Let’s get one thing straight, Dub Nation: we’re not supposed to be here feeling good about ourselves when we’re 19-17 and sitting third in the division. But perspective matters, and after watching the Clippers
get absolutely dismantled 146-115 by the Boston Celtics on Saturday while the Warriors methodically handled the Jazz 123-114, I’ll take it.
The math is simple but meaningful. The Warriors are 8-12 on the road this season, which frankly isn’t good enough for a team with championship aspirations. Meanwhile, the Clippers are 8-9 at home in their shiny new Intuit Dome, which means they’re at least competent when they control the environment. This sets up one of those games that should be routine but carries trap game energy written all over it.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers
When: January 5th, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area, Peacock
Radio: 95.7 The Game
Here’s what makes Monday night fascinating: the Clippers have actually gone 6-4 in their last ten games despite sitting at 12-22 overall. That’s not a team that’s completely given up. That’s a team that’s found something resembling a functional rotation, probably out of sheer desperation and organizational chaos forcing everyone to just play basketball and stop overthinking things.
Stephen Curry’s been dealing with various injuries, but the Warriors need him to channel that vintage road warrior mentality. The Clippers’ best chance is catching Golden State in one of those away games where the energy never quite materializes and suddenly you’re in a dogfight with a team you should handle comfortably.
The Warriors handled business against Utah. Now they need to prove that wasn’t just a one-game bounce back but the start of actually figuring out how to win consistently. At 11-5 at Chase Center, this team knows how to dominate their home floor. Time to translate that to hostile territory.
Can the Clippers, still 10.5 games back in the division, hang around and make this uncomfortable? Absolutely. Will they? That depends entirely on which version of Kawhi Leonard shows up, and whether James Harden remembers how much pain these Warriors have given him.
For the Warriors, this is simple: handle business against a struggling opponent and keep climbing toward the Lakers and Suns. Anything less is a wasted opportunity.
