Sharks get third overtime win in a row, 4-3

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Pearl Allison Lo

LOS ANGELES — No, it wasn’t Logan Couture, but I don’t think he’ll mind that teammate Patrick Marleau scored the overtime winner this time, as San Jose scooped up another win after initially leading 3-0 in a 4-3 victory over the Kings.

Kevin Labanc made the initial shot and Marleau picked up the rebound before going top-shelf 2:35 into the extra period.

Timo Meier struck twice with a game-high six shots as the Sharks faced former head coach Todd McLellan for the first time with his new team Monday. It was Meier’s first two-goal game of the season. 

It was also the first time this pair of opposite state rivals faced off in the 2019-2020 season.

San Jose established a 3-0 lead in the first half as Los Angeles used the second to work their way back.  The Kings committed three penalties in the second half, the middle one no doubt a factor as Los Angeles scored the game-tying goal two seconds after the penalty expired. 

After a clearing attempt that Kyle Clifford ended up tipping to the Sharks, Erik Karlsson started the sequence. He passed to Evander Kane who sent the puck through Ben Hutton’s legs to Couture. After receiving the drop pass from Couture, Karlsson shot with an open stance above goalie Jonathan Quick’s left shoulder at 5:53. With the apple, Couture’s 20th assist, he now has a seven-game point streak. 

The Kings finished with the shot advantage in the first thanks to five shots on goal during the power play that ended the period. 

San Jose’s Barclay Goodrow stole the puck in the Sharks’ end and then Karlsson took it to the races. With a 3-on-2 advantage on the transition, Labanc passed behind Karlsson to Meier after Karlsson got closer to the two defenders. Once the puck hit Meier’s tape, he wasted no time, scoring just to the left of defender Alec Martinez and Quick at 6:19. 

The Sharks kept the momentum with smooth passing and Goodrow and Labanc holding onto the puck through two hits against the boards. Labanc found Brenden Dillon across the ice who shot through defenseman Sean Walker as Meier smashed the puck into open blue ice at 8:45.

Los Angeles started their comeback when they managed to get one past Jones a second before the final minute of the period. Once Adrian Kempe made a no-look pass behind him to Blake Lizotte, he shot through Radim Simek’s legs back to Kempe who found a hole through traffic. 

In the third, a glove was lost, a stick fell onto the ice and the puck rolled across the blue ice behind Jones during a flurry.

At 8:31, the circles on the ice lit up to mark a 3-2 score. Alex Iafallo was able to find Dustin Brown through traffic as Brown found the hole between Jones’ left skate and the post. 

Kempe aimed from the right faceoff circle on the power play and then Iafallo off the power play  as the puck might have hit Brown’s skate on its way back to Anze Kopitar. The captain earned his team-leading 10th goal from a kneeling position to even the match at three apiece. 

The whistle blew against San Jose for the second time in the third with 1:04 left in regulation as they were called for too many men on the ice.

The Kings outshot the Sharks 16-6 in the third.

Up Next: San Jose now heads home for two games facing the Winnipeg Jets Wednesday at 7:30 pm first. Martinez took an unfortunate skate to the wrist in the third from Melker Karlsson so prayers please. 

Lakers blow out the Warriors 126-93

Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Warriors for the third time in three tries this preseason. The Lakers had all their bigs in the lineup. Anthony Davis returned to action, LeBron James played 25 minutes, Dwight Howard, and JaVale McGee all kept the smaller Warriors from scoring. The Warriors rested Steph Curry and handed the point guard position to D’Angelo Russell. Russell responded with 23 points.

The Warriors were looking to use the new players to see how they would play against the Lakers. Head coach Steve Kerr is looking for players that will fill the voids left by the losses of Kevin Durant, Quinn Cook, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and the injured Klay Thompson. They want to know if Alfonzo McKinnie will be a starting forward. They want to see if he can make the team. They want to know if Jordan Poole can be the player to lead the second unit. They want to know if third-year player Damian Lee will be able to contribute to the second unit. Their big men, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney, will be able to handle Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, and other big men in the league. Looney and Cauley-Stein have not played in the preseason. The Warriors know what Looney can do. They will have to wait until Cauley-Stein recovers from his injury to find out if he meshes well with Curry and Russell.

