The Clippers’ last game of the 2025 regular season is also their most important, as it will determine whether or not they make the playoffs or enter the play-in tournament. Their opponent, the Golden State Warriors, is in a similar position, making this perhaps the highest stakes regular season game of the entire NBA season regardless of team.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

When: 12:30 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 1150

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Moses Moody – Jimmy Butler – Draymond Green

Injuries

Clippers: Nic Batum Out (Groin), Patty Mills Out (Illness), Seth Lundy Out (Two-way)

Warriors: Gary Payton II Out

The Big Picture

Despite how well the Clippers have played over the last month (and really, most of the season), a lot is riding on this last game. A win would place the Clippers in the playoffs proper and give them either the 4 or 5 seed. A loss would open the door for the Clippers to fall all the way to 7 and the play-in tournament. The Clippers were not at their sharpest in the win over the Kings on Friday night, but did just enough to win. They will need to be much better to beat a Warriors team for whom this game is every bit as important as it is for the Clippers.

The Antagonist

The Warriors have been one of the few teams in the NBA that’s been as hot as the Clippers over the second half of the season. The Jimmy Butler trade reinvigorated the previously listless Dubs, giving them another creator and scorer on offense to help Steph Curry while also strengthening their perimeter defense and rebounding. The Warriors have had some bad losses, but in general have played quite well on both ends of the court for almost two months, pushing Steph into All-NBA First Team talks and Draymond Green in the center of the Defensive Player of the Year discussions. Unfortunately for opposing teams, both claims have merit – it turns out that Steph still looks unstoppable when he has enough help, and Draymond remains probably the most well-rounded defender in the game. Add in a competent supporting cast and you have a highly dangerous team that can win in multiple ways. You hate to see it.

Notes

Winning the Rebounding Battle: Despite playing small much of the time, the Warriors rank 4^th in offensive rebounding rate in the NBA. When Looney plays, he’s an excellent offensive rebounder, and their wings like Podziemski, Moody, and Kuminga are all effective at crashing the offensive glass as well. The Clippers, on the other hand, are 1^st in defensive rebound rate, largely thanks to the efforts of Ivica Zubac. It’s even more important to keep the Warriors off the offensive glass than most teams, as offensive rebounds for the Warriors turn into threes for Steph Curry (and to a much lesser extent, Buddy Hield). If the Clippers can hold the Warriors to a single possession on a regular basis, they will be in a strong position to win this game.

The Turnover Battle: Similarly, the Warriors are better than the Clippers at taking care of the basketball. Normally the Steph Curry Warriors are very high in turnover rate, flinging the ball all over the court (while also nearly always leading the league in assist rate, as they are this year). However, they have lowered that turnover rate this year, with Jimmy Butler being a stabilizing influence. The Clippers rank 23^rd in turnover rate, the worst of any playoff team in the NBA. Again, giving the Warriors fastbreak opportunities is death – Steph is simply too good in those situations. The Clippers’ turnovers have been a bugaboo for them all year, and it would be a shame for that weakness to bite them in this critical game.

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: For All the Marbles
Robert Flom

The Clippers, coming off one of their best wins of the season, will take on a slipping Warriors team without Steph Curry. Admiral Ackbar voice: it’s a trap!

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Dennis Schroder – Buddy Hield – Andrew Wiggins – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson-Davis

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Warriors: Steph Curry Out (Knee), Gary Payton II Out (Calf), Draymond Green Questionable (Back)

The Big Picture

The Clippers have continued to hold serve without Kawhi Leonard. Their defense has been in the 4-9 range most of the season, and currently sits at 5^th. Their offense has been in the 19 to 25 range much of the year, and now places in at 21^st. That gives the Clippers the 11^th best Net Rating in the NBA – not bad for a team that has played 30 games without their theoretical best player. The Clippers’ depth also remains damaged, as both Terance Mann and Kobe Brown are still out, but the Clippers have been able to survive the lack of forwards with strong defensive play, led by Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn. With the news Kawhi will miss the three road games after this one, his max games played for the season is 48 – and his actual number will likely be well under that. If the Clippers make the postseason, as they are on course to do, it would be a huge accomplishment.

