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Wednesday 17 april 2019

Warriors squander 31-point lead, Clippers tie series at 1-1

By JANIE McCAULEY 1, and the Clippers were
AP Sports Writer somehow able to claw
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Lou their way back.
Williams led the Los Angeles Both coaches challenged
Clippers to the largest post- their teams to be more
season comeback in NBA poised in Game 2 following
history. the ejections of Beverley
Landry Shamet hit a go- and Durant in the opener.
ahead 3-pointer with 16.5 Beverley again pushed the
seconds left, Stephen Cur- limits but the sides avoid-
ry couldn’t answer on the ed a testy encore, and he
other end, and the Clippers fouled out with 4:33 to go
somehow rallied from 31 to roaring cheers from the
points down on the road to sellout crowd. Kevin Durant
stun the Golden State War- fouled out at 1:21 with a
riors 135-131 on Monday third straight offensive foul.
night and even their first- 76ERS 145, NETS 123
round playoff series at one PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben
game apiece. Simmons had 18 points,
The comeback topped 12 assists and 10 rebounds
a 29-point rally by the Los and the 76ers had an an-
Angeles Lakers in the 1989 swer for the pesky Nets in
Western Conference semi- a win to even their Eastern
finals over Seattle. The Clip- Conference playoff series.
pers confirmed it’s the best Brooklyn Nets’ D’Angelo Russell, left, tries to get to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons had a disastrous
comeback ever. Simmons, right, of Australia, during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball Game 1, on the court (nine
“That’s a record we didn’t playoff series, Monday, April 15, 2019, in Philadelphia. points) and from a PR per-
necessarily want to have. Associated Press spective after he criticized
We’ll take it,” Williams said. made 8 of 10 free throws in mark and cut it to 121-119. utes in Cousins’ absence fans for booing during a
“You’re competitive and as the teams combined for “The wheels fell off,” Curry and scored a career-high game the Sixers were never
you get lost in the game. 64 fouls and 76 free throws said. Cousins was sched- 19 points making all six of his really in. He backtracked
Once you cut the lead to attempted. uled to undergo an MRI shots but the Warriors had the next day at practice
12, you cut the lead to 10, “When I say we stopped exam after the injury in just their seven-game postsea- and never gave another
then you realize you’ve got playing, we stopped play- his second career playoff son winning streak snapped 20,591 fans a chance to
a game going. I’m one of ing, like defense, offense, game following a nine-year that dated to last year’s do anything but roar in
those guys who can get execution-wise we were wait. The big man returned run to a repeat champion- approval in Game 2. Sim-
hot.” not as engaged as we in January from a nearly ship. Durant had 21 points, mons flashed the All-Star
Curry scored 29 points and needed to be,” Warriors year-long absence follow- five rebounds and five as- form that helped lead the
put the Warriors up 131-128 coach Steve Kerr said. “We ing surgery for a torn left sists, Klay Thompson scored Sixers to 51 wins, and was
with 58 seconds left be- got exactly what we de- Achilles tendon. “There’s a 17 points and Draymond aggressive from tipoff. He
fore Shamet’s dagger on a served. The Clippers were pretty significant quad in- Green 14 with nine assists. used his size and speed to
night the two-time defend- great. They executed, they jury,” Kerr said. Curry followed up a attack the lane and scored
ing NBA champions lost were hungry, they stayed Cousins hobbled to the 38-point performance in 16 points in the half — and
DeMarcus Cousins to a leg connected. They were to- locker room at the 8:09 Game 1 that gave him the then put the game away in
injury in the first quarter. gether.” mark of the first quarter. most 3s in postseason histo- the third.
“We changed a couple Cousins injured his left At the 8 1/2-minute mark ry with another nice show- The Sixers busted the game
things offensively and de- quadriceps muscle in the Cousins stole the ball from ing but Golden State hurt it- open with a 14-0 run to
fensively in the third on first quarter and was done Patrick Beverley in the back self with too many miscues. start the second half and
the fly. It worked out for for the game, but Golden court and tried to retrieve The Warriors committed 21 then stretched the lead to
us. But I thought it was our State’s depth shined and the loose ball when went turnovers in Game 1, then 20 on a Simmons steal and
spirit more than anything,” the Warriors built a 23-point down in front of the Golden 22 more Monday — nine by fastbreak basket. With a
Clippers coach Doc Riv- halftime lead they pushed State bench and grabbed Durant. packed house standing,
ers said. “Just every single to a 31-point advantage at his left quad. “We let our guard down. Simmons got a massive
guy. I loved the end of the before failing to hold off Los LeBron James tweeted We weren’t the aggressors ovation when he cupped
game.” Angeles late. prayers for Cousins, who anymore. We didn’t de- his hand to his right ear just
Williams tied the game on Williams’ jumper and three- fouled out of Saturday’s serve to win that game,” like Iverson did in his prime.
a jumper with 1:10 to play point play with 5:34 left 121-104 Game 1 win with Thompson said. Iverson and former Sixers
then Curry immediately pulled the Clippers within nine points, nine rebounds Los Angeles wanted to do teammate Dikembe Mu-
answered. Williams scored 120-117 then he rebound- and four assists in 21 min- a better job stopping the tombo attended the game
again at 46 seconds and ed his own miss and scored utes. Kevon Looney picked late bursts each quarter and tossed T-shirts into the
finished with 36 points and the putback at the 5:05 up the bulk of the extra min- the Warriors had in Game crowd.q