The Clippers and Warriors provided NBA fans with by far the most exciting game on Christmas Day. The Warriors won 105-103 in a neck-to-neck game. The game was testy all the way through, even after the final horn sounded. The first of ejections included Draymond Green. This confrontation got Blake Griffin his first technical foul of the game, even though it was unclear why. Early in the 4th quarter, Griffin and Bogut got into a scuffle instigated mainly by Bogut grabbing a hold of Griffin’s jersey. Both were charged with technical fouls, resulting in Griffin’s ejection. After the final buzzer, Paul and Bogut started a bench-clearing scuffle that dissolved quite quickly as teams headed into the locker rooms.
As for the stats, Chris Paul led the Clippers with 26pts and 11ast. CP3 took over in the 4th quarter, matching Curry’s every basket and keeping the game close. Griffin added 20pts before his ejection in the 4th quarter. The Clippers’ big man, DeAndre Jordan, finished with 13pts (6-6 FG), 13rebs, and 6blk. Stephen Curry was held to just 6pts through 38 minutes of play, but added 9pts in the last 10 minutes of the game for a total of 15pts and 11ast. Curry has struggled during Christmas Day games in the past. He and Paul matched each other basket for basket down the stretch. Klay Thompson and David Lee each added 23pts for the Warriors.
Chris Paul drove the lane, and got his game-tying layup blocked from behind by Klay Thompson. This left one second on the clock. CP3 inbounded to Crawford. Crawford missed a three pointer short to win the game with the clock expiring.
The Clippers and Warriors have created a brewing interstate rivalry. Clippers and Warriors fans alike can’t wait for the next matchup on January 30th at Oracle Arena.
