Warriors-Clippers Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Apr 13 2012 2:10PM

Entrenched in a tight playoff race, Blake Griffin is fully aware of possible playoff scenarios, but realizes the most important thing is simply that the Los Angeles Clippers win.

They haven't done a good job of that, however, against the lowly Golden State Warriors.

Winners of 10 of 12, the surging Clippers look to inch closer to securing their first playoff berth in six years Saturday when they host a Warriors team that has lost 10 of 12.

Los Angeles (36-23) is getting healthy and playing some of its best basketball as it gears up for its first postseason appearance since 2006.

Mo Williams returned Thursday against Minnesota after missing 11 games with a left big toe injury and finished with 14 points and five assists in a 95-82 victory. Griffin had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Caron Butler scored 17 for the Clippers, who are chasing the Pacific Division-leading Lakers and 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis for fourth place in the Western Conference.

"You definitely know what the team ahead of you and behind you are doing," Griffin said. "Our main focus though is still trying to win games. Whatever happens behind us and ahead of us happens. The only thing we can control is ourselves."

The Clippers beat the Warriors 105-86 on Christmas Day in Chris Paul's team debut, but have lost both meetings since. In the last game March 11, Los Angeles trailed by as many as 21 and missed 16 of 35 free throws in a 97-93 loss.

Golden State's David Lee has done a solid job of keeping Griffin in check and offsetting his production. In the three meetings, Griffin is averaging 23.3 points on 53.3 percent shooting and 9.3 rebounds, while Lee is averaging 21.0 points on 53.1 percent shooting and 11.7 boards.

Paul is averaging 22.3 points on 52.2 percent shooting in the season series for Los Angeles, which has won eight of nine home games.

One advantage the Clippers may have this time is not worrying about stopping Monta Ellis, who has since been traded to Milwaukee. He combined for 53 points on 50.0 percent shooting in the two wins for the Warriors.

The Clippers' offense also struggled a bit in the last two meetings, but might have luck better this time considering how Golden State's defense is playing.

The Warriors (22-36), who are already eliminated from playoff contention, have allowed an average of 117.7 points in losing their last three games and are 6-26 when letting opponents reach triple digits.

"We gave up over 100 points in the last three games and that's inexcusable," rookie Klay Thompson said after Thursday's 112-103 loss to Dallas. "Play harder, have more focus, take pride in our defense, take pride when somebody scores on you and get offended. That's what we need to do."

Thompson had another impressive offensive performance Thursday, finishing with 24 points and a season-best eight assists. Inserted into the starting lineup after Ellis was traded, Thompson is averaging 18.2 points on 50.0 percent shooting - including 57.7 percent from 3-point range - in the last five games.

The Warriors, though, have lost four of those contests and 15 of 19 over the last month.

"When you play the best you can - the game gets so close and then it gets away from us. It's frustrating," rookie point guard Charles Jenkins said. "It doesn't matter how many games are left you want to win as a competitor."

Clippers beat Warriors 112-104 for 3rd win in row

By BETH HARRIS
Posted Apr 14 2012 7:26PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Chris Paul's clutch play in the fourth quarter is a big reason why the Los Angeles Clippers are closing in on a rare playoff berth.

Paul scored 12 of his 28 points in the final period and added 13 assists in a 112-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday that brought the Clippers within a game of the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead.

The Clippers have won 11 of 13, inching closer to their first playoff appearance since the 2005-06 season.

"It's all about locking up a playoff spot. You got to get in," Paul said. "Anything can happen when you get to the playoffs. The sky's the limit. When we play the way we're capable of playing, we've already beaten some of the best teams in the league."

Blake Griffin added 20 points, DeAndre Jordan 18 and Mo Williams 14 in the Clippers' third straight win. They also are chasing the idle Lakers for the third seed in the Western Conference with six games remaining.

"We know what our goal is and it's not to be ahead of the Lakers once the playoffs start," Jordan said.

The Clippers' 36 wins are their most since they won 40 games in 2006-07. They next play West-leading Oklahoma City on Monday with a chance to win that season series.

"We would love to win the division," Paul said. "In order to do that, we would need to win out."

Reserve Nate Robinson led injury-riddled Golden State with 28 points, including four 3-pointers. Klay Thompson added 24 points, Dorell Wright scored 23 and Brandon Rush 22 in the Warriors' third consecutive loss and 11th in their last 13 games.

David Lee and Richard Jefferson have been sidelined since Friday with injuries, joining Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry.

"We're undermanned and undersized, but we fought. There's no quit in us," Thompson said. "We've been short-handed all year, so it's a learning experience, especially for us rookies. We're getting better, but we've got to get a lot better defensively. Even though we're undersized, we've got to do a better job of boxing out and keeping them from getting second chances."

Golden State, the NBA's leading 3-point shooting team, made 15 from long range - one off its season high. Wright and Thompson had four 3s each. The Warriors were 15 of 21 from the free-throw line, compared to 14 for 30 for the Clippers.

"It was kind of like a snowball effect," Jordan said. "I missed a couple and then Blake missed a couple and then Kenyon (Martin) did, and they just started fouling us, but we got the win. We all have confidence in each other that in the clutch we'll knock those down."

Without Lee down low to guard Griffin, the Clippers dominated the paint. But Golden State stayed in the game with its strong outside shooting.