The Warriors will have to make decisions on Jacob Evans. Evans has played well so far. He scored five Wednesday night. The Warriors need to know if Glenn Robinson III is the answer at forward. Robinson had the night off. Eric Paschall is a candidate to make the team, but not as a starter. The Warriors will use Marquese Chriss at the center position until Cauley-Stein returns.

There is no question that the Warriors are in a rebuilding year. There are so many questions and decisions that have to be made.

As for the game, The Warriors had three players in double figures. Russell led the team with 23. Draymond Green had 10, and Jordan Poole kicked in with 14. Damian Lee added 9. Paschall and Chriss each had 8.

The Lakers were led by LeBron James. James had 18. Dwight Howard had 13, Avery Bradley 18, Anthony Davis 8, JaVale McGee 12. Former Warrior Quinn Cook knocked down 16. He made four threes in five tries.

The Warriors shot 37% from the floor. The Lakers shot 49.2%. The Warriors made seven threes. The Lakers tallied 15. The Lakers outrebounded the Warriors 46-34.

Robinson and Steph Curry did not play.

The fans have to keep in mind that the Warriors are a work in progress. No one wants to see them get blown out, but it is a game that doesn’t count. The Warriors are looking at people that they think will benefit the team. Minutes are limited. Hopefully, they will get off to a good start.

The Warriors play the Lakers again Friday night at the Chase Center. It will be the final preseason game. The season starts for real on Thursday, October 24th, when they play the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center.

Lakers have no trouble downing the Warriors 104-98

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in the preseason. The Lakers did not use any of their key players. Neither did the Warriors except for Steph Curry. Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell had the night off. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr started Marquese Chriss at center, Eric Pascall and Glenn Robinson at forward, and Jordan Poole and Steph Curry started at guard, The Lakers countered with Jared Dudley at strong forward, Dwight Howard at center, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the other forward position, and Alex Caruso and Zach Norvell at guard. The Warriors did not play well all evening long. The Lakers won easily 104-98.

It must be noted that this was a game that both coaches, the Warriors’ Steve Kerr and the Lakers’ Frank Vogel gave playing time to guys that are fighting for spots on the 15-man roster. Some players are hoping for a two-way contract. The Warriors have to make decisions on Chriss and McKinnie. The Warriors have salary cap limitations, and one or both may be either cut or traded. The Warriors are hoping that Pascall and Poole make the team and will be playing on the second unit. The Warriors are hoping that Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney get a chance to work with Curry, Russell, and Green before the season starts. That may be problematical as Cauley-Stein may not be healed by the time the season begins.

The Lakers led from start to finish. Both teams shot poorly for the first six minutes of the game. The Lakers played better and finished the first quarter with a 28-17 lead. The Warriors shot a miserable 18% from the floor. No one could hit a bucket. In contrast, the Lakers shot 42%. Were the Lakers playing great defense? Maybe. Were the Warriors out of sync? Definitely.

The Warriors improved in the second quarter. It was not enough to catch the Lakers, but they kept on shooting. The Warriors outscored LA by four to finish the first half trailing by seven 55-48. Steph Curry led the team with 14. Damian Lee and Alfonzo McKinnie each had 7. Marquese Chriss was a bright spot with six points and six boards. Zach Norvell led the Lakers with 12. Former Warrior JaVale McGee tormented his old mates with 9 points, and he had a couple of blocked shots as well.

The Lakers increased the lead to 17 in the third period 79-62. The Warriors Jacob Evans and Damian led the Warriors in scoring. Things changed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by Chriss and Poole cut the lead to three 97-94 after Poole hit a three. The Lakers regrouped and went on a 7-4 run to finish the game with a final score of 104-98.

Game Notes: The Lakers rested LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. Anthony Davis was out with a sprained right thumb. Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, and Talen Horton-Tucker. The Warriors rested Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell. Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Kevon Looney, and Alen Smailagic were not available due to injury.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Lakers again Wednesday night in Los Angeles. They return home to face the Lakers at the Chase Center Friday night for the final preseason game.

Warriors defeat Clippers 113-105 for back-to-back road wins

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors had hoped to take a 3-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center Sunday. The Warriors didn’t want to repeat their blowing of a 31-point lead in Game 2 at Oracle Arena last Monday.

