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Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Written by: Daniel Collins
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Read Time: 5 minutes
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Earlier this decade, the best and most intense rivalry in the entire NBA featured the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors and Clippers were battling for the top spot in the Pacific Division almost every year, and the action on the court was even more intense. That rivalry has cooled off quite a bit in the last few seasons, but there is still no love lost between the Warriors and Clippers—or their fans. The Clippers were the clear leaders in the Pacific Division in 2013 and 2014, but the Warriors have since blown right past them and now rule the entire NBA. Both the Warriors and Clippers will always play second-fiddle to the Lakers in the state of California, though they have large fan bases in their own right. It’s hard to make predictions as to what will happen to this rivalry in the future, but at one time this was one of the best rivalries in professional sports.
History of Warriors vs. Clippers Rivalry
The Warriors and Clippers began playing games against each other way back in 1970, but the two teams were playing under different names. The Clippers were known as the Buffalo Braves, and the Warriors were located in San Francisco. The two rivals have met a grand total of 224 times overall, with 217 of these games coming in the regular season. Golden State has dominated the Clippers throughout history, posting a 130-87 record against them in regular season games. Los Angeles does have postseason bragging rights against their rival, winning four of the seven postseason games played. Golden State has been the gold standard in the NBA in recent seasons, and the Clippers are doing their best to keep up. Odds are that the Warriors’ current run will eventually end, and the Clippers will be ready to pounce when that happens.
The Warriors were founded in 1946 and got their start in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Warriors won the first-ever Basketball Association of America (BAA) Championship in 1947, and they won it again in 1956. The team was moved to San Francisco in 1962 and remained there through 1971. Golden State became the new name of the team in 1971, and the team has been playing their home games at Oracle Arena since their move to the Bay Area. The Warriors have become one of the most popular teams in professional sports in recent years, winning three NBA Championships since the 2015 season. Golden State is tied with the Chicago Bulls for the third-most championships in league history with six. The Warriors were the preseason pick to win the NBA Championship by many people heading into this season, and that prediction is likely to be a solid choice.
The Clippers were founded in 1970 when the Buffalo Braves began playing games as one of three expansion teams joining the NBA. The team was moved to San Diego in 1978 and was renamed the Clippers. After struggling to find a consistent home in San Diego, the team was relocated to Los Angeles in 1984 and has shared a home city with the Lakers ever since. The Clippers have traditionally been one of the worst professional sports franchises, and they have not enjoyed long periods of success. The team has also had to deal with living in the shadow of the Lakers since their move to LA, and they are constantly failing to live up to the standard that the Lakers have set. The Clippers earned the nickname of “Lob City” with the arrival of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, who led the team to back-to-back division titles in 2013-14. The Clippers are still looking for their first Western Conference title, but they are in the market for some top free agents during the summer of 2019.
Head to Head Comparison of Warriors vs. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have a long way to go if they want to equal the success of their division rivals. Los Angeles is still looking for their first Western Conference title and have never been crowned NBA Champion. The Warriors have won 10 conference titles in their franchise’s history and have won six NBA Championships, with three of them coming since the 2015 season. The Clippers and Warriors have combined to win the last six Pacific Division championships, and they have been the class of that division since the 2013 season. Los Angeles won their only two division titles in 2013 and 2014, while the Warriors have rattled off the last four division titles. The Warriors were the preseason prediction to make it five straight and look like the clear favorites to make that a smart pick at the end of the regular season.
Look at Last 20 Games Between Golden State and Los Angeles
The Golden State Warriors have been much better than the Los Angeles Clippers in the history of this rivalry, but they have absolutely dominated them in the last 20 games. The last 20 games between the Warriors and Clippers will take us back to May 3, 2014, and Golden State has been the best team in the NBA since that time so these results are a little skewed. Golden State has won 16 of the last 20 games against the Clippers, and most of the games have been absolute blowouts. Included in the last 20 games was a 12-game winning streak for Golden State that had some people questioning whether or not this rivalry was over for good. The Warriors went 8-1 against the Clippers at home at Oracle Arena and also went 8-3 on the road at the Staples Center. There was a time when the Clippers were winning three out of four from the Warriors, but that hasn’t been the case in recent seasons. Odds are that the Clippers will get back on track, and this will once again be a pick for best rivalry in the NBA.
Detailed Look at Series Splits For Warriors-Clippers Rivalry
While winning the game is the ultimate goal in any NBA matchup, taking a closer look at this series proves that there are reasons to pick the Clippers. The two best ways to bet on NBA games are on the point spread, and also on the point total. The last 20 games can help us make predictions and locate trends that are happening in this rivalry. Golden State has been the betting favorite 17 times out of the last 20 games, but they haven’t always been the team to pick. The Warriors have gone just 9-8 against the spread in these 17 games, so there is reason to bet on the Clippers in certain situations. Golden State and Los Angeles combine to score a ton of points when they play, and the “over” has hit in 13 of the last 20 games. The Warriors and Clippers combined to go “under” the 242.0 total set in their previous game, but had a stretch of nine straight games hitting the “over.” Look at the odds before picking a winner in this matchup, but don’t always pick the Warriors just because they have the better team.
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