Striding with a saunter, Russell Westbrook emerged from the Clippers’ locker room as halftime ended and crossed the Chase Center court with no one else around him.
It was no different from how Westbrook spent much of his night in the Clippers’ fourth consecutive loss, a 115-91 defeat, since the All-Star break ended.
In an arena packed to nearly its 18,064-seat capacity, no one in the building found themselves surrounded by more room than Westbrook in his fourth game since joining the team.
Golden State’s lack of regard for Westbrook’s shooting was evident in the wide berth afforded by his defender — often Draymond Green, but sometimes a center, as well — sagging off multiple strides in an open invitation for the 30% three-point shooter this season to fire away whenever the Clippers held the ball.
On multiple plays, Westbrook dribbled near the top of the three-point arc while the nearest defender waited deep in the paint, more concerned with a Westbrook drive or pass than a shot. He finished with eight points and six assists in 28 minutes.
The strategy of avoidance is not unique in Westbrook’s career but was employed to this extent for the first time as a Clipper, underscored the challenge of spacing with Westbrook, who made three of his 12 shots, and none of the seven he attempted outside the paint. But as has become clear in four games since the All-Star break ended, the Clippers’ challenges include, but are anything but limited to, finding the best uses for their new point guard.
Westbrook was responsible for two turnovers, but also just two misses, during a game-changing third quarter that saw the Clippers (33-32) commit more turnovers (seven) than make field goals (four for 22), their 16 combined points fewer than the 22 scored in the quarter by Golden State guard Jordan Poole.
Over the quarter’s final 10 minutes, a 12-point Clippers lead flipped into a 15-point Warriors lead the third time in four games the Clippers have lost double-digit leads. And this was with Stephen Curry injured and Andrew Wiggins not playing, either.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the first half on Thursday in San Francisco.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
The trouble deepened in the fourth quarter, the deficit growing to 16 after Westbrook badly overthrew an entry pass into the post, then Poole made his fifth three-pointer on the next possession after George could not chase him around a screen.
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points while George made three of his 15 shots for 11 points. George and Eric Gordon, who started, each made one of their eight three-pointers, while Norman Powell shot 1-for-9 off the bench.
Westbrook displayed in stretches, yet again, why the Clippers have felt comfortable about his play thus far. Before the Warriors’ defense could get set, he ended one possession with a layup by speeding up the pace in transition, and finished another with a pinpoint pass from the top of the arc to George under the basket for a layup even though the Warriors had again packed the paint with defenders, baiting Westbrook to shoot. Westbrook tossed alley-oops to Kawhi Leonard in the first half, and Mason Plumlee in the second.
As the Clippers have worked to integrate Westbrook over the past week they have been clear with him that they aren’t encouraging jump shots early in the shot clock, especially if he is working off the dribble, and he has largely resisted the mid-range temptation.
More troubling has been the play of a defense that has ranked in the bottom third of the league in defensive rating since Feb. 1.
Gordon and Plumlee started because starting center Ivica Zubac and starting forward Marcus Morris Sr. did not play because of what the team cited as calf and elbow issues, respectively. Zubac had returned to the starting lineup only one game earlier after missing two straight because of a calf strain. Morris, however, had shown no signs of discomfort or injury following a Tuesday loss at home.
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