Five things to take from Clippers’ 138-98 Game 2 win over Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin drives to the hoop under pressure from Golden State Warriors guard Klay ThompsonIg during the first half in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs, Monday, April 21, 2014, in Los Angeles.(Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News)

Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin drives to the hoop under pressure from Golden State Warriors guard Klay ThompsonIg during the first half in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs, Monday, April 21, 2014, in Los Angeles.(Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News)

Below are five things to take from the Clippers’ 139-98 Game 2 win over the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center:

1. Blake Griffin improved tremendously.
Just as impressive as his playoff career-high 35 points on 13 of 17 shootin entail his zero fouls and zero spilled cups of water on Warriors fans sitting near front row. Within a two-day span, Griffin morphed from a player intent on trying to intimidate Golden State with physical play toward a player intimidating the Warriors for more substantial reasons.

Griffin played a complete game, posting on an array of post-ups, mid-range jumpers, and dunks. He completed that job description by providing endless energy and hustle. But he also did so without trying to showboat or make silly decisions that would lead to happy-whistling officials intent on keeping the contentiousness between both teams at bay. Of course, Griffin improved simply by managing to stay on the floor beyond the 19 minutes in the Clippers’ Game 1 loss. But he also proved his value on his extended time by showing off all the qualities that has helped him become a more complete player.

2. The Clippers’ locked in defensively\. So much for the Warriors guard living up to Mark Jackson’s year-long proclamation that he is the NBA’s best shooter of all the time. Curry finished with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, albeit with only two points in the first half. He failed to make a single basket until the 2:45 mark of the second quarter before missing his first four shots. The Clippers routinely shut off Curry’s pick-and-rolls, which both gave him little room to shoot, drive or find an open teammate.

The Clippers carried that aggressiveness in other areas, which enabled them to absorb Curry’s improved second half. The Clippers forced 25 turnovers and converted on 23 fast-break points.


3. The Clippers offered a strong supporting cast.
Several of the Clippers’ role players disappeared in Game 1, and it had nothing to do with foul trouble. A game after he went scoreless in the second half and looked gas, DeAndre Jordan provided endless energy with 11 points with a 7 of 8 clip from the foul line, nine rebounds and five blocks. A game after failing to provide the usual aggressiveness on hustle plays and off-ball cutting, Matt Barnes slashed his way to 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting while saving a few loose balls. After a season in which Danny Granger most had health issues with his hamstring, he dropped 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting. A game after going scoreless in only four minutes, Hedo Turkoglu offered 13 points on a 5 of 7 mark. A game after he couldn’t hit anything unless it was a halfcourt shot, Jamal Crawford netted nine points on a 4 of 8 clip.

4. Chris Paul helped organize the offense.
He may have only scored 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting. But Paul doesn’t need to put up massive numbers when he has a strong supporting cast around him. Instead, Paul directed everything by putting his teammates in various positions to succeed. Paul’s 10 assists happened as a result of the Clippers pushing the pace, scoring in a variety of ways (dunks, post-ups, three-pointers) and of course, Paul being a pretty crafty playmaker.

5. The Clippers’ starters enjoyed plenty of rest.
Well before the result became official, the Clippers’ stars draped icebags around their knees, enjoyed a hard-day’s work and even saw a rare appearance from Jared Dudley. Even when accounting the time off before Game 3 in Golden State on Thursday, early rest for Griffin (30 minutes), Jordan (30 minutes), Barnes (30 minutes), Paul (27 minutes) and J.J. Redick (24 minutes) should provide wonders. Beyond preserving energy for a possibly long playoff run, the Clippers have also monitored injuries to Paul (hamstring) and Redick (back)

RELATED:

Clippers have injuries to monitor with Chris Paul, J.J. Redick

Clippers’ Blake Griffin spills cup of water on Warriors fan before fouling out of Game 1 loss


Golden State’s Mark Jackson keeping the faith through uncertainty

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