Clippers

Jordan Poole scored 34 points, Klay Thompson had 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors used another big second-half surge ...

Clippers: Coach Tyronn Lue and Los Angeles came in with a game plan to get back in transition and limit turnovers — and the Clippers committed 16 that led to 29 Golden State points. The Clippers have lost the last three and 8 of 11 in the second game while playing consecutive nights. I think within days of the injury, he was on the bike and it was impressive just watching him on the bike, I mean, how hard he goes," Kerr said. Mason Plumlee had a season-best 20 rebounds and his 14 in the initial two quarters were the most of his career in any half. Warriors: The Warriors won their in their fifth consecutive at home vs. (left elbow contusion) and Ivica Zubac (right calf soreness) sat out after coming into the game listed as questionable on the injury report. Kerr credited the reigning NBA Finals MVP for his energy rehabbing the latest injury. ... Of Westbrook's addition, Lue said, “It's going to take a little time just adjusting to playing a certain style of basketball.” “They got up 11, but we were still right there because we were defending and taking care of the ball,” Draymond Green said. Curry missed his 10th straight game with a left leg injury after getting hurt against Dallas on Feb. Golden State did the same thing with a comeback win against Portland on Tuesday night. Donte DiVincenzo struggled with his shot, going 2 for 10, but grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds.

The Clippers blew another double-digit lead in Thursday's 115-91 loss to the Warriors, prompting coach Ty Lue to say the team has "got to be tougher."

That night, they blew a 14-point lead late in the fourth and then a six-point lead in each overtime. Westbrook, who shot 3-for-12 and had eight points and six assists, was on the bench for a good portion of that run, sitting when the Clippers were up three, only to come back in late in the quarter when they were down 14. "For us, we just got to stay the course, got to be mentally tough, mentally strong, can't give in, and just got to be tougher," Lue said. These are games that we can [not] allow ourselves to slip, and these [are] the games you shoot yourself in the foot when it comes to the end of the season, and we look at where we're at and we're not happy with where we're at. I'm confident that we have a good team and they have to be the same way. They've blown leads of 14, 12 and 12 points in losses to Sacramento, Denver and Golden State, respectively, since the break.

If you've watched any recent nationally broadcast NBA games featuring a team in the Western Conference playoff hunt, you may have noticed that the graphics ...

Leonard and George are still elite one-through-four defenders, and the Clips are still set up to switch comfortably against most teams in the playoffs. About those two-way wing terrors: the Clippers' defense is also now down to 12th in the league after allowing a combined 310 points in two games against the Nuggets and Kings. Westbrook, if he's right, could deliver the sort of easy buckets in transition that the team seems allergic to even trying to get, and could also—again, in theory—soak up a bunch of minutes and stabilize the team while George and Leonard are sitting. I don't know how that will go for them in the playoffs, and as someone who was doing playoff-style matchup-hunting in the second quarters of mid-December games, Ty Lue surely knows the downsides of playing someone who will get picked on in the playoffs. The Clips scored just 46 points in the second half against Minnesota on Tuesday night, and while the Wolves are a good defensive team and match up well against the Clippers, the all-consuming gumminess of L.A.'s offense made for a pretty gross watch. It is also possible for the Clippers to Westbrook has figured in all three, and has been consistent throughout: he's shooting it pretty well, on a healthier shot diet; he's passing the ball; he's killing teams in transition and getting steals; and he's committing backbreaking turnovers at the worst possible moments. By the time the Clippers finally assembled their full team, with Leonard and George in the lineup and after acquiring Eric Gordon, Mason Plumlee, and Bones Hyland via trade and Russell Westbrook on the buyout market, they were 33-28. I bring this up not to crow about [which team](https://defector.com/all-glory-to-the-beam) is safely in third (though you are free to look that up if you want) but to point out that, despite a few big moves, the team that was closest to sneaking onto those graphics is currently sliding back into that luridly jammed-up toilet, and not up and out towards freedom. The Clippers are also at least 11-deep with real NBA players, and good enough to hang around the playoff picture even without their two stars in the lineup. Both of the team's cornerstone veterans have suffered serious injuries in the past, and there aren't any real postseason hopes to be found here without both of them on the floor. The visual effect is unsettling; on Tuesday night the stack of teams looked like a horse race, and ESPN's contribution on Wednesday was equally stressful to look at.

Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, but the Clippers saw their double-digit lead evaporate in the second half in the 115-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

“I thought I did a great job of it in the first half, second half still, we just didn’t make shots. To me it’s all on us players and we got to bring it more.” The bottom continued to fall out from there, the quarter’s final 10 minutes seeing a 12-point Clippers lead flip into a 15-point Warriors lead — the third time in four games the Clippers have lost double-digit leads. When stuff doesn’t go your way, it shows you what you’re made of and I’m confident that we have a good team and they have to be the same way, they’ve got to feel the same confidence. Leonard scored 21 points while George made three of his 15 shots for 11 points. Guard Norman Powell also left the locker room with his left arm in a sling.

The latest in an encouraging string of defensive performances was the second straight game of exotic game planning and focused execution.

[Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/). [Paul George](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1/), [Donte (DiVincenzo)](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/donte-divincenzo-5yeG2wUB9RTaEEGd/) was in the top lock. They get the [Pelicans](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/pelicans/) on Friday night with a chance to complete a 5-0 homestand before Curry is likely to rejoin the lineup Sunday at the [Lakers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/lakers/). They’re a game up on the Clippers and But he was quick to point out after the game that he had 14 in a playoff game before against the Klay (Thompson) was all over [Kawhi (Leonard)](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kawhi-leonard-ZVBR9DRffqJpzLHV/). The Warriors also peppered in some zone defense that was effective and switched up the Westbrook assignment. ( [Jonathan Kuminga](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jonathan-kuminga-6xXExjD2A4eIrB46/)) came in and he was all over both when he guarded each of those guys. That’s the night they gave up 134 points and both Steve Kerr and [Draymond Green](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/draymond-green-qWchQbJAR0YQNMyV/) ripped their collective defensive effort for the entire season. That allows DiVincenzo to top-lock Paul George, taking away his path to the perimeter without fear of getting beat on a pass over the top. Westbrook is bringing the ball up the court. The Warriors’ largest defensive issue has been at the point of attack.

Ever since Russell Westbrook arrived at Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers fans celebrated the point guard's exit to the Utah Jazz. But 'Brodie' had other plans, ...

Paul George was underwhelming tonight with 11 points, 25 against the Timberwolves, 23 against the Nuggets and 34 against the Kings. Leonard scored 21 points tonight, 23 against the Timberwolves, 33 against the Nuggets and 44 against the Kings. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/2023/02/25/63f9b11a46163fbe6b8b4584.html) arrived at [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-clippers.html?intcmp=MENUPROD&s_kw=en-nba-los-angeles-clippers), Lakers fans celebrated the point guard's exit to the Utah Jazz. In the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he only got to score 14 points and barely scored 8 against the Warriors in 20 minutes played. Before Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, all three Clippers stars had played together three times and lost all three games. But 'Brodie' had other plans, he had all the intention to remain in Los Angeles regardless of where he would play.

Signing Westbrook was questionable even when he was expected to be a spark plug off the bench. Starting him in his first game in a Clipper uniform seemed ...