The Antagonist

The Warriors’ 10-2 start seems like a distant memory. They have gone 5-12 since then, and are currently hanging out in a three-way tie for 8^th in the Western Conference. The Warriors have slipped on both sides of the ball, placing at 9^th on defense and 15^th on offense. Golden State has received a strong bounce back campaign from Andrew Wiggins, but young guys such as Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody have not taken expected steps forward, and offseason acquisitions Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson have cooled after hot starts. At the end of the day, the Warriors are still very reliant on Steph Curry on offense and Draymond Green on defense, and those guys are not the same players they were 7-10 seasons ago. The Warriors are still dangerous, but they don’t look like the contending-level team they appeared to be early this year.

Notes

No Let Down: You may have noticed up above, but Steph Curry is out for this game. That changes this contest from “tough” to “trap game”. The Warriors have plenty of talent without Steph, especially if Draymond plays, but any time a Hall of Famer is out opponents tend to relax. The Clippers can’t do that. They are not talented enough themselves to relax on any given night and have been very good at taking care of business against lesser teams this year. Without Steph, the Warriors are firmly in that category. If the Clippers are focused, play with energy, and reach their usual level on defense, this should be a win. They just can’t have any slippage because Steph isn’t squaring off against them.

Norm Powell, Resurgent: Norm Powell had a bit of a slump in late November and through early December. That slump, however, appears to be over. In his last four games, Norm has scored 29, 29, 28, and 29 points, and all but the 28-point outing in the loss to the Mavs were highly efficient performances. The threes are falling, the rim attacks are succeeding, and free throws are being drawn. With Gary Payton II out, the Warriors are down their best guard defender. Norm should have an open season on whoever is guarding him, and I’d expect the Clippers to feed him early and often in this one.

Clippers vs. Warriors Preview: No Steph in LA
Robert Flom

The Clippers will try to win back-to-back games at home in a difficult contest against the West-leading Warriors.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, KTLA

Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Lindy Waters III – Andrew Wiggins – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson Davis

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Warriors: De’Anthony Melton Out (Knee), Kevon Looney Out (Illness)

I was out traveling most of the day so no time to do much of a preview. Comment below!

Clippers vs Warriors Game Thread: A Tough One
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off their first win of the season, but now have a brutal back to back traveling from Denver to the Bay to take on the red-hot Warriors.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

When: 5:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal/FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Derrick Jones Jr. – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Steph Curry – Andrew Wiggins – Jonathan Kuminga – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson-Davis

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Out (Knee), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team)

Warriors: None

The Big Picture

The Clippers picked up their first win yesterday in a phenomenal victory on the road over the Nuggets. It wasn’t a perfect performance by the Clippers, not by a long shot, but it was an A-effort game, the likes of which the Clippers will need to hang in the Western Conference postseason picture without Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers’ offense has been extremely heavy on James Harden-Ivica Zubac pick and rolls with a steady diet of Norm Powell off-ball and second-side action plays, and despite the simplicity of a lot of the actions, the results have been good. Defense is where the Clippers have truly thrived, and there’s no reason to think they’ll tail off on that end any time soon.

The Antagonist

The Warriors come into this game on a high, having won their first two games by an insane 77 points. They have been unstoppable on offense and very good on defense, with Steve Kerr playing a 12-man rotation that leans large in the first unit and small in the second unit. They’ve done all this with Steph Curry being quite cold, largely because Buddy Hield has been on an incredible heater. All of this does come with one gigantic caveat: the Warriors’ first two games were against the Blazers and Jazz, who project to be the two worst teams in the West by far, and probably two of the worst seven or so teams in the NBA. Thus, their results must be taken with a large grain of salt. Still, they are playing well and have very good depth with a nice blend of vets and youngsters. And, of course, they still have Steph, who will presumably be the most feared shooter in the NBA until he retires.

Notes

The Backup Center Spot: Kai Jones played just four minutes against the Nuggets yesterday, as Ivica Zubac played 39 minutes to match Nikola Jokic and the Clippers went small with Nic Batum at center in the five remaining minutes. It will be interesting to see what the Clippers do against the Warriors, who don’t have any center like Jokic and do play small themselves on occasion. Jones hasn’t done much to distinguish himself early, but the Clippers’ small-ball units are also very, very small and don’t seem likely to be played in heavy doses. We will see if he plays more in this one, especially on the second night of a back to back, or if his minutes remain extremely limited.