The Warriors were ready for the game. Golden State’s starting five featured Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Bogut.

Klay Thompson got the party started with a pump fake at the 10:55 mark of the first quarter. Thompson made seven straight buckets, too. Kevin Durant continued making his buckets, which gave him the nickname “Buckets” — but most, if not all, of us would mind if he went by that nickname. Durant and Draymond Green played a major role in the Warrior defense. The Warriors led 33-22 at the end of the first.

Steph Curry rang in the second quarter with a three-pointer off a pass from Kevon Looney. Kevin Durant and Danilo Gallinari had a conversation, and although it was unclear what the two were discussing, Gallinari made a pair of free throws, so I doubt it had anything to do with the Warriors. However, Durant did pass Hakeem Olajuwon for 13th place on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list with 3,756 points.

The shot clock expired with 1:05 left in the second, and the Clippers reduced their deficit by six, trailing 58-52 with one minute left. Los Angeles added two points to make it 58-54, but Golden State added four points for a 62-54 lead to close out the first half.

The Clippers not only reduced their deficit in the third quarter, they also got past the Warriors 82-77 for their largest lead of the game with 3:57 left in the third. But the Warriors tied the game 82-82 at the two-minute warning. Steph Curry hit a three to make it 85-82 with less than two minutes remaining. LA made it a one-point game, but that was short-lived as Golden State added two points for a 87-84 lead at the end of the third.

After a short break, Golden State returned to the court ready to take over. Andrew Bogut made a pass to Andre Iguodala, who threw the shot down the rim for a 94-88 lead with 9:012 left in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson proved to be money, and as expected, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant teamed up to create assists and points, respectively. The Warriors (3-1) won the game 113-105 for back-to-back road wins over the Clippers (1-3).

DUBS WIN!! pic.twitter.com/KMmpQiq5CF

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 21, 2019

Check out the Warriors’ final stats below:

Final 📊

KD – 33p/7r/6a/1s
Klay – 32p/1r
Steph – 12p/10r/7a/3s
Draymond – 10p/9r/5a/2b
Andrew – 10r/8p/4a
Andre – 10p/3r/2a
Kevon – 7r/2p/2a
Alfonzo – 4p/2r/1s
Shaun – 2p/1a pic.twitter.com/8ld5QRFOkT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 21, 2019

The series shifts to Oracle Arena for Game 5 Wednesday. Game time to be announced later on.

Warriors take 2-1 series lead with 132-105 rout of Clippers in Game 3

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors headed down to the Southland for Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center Thursday night. The Warriors had one agenda: Win the game for a 2-1 series lead.

The Warriors sure knew how to celebrate National High Five Day, and guess what else happened? Some French fans flew out to LA to support the Warriors, which was a pleasant sight to see. The French love their pro basketball.

The Warriors’ starting five featured Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut. The Warriors were locked in during practice, the game went underway in LA and the dominance continued.

The game’s first bucket went to Kevin Durant. Durant scored the clutch basket at 11:16 of the first quarter. With the point, Durant (3,706) passed Magic Johnson (3,701) for 14th place on the NBA’s all-time postseason scoring list. The Warriors then old a classic tale as Draymond Green blocked and Stephen Curry tripled for a 9-3 lead with 9:26 left in the first.

However, all eyes were on Kevin Durant, who scored 10 points –5 of 5 from the field–with 6:03 left in the first. Durant made a 2-point bucket to justify his fiery performance. The Warriors made nine straight field goals along with a 3-pointer by Stephen Curry to close out the first with a 41-24 lead.

The second quarter wasn’t as high-scoring, but it was exciting nonetheless. Klay Thompson joined in on the Warriors’ Splash Party with a 3. Thompson added a bucket. Thompson threw down a dunk, too.

The Warriors continued to maintain their double-digit lead, thanks to Kevin Durant. Durant expanded the Warriors’ halftime lead to 73-52 at the break. Durant helped turn the Warriors’ defense into offense with his sweet plays such as knocking down jumpers to pull his defenders out of the paint and making buckets to add to his point total.

