INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 23 points and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Golden State Warriors 102-99 on Monday night to win their fifth in a row at home. James Harden added 12 points and 16 assists for the Clippers, who had lost their first four games at their new arena.
Ivica Zubac had 17 rebounds. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 26 points and Andrew Wiggins added 22. Their only lead came on a 3-pointer by Lindy Waters III to start the game, but they closed within three points in the game's final minutes.
Their three-game winning streak ended. The Warriors nearly caught the Clippers, who were on the second night of a back-to-back, in the closing seconds. But Curry missed a potential tying 3 and Gary Payton II also missed on the Warriors' final shot of the game.
Warriors: Coach Steve Kerr said before the game that he didn't know Curry was on the injury list. “Protocol,” he said. Curry was questionable with left knee bursitis.
He had just eight points in the first half when he was 2 of 7 from 3-point range. Curry hit three of his team’s six 3s in the third, when they trailed 75-72 going into the fourth. Clippers: They got key contributions off the bench on a night when three starters were held to single digits.
Their bench outscored Golden State's reserves 45-28. Powell left the game briefly in the first half with left hamstring soreness. He returned before halftime and hit three timely 3-pointers in the fourth to keep his team ahead.
Gold.
