The NBA's best rivalry didn't disappoint Tuesday evening, packing theatrics and drama into seemingly every possession as the Golden State Warriors emerged with a 110-106victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.But tallies in the standings aside, there's no ignoring how dominant Blake Griffin was on a night when Stephen Curry (27 points, four assists)and Chris Paul (27 points, nine assists) dueled for backcourt supremacy.In 43minutes, Griffin stuffed the stat sheet with 40points (16-of-25 shooting), 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Griffin has posted one-third of his career 40-point outings this season:Additionally, Griffin became just the sixth player this season to finish a game with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Anthony Davis, James Harden, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the other five.Yes, Griffin was afforded the luxury of matching up against a combination of David Lee,Marreese Speights, James Michael McAdoo and Andrew Bogut with Draymond Green sidelined due to a shin injury.Or, if you take it from the man himself, Green was sidelined with a Griffin-related ailment, per the Bay Area News Group's Diamond Leung:As ESPN Stats & Info explained, Green's absence put Griffin in a position advantageous to statistical gains:Then again, Griffin was merely making the best of what devolved into a bad situation.A 30-18 first-quarter romp slowly morphed into a 28-23 second-quarter swing. And even though Griffin helped the Clippers stay competitive during a high-scoring third quarter, his free-throw-line jumpers and crafty finishes in the paint weren't enough.Los Angeles was blitzed, 28-18, in the final frame, as the Clippers bench failed to provide adequate backup for the All-Star power forward and his point guard, who was attempting to keep pace with Curry all night long. All told, L.A.'s bench scored 12 points, with seven coming courtesy of Austin Rivers and another five off the fingertips of Hedo Turkoglu. Not surprisingly, every member of head coach Doc Rivers' lackluster second unit finished with a negative plus-minus rating, whereas Griffin posted a team-best mark of plus-seven.Conversely, the Warriors received 13 bench points from Speights, seven from Leandro Barbosa and six apiece from Andre Iguodala and Festus Ezeli.Should these two offensive titans wind up clashing in the second round of the postseason, the Clippers won't be able to count on similar production night after night once Green is back healthy.Green is arguably the league's most versatile and valuable defender at the moment, with Golden State's defense surrendering a league-best 95 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor, according toNBA.com. When he heads to the bench, the Warriors cough up a defensive rating over 102.0, which falls outside of the top 10.While the Clippers offense is plenty potent, Griffin won't be able to mask the team's depth-related concerns single-handedly.As the Warriors have exemplified all season long, balance breeds brilliance.And until the Clippers have the personnel necessary to lift a considerable load off of his shoulders when the lights shine brightest, their ceiling will continue to be capped.Around the AssociationSan Antonio Spoils Miami's PartyThe Miami Heat trudged forward without Luol Deng (knee) and Udonis Haslem (flu), but the San Antonio Spurs were in no mood to take mercy on the banged-up playoff hopefuls.Dwyane Wadewho averaged a sensational 24.5points on 48.5percent shooting in Marchwas held in check to the tune of 15 points on 6-of-20 shooting.San Antonio's 95-81 win pushed the sixth-seeded Spurs to within 2.5 games of the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. They've won four in a row and 14 of their last 17 overall.Tony Parker was rock-solid yet again, pouring in 16 points (7-of-12 shooting) and dishing a game-high five assists while whirling past defenders en route to pretty finishes at the cup:Kawhi Leonard continued his resurgent spring, totaling 22 points (8-of-13 shooting), nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Leonard's scoring prowess was on display through March:On a night when the Heat shot just 40.5 percent from the field, Mario Chalmers provided one of the lone bright spots with an effortless conversion from 50 feet heading into halftime:That's as good as it would get for the Heat, who own a mere half-game lead on the eighth-seeded Brooklyn Nets.Next up: The Heat eye a season-series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers when they travel to Quicken Loans Arena for a battle at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on TNT. Brooklyn's Going up on a TuesdayIt wouldn't be hyperbole to deem the Nets' 111-106 win over the Indiana Pacers their biggest of the season. With the triumph, Brooklyn (33-40) moved into sole possession of the No. 8 seed, a half-game clear of the Boston Celtics.The Nets have now won a season-high four straight games and captured the tiebreaker over the Indiana Pacers by grabbing a 2-1 season-series victory. Although a 33-15 first-quarter edge provided tremendous hope early, Brooklyn squandered its massive margin by surrendering a Pacers season-high 39 points in the second quarter to enter the half up just three.From there, it was a test of wills. And ultimately, Brooklyn came out on top as Indiana's late-game execution stalled in horrific ways.I mean, a desperation three-pointer from Roy Hibbert can't be what head coach Frank Vogel imagined settling for down five with 40 seconds remaining.Fresh off of Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, Brook Lopez tallied his seventh consecutive game with at least 20 points, dropping 24 points and grabbing 11 boards in 40 minutes. Joe Johnson (21 points, six rebounds, four assists) provided a steady scoring touch, including a dagger three to put the Nets up eight with 15 seconds left."We just hung in there and kept fighting," Johnson said, according to the Nets' official Twitter account. "A grind game. We had to get this win on home court."Deron Williams chipped in 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 30 minutes, as head coach Lionel Hollins has shown no desire to rest his aging vets, according to theNew York Daily News' Stefan Bondy:Never change, Lionel. Chris Paul's Ankles Will Never Be the SameChris Paul is a spectacular on-ball defender, but even the feistiest aggressors are no match for Stephen Curry's wicked handles.Exhibit A came courtesy of Curry's nasty double-behind-the-back dribble during the second quarter:Predictably, ballers from across the Association took to Twitter to marvel at Curry's crossover:The Warriors had a little fun at Paul's expense as well:Of course, Paul is no stranger to getting duped by Curry, who spun the Clippers floor general in circles back on March 8:Detroit Nabs Another Quality WinNow's probably a good time to mention the Detroit Pistons haven't officially been eliminated from playoff contention.With a 105-95win over the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit has won six of its last eight games, including victories over the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies.As a result, the Pistons sit 4.5games back of the No. 8 seed.Andre Drummond terrorized Atlanta's frontcourt by compiling 22 points and 13 rebounds, marking the 11th time this season he's notched a 20-point, 10-rebound game.The Pistons also capitalized on Atlanta's uncharacteristically sloppy play, turning 18 turnovers into 22 points.The Pistons' postseason hopes are on life support, but the bottom of the muddied Eastern Conference playoff picture is a black hole of uncertainty.Just saying.Quote of the NightIf it wasn't clear already, the Clippers and Warriorsreallydon't like each other.Before Golden State captured a season-series victory over Los Angeles, the teams' head coaches traded verbal barbs regarding the significance of Tuesday's Pacific Division clash, according to ESPN.com's J.A. Adande:We really need seven games of this in May.
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