A disappointing home opener has been compounded by a major injury concern for the Golden State Warriors, with superstar guard Stephen Curry leaving the game after turning his left ankle twice in the second-half.
The Warriors never led after a rough opening to the second-quarter, having pushed up hill from there on as they eventually fell 112-104. The job was made all the more difficult by Curry's ankle injury which left him without impact on the game over the final 15 minutes.
Stephen Curry's ankle injury will be a massive watch for the Warriors
The 2x MVP initially turned his ankle late in the third-quarter, then lasted just five seconds when he tried to re-enter in the fourth. As much as the loss will be disappointing for Golden State, Curry's injury is a far greater concern so early in the season.
After putting up 139 and 127 points in their first two games, the Warriors found life much more difficult against a Clipper defense that entered fourth in the league to start the season. They didn't help themselves with some lackadaiscal and downright dumb passes, with 21 turnovers helping to prove the difference in the game.
Even despite Curry's absence, Golden State brought it back to a one-point game with just minutes left after a 10-0 run. Andrew Wiggins was the key initiator, having been the major bright spot for the Warriors with a game-high 29 points on a 11-of-15 shooting including 5-of-8 from three-point range.
ANOTHER Wiggins three caps a 10-0 run 👌 pic.twitter.com/81VE9xpK6z
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 28, 2024
The game was on the Clippers terms throughout though, with a slow half-court style playing into the hands of the visitors defense and the pick-and-roll combination of James Harden and Ivica Zubac. Having averaged 22.5 points and 12 rebounds through the first two games, Zubac again proved the key factor with 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes.
The Warriors limited Harden to 23 points on 6-of-19 shooting and 2-of-12 from three-point range, but he did have 11 assists to help keep the hosts at bay. After 37 points against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, Norman Powell was quiet with two points in the first-half, yet had 13 in the third-quarter and 18 in the second-half.
Buddy Hield failed to transfer his explosive form over the first two games back home, finishing with just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting and 1-of-9 from three-point range. Only four Warrior players got to double digits scoring, with Wiggins joined by Curry (18), Jonathan Kuminga (12) and Kevon Looney (10).
Looney was the other positive from a Golden State perspective, finishing with 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals to go with his 10 points in 20 minutes off the bench. There was very little else in the way of positives for the Warriors, and now attention will turn to Curry's ankle in what could be a season-defining prognosis.