Expanding the Rotation: Through two games, Ty Lue has strictly kept to a 10-man rotation, which he mentioned before the season. However, the Clippers are on a second night of a back-to-back and several key players logged heavy minutes against Denver. This is the first real chance for Ty Lue to go beyond his first 10 guys and look further down the roster, whether that be Bones Hyland, Jordan Miller, or Kobe Miller (the logical next three guys up). I’d love to see any of those players get a shot, especially over the struggling Kevin Porter Jr., but it seems unlikely Ty will go away from anyone this quickly, as he has mentioned his proclivity for 10-game sample sizes many times over the years.

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: First Back to Back
Robert Flom

The Clippers take on the Warriors in their first game of the 2025 preseason in tropical Hawaii.

Game Information

Where: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

When: 4:00 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, KTLA

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Brandin Podziemski – Jonathan Kuminga – Draymond Green – Trayce Jackson-Davis

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Terance Mann – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Warriors: Andrew Wiggins Out (Illness)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Mo Bamba Doubtful (Knee), Trentyn Flowers Out (Wrist)

Notes

Who Starts: This is the biggest question for the Clippers entering preseason – and the regular season. With Kawhi out, only two starters are locked in: James Harden at point and Ivica Zubac in the middle. I’d be fairly surprised if Derrick Jones Jr. wasn’t another starter. That leaves two spots, with the likely candidates being Terance Mann, Norm Powell, and Nic Batum. Batum is the logical replacement for Kawhi, but the Clippers want to keep his minutes low and probably maintain his rotation spot to the second unit. They could start both Norm and Terance, but that would make them very, very small. There are other candidates to start, such as Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., and Kobe Brown, so it is anyone’s guess as to who Ty Lue rolls out tonight.

The Bench Rotation: The players of that group who don’t start will probably figure into the Clippers’ second unit, but again, Lue has many options. Does Bones Hyland get any run alongside Dunn, who can make up for his defensive weaknesses? Is Amir Coffey the backup small forward/power forward, or does one of Jordan Miller or Kobe Brown grab that spot. Does Ty roll with a small-ball second unit, or does Kai Jones get the nod with Mo Bamba likely out? The game outcome doesn’t matter, but who gets the call earlier in the game during more legitimate playing situations is a good indication of what the Clippers’ coaching staff is thinking early in the preseason.

The Young Guys: While preseason is an opportunity for veterans to play their way into shape and for the coaching staff to implement plays and principles, its also a great opportunity for youngsters to show they can pass veterans and make an impact. The Clippers young guys – Kobe Brown, Jordan Miller, and Cam Christie (Flowers is out) – should all get real minutes in preseason. I’d like to see Kobe shoot the ball well and be able to stay in front of opposing players on defense. For Jordan, I’d love continued aggression driving to the rim and the ability to force turnovers. Cam might play the least of the three, but hopefully just looks like he belongs on the court with real NBA players.

The Training Camp Players: The Clippers have four players on their training camp roster who are not under contract with them for this season – Kai Jones, RayJ Dennis, Nate Darling, and Alondes Williams. The player that is the most likely to get real minutes is by far Jones, as he will presumably be the backup center with Mo Bamba out. The Clippers’ lack of depth at center is also why Jones is the favorite of these guys to get the Clippers’ final two-way spot. Still, even if these players only get a few minutes in the second half, it’s a chance to show off for the Clippers, other NBA teams, and even international squads. Usually nothing happens with such players, but every once in a while one pops, so it’s always fun to keep tabs on them.

Clippers vs Warriors 2025 Preseason Game 1 Preview
Robert Flom

The Clippers struggled for three quarters before picking up one of their best wins of the season on the road in Golden State without Kawhi Leonard, 130-125.

