Blake and Jordan

The Clippers were picked to win this series by almost everybody, but the Warriors had other plans in mind. The injury to Andrew Bogut convinced everyone that the Warriors were not getting past the first round of the playoffs. Now, the Clippers bandwagon got a little smaller and the Warriors are a much more trendy pick. However, many expected the Clippers to come out strong and seek vengeance early. Doc Rivers did not want to go to Oracle Arena down 0-2.

First Quarter

The Clippers came out with a purpose and they got out to an early 17-6 lead. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were very active and got some easy shots and earned some free throws. Klay Thompson was able to get some quick buckets and brought the lead down to 17-11, but Thompson drew three quick fouls and had to sit. Griffin looked like a player who wanted to impose his will early, he finished the quarter with 14 points and the Clippers had a 31-20 lead. Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala had a quiet first quarter and Thompson and Harrison Barnes both finished with five points each.

Second Quarter

Things didn’t get any better in the second quarter. The Clippers decided to get everyone involved and they scored 12 points in less than three minutes and the Clippers led 43-26. It could have been much worse, but David Lee scored six points in that span. The Clippers were having their way offensively, reaching the 50 point mark with 7:12 remaining in the ball game. The crowd was into the game and the Clippers had all the energy. The teams traded baskets a bit, but the Clippers extended their lead to 67-41, which set a playoff franchise record for most points in a half. Griffin had 21 points and the Clippers were determined to make their mark early in this game. 

Third Quarter

The Clippers started the third and they didn’t lose a step. Griffin opened the quarter with a jumper and the Clippers kept racking up the points. Things got out of hand quickly and the lead quickly rose to 82-49. Curry was able to hit his first three of the game in the third, but by then the route was on. Curry showed some heart by getting some quick baskets, but the deficit is simply too much to overcome. The onslaught continued throughout the quarter and the Clippers had a 30 point lead with less than two minutes left. Curry kept playing tough and drove the lane and was met with contact several times, but was able to convert with no whistle from the official. Curry was given a technical foul after tossing his mouth piece and complaining to the official about the non-calls. The Clippers shot 67% in the third quarter and they had a 105-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Griffin led all scores with 35 points and Curry had 20 points in the quarter. 

Fourth Quarter

At this point, the Warriors could only hope to cut the lead to 20 or 15 points. The Clippers would let off the gas and continued to play with a ferocity that was not seen in Game 1. Coach Mark Jackson threw in the towel and rested his starters for most of the quarter. The game was already over and the Clippers were on their way to setting a franchise playoff record for scoring in a single game. The Warriors were punched in the mouth, hopefully they are able to recover from this in Game 3.  The Clippers would go on to win the game 138-98, giving the Clippers their biggest margin of victory in playoff history. Griffin led all scorers with 35, but seven players were in double figures, giving them a balanced attack.