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Warriors’ Magical Ride Lives On in Comeback Win over Clippers

By Eric He

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LOS ANGELES  — For all the talk about the Golden State Warriors being flawless with their perfect, undefeated record, you could sense by their last few games they weren’t exactly playing their highest level of basketball.

Patches of inconsistency against the Timberwolves in Minnesota last Thursday, followed by head-scratching near defeat to the Nets at home Saturday, and another slim margin of victory over the Raptors on Tuesday.

So when the Clippers started making shots left and right to begin Thursday night’s matchup at Staples Center and the Warriors looked nothing like themselves, you had to think this was going to be a loss.

Nothing was going right for the Warriors. Chris Paul, strained groin and all, was lighting them up to the tune of 18 first quarter points while shooting a perfect 7-of-7. Blake Griffin was having his way down low. The Clippers ended the first shooting a ridiculous 71 percent and seemingly on a mission to make a statement against the Warriors.

And they did, for about…oh 24 minutes. For in the minds of the Warriors, a 23-point deficit was nothing.

“Not at all,” said Draymond Green when asked if there was ever any doubt about making a comeback. “With six minutes to go in the first quarter, I told the guys, “We have 42 minutes left in the game.’ That’s a lot of time. Just continue to fight. Even when they were hitting everything, it still never felt like they were just controlling the game. And when it’s like that, you’ve got a shot.”

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Perhaps a little hyperbole from Green. The Clippers controlled the first quarter and kept the Warriors at bay in the second. But even late in the first half, you could sense little bubbles bursting in the Clippers’ shield. Like when DeAndre Jordan and Doc Rivers picked up technical fouls with the Clippers up by 19 (I’m sure they would like to have those two Stephen Curry foul shots back). Or when Curry knocked down a three to cut the halftime deficit to 14 — those subtle moments that accumulated to something much bigger in the end.

“We never feel like we’re out of it,” said Curry. “The mentality of our team and the way we play, we play like we’re never out of it. Just keep fighting. You can go down the line. We have guys that made plays down the stretch. Draymond on the defensive end against Blake [Griffin]. Klay [Thompson] hadn’t touched ball in while and made a big three. [Harrison Barnes], the way he started the fourth quarter.”

Interim head coach Luke Walton concurred.

“We were telling them, ‘Just keep chipping away,'” he said. “The Clippers were playing great. They didn’t give in. Our guys went in and they just made plays. The play Ian [Clark] made in the third, finding Draymond in the corner. The little plays we kept making and it was enough to give us a chance. A lot of times in the road in the NBA, that’s all you’re trying to do. You’re just trying to give yourself a chance to win a game. Obviously our superstars were superstars tonight.”

Nov 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

He probably means Curry, and he’s right. The final line for the MVP: 40 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 6-of-14 on threes, 12-of-12 from the line, and 7 turnovers (which Walton joked meant Curry was “terrible” on the night).

Say what you want about the “little things” or the “other guys” making key plays down the stretch, but it was Curry, as usual, who fueled the comeback. No lead against the Warriors is safe as long as the three-point line exists and Curry is on the court. Every time the Clippers went on a mini-run to push the lead back up and temporarily deny the Warriors’ comeback attempt, Curry hit a three that kept the Warriors afloat.

“We know Steph can get 40 any given night,” Green said. “That’s why he’s been the best player in the NBA. If we’ve got that trump card, I guess that’s good. Steph made plays in the fourth quarter, more so than just scoring – he made plays.”

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And he made the biggest one of the night. After Klay Thompson hit a three late in the fourth and gave the Warriors their first lead since it was 3-0 in the first quarter, Jamal Crawford quickly answered and put the Clippers back up by two. On the other end, Curry missed a three, but the rebound kicked back out, and off the broken play, with no hesitation or regard for the shot clock, Curry caught it, took one dribble in toward the three-point line, and calmly stroked a triple.

“He’s incredible,” Walton said. “Every time we needed a big bucket, he was making plays. The bigger the moment, the more confident he’s going to make a play.”

So it goes for the Warriors, who can’t seem to lose even when everything is drawn up for a loss. The legend of Curry continues. The undefeated season continues, as does the goal of the best start in NBA history and, way down the line, the ultimate pinnacle of trumping Jordan’s 72-10 Bulls.

The Warriors will eventually lose a game, and they will face a hell of a challenge on Friday night with the Bulls in town on the back-end of a back-to-back. But for now, the magical ride lives on. And boy, is it magnificent.

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