The Golden State Warriors got back on track in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, winning by 27 points and regaining control of the series with a 2-1 advantage heading into Game 4.
Still, the Clippers have showed an impressive amount of fight, including overcoming a 31-point deficit to pull off the largest comeback in NBA playoff history in Game 2. Although the Clippers' success in the second half of this season has mostly stemmed from their team identity, both Lou Williams and Motrezl Harrell have stood out with their play against Golden State.
Williams went crazy in Game 2, scoring 17 points in the third quarter (36 in the game) while adding 11 assists. In fact, after averaging just over 20 points and five assists in the regular season, Williams is averaging nearly 26 points and nine assists through the first three games of this series.
In Thursday night's postgame press conference, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke on some of the difficulties involved in defending Williams and Harrell in the pick-and-roll:
Kerr praised Williams' “knack” for scoring, while Harrell himself exploded for 25 points in each of the team's first two games of the series, including a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double in Game 2.
As Kerr mentioned, Harrell's strength in sealing off defenders provides space for Williams, who can score in the paint or step back and shoot from the perimeter. This likewise also gives Harrell cleaner runs to the rim, where he attempted over 60 percent of his field goals this season.
Despite the excellence of Williams and Harrell, however, Kerr's Warriors have been mostly dominant throughout the series.
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