OAKLAND – The crossover elicited some gasps. The 22-foot jumper sparked some cheers. And in one smooth sequence, Warriors forward Kevin Durant captured what enabled him to join an exclusive club that requires its members to score at a prolific rate.
It marked a night signified Durant’s ascension on the NBA’s all-time scoring list in his first game since missing the previous right three with a strained right calf. Yet, two developments upstaged that moment.
The Warriors suffered a 125-106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Oracle Arena, as the Clippers snapped a 12-game losing streak to their northern California rivals that dates back to Christmas Day in 2014. Clippers guard Lou Williams posted a career-high 47 points while shooting 16-of-27 from the field, 8-of-16 from 3-point range and 6-of-10 from the free-throw line. That basically erased Durant’s 40 points while shooting efficiently from the field (14-of-18), 3-point range (6-of-7) and the free-throw line (6-of-8).
It did not help the Warriors (33-9) nursed absences to what coach Steve Kerr called the “best backcourt in the league” with Stephen Curry (right sprained ankle) and Klay Thompson (rest). Then again, the Clippers (19-21) played without Blake Griffin (concussion), Milos Teodosic (plantar fasciitis), Danilo Gallinari (gluteus maximis) and Patrick Beverly (season-ending knee surgery
“The Clippers came in here probably insulted that we were resting Klay and Steph goes down,” Kerr said. “The game changes. They came in and kicked our ass. They deserved everything they got. Their spirit was right.”
And the Warriors?
“It’s human nature. You’re not going to get up the same way for 82 games for every opponent,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green, who had seven points on 1-of-9 shooting. “I don’t think that’s why we lost the game. But it’s not realistic.”
There were plenty of reasons.
Outside of Durant’s production, the Warriors shot only 38.7 percent from the field. Though Green’s 10 rebounds and four assists usually captures his on-court versatility, his six missed 3-point attempts became too significant. After the Warriors signed Nick Young to their mid-level exception ($5.5 million) to take and make shots, Young spent his first start with the Warriors shooting inefficiently (seven points on 3-of-11) and defending poorly. Therefore, it only seemed fitting Williams bragged to Young he would attempt 30 shots after the two frequently talked trash during their previous 1 1/2 seasons together with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Williams only needed 27 shots as the Warriors stood idly. They allowed Williams to score 27 third-quarter points while collecting eight fouls during that stretch. As Durant said about Williams, “He ordered 50 piece nuggets on us.”
“We have to take more pride on one-on-one defense,” Green said. “But if we get a guy going like that, we need to finally make some adjustments. We didn’t do a good job of that.”
That’s because Kerr considered the Warriors “undisciplined” on defense as the Clippers baited the Warriors into switching early before allowing Williams to cut up their schemes. Against Williams, the Warriors often failed to double team. They periodically resisted fouling him, knowing he often draws more frequent trips to the foul line. And they mostly lacked any aggressiveness.
“I’m the coach. That’s on me,” Kerr said. “I have to do a better job preparing the team to play.”
Yet, the Warriors still managed to get by offensively with Durant became the second youngest player behind LeBron James to score 20,000 career points.
“I don’t want to stop here. I want to keep going,” Durant said. “I’m not going to think too much about. I got a lot of work to do.”
Durant made history when he performed a cross-over and made a 22-foot jumper with 2:01 left in the second quarter.
“I was excited about the move I made and the follow through,” Durant said. “I was disciplined in my follow through. I was proud of my self with that.”
Before Clippers center DeAndre Jordan took a free throw with 52 seconds remaining, Warriors fans gave Durant a standing ovation. Durant considered the moment “weird” since “I don’t like people standing up and clapping for me.” Yet, Durant then placed his right hand over his heart, tapped it and then raised his hand to wave to the crowd.
“Thank you and I appreciate it. We work so hard to be able to play well and for people to come watch you and play and recognize that,” Durant said. “It means the world to me. I’m humbled by the response. I want to keep going.”
It has to be taken into account plenty of former NBA players from previous generations entered the league at a later age than when the former Seattle Supersonics drafted Durant with the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Nearly 10 ½ years later, though, Durant has spent the 2017-18 season steadily moving up on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He surpassed both former Warriors forward Bernard King and former Jazz guard John Stockton. Durant also is close toward surpassing former Warriors forward Antawn Jamison, who ranks 43rd on the list with 20,042 career points.
“He can do anything he wants. He’s one of those rare guys that has an answer for everything,” Kerr said. “He can go right around bigger guys. He can post up smaller guys. He can dribble into a 3. He can shoot a spot-up 3 and come off a pick. He can do anything against anybody.”
Kerr paused for a second, remembering the agony and joy he felt under different roles.
“Coaching against him, that was the fear. You didn’t know what to do with him. Coaching that, that’s the joy,” Kerr said. “You just plug him in. I think the beauty of what Kevin has done for us here is that he understands that he doesn’t have to be the man. This has been Steph’s team for many years. But there are times he does need to be the man.”
There are plenty of examples.
Durant won Finals MVP last summer against Cleveland after averaging 35.2 points while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from 3-point range. Such as when Durant averaged 28.8 points on 47.1 percent shooting while Curry missed 11 games with a sprained right ankle. Such as when Durant put on another show on Wednesday against the Clippers.
“Kevin has this incredible and humble way about him where he could demand the ball or demand a bigger responsibility. But he doesn’t necessarily need that,” Kerr said. “He wants to be a part of that. He accepts that responsibility when we need him.”
And when Curry and Thompson return?
“When he needs to step back, he just steps back,” Kerr said. “He’s an amazing player both in terms of skill and humility.”
If only the Warriors could say the same thing about their defense. The Warriors entered the fourth quarter, trailing 97-90, against the Clippers despite injuries to Blake Griffin (concussion) and Milos Teodosic (plantar fasciitis). Yet there was the Clippers appearing on the verge of breaking their 12-game losing streak to the Warriors with Lou Williams posting 40 points on 13-of-22 shooting.
“We still have more out than them,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “It doesn’t affect our gameplan at all. We’re at the bare minimum because of all the guys we have out.”
