Norman Powell scored 26 points and James Harden added 18 as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors 102-92 on Friday in Inglewood, California. The Warriors were without Stephen Curry due to knee-injury management.
Ivica Zubac contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks, while Derrick Jones Jr. scored 14 points, and Kris Dunn had 13 for the Clippers, who won their fourth game in the last five and improved to 3-0 against the Warriors this season.
The Clippers managed to hold on for the win despite being outscored 30-21 in the fourth quarter and nearly losing a 19-point lead.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 15 of his 34 points in the final period and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors. The Warriors were missing Draymond Green (back) and Gary Payton II (calf) as well.
Despite missing key players, the Warriors led 21-19 after the first quarter and had a four-point lead in the second. However, the Clippers hit two 3-pointers in the last minute of the second quarter to take a 49-43 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Clippers started to take control, pushing their lead to 59-49 with 7:38 left in the third. Golden State struggled, making only one field goal in the last four minutes of the third, allowing the Clippers to extend their lead to 81-62.
The Warriors applied heavy defense in the fourth quarter, forcing the Clippers to only score one field goal in the first seven minutes, cutting the lead to 85-80. Moses Moody’s 3-pointer made it 91-88 with 2:30 left.
The Clippers sealed the win when Zubac blocked a dunk attempt by Moody with 1:11 remaining, and Powell quickly scored a layup for a 98-88 lead. Los Angeles committed 12 of their 23 turnovers in the fourth quarter.
