INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers faced off against the struggling Golden State Warriors on Friday night, securing a 102-92 victory, marking their third win over the Warriors this season. Norman Powell starred for the Clippers, scoring 24 points, while James Harden contributed 18 points and seven assists. Ivica Zubac also made a significant impact with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors, missing key players like Stephen Curry due to a knee injury and Draymond Green due to back issues, saw Jonathan Kuminga rise to the occasion, scoring a career-high 34 points from the bench. Despite his outstanding performance, the Warriors have found themselves in a tough spot, losing their last three games and going 3-12 over their last 15 outings. They’ll have to look to regroup, having won only four of six games when Curry is absent, but split the last two without both Curry and Green.
As the game progressed into the fourth quarter, tempers flared as the Warriors managed to reduce a significant 19-point deficit down to just three points. A hard foul by Harden on Brandin Podziemski fueled a surge of tension, leading to technical fouls for both Harden and Lindy Waters III after a series of foul exchanges. The atmosphere grew heated, with fans voicing their frustration at Podziemski each time he played the ball.
In terms of the game dynamics, the Clippers struggled earlier on, but they took control in the third quarter. After a tightly contested first half, the Clippers took the lead decisively, executing three consecutive dunks—two from Derrick Jones Jr.—and hitting four straight three-pointers to establish a 79-60 advantage.
One key statistic emerged from the matchup: despite shooting only 37% from the field, the Warriors were dominant on the boards, outperforming the Clippers with a total of 47 rebounds, including 19 offensive boards.
Looking ahead, the Warriors are set to host the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, kicking off a six-game homestand. Meanwhile, the Clippers will be traveling to New Orleans on Monday to start their own three-game road trip.
