Los Angeles Clippers dominate second game to level series against Warriors
Warriors routed as Los Angeles team respond well to opening defeat with aggressive display
After getting knocked down in their play-off opener, Blake Griffin and the Clippers answered with a dominant performance in shutting down the Golden State Warriors as soon as the second game began.
Griffin scored a career play-off-high 35 points without a foul and Los Angeles led all the way in a 138-98 rout to even their first-round series at a game apiece.
"We were really aggressive on our defence," Griffin said. "When you play more aggressive you stay out of foul trouble."
We were really aggressive on our defence," Griffin said. "When you play more aggressive you stay out of foul trouble
Chris Paul added 12 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who started the game on a 14-4 run and kept it going, maintaining a sizeable double-digit lead through the final three quarters. They finished with franchise records for points and largest victory margin in a play-off game.
Game three is tomorrow at Oakland.
The foul trouble that plagued Griffin and Paul in the Clippers' four-point loss in game one belonged to the Warriors this time.
Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter, when the Warriors never got closer than 25 points, while he played with four fouls. Klay Thompson finished with seven points - 15 under his average - and four fouls. Andre Iguodala, who fouled out of game one, and Jermaine O'Neal had four points and three fouls each.