There was a lot going on in the Warriors’ 121-104 Game 1 victory over the Clippers, including, but not limited to, Steph Curry’s offensive explosion and Kevin Durant vs. Patrick Beverley. Quite a few Warriors had a hand in this win, but one stat speaks to a certain individual rising above and beyond: 17 minutes, plus-30.



That was Kevon Looney’s line on Saturday night. He also had six points from two nifty fadeaways and a dunk, but that plus-30 had more to do with defense than offense. While plus-minus can be a tricky stat, in this instance, the film tells the tale. Actually, Steve Kerr tells the tale. When asked by The Athletic about Looney’s play in Game 1, Kerr gave a succinct assessment: “Fucking awesome.”



Indeed. When you review how and when Looney impacted this game, you can see why Kerr was pleased. He did all the little things, and sometimes in a big way. Note how Looney’s hit stick screen on Shai...