Norman Powell scored a team-high 23 points and the Los Angeles Clippers held on in a thriller to defeat the Golden State Warriors 102-99 on Monday night at Intuit Dome.
Stephen Curry recorded a game-high 26 points and Andrew Wiggins had 22 points for the Warriors (10-3), who saw its three-game winning streak snapped.
James Harden recorded 12 points and 16 assists for the Clippers (8-7) and Amir Coffey finished with 15 points off the bench. Ivica Zubac had 17 rebounds for Los Angeles.
The Clippers led by as many as 15 in the first half but went cold over the final 2:30 of play, nearly blowing a 10-point lead after a late flurry from Golden State.
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“That was a gutsy win for us,” said Coffey.
The final 20 seconds of the game was hectic as Curry missed a potential game-tying three after making six three-pointers on the night. Gary Payton II also missed at the buzzer.
“However we got a win, we got a win,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “So, it doesn’t matter. Defensively, I thought we did a good job… and then rebounding the basketball.”
The Warriors shot a horrid 9-of-19 from the free-throw line and trailed 56-45 at halftime.
“Our guys got to get in the gym, get in a rhythm, get their confidence from the line for sure,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Draymond Green finished with nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists but also had six of the Warriors 19 turnovers.
“I sucked tonight,” Green said. “I sucked. Way too many turnovers. Too many missed bunnies. I just sucked tonight.”
The Clippers also had 17 turnovers in the game but took advantage of holding a lead over the entirety of the matchup, besides a 3-pointer by Lindy Waters III to start the game.
“It was a little bit of everything,” Harden said. “We had opportunities to score. We turned the ball over a couple of times. They missed shots. We didn’t rebound. They get offensive rebounds. They get more chances. So, we’re just happy to come out with the win.”
Powell left the game in the first half after battling left hamstring soreness but he returned before halftime and made three pivotal 3-pointers in the fourth.
His final three of the game gave the Clippers a 102-92 lead with 2:30 remaining and Golden State was unable to get closer than three, resulting in a narrow victory for Los Angeles.
“Just really proud of our group,” Lue said. “It was on a back-to-back and to come in with this kind of effort tonight, just pleased with that.”
The Clippers will next host the Sacramento Kings in an NBA Cup game on Friday evening.
