LA Clippers Beat Golden State in OT, 124-119, Drop Dubs to Play-in Versus Memphis Grizzlies
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 14 Apr 2025
The Los Angeles Clippers secured fifth seed in the West and dropped the Golden State Warriors to seventh and into the play-in round with a hard, grueling 124-119 overtime win in NBA's final play date Sunday evening at the Chase Center.
How hard and grueling was that contest?
For Filipino NBA hard core fans who rose up very early Monday to follow that game, it started at 3:30 am Manila time and was only decided at around 6 in the morning.
The feared bearded veteran guard James Harden provided the difference in overtime as he scored ten points on back to back triples to pull the Clippers to four points lead then secured the win with a crucial steal off Stephen Curry and sank four free throws in the dying moments of the game. Teammate Kawhi Leonard likewise made his free throws to hold off any Warriors hope to extend the game to a second extra period.
Fittingly, Harden sank his final two free throws that pegged the final score, 124-119. Curry missed a desperation heave from 65 feet out near the buzzer which even if by some stroke of luck went in would not have saved the Dubs. Unlike the PBA, the NBA has no four points shot.
It was another sorry home loss for the Warriors as Curry, though still with injured finger, and Jimmy Butler, played their hearts out trying to carry their team to victory.
But the Clippers, although they would still clinch the fifth seed over Golden State with a loss, seemed to relish ending the season with a win especially a win that would sweep the season series against the Warriors, 4-0.
And as Harden would later say in a post-game interview, "We would like to show that we are a good team and (indeed) we are a good team".
The regulation ended at 111-all on Ivica Zubac's dunk and Harden's drive in layup after Curry's three pointer had shoved the Warriors to 111-107 lead less than two minutes left.
Harden then put up his show in the overtime.
Harden led all scorers with 39 points followed by Leonard with 32. With only 6-7 Draymond Green challenging him, the seven-foot Zubac frolicked inside the lanes with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Norman Powell and Khris Dunn put in 11 points each.
Curry and Butler carried the fight for the Warriors with 36 points and 30 points respectively. Guard Brandin Podziemski had 19 points and team high 7 rebounds. Green added 14 points but only 3 rebounds.
Again the Warriors big men Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney and Quentin Post were sparingly used.
Golden State could have avoided falling to the play-in but it botched a winnable home game against a Victor Wembanyama-less also run San Antonio Spurs two games ago.
Now the Dubs would try getting into the playoffs the hard--and dangerous---route via the play-in starting with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 7th spot.
#9 Sacramento Kings and the unpredictable #10 Dallas Mavericks play in the other play-in game the winner to play the loser of the Warriors-Grizzlies match for the 8th and final playoff seeding.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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