Before the game, the Warriors announced that Curry would not play against the Clippers and would return in the next game against the Suns. It's obvious that Durant is really pitiful, having just lost to the Mavericks today, and tomorrow he has to play back-to-back against the Warriors, still as an away game. Of course, the weakened Warriors had no way to deal with the Clippers, and the Clippers eventually defeated the Warriors 102-92 to win two consecutive victories. In fact, the Warriors started strong in the first quarter, with Harden starting 1 for 5 and not very interested in shooting, while the Clippers' tactics were still the usual pick-and-roll.
Kerr's strategy today was to attack with defense, starting Schroder and Hield, two guns who can score without defense. Then Li Keller was promoted to start at the four position, Wiggins at three, plus center Davis. The Warriors were organized by Li Keller and finished by Davis, but Wiggins had poor shooting, while the Clippers' offense was average, but their defense was good enough to contain the opponent. The Warriors only scored 21 points in the first quarter, while the Clippers scored 19. It wasn't until the second quarter that the Clippers didn't give them a chance, and Harden started to take over.
Before halftime, Harden hit two key threes to help the team lead the Warriors 49-43. Harden had 10 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block in the first half, shooting 3 for 7 and 2 for 4 from three-point range. That block was impressive. He fell into the stands, where a female Clippers fan was staring at him hungrily, but Harden didn't pay any attention. In the second half, the Clippers had already blown the game open, and Harden began to single out Xiao Hei for training. People say Harden can't post up, but today he showed off his skills against Schroder.
Harden continuously posted up Schroder on the right side, using his strength to push him back and jump shot, all of which went in. Added to this was Zu Batz, who the Warriors couldn't stop from hammering them. Because Harden and Zu Batz's pick-and-roll is the Clippers' main tactic, once Zu Batz uses his axe to break through the front line, the Warriors have to pile resources and contract under the basket, which makes it easier for the Clippers outside. Moreover, Coffey and Batum, two substitutes today, contributed four three-pointers, and the Warriors basically relied on Kuminga to score.
In the third quarter, the Warriors' offense and defense were both terrible, losing 19-32 and falling behind the Clippers by 19 points. The game was basically out of suspense. However, in the fourth quarter, the Clippers did have a bit of a Rockets feel, as the Rockets were overturned by the Timberwolves by 16 points today. The Warriors also once narrowed the gap to just 3 points, with Moody and Kuminga going crazy. Fortunately, Zu Batz got the key 2 points to stabilize the situation, then Powell made up for his mistake by hitting a three-pointer, and Harden's 2 points were life-saving because they were just one shot away from being tied. Harden didn't blindly shoot threes like Van Jordan, but instead attacked the basket and constantly assisted his teammates. Finally, under Harden's control, the Clippers won the game without much trouble.
In the whole game, Harden scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists, Powell scored 26 points and 3 rebounds, Zu Batz scored 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks, Jones scored 14 points, Coffey scored 11 points, Batum scored 3 points and 5 rebounds, and Dunn scored 13 points. On the Warriors' side, Kuminga scored 34 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in vain, Wiggins only scored 5 points, Li Keller scored 5 points and 6 rebounds, Davis scored 15 points and 9 rebounds, Hield scored 5 points, Schroder scored 7 points and 5 assists, Bo Jie scored 10 points, and Moody scored 11 points. The Clippers' defense is indeed still formidable, with a current record of 18 wins and 13 losses, surpassing the Lakers to fifth in the West.
Today, Leonard was laughing so hard, and you must have noticed that Leonard was chatting with Harden on the bench, with Xiaoka laughing heartily and Harden also amused. Next, the Clippers will go on a three-game road trip, then return home to play the Hawks. It was previously said that Leonard was expected to return at home against the Warriors, but Leonard delayed his return, and now playing at home against the Hawks is listed as highly likely. Let's see if Harden can hold on through this three-game road trip and wait for Cardi, and this time it shouldn't be a false alarm.