I'm confident that we have a good team, and they have to be the same way. 12 [Portland Trail Blazers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/POR/portland-trail-blazers/) in the loss column. [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/) and No. Lue said he wants to trim down his rotation soon, and they haven't had much time to incorporate their new pieces, but the Clippers don't think that should be a factor for a veteran group. [Kawhi Leonard](/nba/players/1715792/kawhi-leonard/), they'd finally discovered what appeared to be a long-term solution at point guard with [Terance Mann](/nba/players/2202577/terance-mann/) and they'd just added backcourt depth at the trade deadline with [Bones Hyland](/nba/players/3142298/bones-hyland/) and [Eric Gordon](/nba/players/1622501/eric-gordon/). After Thursday's loss, the team that many predicted to advance to the Western Conference finals, if not farther, sat in play-in position at No. The result was a clogged lane for potential drives from Leonard and [Paul George](/nba/players/1755181/paul-george/), with an extra defender ready to rotate to any shooter other than Westbrook. The gimmick defense against Westbrook will get the headlines, but multiple Clippers, including Lue, attributed Thursday's loss to a lack of effort, particularly on the defensive end. It looked like one of those commercials where [Giannis Antetokounmpo](/nba/players/2067655/giannis-antetokounmpo/) and the dude from that Marvel movie erase bystanders in the background of their photo with the swipe of a finger. So I thought the way they played him -- he countered it and was in attack mode and was playing fast." We've got to be -- more attention to detail. Having no defender within six feet of you allows you to see plays develop and get passes through that might otherwise be deflected, as Westbrook did here with this dime to George for a layup.

SportsLine's computer model simulated Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers 10000 times and revealed its NBA picks today.

Warriors](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/game-forecast/NBA_20230302_LAC@GS/) and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. Here are several [NBA odds](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/odds/futures/) and betting lines for Warriors vs. [Paul George](/nba/players/1755181/paul-george/) is a three-level scorer and facilitator who has the ball handles to break down the defense and has the jumper to stretch the floor. You can [head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/clippers-vs-warriors-prediction-odds-line-start-time-advanced-computer-model-releases-nba-picks-for-thursday-mar-2/#ttag=03022023_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_nba_model_clipperswarriors). SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 237 points. The 32-year-old is averaging 23.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. 28 when the Warriors outlasted the [Portland Trail Blazers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/POR/portland-trail-blazers/) 123-105. [NBA](/nba/) game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated [NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/) over the past four-plus seasons. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Clippers as a 4-point favorite in the latest Clippers vs. The model enters Week 20 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 57-30 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. [Stephen Curry](/nba/players/1685204/stephen-curry/) (leg) and [Andrew Wiggins](/nba/players/2135571/andrew-wiggins/) (personal) will be sidelined for Golden State. [Golden State Warriors](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/GS/golden-state-warriors/) (32-30) and the [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAC/los-angeles-clippers/) (33-31) will battle in a Western Conference showdown on Thursday night.

For the second straight game, the Warriors turned things around in the third quarter and went on to blow out the Clippers.

This makes the second consecutive game in which the Warriors wiped out a double-digit lead to win by double digits. Trailing by double digits at the half, the Warriors rang up an astonishing 70-36 advantage in the second half – because their defense arrived to save them from themselves. The Clippers were cooked. The Warriors forced seven turnovers, off which they scored 12 points. The script flipped. Then came the third quarter.

Ever since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joined the Clippers, Los Angeles has struggled to end dry spells offensively. Unable to find a point guard that meshes ...

Once the Warriors tied things up at the halfway mark in the quarter, it seemed like the Clippers folded. The Warriors trailed 56-45 at the half, but it was hard to believe that Golden State had kept things that close. With Steph Curry slated to [return from his injury](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/3/2/23623183/warriors-steph-curry-injury-return) on Sunday, the Warriors seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time.

For the second straight game, the Warriors turned things around in the third quarter and went on to blow out the Clippers.

Jordan Poole scored 34 points, Klay Thompson had 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors used another big second-half surge ...

Clippers: Coach Tyronn Lue and Los Angeles came in with a game plan to get back in transition and limit turnovers — and the Clippers committed 16 that led to 29 Golden State points. The Clippers have lost the last three and 8 of 11 in the second game while playing consecutive nights. I think within days of the injury, he was on the bike and it was impressive just watching him on the bike, I mean, how hard he goes," Kerr said. Mason Plumlee had a season-best 20 rebounds and his 14 in the initial two quarters were the most of his career in any half. Warriors: The Warriors won their in their fifth consecutive at home vs. Kerr credited the reigning NBA Finals MVP for his energy rehabbing the latest injury. (left elbow contusion) and Ivica Zubac (right calf soreness) sat out after coming into the game listed as questionable on the injury report. ... Of Westbrook's addition, Lue said, “It's going to take a little time just adjusting to playing a certain style of basketball.” Curry missed his 10th straight game with a left leg injury after getting hurt against Dallas on Feb. “They got up 11, but we were still right there because we were defending and taking care of the ball,” Draymond Green said. Golden State did the same thing with a comeback win against Portland on Tuesday night. Donte DiVincenzo struggled with his shot, going 2 for 10, but grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds.