You could say the game was in favor of the Warriors. Why’s that? The Warriors went on a 14-0 run to open the third quarter. Andre Iguodala put the exclamation mark to the run.

Andre putting the ‼️ on a 14-0 run

📺 @NBCSAuthentic & @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/ySp5xL0dYD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 19, 2019

Kevin Durant’s crossovers in slow-motion were amazing sights to see. Durant was definitely a top-5 player with his scoring plays from the get-go tonight.

But let’s not forget about Andre Iguodala. Iguodala threw down a couple of dunks and almost broke the rim at some of those moments. Moreover, the score wasn’t even close as the Warriors led 109-76 at the end of the third.

The almost rim-breaking type of moments transpired into the fourth quarter. The Warriors were so good at those moments that you could sing to yourself, “Meet me at the rim” instead of “Meet me in the middle” (Yes, I had to throw in a song reference from “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey).

The Clippers have a young core of players and they prevented the 2018 NBA Champions from winning by 30-plus points tonight. Still, the Warriors defeated the Clippers 132-105. The Warriors achieved their agenda to improve to 2-1, while the Clippers fall to 1-2.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 38 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Steph Curry had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Andre Iguodala had 15 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Klay Thompson had 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Kevon Looney had 10 points and 1 rebound. Draymond Green had 8 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. Andrew Bogut had 8 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Alfonzo McKinnie had 6 points and 8 rebounds. Quinn Cook had 5 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound. Jacob Evans had 5 points. Shaun Livingston had 2 points, 2 assists and 4 rebounds. Jordan Bell had 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Jonas Jerebko added 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

The Warriors and Clippers meet again for Game 4 at Staples Center Sunday at 12:30 pm PT on ABC.

Warriors avoid letdown game with 108-90 win over Lakers

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors may not be perfect this season, but they’re still sitting comfortably at the top of the Western Conference. So who knew that Warriors star Steph Curry has been playing with blurry vision all this time?
Curry recently learned that he had astigmatism, which blurred his vision, and added contacts to his daily routine.

“I had gotten so used to squinting for so long,” Curry told Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “It was just normal.”

“It’s like the whole world has opened up,” Curry continued.

Anyways, let’s get to the Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center Thursday night.
The recap’s below.

The Warriors’ starters featured Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and DeMarcus Cousins.

Tipoff went underway, but it was the Warriors who got the party started with Thompson’s three-pointer at the 11:45 mark. Just a few minutes later, Green added the bucket and Cousins contributed the bucket. It wasn’t even close as Golden State led 39-12 at the end of the first quarter. After all, LA was missing their top five players and shot only 21.1% at the 3:46 mark.

The Lakers picked up the pace and outscored the Warriors 30-12 in the second quarter, but Golden State maintained a 60-42 lead at the end of the first half. Alex Caruso’s monster put-back was LA’s Budweiser Moment of the Week. Female stand-up comedian Sarah Silverman was sitting courtside and wasn’t happy with LA’s first-half performance.

Anyhow, there was more good news for the Warriors in the third quarter. Warriors PR tweeted that Cousins has back-to-back 20-point, 10-rebound games for four such games this season.

DMC in transition 💪

📺 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/o95hGx1ytU

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 5, 2019

The Warriors outscored the Lakers 34-24 at the end of the third quarter. LA, however, kept the faith and tweeted that the final frame was coming up. Still, the deficit was a little too steep for LA to tie the game to force overtime.

Meanwhile, the Lakers continued their remembrance of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle with signed No. 1 Hussle jerseys. Hussle was fatally shot in the parking lot of his clothing store Marathon Clothing in South LA on March 31st. Hussle’s alleged shooter was Eric Holder, who pleaded not guilty. Holder’s defense attorney is Chris Darden, a former prosecutor for disgraced NFL player OJ Simpson.

The Warriors remained focused on the game. Quinn Cook made a two-point bucket to help Golden State to a 101-73 lead with 7:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Sure, the Lakers outscored the Warriors 24-14 at the end of the fourth quarter, but Golden State had the game in the bag. GS won 108-90.