Summary

The Clippers looked awful to start, with sluggish defense and fumbles on offense regular occurrences the first few minutes. The Clippers were fortunate the Warriors looked a bit sleepy as well, and that Harden hit a couple tough jumpers. The Warriors’ defensive gameplan was clear, which was to swarm Paul George off-ball and force Amir and Terance to shoot, which worked, as both guys were cold to start. Still, the Clippers’ starters hung in gamely, with the defense picking up a bit. Things started to shift when the bench came in, with the offense once again slowing down without the Harden-Zu pick and roll and with the defense declining. The Warriors continued to miss open looks, but still held a 30-23 lead after one.

The Clippers started the second unit with a Russ-Harden-Norm-Mann-Plumlee unit, but brought in Zu for Plumlee after about 30 seconds and Brandon Boston for Russ a minute later. The Clippers’ reshuffled lineup played with more energy and generated better looks due to the Harden-Zu two-man game, but cold shooting and Warriors’ transition offense the other way kept the Warriors ahead. At around the 4:40 mark, with the Clippers still trailing by eight, Ty went super small with Paul George at center, Russ, Harden, Norm, and Boston. This unit, predictably, couldn’t get any stops, and the Warriors lead had swelled to the teens by the late quarter. Somehow, the Clippers got on a run late, and found themselves down just 59-52 at halftime.

The Clippers continued to brick their threes, but a Zu hook and PG and-one got them to 62-59 at the 9:50 mark. However, they couldn’t get closer, and the Warriors went on a Steph-fueld run to push the lead back out to 10 by the midpoint of the quarter. Harden continued to keep the Clippers in the game almost single-handedly, leaving the third quarter at the 2:40 mark with 24 points on 9 shots, but getting little help from his teammates outside of Zu and (PG, slightly, on offense). The Clippers without Harden were just able to hang in, with a Mann buzzer beater getting them to 97-86 heading into the 4^th.

The Clippers started with a Russ-Harden-Norm-PG-Mason unit, and played better on offense but less so on defense. However, a brouhaha started with a chain of events including a hard Draymond foul on Plumlee for which TY got a tech, a no-call on a Plumlee shot with Draymond defending a minute later, Plumlee getting upset and grabbing Podziemski, Kuminga shoving Plumlee, and Ty furiously demanding a replay. When the dust settled, Ty was ejected with a second tech, Kuminga got a T, and Plumlee got a Flagrant One.

Dan Craig took over for the Clippers with them down double-digits, and the Clippers immediately looked fired up. They got the lead quickly down to two with 7 minutes to go by playing through PG against smaller defenders. Then, a Norm three a minute and a half later gave the Clippers their first lead of the game. Steph and Podziemski charged back, but Norm answered with another three, and the Clippers led 116-115 with 3:15 to go. PG fouled out at the 3:07 mark, and Amir checked in for him. Amir was immediately fouled on a loose ball and made both free throws. Norm hit a three the next possession, and the Clippers were up 121-115 with 2:20 to go. Steph refused to go away, but the Clippers continued to hit shots and free throws to stay ahead. With 35 seconds to go, and the Clippers up 128-125, the Warriors chose not to foul. Russ missed a midrange jmper, but Mann tipped the board to Amir, who passed it back to Harden. He made both free throws, the Warriors missed, and the Clippers came away with a 130-125 win.

Notes

Big 4^th: The Clippers were flagging for three quarters, with Harden and Zu the only positive contributors. That changed in the 4^th. The Clippers outscored the Warriors 36-21 after Ty’s ejection, and got strong play from everyone. Amir hit four free throws and made a three. Zu continued to play strong defense. Russ got offensive rebounds, scored some buckets, and had a couple beautiful dimes. Norm went 4-4 from deep with some incredible shotmaking. Harden hit the two deciding free throws and dished some assists. George scored, defended, and made plays for others (though he did foul out in a very silly fashion). This was the kind of well-rounded, team effort the Clippers have been missing in recent weeks, and hopefully this performance gets them off into the All Star Break on a good note.

Clippers vs Warriors Recap: Comeback Clips Strike Again
Robert Flom

The Clippers’ last game before the All Star Break is a road contest against the Warriors with Kawhi Leonard out. Not great, bob.

