There was going to be no doubt that this was going to be a series. Notice served.
The Clippers adjusted their game and came out firing in a must-win Game Two for a 138-98. They left no doubt this time and turned the Warriors from greedy to satisfied pretty quickly. This game was never close with the Clippers pouring it on and on as the game went deeper.
Blake Griffin, playing in 30 minutes, scored 35 points and Danny Granger had 15 points off the bench. It was a thorough deconstruction. The ones that occasionally happen in the Playoffs. Golden State has to lick its wounds before Game Three.
Los Angeles shot 56.6 percent and 12 for 25 from beyond the arc. Golden State shot 47.4 percent itself but could not buy a bucket from long range.
Foul trouble continued to plague the Warriors, a problem the Clippers seemed to solve. Klay Thompson picked up four fouls in the first half and was largely neutralized as the Warriors fell further and further behind. Thompson was limited to just seven points. Stephen Curry scored 24 points and dished out eight assists, but also had four fouls.
Golden State’s 33 fouls turned into 35 free throw attempts for Los Angeles. It was a complete change in aggression as the Clippers put the pedal to the metal.
This was how we expected the Clippers to play. Not so much the Warriors.
There will be a happy medium to reach in Game Three.
