OAKLAND — Noticeably lazy and trailing by 12 at halftime Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors looked like they were headed for a puzzling home loss.
But on script with the David Blaine magicians they’ve become, deception is often the greatest intrigue with the Warriors. They didn’t just pull a rabbit out of the hat this time, but more like a dinosaur.
Golden State scored 50 points in the third quarter, in one of the most jaw-dropping displays of Warriors basketball you’ll ever see. Media members, fans, players on the bench — even the Clippers on the court — couldn’t believe what was transpiring.
Kevin Durant and Steph Curry combined for 35 points on 12/16 from the field and 9/12 from downtown — in one quarter. Think of all the dominant quarters of basketball over the last three seasons under Steve Kerr. None of them were as powerful as this one, which happened to be the first 50-point quarter for Golden State since 1989.
It was Durant who got the party started, scoring 14 points in the first five minutes of the blistering third quarter, including three straight 3 pointers. The crowd stood on their feet nearly the entire quarter in what felt like a postseason affair. Steph Curry grabbed the mantle from Durant, draining a beautiful buzzer-beater the cap the quarter at 50, and adding 17 points himself in the quarter. The Clippers tried slowing down the rally behind DeAndre Jordan (17 points, 11 rebounds), but the damage was done: 50-26. It was the Warriors’ seventh 40-point third quarter this season. Unfathomable.
While they were manhandling the Clippers, the Warriors were also battling the refs in the third quarter — notorious Golden State adversary Scott Foster was working the game. Draymond Green was whistled for a technical for arguing calls and minutes later the Warriors bench received the rare technical for stepping onto the floor during one of Durant’s frenzy-igniting 3-pointers. Even the normally quiet Andre Iguodala was whistled for a technical. To start the quarter, the Warriors were called for 6 fouls; the Clippers were called for none.
But even the refs couldn’t ruin this parade. Durant finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists; Curry posted 35 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, and Klay Thompson added 18 points on 7/12 shooting for good measure. Curry was shimmying his shoulders, Durant had a celebration of putting a pistol back in his holster, Green was as vocal and passionate as he’s been all season. These playoff type of atmospheres are where this team thrives the most.
For the first 24 minutes of the game, the only players who were performing were Curry and an energized James Michael McAdoo. The Clippers were playing noticeably harder without point guard Chris Paul. They hadn’t won in Oakland since Mark Jackson was the coach and Draymond Green was still playing at Michigan State. Los Angeles wanted this one. But they ran into a freight train. It was the first time an NBA team scored 50 points or more in a quarter since the Lakers accomplished the feat in March of 2014 against, you guessed it, the New York Knicks.
Zaza Pachulia and David West both returned to the lineup. Pachulia added a career-high 4 blocks, while West continued his crafty passing and stingy defense. The move forced both Kevon Looney and rookie Damian Jones to the inactive list. Shaun Livingston and Iguodala each added 8 points off the bench,
The Warriors will return home Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets, before heading to the East Coast for what Kerr has described as “a brutal stretch” on the schedule.