The Clippers have ruled out Brandon Boston Jr., Moussa Diabate, Jason Preston and Keaton Wallace. Meanwhile, Marcus Morris Sr. and Ivica Zubac have both been ...

Jordan Poole scored 34 points, Klay Thompson had 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors used another big second-half surge ...

Clippers: Coach Tyronn Lue and Los Angeles came in with a game plan to get back in transition and limit turnovers — and the Clippers committed 16 that led to 29 Golden State points. The Clippers have lost the last three and 8 of 11 in the second game while playing consecutive nights. Mason Plumlee had a season-best 20 rebounds and his 14 in the initial two quarters were the most of his career in any half. Warriors: The Warriors won their in their fifth consecutive at home vs. “They got up 11, but we were still right there because we were defending and taking care of the ball,” Draymond Green said. ... Of Westbrook’s addition, Lue said, “It’s going to take a little time just adjusting to playing a certain style of basketball.” Kerr credited the reigning NBA Finals MVP for his energy rehabbing the latest injury. Curry missed his 10th straight game with a left leg injury after getting hurt against Dallas on Feb. Golden State did the same thing with a comeback win against Portland on Tuesday night. ... F Andrew Wiggins sat out a sixth consecutive game while dealing with a family matter. (left elbow contusion) and Ivica Zubac (right calf soreness) sat out after coming into the game listed as questionable on the injury report. Donte DiVincenzo struggled with his shot, going 2 for 10, but grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds.

Marcus Morris wore an inappropriate hat while spectating during his LA Clippers' game against the Golden State Warriors.

He was sitting at the end of the team’s bench, next to teammate Ivica Zubac, who also was not playing. That’s not exactly a family-friendly message from Morris, which makes you wonder what he was thinking by wearing that to a game. Morris was not playing in the game after hurting his elbow in the Clippers’ 108-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and he's still hurting the Clippers.

[signed Westbrook because Paul George pushed them to do it](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2023/02/24/report-paul-george-drove-decision-for-clippers-to-bring-in-westbrook/). The Lakers are 5-3 since Westbrook was traded despite not having LeBron James and Anthony Davis for some of those games. Westbrook shot 3-for-12 from the field and 0-for-5 from three-point range on the night. The Clippers fell to 0-4 since signing Westbrook in the buyout market after a blowout loss to the [Golden State Warriors](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com) on Thursday night on TNT. At the same time, it’s becoming obvious Westbrook is not a helpful player unless he’s surrounded by a ton of shooting. Here’s a clip from late in the fourth quarter when the Clippers had a chance to make one last run to keep the game competitive. It’s simply very difficult to fit a role player into a team scheme if they can’t shoot at all in the modern NBA. Then he lost track of Jordan Poole defensive on the next play for a back-breaking three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Look at how much space Green chose to give Westbrook on this play. This was one of his four turnovers on the night. We’re putting ‘guard’ in quotes there because Green wasn’t really defending anyone: he gave Westbrook at least 15-feet of space when he was on the perimeter, and dared the veteran point guard to beat him his jump shot. [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.clipsnation.com)’ Russell Westbrook experiment is off to a disastrous start.

The path to a championship is never smooth, but the Clippers hope to follow a parallel established by the 2021-22 Warriors.

