No longer a rivalry: Golden State now transcends Los Angeles

Steve Kerr came out and reiterated what all of the other Golden State Warriors had uttered in the past few weeks: they were gunning for the greatest season of all time.

The Los Angeles Clippers merely acted as the backdrop as the Stephen Curry-led team ran over them without so much a wince or notice. Once the most scintillating rivalry and tension-heavy affair in the basketball world, it was reduced to watching Chris Paul fling himself uselessly around the rim, clank open shots, and the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers whine their tired act to a nondescript loss. The Golden State Warriors has passed nearly the entire NBA by, and this game provided the final chapter, or rather, footnote the Clippers would cling onto.

Throughout the press conference and locker room later on, the Warriors would pay the Clippers their due. Perhaps they've learned from outwardly goading or lashing out at a team. Perhaps they just didn't care to keep this team in their sights, setting their answers on autopilot. Steve Kerr noted Chris Paul simply missed shots he'd normally make. Klay Thompson turned his phone off mid-response to a question about the season sweep before losing his train of thought. Draymond Green called one DeAndre Jordan one of the best centers in the game before moving on to the next question, certainly not one about the Clippers.

There's nothing left to see here. The game itself, a 114-98 methodical blowout of the Clippers was the most boring game in this faded rivalry in the past four years. Without Mark Jackson's constant built-in comments, Blake Griffin distaste, or ever a sense of actual close gameplay, it was more a trudge to the coffin for the Clippers than a rivalry, hatred-infused atmosphere.

As the budding team for the ages marches towards a future so blinding, they look back and stare down at the past that only now seems so petty and almost meaningless.

In a maze of cliche'd responses, Steve Kerr came with the most accurate phrase to describe this rivalry, who these Golden State Warriors are now, and how far they've come.

"I think it's 100% coaching," with a clear note of sarcasm in the text. Note that sarcasm doesn't necessarily stretch too far from the truth.

Leftover Observations:

In a throwback to my recaps of the past, here are some of my thoughts on this game, and even some on the season as we near the end.

1. Harrison Barnes is having a completely miserable second half of the season and especially after the severe ankle injury. Kerr praised his rebounding and even went out of his way to note one of his hustle plays (that I don't even remember). He's still valuable in bridging versatility for the starting and bench units but he's been nothing short of dreadful until further notice.

2. Draymond Green ripped Jeff Green in one sequence, went in transition the other way, and found Klay Thompson leaking down the sideline with a pass that led him to the basket. The confidence is back, even if the shooting isn't there yet. It looks like whatever slowed him down after the break is nearly gone.

3. By far the worst Chris Paul game I've seen against Stephen Curry. Ripped by Steph on one possession, rattled and missing wide-open 3s the next, there's a building gap between him and the best point guard in the world. Like the teams themselves, the separation is getting to the point where I almost didn't bother inputting this blurb in because it's so expected and obvious.

4. Lots and lots of smallball last night with the Clippers going small as well. Early fourth quarter, the Clippers had Jamal Crawford playing power forward to match up with Harrison Barnes. They had a little success as they tried to slow it down while negating some how Barnes' mismatch advantage by going just as small. Unfortunately...

5. The Stephen Curry - Draymond Green pick-and-roll is still the best offensive play in the NBA. As the Clippers sprang doubles and traps, the Warriors found open player after open player. Kerr referenced after the game one of his favorite phrases, "it'll come out in the wash". He simply means if there is enough movement on and off the ball, the defense will make a mistake and someone will pop open.

6. The rotations are shortening as Anderson Varejao and Ian Clark took a seat along with just 4 seconds of James Michael McAdoo. Marreese Speights canned another 3 while blocking several shots in just under 12 minutes. The bench actually made the difference as the woeful Clippers bench was unable to keep pace with a GSW bench that tends to play a little too slow.

7. Draymond made a late play that exemplified the brains of this GSW team most known for its flashy shooting. Green ran off an offball screen to free himself of DeAndre Jordan. Once he knew Jordan lost him, he sprinted from the right baseline to set Steph a screen on the left 3 pt line. Knowing Jordan would be too late to recover, Steph dribbled off of it and sank a 3, effectively ending the game. Flashiest team in the league, best defensive team in crunchtime, and also the smartest team in the world.