The Warriors’ record increased to 54-24, while the Lakers’ record decreased to 35-44.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Warriors with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals. Quinn Cook had 18 points and one steal. Kevin Durant had 15 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Draymond Green had 12 points, six assists, four rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. Klay Thompson had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block. Steph Curry had 10 rebounds, seven points, seven assists, and one steal. Damion Lee had eight points, three rebounds, and two steals. Kevon Looney had six points, three rebounds, and one steal. Alfonzo McKinnie had five points and four rebounds. Jonas Jerebko had three points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. Jordan Bell added two points, two rebounds, and one block.

The Warriors return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night at 7:30 pm PT.

Kings fall to Lakers 111-106 in LA

Photo credit: @Lakers

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

LOS ANGELES–The Sacramento Kings came into LA coming off a 3-1 homestand. They beat the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Chicago Bulls while only dropping one game. A heartbreaker in which they were up 25 going into the fourth quarter and lost by two points. All in all, the Kings were happy with what they were able to accomplish during the homestand. They were looking forward to attempting revenge on the Lakers as they have had the Kings’ number this year. The tip-off was set for 6:30 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings were off to another slow start. Remembering back to a day earlier on Saturday where the Kings were only able to score 20 in the first quarter. Sunday was not much different. The Kings continued to struggle through the early minutes of the game. They were only able to put 20 points on the board on Sunday while allowing 22. The Lakers weren’t playing great either as both teams were struggling to put the ball in the bottom of the hoop. The leading scorer in the game was Marvin Bagley, who had seven points through the first.

In the second quarter, it looked like more of the same for the Kings. They were struggling to find their shot and looked to be falling further behind. However, the Kings were able to battle and put up 29 points to outscore the Lakers. The Lakers managed to score 26 in the second. The leading scorer in the second quarter was Lance Stephenson, who put up eight points in the second. If the Kings wanted to keep pace, they had to start knocking down some shots in the third.

In the third quarter, it didn’t look pretty as the Lakers started off the quarter with a 14-0 run to start the second half. Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers’ charge with 21 points in the third. Lebron James also made an impact in the third, scoring eight points to help rack up a 39-point third for the Lakers. On the other hand, the Kings scored 28, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace. Nemanja Bjelica and Marvin Bagley led the Kings with six and five points, respectively. The third ended with the Lakers leading 87-77. The Kings needed a big late-game push to have a chance.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings kept with tradition and made things interesting. To give the credit where credit is due, the Kings battled in the final minutes; however, the deficit they created in the previous minutes proved too large to overcome. The Kings fell to the Lakers in LA 111-106.

Up Next: The Kings travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks at 5:30 PM PST on Tuesday.

Sharks spoil Kings’ opener in OT, 3-2; LaBanc supplies game winner in OT

Photo credit mercurynews.com: San Jose Sharks’ Evander Kane, right, celebrates his goal with teammates Antti Suomela, center, and Joonas Donskoi during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, in Los Angeles.

By: Pearl Allison Lo

LOS ANGELES — After the San Jose Sharks lost their home opener, it was the Kings’ turn to feel the same way as they fell 3-2 at Staples Center on NHL Opening Night Friday under new head coach John Stevens.

The rivals definitely battled it out as both teams were deadlocked since the first 37 seconds of the second period.
It looked like it would continue a lot longer but just under three minutes into overtime, the game was decided.

Regarding the goal, Kevin Labanc replied, “Me and Cooch (Couture) and Karly (Karlsson), we kind of caught them late on their shift…It was a great pass by Cooch (Couture) and just kind of tucked it home.”

Both teams went scoreless on the power play, the Sharks 0-for-3 and Los Angeles 0-for-5.

Labanc pointed out, “Even though we’re not scoring, we’re creating momentum…the goals will start coming. We just got to be patient and stick to what we’ve been doing, put shots on net and be hungry for those rebounds.”

The first shot of the game came over five minutes into the contest.

The Kings got the first power play at 7:05 but San Jose the first goal. Joe Thornton passed back to Marc-Edouard Vlasic near the blue line who shot the puck. It got Timo Meier who was turned facing Vlasic on his left sleeve, and hit goalie Jonathan Quick across his chest on the way into the net at 9:42. All three got their first points of the season. Thornton is now three away from 11th on the all-time assists list.

