Final quarter showdown.
With the Warriors' offense firing on all cylinders, the Clippers, without Kai on the floor, watched the deficit grow even larger.
As Curry led wave after wave of scoring runs, Coach Rivers knew the game was out of reach. He pulled Lou Williams and Harrell and sent in the third unit, effectively conceding.
In Oracle Arena, the home team Warriors defeated the visiting Clippers 136-110.
With that result, both teams moved to 10-1, tied for first place in the Western Conference.
"Without a doubt, the defending champion Warriors are still the strongest team in the league!"
As the game ended, O'Neal and Smith delivered their postgame summary.
"Maybe because of Kai's outstanding performance, we forgot that the Clippers are still just a playoff-level team, and that he is only a rookie!"
"Although this ended in a heavy loss for the Clippers, I believe that after tonight, the storyline between these two teams will once again become a hot topic among fans!"
"That's right. The rivalry is officially established. I can already see future matchups between them turning into Mars colliding with Earth!"
The Clippers and the Warriors had been at odds for years.
Now, a new chapter of hostility had begun!
What excited the commentators even more was that this was only their first meeting of the season. As division rivals, they still had three more matchups ahead.
The reporters on site were just as energized.
They all understood that this game would become the most talked-about and hottest storyline since the season began!
Why?
Because Kai Chen dunked over Draymond Green. Twice!
And because Draymond Green nearly got into it with Kai.
Fans around the world now wanted to hear directly from the two main figures.
"I said before the game that we would sweep the Clippers this season!"
After the game, facing the media, Draymond Green didn't hold back. "You all saw it. The Clippers aren't even worth mentioning in front of us!"
"I didn't even have to try, and they already surrendered!"
The reporters smiled in satisfaction.
Whether he said it or not, their headlines were ready.
If Draymond stayed quiet, they would bait him. If he fired back at Kai and the Clippers, even better!
"The result was good, but there were moments in the game we need to review."
Steve Kerr was candid. "At one point, the Clippers had us on our heels, especially Kai Chen. He put a lot of pressure on us."
"We need to be better defensively. That's an area we'll continue to improve."
As for the overall flow of the game, Kerr didn't think much needed to be said.
The Splash Brothers were as lethal as ever. The Clippers had just completed a brutal stretch of road games, so second-half fatigue was expected.
Winning felt inevitable.
Still, Kerr recognized something important.
The Clippers' small lineup was dangerous. In a more balanced situation, it could absolutely create real problems.
Once the Warriors' interviews wrapped up, reporters flooded toward the Clippers' locker room.
"To be honest, the Warriors aren't as strong as people think!"
Beverley, the first to step up, spoke bluntly. "This was the last game of our five-game road trip. In the past week, we were on the road for four straight. Meanwhile, the Warriors were rested."
"I'm not denying the result. But next time in Los Angeles, we're going to beat them!"
The reporters nodded, pleased.
Trash talk.
That was exactly what they wanted.
"This is just one regular-season game. You can't define a team based on a single result."
Carmelo Anthony, calm and seasoned, took a different tone. "There are 82 games in a season. This is just one of them."
"We lost. There's nothing to argue about. We'll learn from it and fix what needs fixing."
"But I'll say this. If anyone wants to fight kai on the court, you better be ready for the consequences!"
Again, the reporters were satisfied.
Finally, they turned to the center of it all.
"Kai, what does this loss mean for your team?"
A TNT reporter asked first. "And during the game, there were some incidents. What do you have to say about Draymond Green?"
"We lost. That's it."
Kai's response was direct. "As for Draymond Green, I have nothing to say about him."
An ESPN reporter pressed further. "We all saw you dunk over Draymond twice."
"He's not the type to take that lightly. What were you thinking after the first dunk?"
"I wasn't thinking anything. It was just a normal dunk."
Kai spoke casually. "Maybe some people think it's special because the defender was Draymond."
"But to me, it was just two points. Nothing more."
Was it supposed to be special because it was over Draymond?
Kai didn't think so.
No matter who stood in front of him, he would dunk it!
When the interviews concluded, the reporters felt energized.
This was what a real postgame interview looked like!
Kai Chen, Beverley, Draymond Green. Each gave exactly the kind of answers that made headlines.
In other words:
They said everything the media wanted.
And everything the fans wanted to see.
That night, TNT featured Kai Chen and Draymond Green on the cover of their evening broadcast.
The debate surrounding the two of them quickly overshadowed the game itself.
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