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:
Roach Jr. vs. Zepeda Press Conference Quotes
Wed, 10 Jun 2026Steven Butler to face Edgar Berlanga on July 26 at the Infosys Theater of the Madison Square Garden in New York
Wed, 10 Jun 2026Nimal Farmer scores signature win over Michael Anderson at Prudential Center
Wed, 10 Jun 2026H2O EAGER TO MAKE STATEMENT AGAINST FORMER WORLD CHAMPION JOJO DIAZ IN HOMETOWN HEADLINER JUNE 19
Wed, 10 Jun 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 8 JUNE 2026: Ramirez SD Lerrone; Baumstarh SD Bustillos; Vazquez, Mindoro Win in Texas; Yabuki, Moloney, Casimero and Angeletti Win in Japan
By Eric Armit, Tue, 09 Jun 20262026 NBA Finals: Spurs Take Game 3, Beat Knicks in New York 115-111
By Reylan Loberternos, Tue, 09 Jun 2026Casimero still rocking
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 09 Jun 2026Mascarinas faces tough competition in 66th San Carlos Charter Day
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 09 Jun 2026Raymond Muratalla Defends IBF Lightweight World Title Against Former Champion Robson Conceicao in Explosive Co-Main Event to Roach Jr. vs. Zepeda
Tue, 09 Jun 2026IBA represented at the United Nations World Cup Diplomacy Summit in New York
Tue, 09 Jun 2026Historic Costa Rican former champ Bryan Vasquez is arrested
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 09 Jun 2026Bruce Wren Tatad of Tanza, Cavite rules National Age Group Chess Championship ; vying Singapore chess tilt
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 09 Jun 2026Suslenkov to face Joyce in a thrilling showdown at IBA PRO 19 in Moscow
Mon, 08 Jun 2026Dalton Smith receives inaugural WBC Ricky Hatton Legacy Belt in front of thousands in Mancheste
Mon, 08 Jun 2026Stacey King three time NBA Champion with Chicago Bulls passes away
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Mon, 08 Jun 2026