Warriors
dropped a 31-point lead in a loss to Clippers, Cousins suffered a
serious injury
Warriors dropped a 31-point lead in a loss to Clippers, Cousins
suffered a serious injury
April 17, 2019
Golden
State Warriors set another negative NBA Playoff record in a loss to the
Los Angeles Clippers and they lost center DeMarcus Cousins to an injury
in the process but are still in pole position to achieve greatness.
Los Angeles Clippers made a fantastic
comeback in Game 2 of the playoff series with Golden State Warriors as
they came from 31-point down to get a victory. Not only that the
Warriors disappointingly dropped a huge lead but they also lost
DeMarcus Cousins who suffered a torn left quadriceps injury and is out
indefinitely.
Another negative
record from the Warriors
Remember a few years ago when Golden State Warriors became
the first team in the NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals
as LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers won the championship? Well,
Steve Kerr’s side set another negative NBA record as they also became
the first team in history to drop a 31-point lead in a playoff game in
a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State had a 23-point lead at halftime and they opened the third
quarter on a high note but the Clippers didn’t want to go without a
fight and showed the world the right meaning of the fighting spirit in
an unlikely comeback.
Unbelievable
comeback
The Clippers were down by 31 with 7:31 left in the third quarter and
had miserable 0.01% win probability after the first half but thanks to
a 72-37 run to close out the game, they recorded the largest comeback
in NBA playoff history.
Comparing the Clippers’ team to Golden State, it is a miracle how they
pulled it off. Let’s remind you of some interesting facts about Los
Angeles players who experienced a rather intriguing path to the NBA.
• Danilo Gallinari almost retired after a gruesome
injury earlier in his career
• Landry Shamet, who scored a crucial triple in the
dying moments of the game, was traded in a deal that saw Tobias Harris
going to Philadelphia
• JaMychal Green was undrafted and played overseas
• Lou Williams was traded twice in the last two years
• Montrezl Harrell spent time in the G-League
• Patrick Beverley had to play overseas before
getting his chance in the NBA
Cousins likely out
for the season
DeMarcus Cousins suffered a torn left quad injury in the first quarter of the
135-131 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Doctors are still determining
the severity of the quad tear, which will determine the length of the
recovery process, according to the sources close to Adrian Wojnarowski.
At the moment, it looks like we’re not going to see Boogie on the court
again this season and this will only make things harder for the
Warriors in defending their NBA title.
Warriors still in a pole position to clinch another title
Okay, so even though Golden State lost Game 2 in a thrilling manner and
now the Los Angeles Clippers have a home court advantage, the Warriors
are still the most serious candidates to secure another title. The
Warriors are -225 to lift the trophy, Milwaukee Bucks are +600, while
the bookies are giving Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets +1100 odds
to win the championship.
Golden State will be looking to bounce back from
this recent slip-up and get back in the saddle in series with Clippers,
so nobody dares to write them off after one loss. They are hoping to
record the third consecutive NBA title and we all know it is rare to
see a professional team winning three championships in a row. It’s
increasingly looking like the Warriors will become the first
team in North American pro sports to three-peat the NBA Championship,
since the Kobe-Shaq Lakers in 2002.
The Lakers’ success in the early 2000s was the only time in this
century that an NBA team won three straight titles and although the
Warriors have a strong competition in Milwaukee and Houston this time
around, they will do anything to make it three in a row.
