The Golden State Warriors put together another encouraging week without Stephen Curry, highlighted by two gritty performances against two of the best teams out West.
They opened the week with an underwhelming performance against the Clippers on Monday, completely disappearing in the second half and allowing Los Angeles to close the gap in the standings.
The Warriors pulled off an incredible upset in Houston on Thursday despite missing almost all of their key players, then carried that momentum into Oklahoma City where Golden State put up a good fight against the reigning champions. Kristaps Porzingis returned to the lineup on Saturday night and flashed plenty of reasons for optimism.
114–101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers
What worked
The Warriors played a strong brand of basketball in the first half. They outscored the Clippers 56-42, shot 10-of-23 from three and committed just four turnovers.
With their guard depth depleted by injury, Golden State needed someone to step into a bigger role, and Nate Williams delivered. In his first meaningful minutes with the Warriors, the 6-foot-5 swingman scored 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
Brandin Podziemski continued to provide steady production, leading the team with 22 points while adding seven rebounds and three assists.
What didn't
We’ve been talking about it for weeks, but the Warriors simply can’t seem to shake that problem: offensive inconsistency. Once again, Golden State went missing in the second half. Podziemski was the most telling example of that meltdown. The young guard scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half, then managed just two after the break.
The Warriors mirrored that drop-off as a team. They shot just 32.6% from the field in the second half and committed eight turnovers, two of the main reasons the Clippers turned a 17-point deficit into a 13-point win.
Golden State also couldn’t replicate the defensive intensity and scrappiness it showed in the first half. L.A., led by Kawhi Leonard and Benedict Mathurin, hung 72 points on the Warriors in the final 24 minutes and got to the free-throw line at will (17 time after halftime).
115–113 win over the Houston Rockets
What worked
The Warriors flew to Houston with virtually no expectations. Golden State was missing 90 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists worth of production. With Stephen Curry (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness), Moses Moody (wrist), Gary Payton II (ankle), Will Richard (ankle) and Seth Curry (sciatica) all sidelined, Steve Kerr and his staff were left with just ten healthy bodies. Six of those ten players are either on two-way deals, or have been at some point in their careers.
To highlight how undermanned the Warriors were, here isthe lineup they rolled with to close the first-quarter: Pat Spencer (former two-way), LJ Cryer (two-way), Nate Williams (two-way), Gui Santos (55th pick in the 2022 draft) and Quinten Post (52nd pick in the 2024 draft).
But the Warriors, undaunted, defied the odds and executed their game plan almost flawlessly. They attempted just 38 threes across 53 minutes after entering the game averaging a league-leading 45.3 per contest, and they outscored the Rockets — who rank fifth in points in the paint — 60-48 inside.
Brandin Podziemski scored a team-high 26 points, including seven in overtime, while adding nine rebounds. De’Anthony Melton stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks, while battling through a couple of lapses down the stretch.
Al Horford and Draymond Green anchored the defense throughout the night, helping hold Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. to a combined 43 points on 16-of-44 shooting.
Gui Santos was a plus-20 in 42 minutes, and his pairing with Green and Horford paid major dividends for the Warriors, as the trio posted a 140.5 offensive rating and an 89.7 defensive rating in their 18 minutes together.
What didn't
The Warriors have yet to figure out how to stop Reed Sheppard. The sophomore guard torched Golden State for 30 points and six assists while shooting 6-of-12 from downtown. Sheppard has reached the 30-point mark twice in his career. Guess who he did it against the first time? Yes, the Warriors, when he dropped 31 points on Nov. 26, 2025.
97–104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder
What worked
Some don't really believe in moral victories, but this one was the closest thing to it.
The biggest storyline was the return of Kristaps Porzingis after a six-game absence due to an illness. The big man finished with nine points, five rebounds, five assists and a block, but more importantly, he provided glimpses of hope for the Warriors’ offense moving forward. Once he gets his legs back under him and his shot starts falling, his post-up ability could propel Golden State into another dimension.
The Warriors also held their own against the league’s eighth-best offense. They limited OKC to just 37 second-half points, a new season low for the Thunder.
Gui Santos scored a career-high 22 points to go with 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Gary Payton II made a big impact off the bench, tying his career high with 12 rebounds — seven of them on the offensive glass. Draymond Green continued to string together productive performances, as he finished with 16 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals in addition to being tasked with guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom he held to 40% shooting.
What didn't
The Warriors were in the fight for most of the game, but when it mattered most, their lack of a true closer was evident. They couldn't find a way to put the ball in the basket in the fourth quarter, scoring just 14 points on 28.6% shooting and 2-of-13 from deep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s closer, took full advantage, burying a dagger sidestep three over Green in the final minute to seal it for OKC.
Player of the Week:
Draymond Green deserves this one more than anybody else. After going through a rough patch that coincided with Steph Curry’s injury, the 36-year-old has proven he can still play a meaningful role moving forward. His last three defensive assignments were Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he did about as good a job as anyone could have asked.
The Warriors are set to face the Jazz and Bulls on a back-to-back. Porzingis is expected to sit out against Utah but play against Chicago at Chase Center on Tuesday. They will then host the Timberwolves before embarking on a six-game road trip that begins Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.