Clippers at Warriors on Sunday night could be the Los Angeles Clippers’ best chance yet to end their losing streak. The Clippers (1-4) have lost four straight. They visit the Golden State Warriors (3-3) at Chase Center at 5:30 p.m. PST, and Golden State has ruled out both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. It’s the first night of a Warriors back-to-back, and both are expected back Monday against Phoenix. That leaves Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler facing a Golden State team that just beat the Lakers by 17, but without its two leaders.
Game info
- Tipoff: Sunday, Nov. 1, 5:30 p.m. PST, Chase Center in San Francisco. It’s the first of four regular-season meetings.
- Where to watch: ClipperVision for Clippers fans, according to ESPN’s listing. NBC Sports Bay Area has the Warriors broadcast.
- Line: ESPN’s pickcenter shows DraftKings with Golden State favored by 2.5 and a total of 221.5. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Warriors a 70% chance to win.
- What’s next for the Clippers: They host Toronto on Monday, so this is a back-to-back for them as well. Miami visits Wednesday and New Orleans on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Why Curry and Green are sitting
The league’s injury report lists Curry as out for right knee injury management and Green as out for bilateral low back injury management. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater said both are resting on the front end of the back-to-back and should be available against the Suns. He also reported that Al Horford will play against the Clippers and sit on Monday instead. NBC Sports Bay Area noted that Curry missed the last two months of last season with a right knee injury, and the Warriors are being careful with the 38-year-old by not playing him on both nights of a back-to-back.
Curry has been the main storyline of Golden State’s three-game winning streak. He scored 24 points on 8-of-8 shooting in a 134-114 win at Denver, put up 44 in a 119-114 win at Minnesota, and then hit eight 3-pointers on the way to 31 points against the Lakers. He is averaging 29.2 points on 47.7% shooting and 44.0% from 3. Green leads the team with 7.2 assists per game and had nine assists and three steals on Friday.
The last time they sat
Curry and Green both missed the Oct. 24 game at Phoenix, and so did Brandin Podziemski and Horford. The Warriors lost that one 131-122 and fell to 0-3. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had a season-high 26 points with six 3-pointers, De’Anthony Melton scored 25 on 8-of-13 shooting, and Brandon Williams added 20. Phoenix’s Devin Booker scored 43.
The difference this time is that Golden State’s depth has been playing well. On Friday the Warriors’ bench outscored the Lakers’ bench 50-7. Melton had 16, Georges Niang was plus-21 and Will Richard was plus-20. Podziemski, who scored 21 on Friday, will likely handle the ball more. Lendeborg leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game but had six points, six fouls and five turnovers against the Lakers.
Who else is out
- Warriors: Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair), Moses Moody (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (not with team) are out. Gui Santos is probable with left knee tendinitis.
- Clippers: Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), Jordan Miller (left rotator cuff surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right Lisfranc surgery) and Max Strus (partial tear of the right plantar fascia) are all out.
The Clippers’ problem: turnovers
Tyronn Lue’s team has been giving the ball away constantly. The Clippers average 22.4 turnovers per game. They had 18 in the opening win over Sacramento, 26 at the Lakers, 26 at Oklahoma City, 24 against the Lakers at home and 18 in Friday’s 127-101 NBA Cup loss at Minnesota. In practice, Lue has emphasized pace, sharper cuts, protecting the ball and creating extra possessions with rebounds and steals. Sunday is a chance to see whether that carries over against a Warriors team that is missing its main playmaker.
- Darius Garland: He leads the Clippers with 22.0 points and 6.2 assists per game. His scoring by game is 30, 26, 16, 14 and 24. He also has 28 turnovers in five games, including nine at the Lakers on Oct. 23.
- Keaton Wagler: The No. 5 overall pick has scored in double figures in all five games (15, 13, 11, 21 and 12), but he is 14-of-49 from the field. He was 2-of-11 at Minnesota.
- Brook Lopez: He has given the bench a steady lift, scoring 17, 22, 15, 2 and 13.
- Isaiah Jackson: He leads the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. He will see a lot of Horford and Charles Bassey with Green out.
Matchups to watch
- Garland against Golden State’s guards: With Curry out, Podziemski, Melton and Brandon Williams will share the backcourt. Garland should have openings to attack in pick-and-roll.
- 3-point shooting: Both teams make 39% of their 3s, according to ESPN’s team stats. Golden State’s best shooter is out, but Lendeborg, Melton and Niang can all get hot.
- The glass: The Warriors average 43.8 rebounds per game and the Clippers 41.0. Without Green and Porzingis, the Clippers can make up ground on the boards.
- Fourth quarters: After the Clippers cut it to 98-90 on Friday, Minnesota went on a 23-2 run that included 15 straight points. The Clippers have to hold up late in a game the betting line projects to be close.
The bigger picture
The Clippers are 0-3 on the road and haven’t won since the opener. With Curry and Green out, this is probably their best chance this week to end the streak before Toronto comes to Intuit Dome on Monday. Golden State has won three straight after an 0-3 start and is trying to get above .500. These teams have recent history: last April the Warriors eliminated the Clippers in the play-in, with Curry scoring 35 in a comeback, according to NBA highlights. This time Curry will be watching from the bench.
Notes and conflicts
- Injury labels: ESPN lists Curry and Green as out for “rest,” while the league report lists injury management (right knee and bilateral low back). Both say they are out.
- Ingram and Beal: ESPN lists Ingram’s injury as Achilles surgery and Beal’s as knee inflammation. The league report says right heel surgery and right knee injury management. ESPN also leaves Butler off its Warriors list, while the league report and the AP list him as out.
- Porzingis: ESPN and the AP list illness, and the league report says not with team.
- Play-in score: One Warriors outlet puts last April’s play-in score at 126-121. We have not independently confirmed it.
- Horford: Horford playing Sunday is based on Slater’s report, not an official announcement.
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