Clippers show they're not on Warriors' level in blowout loss
The basketball world is begging for a team in the Western Conference to prove it can act as a legitimate threat to the loaded Golden State Warriors and what feels like an inevitable third straight trip to the NBA Finals.
We've seen the San Antonio Spurs take it to the Bay Area ballers on their home floor to begin the year, so there's some semblance of hope there. Frankly, a lot was riding on the Los Angeles Clippers to be Golden State's kryptonite, as they possess the offensive firepower and defensive intangibles to go toe-to-toe with Steve Kerr's band of sharpshooters and perhaps beat them at their own game.
All Wednesday night showed us was that as exceptional as the Clippers are, their best chance to subdue the best of the West may have come and gone, as it's looking more and more like the two teams are simply on different wavelengths.
Not everything went according to plan for Golden State in its convincing 115-98 victory at Staples Center. Stephen Curry didn't connect on a single 3-pointer in eight attempts (chopping down the team's percentage from the perimeter to 23.3), and Kevin Durant had one of his worst shooting performances since arriving over the summer, ending with more shots (17) than points (16) in 32 minutes.
Related - Watch: Warriors' passing artistry leads to open look for Durant
The good not only outweighed the bad, however, it crushed it like a cockroach. Curry's NBA season-high seven steals, a 37-19 first quarter, the Clippers shooting under 40 percent from the field, and an under-the-radar 22-point contribution from Draymond Green were just a few on a long list of positives for Golden State against its Pacific rivals.
They were in the Clippers' heads. There was a level of hesitation on offense uncharacteristic of a top-five team in that department, with nothing coming easy outside of some putbacks around the rim courtesy of its larger frontcourt. Blake Griffin had more turnovers (7) than makes (5), and never played himself into a groove when perhaps looking to impose his will in the paint instead of settling for jumpers would have been a wiser course of action.
Related - Watch: Griffin climbs Green to clean up miss with authority
The Clippers cutting the lead in the second quarter after coming out of the gates lifeless in the first showed some conviction and grit, but the Warriors quickly regrouped and delivered a succession of blows Los Angeles couldn't overcome. Golden State closed out on defense and made life absolutely miserable for L.A., using its length and quickness to contest what felt like every shot.
Not much stock was put into a 120-75 preseason meeting that Golden State thoroughly dominated, but here we are, over two months later wondering if that was only a sign of things to come.
The Clippers have three more stabs at Golden State before season's end, two of which will be on the road. Practice makes perfect, and even if they get their tails handed to them on a silver platter like they did Wednesday, they'll at least learn more about the nuances of the Warriors' breathtaking offense and hopefully conjure up some means towards keeping it in check in a potential playoff bout.
Hopefully, anyway.