NBA PLAYOFFS -- Clippers stun Warriors in Game 5
By Ponciano Melo Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 25 Apr 2019
OAKLAND -- Hold the confetti. Deflate the balloons.
If the Golden State Warriors were to advance to the second round of the these 2019 NBA playoffs, they'll have to play a Game 6 as the Los Angeles Clippers are proving to be a tough out.
With a 3-1 series lead entering Wednesday night's Game 5 (Thursday AM in Manila), the two-time defending champion Warriors had a golden chance of eliminating the Clippers at the Oracle Arena.
But the Warriors' best-laid plans suffered a huge setback as the Clippers scored a mighty 129-121 upset in front of a stunned capacity crowd of 19,596. The Clippers' victory forces a Game this Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The Warriors, who still lead the best-of-7 series 3-2, lost despite getting 45 points from Kevin Durant, 24 from Steph Cury and 22 from Klay Thompson. Although they struggled with their shots, particularly in the second quarter, Golden State manged to make 13 treys and sink 20 of their 22 free throws. They also moved the ball well, accounting for 31 assists.
But Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Game 5 was lost on the defensive side.
"We just did not defend and the playoffs are all about defense," Kerr said. "We weren't right from the beginning and gave up 37 points in first quarter," he added.
Kerr lamented the fact that the Clippers shot 54.1 percent from the field, making 46 of their 85 field goals.
Facing elimination, the eight-seeded Clippers came to play and not just surrender. Lou Williams led the way with 33 points. Danilo Gallinari had 26 while Patrick Beverley finished with 17 and 14 rebounds. Montrezl Harrell also proved to be quite a load and punished the Warriors with 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field.
Los Angeles, which punched a playoffs ticket by carding a 48-34 regular season record, sustained their offesne with 15 converted triples and 20 made free throws out of 22 attempts. After winning just 22 of 41 road games during the regular season, the Clippers are 2-1 on the road against the Warriors.
Despite the setback, Warriors' guard Klay Thompson, the other half of Golden State's Splash Brothers, remain undeterred.
"I thought we were going to come out and win tonight, but sometimes life doesn't go as planned. We're still in a great position with hopefully only 48 minutes to close these guys out. They've been pesky. They've been tough, but now it's time to do what we do," Thompson said.
The Warriors, the No.1 seed in the Western Conference, will host a Game Sunday on Sunday at the Oracle Arena if the Clippers hold serve on Game 6.
The winner of the Warriors-Clippers series will face the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. The Rockets eliminated the Jazz in their round one showdown, finishing off Utah with a 100-93 win in Game 5 on Wednesday night (Thursday AM in Manila) at the Toyota Center.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ponciano Melo Jr..
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Pacquiao, Nine Other Pinoys in Latest Ring Ratings
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Thu, 20 Nov 2025QUOTES FROM MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS LOS ANGELES OPEN WORKOUT AT WILD CARD BOXING CLUB AND LAS VEGAS OPEN WORKOUT AHEAD OF NOV. 29 FIGHT NIGHT AT PECHANGA RESORT CASINO
Thu, 20 Nov 2025Super Featherweight Sluggers ‘Tsendy’ Erdenebat and Abraham Montoya Agree to Meet in Short-Notice Co-Featured Bout on Proboxtv’s Friday Night Fights
Thu, 20 Nov 2025Cartagenas, Yu top 4th DCHS Fun Run
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 20 Nov 2025THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 18 NOVEMBER 2025: Espinosa Defeats Khegai; Benn Gets Even With Eubank Jnr; Catterall Stops Essuman
By Eric Armit, Wed, 19 Nov 2025Paras to challenge Malajika for IBO World super flyweight title on Nov. 29 in South Africa
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 19 Nov 2025Lebron James is first player to play 23 seasons in NBA history
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 19 Nov 2025Team Tira Tira Sampaloc Tres is SJDM Woodpusher Society 3X3 Rapid Chess Tournament Champion
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 19 Nov 2025RUN IT BACK! GOLDEN BOY KICKS OFF 2026 FIGHT SCHEDULE WITH NIGHT OF HIGH STAKES REMATCHES
Wed, 19 Nov 2025Boxlab Promotions “Night of Champions XIII” Undercard Bouts Announced
Wed, 19 Nov 2025Porres-Narukami fight moved to Nov. 23
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 19 Nov 2025Rematch for the ages
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 18 Nov 2025"Limping" Boston Showing Famed Celtics Pride
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 18 Nov 2025IIEE-Trocio Engineers defeated Splashers Lawyers in the BPBL Opening
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 18 Nov 2025ThunderDome 52 Card Preview
Tue, 18 Nov 2025