Video Analysis

The Clippers stole Game 2 from the Warriors using “top-locking” defense. Watch how in Game 3, Klay Thompson ran a series of decoy backdoor cuts to counter this defense and create space for Stephen Curry. Co-starring Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut, Patrick Beverley, and Steve Kingpin Ballmer.

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Some notes from during the mostly good Game 2

• DeMarcus, before his injury, looked slow with LAC attacking him with pick and roll. This isn’t exactly DeMarcus’s fault, because the trail/sag defense is the coaches’ scheme, settled on after trying out a few others in the reg season. Clearly will need another adjustment for Bogut.
• ‏GSW basically runs the same play in every last-second situation. They started it a couple of years ago with Steph-KD PNR decoy, but this year they’ve been trying more and more ridiculous decoys. Last game they ran the truly absurd Dray/Andre decoy PNR, but LAC was too dispirited to stop it.

• With the big lead, Steph really trying to get Dray going on O. Gets him an open 3 (made).
• A few plays before, he got it to Dray on the wing and ran away to the opposite corner, back turned, so Dray would have to make the play. Spin move drive, dish to Bogut dunk.
• Steph playing High Tag D against the Lou Williams PNR. Basically jumping out to trigger the switch too early and recovering to his man.
• (Old article explaining it here: https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2017/5/30/15716160/nba-2017-playoffs-analysis-the-new-way-stephen-curry-defends-lebron-james …)

• Incredible comeback from the Clips. Never gave up, GSW just lost their defensive intensity after getting up big. Then couldn’t find an answer to the Lou Williams PNR. Game 3 will be very interesting!

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