Blake Griffin said it best after the Warriors erased a 23-point first half Clippers lead, winning 124-117. “Those numbers are insane,” Griffin said, after being told the Warriors fourth quarter offensive stats read like this: 8-9 from 3-points, 9-10 free throws, 11-15 from the field. Insane, unbeatable — pick your adjective. “They’re the better team,” Griffin concluded. Anyone watching the second half would agree. But if you’d tuned in for the first half, heard the roars of the LA crowd and watched Griffin, Chris Paul and company mount a 23 point lead, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the Clippers as the dominant squad.
Both Griffin (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Paul (35 points, 8 assists) shot better than 50% from the field. The Clippers scored 68 points in the first half, but just 49 in the second as newly re-signed center DeAndre Jordan did a disappearing act, shooting 2-4 and scoring nine in 38+ minutes. Steph Curry added eleven defensive rebounds to his 40 points in leading the Warriors back from the brink. The defending champs are 13-0, including six wins on the road.
