When the Warriors were not turning the ball over, the team’s two biggest players were displaying their famed passing ability against the Clippers.
The Warriors finished their five-game preseason schedule back at Chase Center on Friday night, falling to the Clippers 106-103.
Coach Steve Kerr started Al Horford at center and Draymond Green at power forward, having mentioned pregame that he hopes to keep Horford’s minutes at about 20 a game this season.
In 42 total minutes, Green and Horford combined for five assists, which undersold their passing chemistry.
The two accounted for several big-to-big layups, including a particularly slick Green and Horford pick-and-roll in the first half. Horford finished with 10 points and a block, while Green had nine points on 4 of 5 shooting with six rebounds.
“(It’s about) making sure that one of us always gets the space, and that we play out of that,” Horford said. “Just finding ways to make the game easy.”
Steph Curry finished with 20 points, with his final make being a spectacular off-the-dribble triple in semi-transition during the fourth quarter. Curry played a preseason-high 30 minutes.
“Try to slowly build every game, as close to a full scope of minutes,” Curry said. “Just to get over the hump, your second wind, and feel what it feels like down the stretch after a couple of breaks.”
Rookie Will Richard earned his second consecutive start and scored 13 points.
The Clippers were down their two best players in Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and former Warrior Chris Paul was also inactive.
The Warriors will open their regular season in Los Angeles at the Lakers on Tuesday.
Podziemski suffers injury scare
Brandin Podziemski crumpled to the floor and had to be helped back to the locker room after he collided with a Clippers defender just three minutes into the game.
Podziemski returned to the floor with 3:30 left in the first quarter after being diagnosed with a left hip contusion.
Jimmy Butler missed the preseason finale as he continued to build up from a return from an ankle injury. Jonathan Kuminga sat out with a minor ankle injury suffered on the no-call that resulted in his ejection in Portland.
Kerr emphasized that Kuminga and Butler are still expected to play in the season opener. However, Moses Moody will likely miss the game with a calf injury.
No Kings rally
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is no stranger to commenting on American politics. Last season, he wore a Harvard shirt to a postgame press conference in support of the university during its feud with president Donald Trump’s administration.
After Friday’s game, Kerr said that he plans on attending a “No King’s” rally, which protests actions taken by the Trump administration that organizers see as governmental overreach, in the area.
“Yeah, so tomorrow I’ll go to the No Kings rally, because I hate America,” Kerr said. “That’s what I’ve heard. If you go, you hate America.”
Buddy Hield’s bobblehead night
The Warriors’ promotional giveaway was a bobblehead featuring Butler and Buddy Hield at a news conference, a place the two have become infamous for their postgame banter. While Butler was relegated to watching the game in street clothes, the volume-shooting Hield suited up.
In 23 minutes, Hield scored 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting.
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
Giveaways have been a consistent problem for the Warriors all preseason, and the finale was no exception.
The offense got off to a horrendous start, committing eight turnovers in the first six minutes alone. With Kerr experimenting with various lineups, the Warriors often lacked traditional ballhandlers on the floor, and the stats reflected it.
“We definitely had a turnover problem throughout the preseason, but I’m confident that when the lights go on Tuesday, our guys will be locked in,” Kerr said.
Golden State finished the night with 23 turnovers. The Warriors had at least 20 in each preseason game.