The Golden State Warriors lost yet another road game on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. This one was a game, like many this season, that saw the reigning champions trade punches at times before eventually falling by the final buzzer.
Now sitting with an ugly 7-27 road record, the Golden State Warriors need a more well-rounded effort to atone for their failures.
If you love high scoring, this was the game for you. In a 134-126 scoreline, Stephen Curry finished with 50 points and Kawhi Leonard 30 as both superstars balled out in the important matchup.
But if you like the Warriors ultimately winning ball games, this wasn’t a game for you. Curry gave everything he could but needed more help, and he simply didn’t get it as the Clippers proved too good
Let’s have a look at three players who could have performed much better, and will need to improve in the Warriors’ next outing against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday:
Klay Thompson
Thompson underperformed despite still scoring 15 points in the game. Paul George was the primary defender on him, and it showed, with Thompson reverting back to some forced shots simply because he just couldn’t get going. George was being pesky all night as Thompson finished 6-for-16 from the field including 3-for-8 from three. A little more help from his splash brother and Curry may have conjured the victory.
Kevon Looney
When you look at the box score, you may be confused as to why Looney makes this list. But frankly, he was outplayed by Clippers’ big man Ivica Zubac. Sure, Looney had 13 rebounds, which was great, but Zubac had 16 including five on the offensive glass. Looney also had just six points on 3-for-8 shooting and was a -10 plus/minus, while Zubac finished with 19 points and was a +10.
Draymond Green
Green actually started the game terrific, making the first bucket for the Warriors from mid-range. Then he had an assist on a beautiful pass the very next possession, and between those two possessions, played some nice defense on Kawhi Leonard. From there it often looked like he was letting anger get the better of him, finishing with four turnovers and five fouls. Oh, and he also racked up another technical foul that will see him out of the next game against the Hawks.