Daily NBA Fix: The Gauntlet Known As The Western Conference

The Golden State Warriors earned a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in their toughest game so far this season, winning 112-108.

While all bets should still be on the Warriors to repeat as champions this was the first reminder that even as dominant as Golden State has been, the West Conference is still a gauntlet of unending perils.

Golden State did everything they had to do get by Los Angeles as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin combined for 47 points and four of the Clippers starters were in double-digits.

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DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 13 rebounds, J.J. Redick had 11 with 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and even Lance Stephenson found ways to contribute outside of his seven points with five rebounds and three assists. Oracle Arena made some strange sounds as it looked like the Warriors’ perfection might be in peril.

Los Angeles led in the fourth quarter pushed it to a tie at 105-105 with 1:47 remaining but of course a Stephen Curry 3-pointer ultimately pushed Golden State to victory. In his normal ridiculousness he had 31 points to lead the Warriors while all five starters were in double-digits as well.

As much as Wednesday night was a reminder of how difficult it is to win in the Western Conference right now and how that won’t be a given for the Warriors, Golden State still beat their best challenger to date in one of the NBA’s best current rivalries. They took every punch in a game where Paul and Griffin played excellently and yet it wasn’t enough to beat the Warriors.

But winning by four at home is a close margin of victory.

Consider that at home the Warriors had just enough to get by the Clippers in the best game of the young regular season. Perhaps if that game is in Los Angeles a few calls don’t go their way and the normal boost of playing at home isn’t in their favor, maybe they get their first loss last night.

That’s in no way to say that the Warriors were “lucky,” but I don’t think Doc Rivers was wrong at all to say “luck” is part of the equation of winning a championship. I also don’t think there is anything wrong with the Warriors creating their own fuel for another championship run by interpreting that as Doc calling them lucky.

The Warriors are still the kings of the ring but the Western Conference is still the NBA equivalent of the Royal Rumble as every round of the playoffs is a fight, and that’s if you even make it there. I’m still betting on the Warriors but it shouldn’t be taken for granted that they’ll even win the conference. They will fight, claw, and earn every win they get along the way.

Beal and the Washington Wizards Perfectly Execute the San Antonio Spurs

Bradley Beal finished off the San Antonio Spurs with a dagger 3-pointer in the final seconds of the Washington Wizards’ 102-99 victory.

It may just be a regular season win over the Spurs, but no matter when or who you are playing you want to see a play after the time out executed the way it is drawn up. This Washington team was been growing up the past few seasons and we’re only beginning to see what a healthy Wall and Beal are capable of. Confidence won’t be an issue for them either.

The play only left 0.3 seconds on the clock with the Spurs lacking a time out to move the ball forward. If only there was a play you could run from 96 feet away to score…

No, That Doesn’t Count

Jae Crowder tried to in bound the ball for the Boston Celtics and ended up banking in a shot from 96 feet away on Wednesday night.

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Unfortunately that didn’t count as he was obviously standing out of bounds but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. The Celtics could have used those points as they fell 100-98 against the Indiana Pacers.