The Golden State Warriors wrapped up their regular season on Sunday night, and it the result was emblematic of the season as a whole: a lot of notable players didn’t suit up, there was a little excitement, and ultimately it ended in defeat. This time it was a 115-110 loss to the LA Clippers, which put a rather unsightly bow on a 37-45 season.
It wasn’t the best effort for the Warriors, and that was by design. Not only did the team have nothing to play for other than rhythm — they’ve been locked into
the No. 10 seed for a while now — but they knew going into the contest that their likely opponent in the first round of the play-in tournament would be this same Clippers squad. Which means that that didn’t want to ruin any secrets (not that there are many between Steve Kerr and Ty Lue, who have been battling for about a decade now).
So it wasn’t a surprise that Kerr opted to rest Draymond Green, while Lue sat Kawhi Leonard. Interestingly, Kerr used Steph Curry more than any other player, as the team’s superstar had a dress rehearsal for playing heavy minutes in Wednesday’s win-or-go-home affair. Curry played nearly 29 minutes, while Brandin Podziemski had the next heaviest usage, with 21:03 spent on the court.
Both teams played a high-effort contest that was lacking in strategy or game-planning, as neither squad wanted to give the other any extra information. The Warriors came out hot with an energy-fueled 10-4 start, but the Clippers went on a 6-0 run to tie the game as Golden State’s offense got sloppy. But the Dubs would respond with a 7-0 run of their own.
It had a bit of a pickup basketball feel, and Dub Nation held their collective breath as Podziemski left the game in visible pain and holding his leg. Thankfully, he returned in the second quarter.
The first quarter was far from the prettiest basketball that we’ve witnessed this season, but the pace was nice and it was an enjoyable watch. It got a little testy late in the frame, with Pat Spencer and Kobe Sanders getting into it a little bit. With the Warriors offense scuffling in a big way, Seth Curry bailed them out with a four-point play with just a few tenths of a second remaining, sending Golden State to the second quarter with a 26-25 advantage.
But the second quarter belonged to LA, as they started to execute well out of the gates, while the Warriors very much did not. That led to some hot shooting from the Clippers’ perimeter players, and suddenly it was a 43-33 lead for the home team. But Steph Curry returned to the court and fueled a gritty 7-0 run as the Warriors got right back in it.
Yet sometimes there are signs that it isn’t your game, and that occurred shortly after that run, when Steph was fouled shooting a three, and only made one free throw. It was ominous, and it helped spark an LA run that pushed the lead back to double-digits. But the Warriors ended the quarter on a high note, with Kristaps Porziņģis getting a stop on one end, and Podziemski draining a buzzer-beating three on the other. The Dubs trailed just 52-48 at the break.
The third quarter went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth some more. The Warriors hung right with the Clippers, never really losing touch, but certainly not taking control of the game, either. Curry went to the bench with about four minutes remaining and the game tied, and it seemed likely that his night was over. While the Clippers continued to dominate on the perimeter, Charles Bassey — who remains a revelation — was dominating in the paint, and going toe to toe with LA, almost single-handedly keeping the Warriors in the game. As a result, they trailed just 83-81 entering the fourth.
Bassey picked up where he left off in the final quarter, as he kept going strong. Unfortunately, none of his teammates could match that level of success, and on the other end, the Clippers suddenly couldn’t miss. LA quickly ran the lead back to double digits, and took total control of the game.
Curry did end up returning for a short stint in the fourth quarter, presumably to simulate the usage pattern he’ll have in Wednesday’s game. He didn’t do too much — and it seemed like he wasn’t trying to do too much — but he looked healthy and athletic and in game shape, and that’s really all anyone was looking for.
The Clippers controlled the game until the final buzzer, though the Warriors subs made it a close score of 115-110, even though the game didn’t feel at all up for grabs. Then again, the Warriors weren’t really trying to grab it, so who cares.
Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, while shooting 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-9 on threes, with six rebounds and three assists. Bassey had 16 points off the bench on nearly-perfect 5-for-6 shooting, while going 6-for-8 on free throws. Porziņģis (12) and Podziemski (10) were the only other Warriors in double digits, as no one played much.
With the regular season now over, the Dubs will stay in Los Angeles and prepare for Wednesday’s game at the Intuit Dome. That game will be at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, with the loser being eliminated. The winner will travel to face the loser of Tuesday night’s game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns.
