INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It was a night when Stephen Curry was ice cold for much of the game (he started 2-of-13 from 3) and then watched the final minute from the bench after fouling out. Steve Kerr wasn’t even on the bench at the end — he was ejected in the fourth quarter after going at an official after a missed call.
Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard was Kawhi Leonard, finishing with 24 points and 12 boards, just making plays when his team needed them.
Leonard plus a big night from No. 50 pick last June and two-way player Kobe Sanders — 20 points starting in place of James Harden, who was out with a shoulder issue — and the Clippers led comfortably much of the night, then hung on for a 103-102 win at home.
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That’s seven wins in its last eight for Los Angeles.
“It’s our defense,” is what Nicolas Batum said has been different with the Clippers recently, after a slow start to the season. “Like, besides the last game against the Celtics, been pretty good the last two weeks.”
Kerr ejected
Postgame, the Warriors sent assistant coach Terry Sotts in to speak with the media, and he opened by saying, “I’m up here because I’m saving Steve some money.”
Monday night was as hot as Kerr has been in a game in a long, long time. His ejection came after a couple of calls he did not like. The first was a Stephen Curry circus shot that was waived off as a foul on the floor.
However, what really set Kerr off came on the next Warriors possession, when the officials missed an obvious goaltending call on John Collins (the shot clearly had gone off the backboard first, and it wasn’t close). Kerr was hot and had to be held back by Stotts and his other assistants, and the entire situation is much funnier if you have it narrated by Snoop Dogg (who was part of the Peacock broadcast crew for this game).
Warriors almost pull off a comeback
The Clippers were the better team and in control of this game through most of it. All night long, the Clippers would double Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry, the Warriors moved the ball and found the open man… and then clanked the shot. Golden State was 5-of-27 (18.5%) from 3 through three quarters.
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The Clippers were in control and up seven with 1:48 left when Curry finally got hot and hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it a one-point game.
That gave the Warriors a chance, even though Curry fouled out just after knocking those down. This is why the Warriors have Jimmy Butler and he has proven many times he comes up in the clutch — he got a decent look at the game-winner and just missed it.
“Jimmy ends up having the ball. I know he’s been in this situation for a couple of times his career,” said Batum, who was the primary defender on Butler at the end. “So, I knew I had to step up and try to make a stop. He had a good look… That was a good stop and a good win for us.”
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Curry finished with 27 points but on 9-of-23 shooting, while Butler had 24. The Warriors got good production from their bench, with Gary Payton II scoring 14, while Gus Santos didn’t play until the start of the fourth quarter, then he played the entire frame, scored six and was a key part of the Warriors’ comeback.
In addition to big nights from Leonard and Sanders, the Clippers got 18 points and three blocks from John Collins, plus 16 points from Kris Dunn.
