OAKLAND – You’ve heard of the Hampton Five. Meet the Clampdown Five, the Warriors’ increasingly impactful defensive unit that is playing so well in the playoffs, it probably deserves its own nickname.
Maybe that one will stick, maybe not. But there’s little doubt the rotation of Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, David West, Klay Thompson and Ian Clark that generally opens the second and fourth quarters has jelled into a very effective alternative task force, with Clark emerging as the final piece to a puzzle the coaching staff has been trying to piece together all year.
The Warriors controlled Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz Tuesday night from the outset, yet they couldn’t deliver the knockout blow for the longest time.