By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO — Like their game against the Denver Nuggets earlier this week, the Clippers appeared to be catching the Golden State Warriors at the right time on Thursday, but just like Monday, they could not take advantage of a short-handed opponent.
Steph Curry had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and the undermanned Warriors held off the Clippers, 120-114, on Thursday night.
Klay Thompson scored 10 straight during a key fourth-quarter stretch and finished with 22 points for the Warriors, who lost guards Chris Paul and Gary Payton II to injuries during a 124-123 loss to Sacramento on Tuesday night, when they blew a 24-point lead in the In-Season Tournament to miss advancing out of Group C. Forward Andrew Wiggins slammed his right index finger in a car door earlier Thursday and also couldn’t play.
Golden State led by as many as 18 in the first half of this one and held onto it this time despite Paul George’s hot hand late. George’s jumper with 10:41 left cut the Warriors’ advantage to 89-81, then Thompson took over before the Clippers closed within five on a 3-pointer by James Harden with 4:32 remaining.
Kawhi Leonard had 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Clippers, while Harden scored 18 with seven assists. George finished with 15 points and 10 assists, and Ivica Zubac had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The teams meet again on Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena, and Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was already concerned about adjustments they need to make.
“When Draymond (Green) got behind us defensively, he was tough,” said Lue, whose team lost to a Nuggets squad that was without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon on Monday. “That put a lot of pressure on our defense, so that was tough to see. We’ve gotta be able to correct those things on Saturday.”
Thompson’s fourth-quarter flurry brought back memories of so many other scoring bursts on his impressive list of them. He flexed. He snarled. Vintage Klay.
“We needed it,” Curry said. “… I know he didn’t have much going before that run. That’s Klay.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was thrilled to see one of his key players find his form.
“It felt like the game rewarded him for just continuing to fight and not worrying about anything. He kept shooting and the ball kind of bounced his way,” Kerr said of Thompson. “That’s the Klay that I expect really the rest of the year.”
Curry didn’t take his first shot until making a 3-pointer with 4:23 left in the first quarter. He connected again from long range the next time down, then committed a foul on Russell Westbrook and was called for his first technical of the season after arguing. It was the 26th career technical for the two-time league MVP and his first since Jan. 25, 2023, in the fourth quarter against Memphis, according to Elias.
Green had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists in the first meeting between the in-state rivals this season, with the Warriors having won the last six at home. The Clippers haven’t won in the Bay Area since a 108-101 victory on Jan. 6, 2021.
Paul is sidelined by a nerve contusion in his lower left leg and sat out his first game of the season, while Payton has now missed five games and this time because of a strained right calf. He is slated to be re-evaluated in a week. MRI exams showed neither player sustained structural damage.
PG makes it look easy
https://t.co/KJd7DbcXGu pic.twitter.com/iRtgOEZRgH
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2023