SB Nation Bay Area is introducing a new segment of Warriors' coverage, "Mapping the Western Conference," which will help keep you up to date on the state of the Warriors, their division foes and the Western Conference's ever-changing playoff picture.
On Tuesday there were two games involving Pacific Division teams.
The Clippers (1-7) continued their slide and lost 101-82 at the New Orleans Hornets (7-0). Clippers rookie F Al-Farouq Aminu notched the best game of his young career, leading all scorers with 20 points to go along with 8 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. The Hornets mounted a balanced attack with 6 players reaching double figures. Backup shooting guard Willie Green led the way with 16.
The injury woes continued for the Clippers as C Chris Kaman sprained his left ankle during the game. No word on how long he'll be out. And while Baron Davis made his return to the court after missing the previous 4 games with a sore left knee, leading scorer Eric Gordon sat out Tuesday's game with a left shoulder injury. Backup G Randy Foye also missed his 6th straight game due to a sore left hamstring. (This, of course, goes without saying that Clippers Nation continues to hold its breath any time Blake Griffin crashes the floor for a loose ball.)
Since upsetting the OKC Thunder last Wednesday, the Clips have dropped 3 in a row and new coach Vinny Del Negro's crew is no doubt searching for positives in a mostly ugly start to the young season.
Meanwhile, the Lakers took care of business against the surprisingly feisty T-Wolves, improving to 8-0 on the season with a 99-94 victory and upping their division lead to 2.5 games over the Warriors. Kobe Bryant led the way with 33 points.
In other Western Conference action, the Nuggets (4-4) fell to the Pacers, 144-113, after Indiana somehow dropped 54 points to Denver's 27 in the 3rd quarter. Mike Dunleavy led all scorers with 31 while first-year Pacers PG Darren Collison added 29.
The Jazz (4-3) mounted a massive comeback from 22 down to beat the Heat in Miami in OT, 116-114. Big man Paul Millsap took advantage of Miami's lack of size on his way to a ridiculous 46-point night. The Trailblazers (6-3) cruised to a 100-78 victory over the Pistons, with LaMarcus Aldridge notching a 19-point, 17-rebound game.
Check back here tomorrow after the Warriors go for their second road win of the season at the Knicks.Wednesday's games featuring Western Conference teams:
Golden State (5-2) @ New York (3-4). David Lee and Ronny Turiaf take on their former teams, respectively.
Utah (4-3) @ Orlando (5-1). Can Millsap come up big again, against Dwight Howard and Co.?
Houston (1-5) @ Washington (1-4). The good news: someone will emerge with 2 wins. The bad news: someone will "emerge" with 2 wins.
Philadelphia (2-5) @ Oklahoma City (3-3). Philly's Jrue Holiday is on fire, averaging 18.3 over his last 4.
Dallas (4-2) @ Memphis (4-4). Rudy Gay is averaging 26.5 PPG. Dirk is averaging 25.7. $5 says Dirk wins this battle by the end of the season. Anyone?
LA Clippers (1-7) @ San Antonio (5-1). Can Coach Vinny rally the Clips against the franchise that saw most of his playing days?
Minnesota (1-7) @ Sacramento (3-3). The Kings look to rebound from their home loss to the Grizzlies.
At the end of Tuesday night, here's what Mapping the Western Conference looks like:
|
W |
L |
Pct |
GB |
|
|
LA Lakers |
8 |
0 |
1.000 |
-- |
|
New Orleans |
7 |
0 |
1.000 |
0.5 |
|
San Antonio |
5 |
1 |
.833 |
1.5 |
|
Portland |
6 |
3 |
.667 |
2.0 |
|
Golden State |
5 |
2 |
.714 |
2.0 |
|
Dallas |
4 |
2 |
.667 |
2.5 |
|
Utah |
4 |
3 |
.571 |
3.0 |
|
Memphis |
4 |
4 |
.500 |
3.5 |
|
Denver |
4 |
4 |
.500 |
3.5 |
|
Sacramento |
3 |
3 |
.500 |
3.5 |
|
Oklahoma City |
3 |
3 |
.500 |
3.5 |
|
Phoenix |
3 |
4 |
.429 |
4.0 |
|
Houston |
1 |
5 |
.167 |
5.5 |
|
Minnesota |
1 |
7 |
.125 |
6.5 |
|
LA Clippers |
1 |
7 |
.125 |
6.5 |