To Dubs head to L.A. for Game 3 in the best-of-seven series.
Game 3: Warriors at ClippersThursday, April 187:30 p.m.Staples Center
WATCH: NBCSN, TNT
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Mobile App and Warriors Radio Network
HEADED TO L.A.
With the series tied 1-1, the Warriors head down to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday. The Dubs will be looking to bounce back from Monday’s stunning defeat and try to re-take homecourt advantage by stealing a game on the road. During the regular season, the Warriors split their two games against the Clippers in Los Angeles, and the Dubs have won at least one road game in every playoff series they’ve appeared in since 2013.
LAST TIME OUTThough the Warriors came out strong in the first half, they were unable to maintain the momentum in the second, resulting in a Clippers’ victory which tied the series 1-1. Stephen Curry scored a team-high of 29 points for the night, while Kevon Looney recorded a career-high of 19 points. » Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
LAST GAME'S STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins
LAC: Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and Ivica Zubac
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: DeMarcus Cousins (quadriceps) and Damian Jones (left pectoral surgery) are out. Team Notes
LAC: None. Team Notes
BIG MEN BACKUPSThough the Warriors lost DeMarcus Cousins to a torn quadriceps muscle on Monday night, the next two men up to fill his minutes have shown they are capable of filling in against the Clippers. On Monday, Kevon Looney had a nearly perfect shooting night (6-for-6 from the field, 7-for-8 from free throw line), beating his previous career-high of 15 points set on January 28 against the Indiana Pacers. In four games against Los Angeles this year, he has averaged 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in just over 22 minutes, and with the clear growth he has had in his game this season, there is plenty of reason to have confidence in the Dubs’ young center. Andrew Bogut, a key cog in the Warriors’ previous playoff runs from 2013 through 2016, brings a profound knowledge of the game that the team can rely on when needed. While filling in for Cousins in Monday’s game, Bogut came away with nine rebounds, two assists, and a block in 17 minutes.
TEAM PLAYOFF LEADERS
L.A. CLIPPERS SCOUTING REPORTLou Williams had one field goal in the first half, and yet he ended the game with 36 points and 11 rebounds; it speaks volumes to his ability change a game when he enters off the bench. He was instrumental in not only building a 31-point comeback on the Dubs with his own output, but also creating opportunities for others. While Williams’ ability to move around the perimeter pulled the Warriors around the court, Montrezl Harrell continued to use his athleticism to find opportunities inside, finishing with 25 points on Monday; he is now averaging 25.5 points in the series on 83.3 percent shooting from the field. Perhaps most key in Los Angeles’ improvement between Game 1 and 2 was the additional scoring output from other Clippers. Danilo Gallinari and Landry Shamet, who averaged 19.8 and 9.1 points in the regular season, respectively, combined for just 18 points in Game 1, were large contributors on Monday; Gallinari finished with 24 points while Shamet added 12 of his own, and together they made seven of the Clippers’ 14 three-pointers.