Warriors snap five-game losing streak with a comfortable win against Clippers

Golden State Warriors notch breezy win over Los Angeles Clippers; Jordan Poole shines

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors needed relief after a grueling road trip spiraled into a five-game losing streak. The Clippers were just the right salve.

A team that’s been crushed defensively and overwhelmed by star performances of late — LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, Luka Doncic — found a reprieve in a 112-97 win against Los Angeles on Tuesday night at Chase Center.

The Clippers offense is no juggernaut, entering the game with a 107.5 offensive rating ranked fifth worst in the NBA. But a bad offense provided the Warriors an opportunity to regain their footing defensively.

Without Draymond Green, Golden State’s defense has been rudderless and penetrable, leaving them vulnerable to high-scoring performances from top Western Conference contenders. The Warriors gave up 30-point first quarters in six straight games entering Tuesday’s home game.

They held a Clippers without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to 21 points in the first quarter and 36 points in the first half. Save for a run in the fourth quarter, the Warriors defense held the Clippers to 35% shooting from the field, 31% from 3.

“Obviously for us there was a sense of urgency,” Steph Curry said. “To give us a chance to get us out of this hole, get a win and remember what it feels like. Our defensive energy and presence be there.”

The Warriors’ defensive intensity stemmed, in part, from Klay Thompson demanding to defend the Clippers’ best player out of the gate, claiming after the game that he didn’t even remember asking for the tough assignment.

“I’m not even sure when I said that, but it does sound like myself,” Thompson said. “Prior to these 20 games I have not felt that responsibility for a couple years. I love challenging myself defensively. It’s going to take time before I can be that two-way force I am. So why not start now?”

Since sitting out two games with an illness, Thompson has been mired in a mini-slump in which he was shooting 9-of-30 in the Warriors’ losses to Dallas and the Lakers. Despite a slow start, Thompson sunk into a solid scoring night with 20 points on 9-of-23 shooting. The 2-of-9 from 3 stat, though, gave Thompson pause after the game.

Tough as it is to find rhythm following two major injuries, Thompson is seeking challenges to rev his engine.

“That’s the nature of the competitive beast he is,” Curry said. “Even after a game like tonight, he’s still talking about his shot. I’m like, yo, it’s going to come. Keep being aggressive, you’re Klay Thompson. That challenge gets him locked in a little, gives him something to look forward to other than putting the ball in the basket.”

Thompson isn’t the only one looking for energy shifts — the team is in desperate need of sparks.

Tuesday, that meant a visit from actor and comedian Will Ferrell, who showed up to Thompson and Curry’s pre-game warm-up in full Jackie Moon — the main character in the movie “Semi-Pro” — attire. After a few back-and-forth emails with Kerr — initiated by Ferrell, to Kerr’s disbelief — the head coach decided to have Ferrell surprise his team. A surprise that also came with a pre-game locker room speech.

“Felt like a good time to do it,” Kerr said.

Curry sounded the alarm after the Warriors’ loss to the Lakers on Saturday, saying the team would be in trouble if playoffs started today. Draymond Green’s announced March 14 return date will surely re-calibrate the befuddled team.

But they’re trying other changes.

First, Curry returned to his old rotation pattern, resting just once in each half instead of the two-rest pattern adopted this season. Kerr texted Curry on the team bus in Los Angeles this weekend that he wanted to flip back to the pattern Curry adopted throughout the Warriors’ championship years. Curry was quick to agree.

“Yessir,” Curry texted back.

It didn’t quite have the impact it used to, with Curry scoring 15 points with one 3-pointer made. But Curry’s old rotation pattern should look more impactful with Green and Andre Iguodala back as point forwards, looking for Curry off-ball during extended runs.

Kerr’s closing lineup was also a notable change. With Andrew Wiggins on the bench, rookies Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga shared the court with guards Curry, Thompson and Jordan Poole.

“I do like the Jordan, Steph, Klay combination,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot of proof that those three guys play well together.”

The advantage: All three provide different scoring looks. Since his February slump, Poole had a second-straight productive game, again that he is a dynamic scorer and playmaker. He scored 20 points with four 3-pointers on five attempts.

“He’s always making the right play and being aggressive and letting the game come to us,” Curry said. “With enough shooting and playmaking, we work off each other really well.”

Kuminga led the team with 21 points and flashed some athletic dunks, including a reverse slam in the first quarter.

KUMINGA REVERSE SLAM pic.twitter.com/FapWO3Taxk

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 9, 2022