Perhaps Los Angeles head coach Doc Rivers was right. Perhaps Warriors-Clippers isn’t the rivalry fans and media wish it would be. Not when Stephen Curry and his band of Splash Buddies repeatedly find new and creative ways to bludgeon the Chris Paul-led Clippers. In this first meeting between the two Western Conference powerhouses, the Warriors found little success from 3-point territory (7-of-30), but that didn’t prevent them from slicing up LA’s top-rated defense for 115 points and notching another victory at Staples Center.
In the first quarter, Golden State went on a 28-9 run predicated on active, handsy defense and decisive, off-ball movement to take an 18-point advantage.