Clippers 2023 roster (Week 20) Clippers 2023 roster (Week 10) But after adding buyout signing and new starting point guard Westbrook, they are one of five teams that have failed to win a game since the All-Star break, and the other four did not come out of the break expecting to contend for a championship ( [Brooklyn Nets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/), [Detroit Pistons](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/pistons/), [Houston Rockets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/rockets/), [Oklahoma City Thunder](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/thunder/)). [Klay Thompson](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/klay-thompson-JyZHl24VVa8twrMw/)’s comeback from ACL and Achilles’ tendon injuries, the Warriors had the [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/)’s best defense and the second-best offense through Nov. There is still time for the Clippers to get out of the tailspin they are in, but they can probably forget a championship. Forget being where Golden State was this time last year after 65 games (43-22), the Clippers aren’t even at the pace of last year’s team (34-31). The Clippers ranked eighth in defensive efficiency in 2021-22, and second in defensive efficiency through 20 games this season. 9, [Draymond Green](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/draymond-green-qWchQbJAR0YQNMyV/) bowed out of the lineup that same night for two months due to calf and back injuries. Despite leading when [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/karl-anthony-towns-hLzEwRUGfKRoGAbX/) fouled out after four brutal quarters, the Clippers collapsed under the weight of Anthony Edwards’ dominance. We closed that season (2020-21) well, we won 15 of our last 20 games. [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/timberwolves/) in the Play-In Tournament. “Each season, you go into the year with a different vibe, according to your own circumstances,” Kerr said in February when the Warriors visited the Clippers in LA.

Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center: Time, TV, odds, injury report on De'Aaron Fox, Kawhi Leonard status updates.

(elbow). Fox is still experiencing left wrist soreness after missing Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he practiced Thursday and said he expects to play Friday. is out with a left elbow contusion. 2 Memphis Grizzlies and three games ahead of the fourth-place Phoenix Suns. Norman Powell is out with a left elbow contusion. The five-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP has appeared in just 38 games this season due to injuries and injury management.

After falling to the Warriors, the LA Clippers are 0-4 since signing Russell Westbrook.

The Warriors were down by double-digits at halftime for the second consecutive home game and won by double-digits, defeating the Clippers 115-91 at...

BOS) and the second-most for any quarter, trailing his 23 points in the second quarter on 1/16/23 at WAS… - For the second straight game the Warriors scored at least 70 points in the second half (70 tonight, 75 on 2/28 vs. In the last two games, the Warriors are outscoring their opponent in the third quarter, 81-33 (42-16 tonight, 39-17 on 2/28 vs. The Warriors scored 42 points in the third quarter, their 15th 40-point quarter of the season… The Warriors improved to 5-9 in the first game of back-to-backs this season. - Tonight was the first game of the Warriors’ 14th set of back-to-backs (NBA-high-tying 15 this season) with the set concluding tomorrow night vs. - This was the Warriors third consecutive game in which they rallied from a double-digit deficit to win and their ninth such comeback win this season… - Golden State trailed the Clippers by 12 points and went on to win, marking the team’s ninth double-figure comeback of the season (all at home)… The Warriors shot just 16-for-48 (33.3%) from the field in the first half. In the second half, they also shot 23-for-45 (51.1%) from the field. - The Warriors held the Clippers to an opponent-season low 91 points (prev. Jordan Poole scored 22 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter, shooting 5-for-9 from the field, 4-for-8 from three and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

Ty Lue elected to start Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee in place of Morris and Zubac, with Nicolas Batum as tonight's sixth man. Norman Powell and Terance Mann ...

Ty Lue needs to find a way to get him going because the Clippers will not win games without him playing at a Sixth Man of the Year level. The Warriors chipped away at the Clippers’ lead and tied it by the 5:30 mark of the third quarter. The Clippers continued to struggle hitting shots to start the fourth quarter. The Clippers found themselves down 15 at the end of the third quarter, getting outscored 42-16 in the frame. The Clippers extended their lead in the second quarter, culminating in a 56-45 score at the half. But he was able to keep the Clippers’ offense running with some nice assists and by pushing the pace.

Not having Kawhi Leonard is huge for the LA Clippers tonight. He's been one of their only saving graces during this terrible four-game losing streak, and now ...