The LA Clippers yet again shocked the Warriors in Game 5, so how can they replicate this again in order to force a Game 7?
The LA Clippers managed to stave off elimination on Wednesday night, commanding most of the game in their 129-121 win. Tonight, they need to replicate that performance if they want a chance at forcing a Game 7 back in Oakland. How can they do it? They just need to continue playing their game.
We preached this after the miraculous 31 point comeback earlier in the series and although the team was unable to win in Game 4, there were many positive signs. Those positive signs continued into Game 5, albeit in better fashion which led to the win.
Let’s take a look at what the team needs out of a few key players if Game 7 is going to end up happening.
aDanilo Gallinari
It all starts here. The starting unit absolutely needs Danilo Gallinari‘s scoring if they want to win. In the two wins LA has in this series, he is scoring 25.0 points on 43.6% shooting. In the three losses? 13.3 points on 22.9% shooting.
His scoring is so important, especially when the Warriors will likely come out of the gate firing. According to NBA.com, 26.2% of plays involve Gallinari during this series. It’s the second highest usage rate on the team and means he needs to be at his best.