Game Information

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, Watch ESPN, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Amir Coffey – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Steph Curry – Klay Thompson – Andrew Wiggins – Jonathan Kuminga – Draymond Green

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Adductor)

Warriors: Chris Paul Out (Hand)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are stumbling a bit heading into the All-Star break, having been demolished by Western Conference rivals New Orleans and Minnesota and barely scraping by against the Pistons in their last three games. In worse news, it was announced late yesterday that Kawhi Leonard would miss this game with an adductor strain. Adductors are tricky, but thankfully the All Star Break is here, so fingers crossed this is the only game Kawhi misses with the injury. At this point, it would be great just to get to the break with the rest of the team unscathed.

The Antagonist

The Warriors have won their last five games and moved back into the play-in mix in the Western Conference. As has been the case for the last decade, their success has largely been driven by the brilliance of Steph Curry, who isn’t quite at peak levels but is clearly still a top 10 NBA player at worst. Their reshaped starting lineup, with Draymond at center and Kuminga and Wiggins on the wings, has done wonders, giving the Warriors more athleticism and downhill burst while maintaining defense. The bench has also been overhauled, with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney barely playing, Moses Moody out, and Brandin Podziemski and Lester Quinones being the two main guys. I still don’t believe in this team as a contender, but they are looking much better than they were a few weeks ago.

Notes

Replacing Kawhi: My guess is that Amir Coffey will start in Kawhi’s place. Ty has gone to Amir more and more in recent weeks, and he’s started other games that Kawhi or PG have missed. The bigger question is what happens on the bench. Does Daniel Theis play next to Mason Plumlee in a big lineup? Seems bad against the Warriors. Will Brandon Boston continue to get a look? Will Kobe Brown, the more natural forward, get a shot? Might PJ Tucker even be dusted off after Ty said he would get chances in the second half of the season? I’m very curious, especially after the Clippers looked so small against the Wolves.

Chasing the Win: As I posted on Twitter yesterday, the Clippers’ older players on pace to play the most games they have in many years – Kawhi since 2016, Russ since 2013, and PG and Harden since 2019. I would like to see them play a bit less and get more opportunities for rest after the All Star Break. As important as the 1 seed is, freshness and health are even more important, and I’m a bit worried of the Clippers’ stars burning out at this rate. Still, with the All Star Break occurring after this game, I’d guess Ty Lue plays his main players huge minutes to chase the win, knowing rest is right around the corner. It’s possible he doesn’t even go to a 9^th man in this one, but I do hope that he does.

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Clippers vs. Warriors Preview: Kawhi Out
Robert Flom

The Clippers have won five games in a row and will now face a familiar foe in Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: NBA TV, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors: Steph Curry – Klay Thompson – Andrew Wiggins – Jonathan Kuminga – Kevon Looney

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kawhi Leonard – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Warriors: Draymond Green Out(Suspension), Gary Payton II Out (Calf)

Clippers: Paul George Questionable (Groin), Mason Plumlee Out (Knee), Moussa Diabate Out (Hip)

The Big Picture

The Clippers’ five game win streak has them in the 7^th seed and just a hair back of the Kings at 5^th. They are coming off a dominant win against the Kings at home, and seem to have really figured things out over the past couple of weeks, especially on offense. Kawhi Leonard has been dominant, scoring at least 30 points in each of the past three games and doing so on insane efficiency. Now, the Kings, Blazers, and Jazz are all not great defensive teams, but still, he’s getting wherever he wants, whenever he wants. He might have to shoulder even more of the load if Paul George is out with injury.

The Antagonist

The Warriors are in a bad way, sitting at three games under .500 in 11^th in the West and now facing an indefinite Draymond Green suspension after the mercurial forward karate chopped Jusuf Nurkic. Green has been good when he has played, which is more than can be said of fellow veterans Klay Thompson (bad) and Andrew Wiggins (horrible). Oddly, the Warriors’ bench, which was supposed to be their weakness, has been quite good, with Dario Saric and Chris Paul having strong seasons and Brandin Podziemski impressing in his rookie year. But, as always, Steph Curry is the main threat, as he’s still good enough to win any game on his own.

