Warriors beat Clippers on testy Christmas night

OAKLAND, Calif. – Klay Thompson blocked a shot by Chris Paul with 1 second left then contested Jamal Crawford’s 3-pointer that fell short at the final buzzer, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Clippers 105-103 in a game that featured a pair of ejections on Wednesday.

Paul’s lay-in with 11.9 seconds left went around the rim and out, but Andre Iguodala missed a pair of free throws with 9.3 seconds remaining. That gave the Clippers the ball back with 8.3 seconds to go.

Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to score six of his 15 points over the final 3:01 as Golden State snapped the Pacific Division-leading Clippers’ season-best five-game winning streak. Thompson finished with 23 points and David Lee had 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Blake Griffin was ejected for his second technical with 10:43 remaining after scuffling with Andrew Bogut, following Golden State’s Draymond Green to the showers after they got into it at the end of the third. Green was tossed for a flagrant 2 foul.

When the game ended, players tangled near the tunnel to the Clippers’ locker room and security personnel stepped in — and former Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson could be seen screaming in the middle of it all.

It was feisty and festive from the opening tipoff at sold-out Oracle Arena, where fans wore “Christmas Whiteout” snowflake Warriors T-shirts for the holiday occasion.

Paul had 26 points and 11 assists as he and Curry put on a late-game show between two of the Western Conference’s top point guards.

Griffin scored 20 points. He added 14 rebounds and five assists before he was ejected.

Bogut added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The Clippers, who never trailed in the first half, took a 77-74 lead into the see-saw fourth. They dropped to 19-3 when leading after three quarters and 8-3 on the road.

Curry performed when it mattered, though he is shooting just 9 for 44 in three Christmas games. Lee and Bogut each have double digits in rebounds in 10 straight games.