LOS ANGELES-So this is what NBA drama looks like? Well, if the rest of the playoffs look anything like the closing moments of the Los Angeles Clippers-Golden State Warriors Western Conference first round game at Staples Center on the eve of Easter Sunday, then basketball fans could be in for a treat. There were big-time missed free throws. Turnovers seemed to catch hold of both teams at the wrong moments.
The art of the foul became a fixation late in the game as Blake Griffin was sent to the bench with his sixth and final foul with just a couple of ticks over 48 seconds remained in the game. Just when everyone in the building thought the Warriors had secured a Game 1 steal, the Clippers kept fighting back to try to snatch sure defeat into an improbable win.
Defense, good offense and late-game theatrics was as much part of a staple in this game, especially late, as avid basketball junkies would want to see. Unfortunately for Doc Rivers and Clippers, the Warriors managed to hold on to secure a thrilling 109-105 win in Los Angeles.
And so now goes the home court advantage to the Warriors, who split the regular series with the Clippers this season.
This was simply not the Clippers’ game to be had. Step Curry and Klay Thompson were held in check. But the Warriors claimed the game by winning other parts of the contest. The Warriors outrebounded the Clippers (48-42), despite DeAndre Jordan’s 14 rebounds. And outside of his 28 points and delivering a huge 3-point shot in the closing moments to tie the game at 102, Chris Paul missed two free throws down the stretch that assisted the Warriors in recording the road win.
The Warriors outscored the Clippers in the pivotal third quarter 35-25, and Golden State to hold on in the fourth for the victory. But the tone of this game was set in the first half when foul trouble mounted for both teams.
You may want to reference the Clippers-Warriors game, as the foul affair. Game 1 between these two Western Conference Pacific Division rivals was just that. The Clippers took home the division crown this season. The Warriors were right behind them in the win-loss category. The separation on the floor between the two teams was just as close as Clippers and Warriors split their season series.
The first half of the Clippers-Warriors first round playoff game was expected to bring a lot of high energy and enough highlight-reel plays to fill up the memory banks. Instead, the first two quarters of this contest proved to be more of a stagnant slugfest with 29 whistles being blown for fouls called against both teams.
Both the Clippers and the Warriors suffered through the malady of fouls called throughout the first half. Both teams saw a key player go to the bench because of foul trouble. Griffin was hit with three fouls in the short time he played. That would be just three minutes and 53 seconds for the whole two periods, just good enough for four points.
Andre Iguodala of the Warriors didn’t fare too much better, getting hit with four fouls. For Iguodala, it didn’t get too much better in the second half as he had to go the bench early in the third quarter with his fifth foul after running into J.J. Redick for a charging foul.
Griffin was hit with second personal foul came with 8:46 left in the first quarter. It was downhill from there for the Griffin as he couldn’t quite find his rhythm for the rest of the game. That proved to be the Clippers’ undoing in Game 1. Griffin and the Clippers will be expecting better results in Game 2.
Dennis is the editor and publisher of News4usonline. He covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, racial and social justice, civil rights, and HBCUs. Dennis earned a journalism degree from “The Mecca” aka Howard University. “I write on what I am passionate about.”