NBA’s Golden State falls short to Clippers in ‘big game’
The National Basketball Association (NBA) Golden State Warriors held off a late-game rally by the Los Angeles Clippers to narrowly defeat them, as Steph Curry scored nine points in the final three minutes of regulation.
Golden State defeated the Clippers 120-114 in their 2023-2024 NBA regular season home game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday (Feb. 1).
The two teams, who sit in the middle and bottom of the Western Conference, swapped places, with Golden State in 10th place (9-10) and the Clippers in 11th (8-10).
Golden State was led by Curry with 26 points and eight assists, while Klay Thompson backed him up with 22 points and six rebounds.
The Warriors and Clippers traded baskets early in the first quarter, led by Draymond Green and James Harden, respectively, but it was Curry’s 3-pointers that put Golden State in control midway through the first quarter.
In the second quarter, while the Clippers’ shots were falling off the rim, Golden State stretched the lead to as many as 18 points at one point, with Jonathan Cuminga, Moose Moody and others scoring in bunches.
Entering the third quarter with a 61-50 Golden State lead, the Clippers were fueled by Curry and Leonard, while Golden State was held to just three three-pointers as a team.
The fourth quarter was a chase-and-chase affair for both teams, with the Clippers closing the metallurgical gap to five points on a Harden three-pointer with 4:32 left in the quarter.
A spirited Golden State responded with an awakened Curry, who scored nine points in a span of about three minutes to pull his team out of the hole.
The Clippers were led by Leonard’s 23 points and Harden’s 18 points and seven assists, but the loss was bitter as the team shot just 44 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 133-110.
Oklahoma City is in third place in the Western Conference (12-6), while the Lakers are in seventh place (11-9).
The Lakers jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter behind Davis, but couldn’t withstand the onslaught of Oklahoma City, which scored 42 points in the second quarter alone, with Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Isaiah Joe all making big shots.
For Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exploded for 33 points and seven assists, while Jaylen Williams chipped in with 21 points and seven assists.
The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis with 31 points and 14 rebounds, including four 3-pointers. 안전놀이터
[1 day NBA scores]
Portland 103-95 Cleveland
Miami 142-132 Indiana
Charlotte 129-128 Brooklyn
New York 118-112 Detroit
Chicago 120-113 Milwaukee
Minnesota 101-90 Utah
Atlanta 137-135 San Antonio
Oklahoma City 133-110 Lakers
Golden State 120-114 Clippers