Jimmy Butler III put up a game-high 21 points without shooting a free throw and the Golden State Warriors, holding James Harden scoreless in the second half, blitzed the Los Angeles Clippers 98-79 on Tuesday in San Francisco.
On a night when the Clippers were called for just five fouls, the Warriors overcame a 3-for-4 night at the free throw line by burying 17 of 45 (37.8%) from beyond the arc.
With Harden scoring all 20 of his points, the Clippers overcame an early 15-point deficit to take a 49-46 halftime lead.
But Los Angeles, which had beaten the Warriors seven straight times, added just 30 points over the final 24 minutes as Golden State, harassing the visitors into 16 turnovers, gradually pulled away.
Butler, who had gotten to the foul line 42 times in Golden State’s first four games, hit nine of his 12 shots overall and three of his four 3-point attempts. He also found time for five rebounds and five assists.
Stephen Curry chipped in with 19 points for the Warriors. He accounted for all three of the team’s free-throw points while logging a game-high eight assists.
Quinten Post and Brandin Podziemski added 12 points apiece for the Warriors, who completed a sweep of a back-to-back sequence that began with a home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Post led the Warriors in rebounds on Tuesday with eight.
Defensive ace Draymond Green aided the Golden State cause with seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Despite his scoreless second half, Harden was the Clippers’ high scorer. He went 7-for-7 from free-throw line, where the visitors outscored the Warriors 13-3.
Ivica Zubac was the game’s leading rebounder with 13 while adding 14 points for the Clippers, who had won two in a row after an opening loss at Utah. Kawhi Leonard was a third Los Angeles scorer in double figures with 18 points.
