Down by 25 and then tying it by halftime? Are you kidding me? The Warriors pulled off a shot-clock era first against the Lakers on Friday night, turning a ridiculous 38-15 first-quarter deficit into a 53-53 tie, eventually winning by 17. That 81-40 run they put on LA was straight-up insane, proving this squad can flip the script when things look darkest. They literally dressed up as a lottery team for one quarter, then took the costume off and stomped the Lakers.
The Clippers Are Limping Into Chase Center
Now, the Los Angeles Clippers roll into Chase Center at 1-4, losers of four straight, fresh off a brutal 127-101 beating by Minnesota, a game where the Wolves closed on a 23-2 run without Anthony Edwards. Ouch. This isn’t your decade-old Clippers team, folks. Kawhi is gone, and the keys now belong to Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, and the No. 5 pick, Keaton Wagler. Wagler is the real deal, hitting double figures every night and getting to the line like it is going out of style, even if his shot isn’t always falling. He went 7-for-8 from the stripe in Minnesota despite shooting just 2-for-11 from the field. They’ve also got Brook Lopez giving them 13 off the bench, and Rui Hachimura is back from a quad issue. But, they’re missing big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who’s out after Lisfranc surgery, leaving their frontcourt vulnerable to Golden State’s small-ball lineups. Let’s not forget the history here, either: last April, Steph came back from a knee issue and single-handedly dragged the Warriors past the Clippers 126-121 in the play-in. That loss ended their season and, ultimately, the whole Kawhi era. Talk about a rebuild built in the opponent’s backyard.
Rookies and Bench Mobs: The New Warriors Story
Here’s the kicker for Saturday night’s game: Steph Curry and Draymond Green are both resting for injury management. It is the front side of a back-to-back, clearing them to face the Suns on Monday night. Al Horford will play against the Clippers, meaning he will rest against the Suns. So, who steps up? Everyone is watching the rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The kid spent the week in national headlines for calling Luka a whiner after opening night, then had a nightmare rematch: six points, six fouls, and five turnovers. Yikes. But the bench, oh, that bench. It is the other major storyline. Golden State’s reserves dropped a mind-blowing 50 points against the Lakers’ bench’s seven. De’Anthony Melton had 16 points, Georges Niang finished plus-21, and Will Richard went plus-20 mostly on defense and pure nuisance. If that second unit is for real, this team has a ceiling nobody ever saw coming.
The Clippers and Warriors face off at 5:30 PM PT tonight at Chase Center. With Curry and Green out, and the Clippers desperate for a win, this game is all about whether the Warriors’ new stars and incredible bench can carry that momentum forward. Can the bench mob shine again? We will find out tonight.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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