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The Golden State Warriors lost Game 5 at home 129-121 to the unrelenting Los Angeles Clippers. L.A. refused to die.
Kevin Durant led the champs with 45 points. Steph Curry added 24 points, and Klay Thompson chipped in 22 of his own. Offense wasn’t really the problem, folks. The issue was the Clippers shredding the Warriors defense with the unstoppable Lou Wlliams-Montrezl Harrell pick-and-roll.
Williams led the Clips with 33 points off of the bench, and Harrell added 24.
The Clippers took control of the first half behind some TRAGIC defense from the champions.
HALFTIME: Warriors trail the Clippers, 71-63. Fresh off seeing that the Rockets punched their ticket to the next round, Golden State has disappeared defensively. Clippers are shooting 56 percent from the field, with 4 players in double figures.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) April 25, 2019
71-63 Clippers after bad half for Warriors, particularly on D, allowing Lou Will (18p, 8-11 FG) and Gallo (16, 6-13) and to find rhythm.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) April 25, 2019
-Hamptons 5 minus-3 over final 4:26
-Durant 21, Thompson 15, Curry 10
-Starters outrebounded by Beverley 9-8.
The Dubs gave up 71 points in the half, at home, in a close out game they needed to have in order to keep pace with the Houston Rockets (the Rox advanced to the 2nd round earlier that evening).
Draymond Green came out fired up in the third quarter, barking his way to a technical. It was clear he was looking to be the emotional spark, and went out of his way to get the crowd hyped.
The Warriors eventually took a brief lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Williams-Harrell combo was unstoppable. I can’t believe I just typed that.
Home playoff losses for the Warriors in the KD era
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 25, 2019
2017: 0
2018: 1
2019: 2, already, in the first round to the Clippers
Shake and b̶a̶k̶e̶ score. @TeamLou23 → @MONSTATREZZ pic.twitter.com/oa3tRr4Cpk
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 25, 2019
Steve Kerr: "This Clipper team has been scrapping and clawing all year. You knew they weren't going to go down without a fight. Patrick Beverley came out and kicked our butts right away." #Clippers
— Farbod Esnaashari ✪ (@Farbod_E) April 25, 2019
Feel free to vent your hearts out in the comments, GSoM. This was one of those losses.