On Thursday night (Friday, Manila time), the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 120-114 thanks to 26 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds from Stephen Curry. The Warriors were playing with a small roster.

The Warriors, who suffered injuries to guards Chris Paul and Gary Payton II in Tuesday night’s 124-123 loss at Sacramento in the In-Season Tournament, were led by a 24-point lead but failed to advance out of Group C despite a crucial fourth-quarter run by Klay Thompson, who finished with 22 points. Another player who was unable to play on Thursday was forward Andrew Wiggins, who injured his right index finger after slamming it in a car door.

Even though Paul George had a hot hand in the fourth quarter, Golden State still held on to a lead that reached 18 points in the first half. With 10 minutes and 41 seconds left, George made a jump shot to trim the Warriors’ lead to 89-81. Thompson then took over, and the Clippers got within five points on a 3-pointer by James Harden with 4 minutes and 32 seconds left.

The Lakers were led by Kawhi Leonard’s 23 points and seven boards and by James Harden’s 18 points and seven assists. George dished out 10 assists and scored 15 points.

On Saturday, the teams will clash once more in Los Angeles.

It wasn’t until Curry made a 3-pointer with 4 minutes and 23 seconds remaining in the first that he even attempted the shot. He made another long-range shot the following possession, followed by a foul on Russell Westbrook and an argument that resulted in his first technical foul of the season. The two-time MVP’s 26th technical foul was his first since the fourth quarter of the 2023–24 season against Memphis, as reported by Elias.

The Warriors have won their last six home games, but this was the first meeting between the California rivals this season, and Draymond Green scored a career-high 13 points, five boards, and five assists. In the Bay Area, the Clippers last triumphed on January 6, 2021, by a score of 108–101.

Paul missed the season opener due to a nerve injury in his lower left leg, and Payton has missed five games so far this season with a strained right calf. In a week, he will be re-evaluated. Neither athlete suffered any structural injuries, according to MRI scans.

The Warriors had a good time with the date 11/30/23 by joking about with Thompson, Curry, and Green’s jersey numbers. During the press conference, a mural depicting the three stars was shown behind the podium.

“I’ll be eternally grateful to these guys, forever,” coach Steve Kerr remarked, casting a glance at the exquisite artwork they had created. The excellent fortune of coaching these men for ten years was my first coaching gig in the NBA. This is something that happens very seldom. I feel quite lucky, and not only because of the success, but also because of the relationships we’ve developed with all three of them. It has been a remarkable decade, and the fact that we are still together is just astounding; I adore all three of you.