Evander Kane doubled their lead with his second goal in as many games at 13:48. Both have been in the first period. Los Angeles could not clear the puck along the boards and took advantage. Antti Suomela and Joonas Donskoi got their first points with the assists.

Captain Anze Kopitar put his team on the board with their first goal of the 2018-19 season at 17:15. He shot the puck along the goal line and then made sure it entered the net. Teammates Alex Iafallo and Derek Forbort got the assists. Kopitar had a game-high five shots on goal.

The Kings turned the game around just 37 seconds into the second. The Sharks lost the puck and Los Angeles picked it up. Tanner Pearson took the initial shot past the left goalpost, which caromed over to the right. Goalie Martin Jones tried to block the gap between the post on his left side, but Tyler Toffoli was able to get through.

There was a lot of confusion on the cause, but what was clear was that Drew Doughty left the ice favoring his left leg after he went face down on the ice in pain at 5:23. It seems Meier’s stick caught Doughty’s knee. Luckily, Doughty was able to return to the ice later after going into the tunnel.

San Jose got a power play at 16:33 but lost it to even strength five seconds later with a penalty of their own.

Game Notes: Thornton played in his 1,495th game.

The Sharks have had a penalty in each period since they opened the season.

Justin Braun had a game-high five blocked shots.

Ilya Kovalchuk returned to NHL ice for the first time since 2012-13.

Official Linesman Darren Gibbs had to leave the game with an injury.

The Kings’ Austin Wagner made his NHL debut and drew lots of comments for his speed, as he went on three breakaways.

Up Next: San Jose continue their five-game road trip with a contest on the opposite coast, facing the New York Islanders Monday at 10 am PT.

In Battle of the Streaks, Warriors Halted by Griffin, Clippers

By Matthew Harrington

On a night when the Los Angeles Lakers received the bleak prognosis that Kobe Bryant would sit out the rest of the season due to injury, the other two California franchises garnered the major headlines while stoking the flames of a heated, burgeoning rivalry. With the Lakers glory days behind them, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers took the Staples Center Court Wednesday night with bragging rights as best of the West Coast on the line. The Warriors ultimately succumbed to the Blake Griffin show, dropping a hotly-contested 111-98 verdict to split the season series with their Southern California rivals. The Pacific Division leaders snapped Golden State’s five-game win streak, adding a ninth-consecutive win to LA’s total.

Clippers All-Star Griffin scorched the Warriors for 30 points and 15 rebounds, including his 3,000 board of his career in the third quarter. Griffin is now the third player in NBA history to shoot over 50 percent with 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in the first four seasons of a career, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Charles Barkley. Guard Chris Paul finished a pair of rebounds shy of a triple-double, collecting 16 points and 12 assists to hand the Dubs their fourth-straight loss to the Clippers at the Staples Center.

Klay Thompson went 10-for-19 from the field, finishing with 26 points including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc to lead Golden State in scoring. David Lee chipped in 20 points. The Warriors reserves scuffled from the field, connecting on only a trio out of 25 chances, but Draymond Green connected on 7-of-9 free throws and Harrison Barnes and Jermaine O’Neal pitched in three each to help the bench to a 20-point contribution.

The two teams matched each other point-for-point in the first quarter, wrapping up the first 12 minutes at a 29-29 stalemate. The lead changed hands nine times in a frantic second quarter that saw the Warriors escape to the half nursing a slim two-point edge at 56-54.

Golden State outscored the home team 20-15 over the first six and a half minutes of the second half to take its largest lead of the night at seven points but the Clippers closed the gap on a 10-3 run. Los Angeles tied it on a Willie Green three-pointer with 1:22 left in the quarter then scored the next five points unanswered to end the quarter on top 84-79. Jermaine O’Neal opened the fourth hitting three of four from the charity stripe to pull the Dubs within two, but it would be the closest the Northern California squad got. The Clippers dominated the run of play, outpacing the Warriors 27 points to 16 down the stretch for the win.

Looking to avoid consecutive losses, the Warriors welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently two spots above Orlando for worst in the Eastern conference, to Oracle Arena for a Friday night showdown before a critical meeting with another of the Western Conference’s strongest teams. Golden State travels to Portland to face the Trailblazers Sunday evening.