.
Clippers Corner
Right now The Warriors’ defense has more problems than just being smaller than anyone else. They have now been crushed to try to make up for the loss of battle scale.
Since Zubac and Clippers have the paint, the Warriors overplay the ball down, leaving shooters wide open in corners. The Clippers made eight three-pointers from the corner and were 6-for-6 from the field from the right angle, including five three-pointers.
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This is again where Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala missed out. It’s an injury issue, it’s an issue of fatigue and a training point that must be addressed in the near future and during the upcoming rest period.
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