The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers wrap up their four-game regular-season series, and the Warriors are in the lead after beating the Clippers in a couple of games at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Update Injury for Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers
It’s time for the Golden State Warriors to face one of their season-long demons after delivering a pair of victories that seemed to signal a renewed sense of energy with the playoffs just around the corner.
While the Warriors’ recent wins over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday and the Phoenix Suns on Monday showed their championship pedigree, their play away from home has been far from title-contender worthy. On Wednesday, the Warriors will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.
The Warriors’ seven road wins this season are the fewest of any playoff team. Only the lowly San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets (six victories each) have fewer than Golden State’s total of road victories.
The Warriors are currently mired in an eight-game losing streak on the road and they are also giving up 123.8 points per game in road games, compared to 111.7 points at home.
After dropping three straight games to the Suns this year, the Warriors finally broke through with a 123-112 victory on Monday. Thompson made eight three-pointers and scored 33 of his 38 points in the first half. Curry scored 23 points in the second half.
Thompson was almost impossible to stop in the first half of the game. He scored 33 points on 12 of 18 shots from the field, and eight of his baskets were from beyond the arc.
He slowed down a lot the rest of the way, but he still ended up with the most points he’s had so far in March.
The trade-off is that when the sharpshooter is on, he can score enough three-pointers to carry a team by himself. For example, this was the seventh time this season that he made at least eight three-pointers in a game.
With Russell Westbrook‘s arrival, the Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak, and they’ve now won three straights to kick off a five-game homestand.
Since joining the Clippers, Westbrook has averaged 13.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.0 turnovers in eight games, but he has shown more restraint of late, averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 turnovers in 23 minutes per game.
Kawhi Leonard’s 38 points on 14-for-22 shooting helped the Clippers squeak by the New York Knicks 106-95 on Saturday. In addition to his 22 points, Paul George also contributed 8 boards and 8 dimes.
It has been since January 22 against the Dallas Mavericks that the Clippers have held an opponent to under 100 points defensively, so it’s safe to say that they’ve rediscovered their defensive identity.
After allowing an average of 131.7 points in their previous six games, Los Angeles’ defense has stepped up, allowing just 97.5 over their last two.
The Clippers’ last two opponents, the Knicks and the Toronto Raptors, were not exactly high-scoring teams. However, the Warriors, who are second in the NBA with 118.2 points per game, will present a much tougher challenge.
Both squads are likely to be missing a key defensive back or guard. Clippers guard Norman Powell hasn’t played since the Clippers’ 115-91 loss on the road to the Warriors on March 2, while Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been out since February 14 for personal reasons.
Clippers injuries:
- Brandon Boston Jr. (Lower Body) – Out
- Norman Powell (Shoulder) – Out
Warriors injuries:
- Ty Jerome (Not Injury Related) – Questionable
- Jonathan Kuminga (Ankle) – Questionable
- Gary Payton II (Abdomen) – Out
- Andrew Wiggins (Personal) – Out
- Andre Iguodala (Wrist) – Out
- Ryan Rollins (Foot) – Out for the season
