章節 129: Chapter 129: Technical Foul! Durant on the Brink of a Meltdown

The second quarter began with the Warriors gaining possession. Tang Lei brought the ball up the court with his usual poise and passed to Klay Thompson. Thompson, utilizing his quick footwork, turned and nailed a mid-range jumper, pulling the Warriors closer.

27–28. Only a point separated the two teams.

But the Clippers, as if fueled by sheer determination, immediately responded. Lou Williams, seemingly unstoppable tonight, drilled a three-pointer from the top of the arc, pushing the lead back to four points.

From there, a pattern emerged. The Warriors, save for Kevin Durant, found ways to contribute offensively. Yet, despite their efforts, they could not fully erase the deficit. It was as if a wall stood between them and a lead change.

Durant, meanwhile, was visibly out of rhythm. His usual precision was absent, his shots lacking their usual fluidity. His frustration mounted, exacerbated by Patrick Beverley's suffocating defense. The Clippers' guard seemed to live in Durant's shadow, constantly in his space, chipping away at his composure.

With his jumpers failing to connect, Durant pivoted to driving to the basket, seeking points in the paint. Yet Beverley, crafty as ever, managed to draw two offensive fouls on him in quick succession. By the time the second foul was called, Durant's face was a mask of disbelief and suppressed rage.

When a third foul call came moments later, Durant exploded. He turned to the referee, his voice raised in protest. His teammates tried to calm him, but Durant's frustration boiled over. The referee's whistle cut through the tension, issuing Durant a technical foul.

The arena gasped. Durant's anger had crossed a line. Andre Iguodala quickly stepped in, physically restraining him from further escalation. On the sidelines, Steve Kerr's expression darkened. Without hesitation, he signaled for Durant to be subbed out, a precautionary move to protect his star from fouling out before halftime.

As Durant trudged to the bench, Beverley's face lit up with a smug grin. He clapped his hands in mock applause, his demeanor a blatant taunt. The Clippers, buoyed by Beverley's antics, surged with renewed energy.

In the remainder of the quarter, Lou Williams orchestrated a masterclass on offense, tearing through the Warriors' defense. The Clippers went on a 14–5 run, widening the gap to a daunting 55–73 by halftime.

The Oracle Arena fell into stunned silence. Fans, accustomed to dominance, struggled to process what they were witnessing. Across the world, Warriors fans voiced their disbelief.

In the Tencent live-stream chat, emotions ran high.

"Beverley is playing like a mad dog! He's got Durant completely off his game."

"This is classic KD—falling for trash talk and letting his emotions take over."

"Only Durant could get baited like this. Other stars would laugh it off."

"Man, Lou Will is cooking tonight. Already 20 points? What a beast!"

"We underestimated Cousins. Without him, the Clippers are feasting in the paint. They've scored 15 more points in the paint than we have."

"Is this Cousins' redemption arc? The guy we said couldn't fit is the one we miss the most."

"Tang Lei, it's your time to shine. Show them what you've got!"

"Let's go, Warriors! It's only an 18-point gap. We've seen them come back from worse!"

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The second half began with a glimmer of hope as Thompson sank a quick three-pointer. But the Clippers' momentum was unshaken. Lou Williams dished a pinpoint assist to Montrezl Harrell, who soared for a thunderous dunk, rattling the rim.

58–75.

On the next possession, Draymond Green found himself wide open for a three-pointer but missed. The Clippers capitalized on the opportunity, with Danilo Gallinari draining a three-pointer in transition.

58–78. The lead ballooned to 20 points.

Though the Warriors' offense began to find some rhythm in subsequent possessions, their defense struggled to contain the red-hot Clippers. By the midway point of the third quarter, the scoreboard read 75–93 in favor of Los Angeles.

Kerr, visibly agitated, called a timeout. He emphasized defense, rallying his team to tighten up and limit the Clippers' easy looks. Durant and Iguodala returned to the floor, replacing Tang Lei and Curry. The goal was clear: halt the bleeding and mount a comeback.

With Beverley immediately assigned to Durant, the matchup reignited. Beverley's energy was unrelenting, his defense as physical as ever. Durant, visibly more composed, began to find his rhythm. He dropped 10 points in the latter half of the quarter, clawing back some of the deficit.

Still, Durant's struggles persisted on defense. Late in the quarter, he picked up his fourth foul, forcing him to tread carefully.

The third quarter ended with the Warriors trailing 95–108, still a daunting 13-point gap.

As the final quarter loomed, the Warriors faced a stark reality. Durant's foul trouble, the absence of Cousins, and the Clippers' fiery performance had pushed them to the brink. Could Tang Lei and Curry reignite the Warriors' spark, or would the Clippers steal a stunning victory?

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