The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors in a rematch this past weekend. After losing to Stephen Curry’s club in San Francisco on Thursday night, Kawhi Leonard and co. were able to mount a comeback and defeat the Warriors at home in Los Angeles.
The game came down to the final buzzer, where two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard was tasked with defending two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry in a one-point game with 8.9 seconds remaining.
After the game, the Clippers star was asked about defending Curry on the game’s final possession.
“I mean, the last play, just trying to do the best I can,” Kawhi Leonard said of Stephen Curry. “You know, he’s a great player. He can shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor, off one leg, you know. Out of cadence. So, you know, just try to stay in front of him. My teammates did a good job, I think Russ was right there, stepped up. Kind of made him think about it. And he passed it to the corner.”
The Clippers’ 113-112 win over the Warriors Saturday came just 36 hours after Golden State defeated the Clippers 120-114. Curry scored 26 points in that win and gave his initial thoughts on the Clippers’ new star quartet.
“A lot of talent, a lot of guys that can create and score,” Stephen Curry said of Kawhi Leonard and the new-look Clippers. “They have been the man on their respective teams throughout the years. All 3 of them probably certified Hall-of-Famers, so you’ve got to respect their individual talent and the fact that any given possession, somebody can make a play.
“You can’t get deflated if they make a spectacular play or a tough shot because that’s what they all do. They present a challenge so you have to be really locked into a five-man defense. I know they’re still figuring each other out. It’s hard to see what they’re gonna look like in the next 20 or 40 games, however that plays out, but they’re tough and you’ve gotta be locked in.”
Head coach Tyronn Lue, who has faced Curry a number of times for years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers, says Curry’s ability to get to the basket is overshadowed by his astronomical shooting.“People always talk about Steph’s shot, the three-point shooting, which we’ve never seen nothing like it before, but where he kills you is you overreacting to that and he’s getting to the basket. He can finish left hand, can finish right hand. He has floaters, he has pull-ups, reverses and so he’s just a tough cover, but a lot of people don’t understand that he can really get to the basket and finish.”The Clippers and Warriors will face off once again on December 14 in Los Angeles. The final time both teams face off will be on Valentine’s Day just before the NBA All-Star break.
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