Chris Paul scores 23 in first half as Clippers lead Warriors 68-54

Chris Paul

Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

Chris Paul scored 18 of his 23 first-half points in the first quarter and the Clippers took a 68-54 lead over the Golden State Warriors into the locker room at halftime.

The Clippers twice led by as many as 23 points.

Paul made his first seven shots from the field, including three 3-pointers.

Blake Griffin contributed 18 points and Austin Rivers scored seven.

Klay Thompson had 18 points for Golden State and Steph Curry scored 17 after having just three points in the first quarter.

 

Klay Thompson: Games against Clippers always going to be hot

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson/Photo courtesy of Golden State Warriors

 

Golden State’s Klay Thompson scored 16 points on 7 of 18 shooting Wednesday in the Warriors’ 112-108 victory over the Clippers in a thriller at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The Clippers went from being down 17 in the second quarter to leading by 10 in the fourth before Golden State took the win.

Afterward, Thompson talked about this budding rivalry and how he expects the games between the teams to always be hotly contested.

“It’s going to be like that every time we play these guys,” Thompson said. “There are a lot of improved guys on their team, so it was good. Whoever it is, who’s out there, we don’t like to lose on our home court, so it would have been a tough loss.”

Blake Griffin’s 29 points help Clippers blast Warriors 130-95

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

Clippers forward Blake Griffin led everyone with 29 points, J.J. Redick scored 15 and DeAndre Jordan had 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals and the Clippers demolished Golden State 130-95 on Tuesday night in exhibition play at Staples Center.

Three reserves – Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith – all scored in double figures with Rivers getting 16 and Smith and Crawford 13 apiece.

The Clippers – now 2-3 in exhibition play – had lost their previous three games. They lost their most recent game – to Charlotte in China – by 42 points.

“It was important to get a good rhythm and I think it was important to kind of wash that taste out of our mouths from the last three games,” Griffin said. “And I thought we did that, I thought we looked better and I think that’s the result of the way we’ve practiced the last three days.”

There were seven player technical fouls – five for the Clippers, two for Chris Paul – who was ejected in the third quarter. Mostly, it was players arguing with officials, though there was a bit of back-and-forth chirping between the teams. That bugged coach Doc Rivers.

“Yeah, I didn’t like that,” he said. “That’s the only negative of the game. I think that was way to many techs in one game. And for both teams, I didn’t like that at all. I don’t mind the energy both teams have toward each other, but you can do it without the technicals and all that stuff.”

The Warriors (2-4) played without Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala, who were rested. They got a team-high 21 points from Klay Thompson.

Draymond Green, who scored nine, wasn’t all that worried about the loss, but he wasn’t thrilled by its margin.

“No, I don’t think losing is a deep concern,” he said. “Losing by 35 isn’t OK, though.”

The Clippers shot 54.9 percent from the field, and held Golden State to 41 percent as the Clippers excelled on defense.

Doc Rivers ‘disappointed’ in Klay Thompson’s reply to ‘luck’ remark

Doc Rivers/Photo by Associated Press

 

Golden State’s Klay Thompson on Friday responded to a quote from Doc Rivers, who had previously told reporters that a team needs some “luck” to advance in the Western Conference playoffs – “Look at Golden State, they didn’t have to play us or the Spurs.”

Thompson, who helped the Warriors win the title this past season, called Rivers’ remarks “bitter” and went on to note how the Clippers lost to Houston after leading 3-1 in the conference semifinals, and so on.

“I was really disappointed in them because that’s not how I said it,” Rivers said. “I was really surprised at how sensitive they are, but I’m giving Klay the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure it was worded wrong in the question that was asked to him. I basically say it and I say it all the time. During the conversation, I said of my (Boston Celtics) team in 2008, you’ve gotta have some luck, things have to go your way. You need all that.

“But I respect Golden State a hundred percent. But I was surprised at how quickly they jumped on it. To each his own.”

Can this make the rivalry bigger?

“I don’t know if it can get any bigger,” Rivers said, “but I’m fine by that. Whether they likes us or we like them, doesn’t matter. They’re the champs and we want to be the champs.”

The Clippers play Nov. 4 at Golden State in the fifth regular-season game of this upcoming season. The Clippers will play host to the Warriors on Nov. 19 at Staples Center.

Golden State’s Klay Thompson lets Doc Rivers and Clippers have it

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson/Photo courtesy of Golden State Warriors

 

Golden State’s Klay Thompson has responded to a recent quote by Doc Rivers, who, when assessing the toughness of the Western Conference, told Grantland.com, “You need luck in the West. Look at Golden State. They didn’t have to play us or the Spurs.”

That’s because the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals this past season, losing in seven games to Houston. Had the Clippers taken care of business, they would have played the eventual-champion Warriors in the conference finals. As for the Spurs, they were beaten by the Clippers in the first round.

Thompson on Friday pretty much pointed all that out to a reporter from ESPN.com.

“That sounds pretty bitter to me,” said Thompson, who was just getting started. “If we got lucky, look at our record against them last year. I’m pretty sure we smacked them.”

Golden State had a 3-1 record against the Clippers during the regular season. Thompson wasn’t done.

“Didn’t they lose to the Rockets?” he said. “So that just makes me laugh. That’s funny. Weren’t they up 3-1, too? Tell them I said that, too.”

You have to love this less than three weeks before the regular season begins. If these teams aren’t careful, this is going to become one terrific rivalry.

By the way, the Clippers play Nov. 4 at Golden State. The Clippers will play host to the Warriors on Nov. 19 at Staples Center.

Things to ponder ahead of Wednesday night’s game at Golden State

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Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson/Photo courtesy of Golden State Warriors, NBA.com

 

The Clippers will play at Golden State on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors are off to a 3-0 start, and statistically are leading the league in several individual and team categories.

– Shooting guard Klay Thompson is leading the league in scoring, averaging 29.7 points

– Point guard Steph Curry is leading the league in steals at 3.6 per game

– The Warriors have the best point differential in the league at plus-15.4

– The Warriors have allowed opponents to shoot just 39.5 percent from the field, lowest in the league

– The Warriors are averaging a league-high 11 steals

– The Warriors are forcing opponents into a league-high 22.3 turnovers per game