Event of the Day: Los Angeles Clippers versus Golden State Warriors

Our event of the day is Game 6 of the NBA first round playoff series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center. The Warriors hold a 3-2 lead in the series and will look to end the series tonight. However, the Clippers will do everything they can not to lose a third consecutive first round series and will look to force a Game 7. This is a match you won’t want to miss. The NBA’s current ‘super-team’, riding a streak of four consecutive finals appearances, most likely did not expect such a staunch challenge from the eighth seed Clippers. With the series standing at 3-2, the Warriors have lost as many matches to the Clippers as they have in their last four first round series combined. The last time they lost three matches in the first round was in the 2014 playoffs… where they were eliminated in seven games by the Clippers.

However, this does not mean the Warriors have not been playing the basketball expected of them. Steph Curry has put up 124 points across the first five games and seen his teammates step up when he has gone cold. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for fifty-five points in a Game 4 that saw Curry only manage twelve. Durant specifically has continued to demonstrate why he is such a potent postseason asset. He has three thirty point games in this series and set a career best for postseason scoring with a forty-five point Game 5. Despite this, the Clippers have managed to go toe-to-toe with the best team in the NBA. Lou Williams has broken out for two thirty point games in the series, backed by consistently strong performances from Montrezl Harrell, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Clippers last progressed past the first round during the 2015 playoffs but since then they have left in the first round in both 2016 and 2017. However, their refusal to bow down in the face of the NBA’s most dominant team reveals the flaws in the Warriors. The Warriors rely on Curry, Durant and Thompson almost exclusively while the Clippers have a much more rounded roster. Most importantly, the series has shown that the Warriors are beatable. Be sure you don’t miss tonight’s match as the Clippers hope to repeat 2014 and force a Game 7.

Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NHL, where two second round playoff series get underway. The New York Islanders host a Carolina Hurricanes team fresh off an upset series win over the defending champion Washington Capitals at the Barclays Center. Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks, who overcame the Vegas Golden Knights, last year’s runners-up, in the first round, host the Colorado Avalanche at the SAP Center. You will not want to miss the start of either of these series. Elsewhere, in the Premier League, Liverpool host Huddersfield at Anfield. With Manchester City’s 2-0 win in the mid-week Manchester Derby, Liverpool must win to remain in the title race. Be sure you don’t miss this crucial match for the title-winning hopefuls. The Royal London One Day Cup continues across England. On the Ladies European Tour, the Lalla Meryem Cup continues at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, Morocco. In Pro14 rugby, Edinburgh host Glasgow at Murrayfield. On the WTA Tour, the Kunming Open continues at the Hot Springs Tennis Center in Anning, China.

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

Fixture

Photos by NBA

 

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