Clippers stave off Stephen Curry-led Warriors comeback in thrilling victory

Clippers guard James Harden shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson at the Intuit Dome.

Clippers guard James Harden shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson during the first half of the Clippers’ 102-99 win at the Intuit Dome on Monday night. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The two best sharpshooters in NBA history came out on Monday night – Cutting machines three point king James Harden and the Golden State long-distance wonder Stephen Curry — brings a high level of excitement to the Intuit Dome.

They had a crowd-pleasing moment in the first quarter when Harden made a three-pointer only for Curry to follow up with a three on the next possession.

For the Clippers, their focus was on slowing down a potent Warriors offense and stopping Curry, who entered the game with the most three-pointers in NBA history with 3,782.

The Clippers met their goals on defense and held off the Warriors just enough to pull off a thriller 102-99 win it was not sealed until the final buzzer.

Terance Mann dunks over Kyle Anderson.Terance Mann dunks over Kyle Anderson.

Clippers guard Terance Mann, right, dunks over Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson in the second half Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

“But we got a win, we got a win,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “So it doesn’t matter. Defensively, I thought we did a good job … and then rebounding the basketball.”

The Clippers appeared to be in control as they built a 10-point lead with 2:30 left, but they failed to score the rest of the way.

After the Clippers’ 10-point lead was cut to three, a costly turnover in the final seconds nearly sent the game into overtime.

Golden State’s Gary Payton II steals the ball Norman Powell with 21 seconds left. But Curry, who had 26 points and was 6 for 15 from three-point range, missed a three-pointer with 12 seconds left. Draymond Green got the rebound and the ball eventually went to Payton, who missed another three-point attempt with 2.2 seconds left to seal the Clippers’ second win over Golden State (10-3) this season.

Both teams struggled with turnovers – the Clippers had 20 and the Warriors 19.

Powell led the Clippers with 23 points, including five three-pointers. Harden had 12 points and 16 assists, but was four for 15 from the field and two for six from three-point range.

“It was a little bit of everything,” Harden said. “We had opportunities to score. We turned the ball over a couple of times. They missed shots. We didn’t come back. They get offensive rebounds. They get more chances. So we’re just happy to come out with the win.”

Read more: James Harden reaches career milestone in Clippers’ win over Jazz

Harden, who moved into sole possession of second place on The NBA’s all-time three-pointer list On Sunday, you still found a way to play almost 41 minutes despite not feeling well.

“We have a mission, we have a goal,” he said. “For me, if I’m able to run and still be myself… I’ve kind of played through injuries where I couldn’t really run. So this little illness – where it’s chest tightness – wouldn’t prevent me in playing. I’m just glad we came out with the win.”

The Clippers played well defensively in the first half, holding the Warriors to 45 points on 44.7% shooting, including 33.3% on threes. They took advantage of 13 turnovers by the Warriors to build an 11-point halftime lead despite committing 11 turnovers.

The Warriors are averaging 121.3 points per game. game, the third-best mark in the NBA. They lead the league in assists (30.3), are second in three-point shooting percentage (39.2) and second in rebounds (49.0). The Clippers managed to overcome those high marks despite playing back-to-back nights.

“Just really proud of our group,” Lue said. “It was on a back-to-back and to come in with this kind of effort tonight, just happy with it.”

Flags and fireworks are displayed during the national anthem.Flags and fireworks are displayed during the national anthem.

Players and fans stand for the national anthem before Monday’s game between the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Kawhi Leonard watches a game from the bench.Kawhi Leonard watches a game from the bench.

Injured Clippers star Kawhi Leonard watches from the bench during the Clippers’ win on Monday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

etc.: Kawhi Leonard continues to deal with inflammation in his right knee and is out indefinitely. “He’s out all week,” Lue said.

When asked to describe what Leonard has been able to do, Lue said, “shoot a little bit.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.