Notes

Next Man Up: If Paul George doesn’t play, Norm Powell will likely fill his spot in the starting lineup, as he did in the 2^nd half against the Kings. Norm can do a lot of what PG does on offense, just not as well, but the lack of playmaking should be papered over by Harden (and increased Russ minutes, presumably). What will be interesting is who takes Norm’s spot on the bench. Positionally, Amir Coffey or Brandon Boston Jr. makes sense, but it’s also possible Bones Hyland gets a crack at it. Whoever it is, they will need to be ready to go, because the Warriors’ bench is good and feisty.

Mann Heating Up: After being ice cold to start the year, Terance Mann is starting to find the range on offense. He’s shooting 5-12 from three over the past three games, or just over 40%. If anything, I’d love the volume to be higher, as he’s played around 30 minutes in each of those games, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in the starting unit so it makes sense Terance isn’t getting a ton of shots up. Terance’s shooting was one of the last pieces to unlocking the Clippers’ starting unit, and hopefully his shooting continues to normalize after that icy opening. More importantly, I hope he continues to let it fly from deep.

Clippers vs Warriors Preview: Getting Past Steph
Robert Flom

The Clippers’ new best win of the season just dropped, as they rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Warriors in front of a hyped up Clippers’ home crowd.

Summary

The Clippers were lethargic to start, quickly falling down 12-2. They then got a quick 6-0 run keyed by a couple of Harden-Zu pick and roll layups, only to give up a 6-0 run based on two Draymond threes. The seesaw swung back with a PG 5-0 run, getting it to 18-13. The bench rotated in differently, with Russ and Kobe for Harden and Mann, and then Theis for Zu. From there, things fell apart a bit, mostly because of Steph Curry, who got the lead back up to double digits. Norm Powell finally came in late for Brown, but the Clippers could not get going and trailed 33-22 after one.

The Clippers rolled out a new bench unit of Russ, Harden, Norm, Kobe, and Zu, and while this unit was able to get going a bi on offense, their defense remained bad. PG returned for Brown, but the Warriors kept chugging along, and by the middle of the quarter had stretched the lead to 17. With PG and Zu in foul trouble, the Clippers went with Norm in place of PG and Theis instead of Zu, and this lineup with the regular starters was able to trim the lead all the way down to 11 with a minute or so to go. From there, disaster, as Steph hit two threes and a midranger, the Clips couldn’t answer, and the Warriors held a 19-point lead going into the half.

The Clippers adjusted their lineup at halftime, with Norm Powell replacing Terance Mann. This immediately paid dividends, as the Clippers possessed premium spacing that opened up their offense. Both Paul George and James Harden scored early and often, so even though the Clippers’ defense wasn’t great, they were able to get the lead down to 14. With around 7 minutes to go in the period, PG picked up his 4^th foul on a moving screen, and Zu got his 4^th 10 seconds later on a Draymond flop. Instead of pulling them, Ty Lue stuck with his guys, and the Clippers responded with much improved defense that got them out in transition. Harden was the maestro, with 15 points and several assists in the period, getting the Warriors’ lead all the way down to 7 when he checked out with 3 minutes to go. The Clippers got it down to 2 after a Norm three and Theis layup, but a Klay 5-0 run pushed the Warriors’ lead back to 7 entering the final frame.

A Russ, Mann, PG, Kobe, Theis lineup to start the period didn’t play well, but was able to hold up well enough until Harden checked back for Kobe at the 9:20 mark. A Russ brick on an open three followed by a Klay three forced a Clippers timeout with the Clips down 10 at the 8:53 mark. Kawhi came in for Russ, with the original starters on the court except Theis for Zu. The Clippers’ offense purred the entire rest of the period, with open shots created time and time again through creation by Harden and Kawhi. The Clippers missed just enough open shots and the Warriors made just enough to keep the Warriors ahead by a hair.

