Clippers Keep Streak Alive, Outlast Warriors to Take Fifth Seed

After all the commotion and late season excitement, the NBA playoffs are finally set. The Western Conference has gone back-and-forth a lot over the past few weeks, but now the top six seeds are all locked in.

Surprisingly, the Warriors are not one of those seeds.

(Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

Golden State has played some incredible basketball since signing Jimmy Butler back in February

While the move undoubtedly made the team (and Stephen Curry) better, it ultimately wasn’t enough to keep them out of the play-in game.

The Warriors could easily win their next game and make the second round

From there, with their roster, they could easily go on a run. Even so, their latest loss to the Clippers shows how hard it is to win consistently against the top of the NBA.

A Tough Game

It’s not often that important NBA seeding comes down to the final game, but that’s exactly what happened in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon.

The red-hot Clippers visited the Warriors at the Chase Center with a top six seed, as well as a week’s rest, on the line.

Both teams played hard, ran the court, hustled well, and tried everything they could to get a win

Though the nod almost always goes to the home team in such situations, the Clippers continued their recent tear and came out on top.

The game largely started in the Warriors favor when Golden State went up by eight at the end of the first quarter. The Clippers then turned it around with a huge second quarter to go up by two at the half.

Not to be denied, the Warriors won the next two quarters by a single point each to send the game into overtime.

Once regular play ended, the Clippers proved to have a little more juice down the line. They played tight defense, got good looks, and ended up winning the last period by five points for a tough, and hard fought, 124-119 victory.

That result gives Los Angeles the fifth seed, as well as a first round matchup against the Nuggets. The Warriors are now in the play-in game and face the Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

The Importance of Superstars

The game might have had a surprising ending, but the quarters went about as expected. That is to say, back-and-forth.

The Warriors’ duo of Curry and Butler put up 36 points and 30 points respectively, while the Clippers two stars, Harden and Leonard, put up 39 and 33.

Both of those pairs cancelled each other out, leaving Ivica Zubac to be the X-factor

The Warriors have always been vulnerable down low, and that proved to be their downfall. The center dominated the paint, putting up 22 points and 17 rebounds in a truly great performance.

Something else to note is that both teams only played nine players. They tightened up their rotations, and only put their best players on the court. That’s likely how they intend to run their teams going forward.

Every franchise leans on its superstars in the playoffs. If the last game is any indication, the Clippers and Warriors will do that as well. Each squad has two clear leaders, and letting those leaders take over was the plan for Sunday’s contest.

Though things didn’t go the Warriors way, it’s hard to argue against their plan

The team played well all around and did a great job of attacking the basket. They found plenty of ways to score and managed to string together some great defensive possessions.

If they want to win the next game and move on, they’re going to need Curry and Butler to repeat that performance. They might have more leeway in a seven-game series, but right now they have a blueprint for attacking Memphis.

On the Come Up

The Clippers are like the Warriors in many ways. However, they have the distinct advantage of getting hot at the right time. Harden and Leonard aren’t just playing strong basketball, they’re playing strong basketball in a way that’s lifting the team.

The Clippers haven’t had the best supporting cast this season

Now, the role players are why they’ve been able to win their last eight games. Los Angeles may not have the same fanfare as some of the other top teams in the West, but they can make some serious noise if they keep playing at their current level.

Zubac is starting to come alive, while Norman Powell is a great number three who’s shown that he can score in many ways. Beating the Warriors on the road in such a big game is no easy task. Neither is beating the Nuggets.

With Harden and Leonard at the helm, the Clippers have shown they can do both.

“We’re a good team,” Harden said. “We’re excited to show the world.”