When the Golden State Warriors took a 3-1 series lead against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, many presumed the series would come to a conclusion in Game 5 back at Oracle Arena.
Kevin Durant had busted out of a scoring slump to score 30 points in consecutive games, and the Warriors had cut their turnover margin in half.
The Dubs also dominated the rebounding battle, out rebounding the Clippers 49-33 in their Game 4 victory. It seemed like a mere formality that Golden State was set for a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets.
But the Clippers had other plans. Despite a game-high 45 points from Durant, Los Angeles held the Warriors off in the second half, getting 33 points and 10 assists from a dominant Lou Williams.
Earlier this afternoon, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers suggested that the team rebounding effort was what made the difference in Game 5:
Doc Rivers on #Clippers rebounding vs. #Warriors – “I saw our guards get in the fight finally. Pat's been in the fight, I mean, I don't have to say much more… Our guards, I thought, last night made a concerted effort in getting their hands dirty and getting in the fight.” pic.twitter.com/uiLupdPDEk
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 25, 2019
After being totally outworked on the boards in the previous two contests, Los Angeles won the rebounding battle 42-39, as their guards entered the fray.
In addition to scoring 17 points, Patrick Beverley–all of 6'1″ and 185 pounds–grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, while Williams and Landry Shamet also did solid work in the frontcourt.
The Clippers have new life with the series returning to their home court for Game 6, especially with their head coach acknowledging the tireless work ethic of his guards.
Williams and Montrezl Harrell have been brilliant all series as individuals, but Los Angeles must continue to gain the advantage on the glass and in the turnover battle if they hope to push this series to a definitive Game 7.
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