With 1:41 to go and the Clips down 1, Theis blocked a Podziemski layup, and the refs ruled Clippers ball. The Warriors challenged, got the ball back, and Podz scored on a beautiful inbounds play. This seemed backbreaking, and appeared to be all the more so after a Kawhi turnover led to an idiotic Paul George clear path foul in transition. Fortunately, while the Warriors made the free throws, the didn’t make the shot, and Harden scored a layup to keep the lead at three. He then fouled Moody after an awful defensive possession, but Moody only made a single free throw. With 38 seconds left and the Clippers down 4, the Clips ran a beautiful out of bounds play that got Kawhi a clean layup. Down two, the Clippers put Russ into the game alongside Norm, PG, Kawhi, and Mann for defense. Mann played excellent defense on Curry, forced a miss, Russ got the rebound, and kicked ahead to PG, who razzled-and-dazzled with the ball to get a stepback 3 over Klay. Splash. The Clippers kept the same group for the final defensive possession, with Kawhi taking Curry and forcing him to pass to Draymond for a corner 3, which he missed. Clippers win.

Notes

Turning Point?: The Clippers have had an up-and-down season, to say the least. But this win, coming back from 22 down against a team that has haunted the Clippers in the past, could be a turning point. The Clippers showed mental toughness in this one to hang through the Warriors’ early hot shooting, keep playing defense, and keep running their offense. They are now 9-10 and don’t play again until Wednesday. Their starting unit has played well, for the most part. Guys should hopefully be starting to settle into roles and rotations. It’s now go-time to start pushing up the standings.

Feed Harden-Zu Pick and Roll: The Clippers’ offense has looked at its best the past 10 games with James Harden running the show. More specifically, his pick and roll with Ivica Zubac in the new starting lineup (or Norm instead of Mann) with shooters all over looks very dangerous. It usually results in a easy look inside for Zu, a downhill drive from Harden, or kick outs to open shooters with Harden and Zu making correct reads. Yes, having Paul George and Kawhi Leonard play a lot less on ball seems like a waste of their talents. But that’s exactly what they’ve been pushing for all these years with their calls for a traditional point guard, and now they have a really good one. More Harden-Zu pick and roll, please.

Ty Pushes the Right Buttons: I’ve been on hard on Ty Lue as anyone over the past year plus. But he coached a great second half today. He had some great out of bounds plays, with that late one in the 4^th being a particular highlight. But most importantly, his rotations were on point. He went for the win, giving Paul George 38 minutes, Kawhi 39, and Harden 35. He stuck with Theis in the 4^th quarter even though Zu had been awesome earlier in the game. He took Russ out for most of the 4^th quarter, going with Mann or Norm instead, and kept Harden and Russ apart as much as possible. And in the final couple possessions, he inserted Russ back in for Harden to add rebounding and prevent the Warriors from attacking Harden. Hopefully Ty and the coaching staff are now starting to see what combinations do and don’t work, and are adjusting accordingly.

Clippers Come Back From Down 22 to Beat Warriors
Robert Flom

The Clippers square off against the Warriors at home, who they just lost to 36 hours earlier.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 1 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Warriors: Stephen Curry – Klay Thompson – Moses Moody – Draymond Green – Kevon Looney

Injury Report

Clippers: Brandon Boston Jr. out (quad), Mason Plumlee out (MCL)

Warriors: Chris Paul out (leg), Andrew Wiggins questionable (finger), Gary Payton II out (calf)

The Big Picture

Consistency. That seems to be the Clippers biggest issue at the moment. The past four game for the Clippers have been night and day. They beat elite teams in the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings in impressive fashion. They turn around and lose to the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors who were both incredibly short-handed.

It’s a little past time to chalk those losses up to working out the lineup kinks. It just seems like an effort issue when the team has shown exactly what they’re capable of.

There’s the issue of the bench too. That’s an area where Tyronn Lue seems to be doing his usual tinkering; that is, finding a working combination. The James Harden trade changed several roles. The bench at times has been a strength for the Clippers in seasons past. The past few games it’s been a source of inconsistency.

Ultimately, there has to be some kind of sense of urgency. Too many early losses can doom the Clippers later in the season.

The Antagonist

The Golden State Warriors come to town feeling good about themselves, having beaten these same Clippers on Thursday. They’re banged up and beat up and have been inconsistent as well, but that was one of their better games of the season.

The Warriors are going to come into the arena believing they can win. As long as Steph Curry is out there, anything is possible. It’s up to the Clippers to come out with the sense of urgency they did against Dallas and Sacramento and get back on track.

Clippers vs. Warriors Preview: Looking for Consistency
David Yapkowitz