LOS ANGELES_Doc Rivers strolled into the room abnormally crammed with reporters Friday evening and could not resist.
"What the hell is going on with all these people?" Rivers said with a grin as he surveyed the group before taking his pregame questions.
But he knew. Most of those people were not in attendance for the coach or his Los Angeles Clippers. They were there because the Golden State Warriors, the two-time defending NBA champions, were adding DeMarcus Cousins, the gifted all-star big man, to their already loaded starting lineup for the first time at Staples Center on Friday night just as they were hitting their stride.
It was an untimely test for the sputtering Clippers. Injuries were bubbling and defensive woes had produced their longest losing streak of the season, one that reached five games Friday with a 112-94 defeat to the overwhelming visitors.
While the Warriors (32-14) were celebrating adding a prolific scorer to the NBA's top offense, injuries diminished the Clippers' firepower. First, Lou Williams, the team's third-leading scorer, didn't suit up because of a sore right hamstring. Then Danilo Gallinari, their second-leading scorer, exited after eight minutes with back spasms and didn't return.
That left Tobias Harris to assume a greater offensive load. He responded with 20 first-half points as Los Angeles (24-21) trailed by one at halftime. But the Warriors mounted a 14-2 run to begin the second half and a 9-0 blitz to begin the fourth quarter. Harris finished with 28 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24. They were the Clippers' only double-digit scorers as Los Angeles shot 36.5 percent from the field, went 4 of 25 from three-point range, collected just 11 assists, and made just four three-pointers.
Cousins compiled 14 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 28 points while Kevin Durant contributed 24 points on 13 shots. The Warriors shot 48.8 percent from the field.
Cousins's Warriors debut _ nearly a year after tearing his Achilles' tendon as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans _ was a timely reminder of the vast gap existing between the Clippers and the NBA's best. While the Clippers patiently wait to acquire a franchise cornerstone and bolster their foundation, Cousins gives the Warriors perhaps the most talented starting five in NBA history.
Unleashing Cousins on this stacked Warriors roster past the season's halfway point presents a fascinating and unprecedented basketball experiment. Will his demeanor _ notoriously irritable and unstable _ resurface to create chemistry snags or will he bury it for the next few months? Are there enough shots to keep him satisfied? How long will it take for Cousins to assimilate to the Warriors' machine? The consensus is the Warriors will figure it out in time to compete for another championship, questions about the process linger.
The Warriors immediately fed Cousins on Friday. Their first possession ended with Cousins throwing up a wild reverse layup off a post-up. The next time down the floor, Cousins and Durant executed a flawless pick-and-roll. Cousins completed it, rumbling down the lane for a one-handed tomahawk dunk. A couple minutes later he was walking to the bench after committing his second foul, concluding an eventful three-minute introduction visibly frustrated.
Cousins returned to convert three three-pointers and commit four more fouls. His sixth foul ended his night with 8:51 remaining. Rust was evident _ as was the Warriors' seemingly limitless potential with him on the floor. The Clippers, shorthanded and overmatched, hung around for 24 minutes, but could not keep up.
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