"Slow starts like that have killed us. It's inexcusable," Thompson said. "It's on us rookies to come out and play with a lot of energy. But we showed a lot of heart though."

Nick Young hit a timely 3-pointer that gave Los Angeles its only double-digit lead of the fourth. From there, the Warriors got within six several times, but the Clippers made a series of defensive stops in the closing minute. Paul hit a 3 with 9 seconds left to preserve the win, although Thompson ended the game by making Golden State's last 3.

"We understand we couldn't win a checkers match right now, we are not good enough," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said.

The Warriors tied it twice in the third quarter but never managed to take the lead despite the Clippers' missed free throws. They were 10 of 19 from the line in the period. Martin finally made a pair to send the Clippers into the fourth ahead 86-82.

The Clippers raced to a 24-5 lead to start the game, shooting 59 percent in the opening quarter when Paul and Jordan scored 12 points each.

The Warriors hit seven 3-pointers in the second quarter to trail 59-58 at the break. Rush and Robinson made three apiece in the period as Golden State shot 61 percent from long range in the half.

NOTES: The Clippers split the season series with the Warriors. ... Golden State remains stuck at 10 road wins, equaling last season's total. ... Jefferson, who has a swollen right knee, wasn't with the Warriors. ... The Clippers improved to 9-1 on Saturdays.

Notebook: Clippers 112, Warriors 104

Posted Saturday April 14, 2012 7:19PM

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Clippers didn't shoot their free throws very well, and didn't defend the 3-point line much at all, but they were still good enough Saturday afternoon to defeat the injury-depleted Warriors, 112-104, at Staples Center.

QUOTABLE: "We missed a lot of free throws. They made a lot of 3-pointers. However, this game goes in the left-hand column as a win, which is the most important thing."
-- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro

THE STAT: The Clippers came in as the second-worst free-throw shooting team in the league at 68.3 percent and they certainly didn't improve that number after shooting 14-for-30 from the line (46.7 percent). Defensively, they gave up a season-high 15 3-pointers on 31 attempts, one short of L.A.'s franchise record.

TURNING POINT: The Warriors fell behind by 19 points after the first 5 1/2 minutes but chipped away in the second quarter and eventually caught the Clippers, 66-66, on a pull-up jumper by Klay Thompson with 7:50 remaining in the third. Golden State hung around until a 7-0 run by the Clippers provided them a 98-87 lead with 8:02 remaining in the game, and the Warriors never pulled back within six points.

HOT: Clippers point guard Chris Paul had 28 points, 13 assists, three steals and his first slam dunk of the season during the first-quarter surge. The only player shorter than Paul, Golden State point guard Nate Robinson, scored 28 points off the bench, his highest-scoring game since he netted 41 as a member of the Knicks on Jan. 1, 2010.

NOT: A combined seven players scored 18 points or more for both sides, but Clippers small forward Caron Butler didn't join in the fun. He finished with two points on 1-for-5 shooting, his third game in single digits in the last four. Golden State had three starters contribute pretty much nothing. Jeremy Tyler had four points and five fouls in 25 minutes of play. Another rookie, point guard Charles Jenkins, missed all four of his field-goal attempts and scored one point. That was one better than starting center Andris Biedrens, who didn't even take a shot while accumulating three fouls in 11 minutes.

GOOD MOVE: Golden State coach Mark Jackson obviously scoured the statistics before the game. He ordered his team to intentionally foul Clippers center DeAndre Jordan late in the second period, and again to Blake Griffin midway through the third. At one point in the third quarter, the Clippers were 6-for-18 from the line, but actually got it together and shot 8-for-12 the rest of the quarter. They didn't go to the line in the fourth.

BAD MOVE: While the Clippers were running away from the Warriors in the opening quarter, Griffin said something to an official after teammate Randy Foye tripped over the official and crashed into the scorer's table. Griffin earned his 11th technical foul of the season. Two more in the final six games and he'll be suspended for a game ... Golden State back-up center Mickell Gladness had a particularly embarrassing rookie moment after Paul missed a runner that clanked off the front of the rim during the third quarter. Gladness went to grab the rebound that was a good 18 inches off the rim, but he inadvertently tipped the ball in the basket to stretch L.A.'s lead to 75-69.

QUOTABLE II: "Sky's the limit. When we play the way we are capable of, we've already beaten some of the best teams in the league. We've just got to keep working."
-- Paul

NOTABLE: Golden State, which was averaging 46.3 points from its bench players in the previous four games, received 52 against the Clippers ... The Warriors fell to 0-12 when their opponent shoots 50 percent from the floor or better ... Paul scored 12 points in the final quarter to give him 331 on the season. He came in fourth in the league in fourth-quarter scoring. Foye sank three more 3-pointers for the Clippers, giving him 28 in the last nine games, tops in the NBA.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Monday vs. Oklahoma City, Wednesday @ Denver, Thursday @ Phoenix. For the Warriors, Monday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday vs. L.A. Lakers, Friday @ Dallas.

• Warriors: Bogut, Curry, Wright
• Clippers: Billups, Leslie

• Warriors: Tyler
• Clippers: Butler, Griffin

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #73 Tre Maddox, #65 Sean Wright
• Attendance: 19060
• Duration: 2:19