LOS ANGELES — The Warriors didn’t have Steph Curry or Draymond Green, but they played with the type of intensity that such a disadvantageous situation requires.
Fighting for every rebound, applying ball pressure, trapping dribblers and wreaking havoc at any opportunity, the Warriors cut a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit to three.
But the comeback effort went ultimately unfinished. Jonathan Kuminga scored a career-high 34 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 11-for-14 at the foul line, but he was the lone bright spot in a sluggish offensive night.
Golden State’s 23rd ranked offense in December is bound to fall even more after the Warriors put up 92 points and shot 7-for-38 (18%) from behind the 3-point arc.
Curry (knee injury management) and Green (back contusion) each sat out the first night of a back-to-back, requiring the Warriors to summon a miracle. The fourth quarter teased one, but ended anticlimactically in a 102-92 defeat.
After starting the season 12-3, the Warriors are .500. They’ve lost 12 of their last 15 games, a slide that has spanned five weeks of uninspiring play, a constant search for lineup solutions and a motivational speech from Curry. Golden State (15-15) is in a perilous position with two games left in the calendar year.
The Warriors are who they are because of Curry and Green. So without them for a night, they needed to change.
Last time each of them missed a game, the Warriors beat the Rockets behind a season-high 33 points from Kuminga. The fourth-year wing had the ball in his hands much more than normal, initiating offense and running high pick-and-rolls.
Against the Clippers, what they missed in terms of star power and shot creation, the Warriors tried to make up with energy. Golden State chased down seven offensive rebounds in as many minutes to start the game. Even when they shot 30% from the floor and 3-for-12 from deep — including a pair of airballs — they won the first quarter by two. Brandin Podziemski rattled in a triple to put the Warriors ahead before the buzzer.
In the game, the Warriors hauled in 19 offensive rebounds and forced 21 turnovers.
Kuminga came off the bench and quickly became the offensive focal point upon his entrance. Steve Kerr kept him in for 18 straight minutes across the first and second quarters.
He earned the extended look, scoring 13 points including 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Kuminga also made an impact defensively, closing possessions with rebounds and intercepting an entry pass on the perimeter, leading to a Buddy Hield transition 3.
