Paul George left the court with a clenched fist and hugged James Harden and Kawhi Leonard after the LA Clippers upset the Golden State Warriors with an incredible 22-point comeback to secure a much-needed victory.
At Crypto.com Arena, George stunned the Warriors with a step-back three-pointer over Klay Thompson with 9.9 seconds remaining. The Clippers won 113–112.
Story of the game:
The Clippers (9-10) took their lone lead of the game after George's basket. With 11:45 remaining in the third quarter, the Warriors, minus the injured Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, and Gary Payton II led 70-48, but the rest of the way they were outscored 65-42.
The Clippers, who have struggled since acquiring Harden in a trade on October 30, were facing the prospect of dropping two games in a row to the Warriors following their Thursday loss in San Francisco. They would have had a disappointing finale to a week that began on Monday when they lost to a Denver Nuggets club without Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, or Jamal Murray at home.
Rather, the Clippers managed to limit Golden State to only 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Clippers secured their greatest victory of the season in the second half by limiting Golden State to 5-of-21 shooting from beyond the arc in the first quarter alone, after Draymond Green's four 3-pointers in that quarter.
After the game, Harden (21 points, 9 assists) was informed that the Clippers were behind by as much as 18.
Following a timeout, Curry entered the paint, was defended by two players, and then threw the ball to Draymond Green, who missed a chance to win the game at the buzzer. In the game, the Warriors drained 17 3-pointers, with Green, Curry, and Klay Thompson scoring four apiece.
In his 900th NBA game, Curry led the Warriors with 22 points and 11 assists. Moses Moody scored 21 points and hit 9 of 10 free throws, while Green finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds.
For the second time this week, the Warriors let a big lead slip away. Against Sacramento on Tuesday, they trailed by 24 points.
With 1:22 remaining, Moody made two free throws to give the Warriors a 111-106 lead. Harden's basket put the Clippers within a point of George's game-winning jumper.
Early in the fourth quarter, Thompson's 3-pointer increased Golden State's advantage to 98-88. To close the gap to three, the Clippers scored seven straight points.
With 15 points from Harden leading the way, the Clippers came back from a 22-point deficit to within two in the third. However, Thompson's score and 3-pointer kept the Warriors ahead going into the fourth quarter, 92-85.
In the second, the Warriors extended their lead to 17 points. After a slow start, the Clippers gained some momentum and defeated Golden State 10-2 to reduce their deficit to nine points.
However, Curry responded by sinking back-to-back 3-pointers to score 10 of the Warriors' final 12 points, sending them into halftime ahead 67-48. In the half, five players made 12 of the 22 3-pointers that were made by the Warriors, who had 19 assists.
With Green's first 3-pointer to start the game, the Warriors established the offensive tone. During the quarter, they made seven 3-pointers and had a 13-point lead. Golden State supporters cheered loudly as Green made back-to-back three-pointers. His four 3-pointers in a quarter tied a record for the most in his career.
Chris Paul of Golden State was sidelined for the second consecutive game due to a contusion in his lower leg nerve. With pain in his right finger, Andrew Wiggins sat out.
Next up
Warriors: On Wednesday, they'll host Portland.
Nine days after falling to the Nuggets despite blowing an 11-point lead, the Clippers host Denver on Wednesday.