Clippers turn on the switch in the fourth to rally past Warriors 109-100
After the Clippers' win over New York Sunday, a victory that was much closer than expected, Doc Rivers said he didn't know what he could count on seeing from his team every night.
"I know we’re going to be in the game, no matter if we play good D or bad offense, I feel like every night we have a chance to win," Rivers said. "That's a comfort, but also I know that we have to do things better. We need to get in the gym, we’re going to have that opportunity this week."
The Clippers players echoed the sentiment that having some practice time would help rectify the malaise they had been playing through.
"I think just us being on the floor like we gotta get after it, we gotta play, we gotta learn, these cleanups that we have during games need to be done during practice," Paul George said Sunday. "Use those practice days to challenge each other and sharpen us up."
After four days off, Patrick Beverley said the team was eager and excited to put to work what they had been practicing. The team showed no signs of taking the opponent lightly, even though the Golden State Warriors have struggled through an injury-riddled season.
And yet, at the start of Friday's game, the Clippers once again looked out of sorts, lacking the energy and execution necessary to put away an overmatched opponent.
Fortunately, the Clippers started the game with a commitment on the defensive end. That mostly stayed true throughout the contest, giving the offense time to catch up. The Clippers found their shots in the fourth, outscoring the Warriors 36-17 in the final period to beat Golden State 109-100.
Without George (out with a hamstring injury), the Clippers once again relied on the offensive exploits of Kawhi Leonard. Leonard started a bit cold, occasionally bothered by the physicality of the Warriors, but he made a concerted effort to attack the basket as the game wore on. Golden State had no option but to foul Leonard late, and the Clipper led all scorers with 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting.
The Clippers made a run at the start of the fourth quarter with a frontcourt of Leonard, Montrezl Harrell, and JaMychal Green. That trio has outscored opponents by 17.1 points per 100 possessions this season, and combined with a rotating guard combo of Lou Williams, Landry Shamet, and Rodney McGruder, they blitzed the Warriors.
Leonard continued to bully his way to the hoop, Williams caught fire from distance, and Beverley, Harrell and Green did the dirty work inside collecting rebounds and closing out possessions.
Leonard had a special burst Friday after not playing in five days. He played 37 minutes, was the best and most impactful player on both ends of the floor, and had a number of poster dunks, including one late to extend the lead to six with 1:16 remaining.
When the Clippers finally brought the requisite energy to the game, their talent was enough to overwhelm the Warriors. A 10-point Golden State lead to start the fourth quarter evaporated in the blink of an eye as Leonard took control of the game.
Clearly, the Clippers have the ability to turn on their switch for one quarter and beat a lottery team, but it's a luxury they'd rather not rely on continuously. It worked Friday. It may not work against a better opponent.
