They can’t remember how to just accept an L. No matter how poorly they play, no matter how much they are down, they have a switch to flip, a nitro to push.
Like Memphis and Cleveland, the Clippers just got to experience what it feels like when the Warriors press that button.
They have mastered the art of doing what it takes to win. With a championship in their pocket, they now possess this unshakeable belief they can and will win any game. And so far, that’s exactly what they do.
Of all their franchise-record 13 wins to start the season, Thursday night’s win was the one that most justified the historic comparisons they provoke. This wasn’t Brooklyn or Toronto. This was a Clippers team that was at home and clicking. And had a huge lead. And they were completely helpless once the Warriors shifted gears. The Warriors played a nearly perfect fourth quarter, erasing what was a 23-point lead and just ripping the heart out of the Clippers.
Amazing.
This extra level the Warriors can reach, when they need to most, is just another factor for the opponent to think about. This is psychological. Is there a lead they can’t erase? Is there an opponent that can handle them when they are clicking? That answer was an emphatic, no.
It starts with Curry, who played poorly most of the game. He was casual with his passes, which played into the hands of the aggressive, overplaying Clippers’ defense. But he is a microcosm for this team. He is so good, he can turn it around in a blink. His greatness dwarfs his weaknesses and mistakes.
Curry had 7 turnovers for the second consecutive game. But like Steve Nash before him, Curry is undeterred by turnovers. They used to get into his head, impact the rest of his game. Now, he brushes them off, belittles them with his dominance in other areas
Curry finished with 40 points on 11 of 22 shooting. He made all 12 of his free throws, adjusting to the Clippers’ defense by attacking the rim. He had 11 rebounds (more than DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and Draymond Green), 4 assists, 3 steals. He had a pocket full of timely traps, key rebounds and game-changing shots. By the end of the night, his turnovers are like a bird spot of bird poop on a Maybach.
What’s more, you could see Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson picking up Curry’s same demeanor. Thompsom carried the Warriors for a stretch, keeping them in the game while Curry and Green were in foul trouble. Barnes was special in the fourth quarter, looking to put the Warriors on his back. They both had that takeover-swag, like they were convinced the Clippers couldn’t stop them.
And that set up Curry to close.
That’s four guys who can shift the trajectory of a game on their own. When all four of them are clicking, the Clippers don’t stand a chance. And by the end of the night, that reality hit them like a brick.
Some of the numbers out of the game just show how next level the Warriors are:
Curry and Thompson combined for 22 free throws made. They didn’t just go bananas from the 3-point line (9-for-19). We know that’s possible, and they did it in the 4th quarter. But they changed the tenor of the game by attacking the Clippers, applying pressure on the defense.
From ESPN’s Kevin Pelton: the Warriors had an effective field goal percentage of 100 in the fourth quarter.
As Tim Kawakami pointed out, Warriors’ interim coach Luke Walton went with his small lineup at the 5:41 mark of the 4th quarter. They closed the game on a 25-8 run. Teams still haven’t figured out what to do with the Warriors’ small-lineup.
The Warriors shot 73 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. Check out the breakdown of the Warriors’ 39 fourth-quarter points: Curry 13, Barnes 8, Iguodala 6, Thompson 5, Green 4, Speights 3
