NBA Playoffs: Warriors vs. Clippers in First Round
The first round of the postseason schedule has been announced and the Golden State Warriors (57–25) will be playing against the Los Angeles Clippers (48–34).
The Warriors are a 12.5-point favorite to win the first game of the series, but this is a franchise that knows that the 8-seed can and have toppled the 1-seed. Though the Clippers were projected to win 35 games during the 2018–19 season, they have exceeded expectations throughout the regular season. The Warriors acknowledge the resilience of the Clippers.
“It’s a hell of an opponent,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “They’ve had a fantastic season. I loved what they have done in terms of rebuilding on the fly without taking a step backward and, in fact, getting better with every move that they’ve made. They’ve really put themselves in a position for the future and making the playoffs surprised a lot of people. The way they played the last couple of months they’ve been rock solid. We’re going to have to work hard and play well.”
This season’s Clippers team look different from the “Lob City” team of the Warriors-Clippers rivalry. This does not mean that the team is not good. This season’s Clippers, after all, have proven that they are better than initially predicted.
The success of the Clippers puts head coach Doc Rivers in the Coach of the Year conversation. Rivers coached his team to ranking 1st in steals (10), 2nd in 3-point shooting (38.7 percent), 5th in most team points (115.1) and assists (24) per game, and 5th in blocks.
The star players of the team are successful this season. Center Danilo Gallinari is having a career season and ranks 5th in the league in offensive rating (124.9) and 13th in offensive win share (6.4). Patrick Beverley is an all-defensive player who has a reputation in the league for being a defensive nuisance on the court.
The Clippers also boast a bench with two possible contenders for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, who are now the highest-scoring duo off the bench of any team in history. Williams is averaging 20.6 points on 42.5% shooting, while Harrell is averaging 16.6 points and 6.52 rebounds per game. It is also noteworthy that Williams recently became the all-time leading scorer off the bench by beating Dell Curry’s record, and he knows how to get to the free throw line, ranking 10th in free throw attempts during the regular season.
Rookie Landry Shamet shot 42.2 percent from 3-point range, which ranks 11th in the league. Mentored by J.J. Redick, he is one of only two rookies in NBA history to shoot better than 42% from deep and hit 160+ threes (the only other rookie to accomplish this feat was Steph Curry). Shamet scored 17 points with five 3-pointers (four of which occurred during the first quarter), four assists, three rebounds, and one block in the Clippers’ 131–104 April 7 loss to the Warriors.
Despite surpassing initial predictions, the Clippers will face the three-time reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena, considered to be one of the most formidable arenas in the NBA. This is not an easy feat to accomplish.
The defending champs are having yet another successful season. The Warriors lead the league in offensive rating (115.9), assists per game (29.4), and blocks per game (6.4). They rank 2nd in the league in scoring (117.7), and margin of victory average (6.46).
The Warriors are well-coached by Steve Kerr who has a win percentage of 78.5 during the regular season and 76.2 during the playoffs. He has proven that he knows how to manage his superstar players and has been able to avoid stagnant play calling.
The star players of Warriors include future Hall of Famers Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson. In points per game, Curry ranks 5th (27.3) and Durant ranks 8th (26), while Thompson owns the record for most three-pointers made in a playoff game. The supporting cast of Draymond Green, Demarcus Cousins, Kevon Looney, and Andre Bogut provide defensive support to the offensive juggernaut that is the Warriors.
Below is the schedule for the first round series between the Warriors and the Clippers:
Game 1: Saturday, April 13 at 5 PM PST, Oracle Arena
TV: ABC; Radio: 95.7 The Game, ESPN Radio
Game 2: Monday, April 15 at 7:30 PM PST, Oracle Arena
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area & TNT; Radio: 95.7 The Game, ESPN Radio
Game 3: Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 PM PST, Staples Center
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area & TNT; Radio: 95.7 The Game
Game 4: Sunday, April 21 at 12:30 PM PST, Staples Center
TV: ABC; Radio: 95.7 The Game, ESPN Radio
If necessary:
Game 5: Wednesday, April 24 — Time TBD, Oracle Arena
TV: TBD; Radio: 95.7 The Game
Game 6: Friday, April 26 — Time TBD, Staples Center
TV: TBD; Radio: 95.7 The Game
Game 7: Sunday, April 28 — Time TBD, Oracle Arena
TV: TNT; Radio: 95.7 The Game
