Warriors dispatch Clippers for 3-1 series lead

[April 22, 2019]    Kevin Durant scored 33 points and the visiting Golden State Warriors held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 113-105 in Game 4 of a Western Conference first-round series on Sunday afternoon.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) moves the ball down court ahead of Los Angeles Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Danilo Gallinari (8) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

After winning both games in Los Angeles, the Warriors own a 3-1 series lead heading to Game 5 on Wednesday night in Oakland, Calif.

Klay Thompson scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half for the Warriors. Stephen Curry went 3-for-14, including 1-for-9 from 3-point range, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 25 points for the Clippers.

Danilo Gallinari scored 16 after a scoreless first quarter, Patrick Beverley had 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, and Lou Williams scored 12 off the bench for Los Angeles.

The Warriors received strong contributions off the bench from Andre Iguodala, Alfonzo McKinnie and Shaun Livingston in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, helping expand a three-point lead to 100-91 with 7:05 left in the game.

Curry checked back in with 5:50 remaining and Golden State leading by six points, and the Clippers never got any closer.

The Clippers had taken their biggest lead of the series at 82-77 on a fast-break dunk by Montrezl Harrell with 3:57 left in the third quarter, but the Warriors outscored Los Angeles 10-2 the remainder of the quarter to take an 87-84 lead into the fourth.

Curry made his first basket of the game on a driving layup to stretch the lead to 46-40 with 5:59 left in the first half. The Warriors stretched the lead back to 10 on two occasions in the second quarter before Durant's four-point play with 2.5 seconds left in the half made it 62-54 at the break.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14 of the first 20 points for the Clippers, and Thompson made his first seven field-goal attempts and scored 17 of the first 28 points for Golden State.

The Warriors scored the final 12 points of the first quarter to take a 32-22 lead into the second.

Golden State has led by at least eight points after the first quarter in every game of the series.

--Field Level Media

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