Klay’s Big Game Not Enough in Loss to Clippers

The Warriors battled until the end but didn’t have quite enough to overtake the Clippers in Thursday’s 121-113 defeat in Los Angeles.

Klay Thompson had 16 of his season-high 30 points in the third quarter and Stephen Curry added 17 points as the Dubs completed an 0-3 road trip, all of which weren’t decided until late in the fourth quarter.

KLAY COMING OUT HOT
Warriors guard Klay Thompson bounced back from Tuesday’s subpar performance in Phoenix with his highest scoring game of the season. The Splash Brother made a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession and moments later came through with a rare five-point play made possible by being fouled on a made 3-point attempt and a technical called on the Clippers. Thompson scored the game’s first eight points, providing a bright spot for a Dubs offense that otherwise struggled in the first half.

It turns out that Thompson was just getting started, as he opened the second half on a tear. The Splash Brother made tough shot after tough shot, scoring 16 points in the period while hitting on four of his five 3-point attempts. That explosion set the tone for the Dubs in the quarter, who trimmed seven points off their 13-point halftime deficit in the third period. Thompson would finish with 30 points, hitting eight of his 12 3-point attempts while also tallying five assists.

CP3 WITH THE SHOT OF THE NIGHT
With 2.5 seconds left and the Warriors inbounding the ball 94 feet away from their basket, Dario Saric passed the ball to Chris Paul. The savvy veteran let the ball roll to nearly halfcourt before picking it up, maximizing his time to get a decent shot off. Upon picking up the ball, Paul took a quick dribble to the left before switching directions to create some space and launching a deep 3-pointer. The high-arcing shot swished through the net, cutting the Dubs’ deficit to six points as time expired.

NEW-LOOK STARTING LINEUP
Rookie guard Brandin Podziemski made his first NBA start and finished with four points and seven rebounds, four of which were on the offensive glass, in 34 minutes. Jonathan Kuminga also started for the second time this season, as Draymond Green missed the game due to his indefinite suspension for striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic on Tuesday. Kuminga tallied 15 points in the game, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter.

DUBS TIGHTEN THINGS UP IN SECOND HALF
After trailing by as many as 16 points in the opening moments of the third quarter, the Warriors trimmed their deficit down to one early in the fourth quarter but could never quite get over the hump. The Dubs outscored the Clippers 57-52 in the second half, but the Dubs couldn’t overcome a sloppy first half in which turnovers and opponent free throws once again haunted the Dubs.

James Harden had 18 points on five shots in the first half and finished the game with 28 points to lead the Clippers, while Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and Norman Powell came on late to finish with 21 points. Despite being without Paul George (hip injury), Los Angeles picked up its sixth straight win, handing the Warriors their 11^th straight regular season loss at Crypto.com Arena.

UP NEXT
After three games on the road, the Warriors will return to Chase Center on Saturday to host the Brooklyn Nets. The Dubs have won their last four home games, and they’ll be taking on a Brooklyn squad that had won seven of its last nine games before losing in Denver on Thursday night.

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