The Golden State Warriors look to keep their playoff hopes alive, battling the Los Angeles Clippers away from home Wednesday.
That said, the Warriors are underdogs due to their 1-3 record against Los Angeles this season.
If Golden State is to pull off the upset, here are three keys to their success.
3. Winning the three-point battle
Although the Golden State Warriors convert on 15.7 three-pointers per game, they rank 20th in the NBA in three-point percentage. On the other hand, the Clippers are much more efficient despite making fewer. Six of Los Angeles’ current rotation players shoot over 37% from deep on the season, including Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, Kobe Saunders, Nic Batum, Darius Garland and John Collins.
2. Rebounding
Keeping Los Angeles off of the glass will be a key factor in Wednesday night’s game. Coming into the matchup, the Clippers rank 29th in the NBA in rebounding, ahead of only the Brooklyn Nets. After trading away Ivica Zubac, Leonard is the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 6.4 per contest. For these reasons, Golden State needs to dominate the glass to keep extra possessions out of the hands of the Clippers.
1. Limit Kawhi
It’s no secret that Kawhi Leonard has put Los Angeles on his back this season, especially after the trades of Zubac and former MVP James Harden. If Golden State is to prevail, they’ll have to contain the 14-year pro who’s averaging a career-high (27.9 points) in his age-34 season. After Leonard, the scoring drop-off is significant. Garland is the team’s second-highest scorer, averaging 19.9 points in just 17 games with the team since being traded.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: 3 keys to victory for Warriors in Play-In Tournament vs. Clippers
Reporting by Mack Baltes, Warriors Wire / Warriors Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
