Warriors instant analysis: Golden State sees lead in playoff standings diminish after loss to Clippers

SAN FRANCISCO – The postseason does not start until late April, but Monday’s matchup between the Warriors and Clippers at chase Center undeniably had postseason implications.

The Warriors entered the night as the eighth seed and up 2.5 games on the Clippers, which meant that if the Play-In tournament began that night, the Warriors would be guaranteed a trip to the postseason with just a win over the No. 7 seed.

So when the Clippers rallied to beat the Warriors 114-101, a result that cut the Warriors (31-30) lead over the Clippers (29-31) to just 1.5 games.

The Warriors, missing Steph Curry till at least mid-March with runner’s knee, got 22 points from Brandin Podziemski. Twenty of those came in the first half. Al Horford put up 17 points and six rebounds while De’Anthony Melton had an uncharacteristic tough shooting night and made just 3 of 14 from the field.

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 for the Clippers, while Kris Dunn poured in 16.

The Clippers outscored the Warriors 70-45 in the second half, with Melton, Podziemski and Moses Moody combining for just four points in the second half. Moody left the game midway through the fourth quarter and went back to the locker room. He sustained a hard fall while scrapping for a loose ball in the second quarter but played through it.

The Clippers were coming off a blowout victory at home over the Pelicans the night before, while the Warriors had spent a day off smarting from their own blowout loss to the Lakers in Chase Center. 

The Warriors led 31-19 after one quarter, holding the Clippers to just 7 of 25 shooting despite having Darius Garland make his Clippers debut after being traded for James Harden at the deadline. That lead stood at 56-42 at halftime, but it was not to last. 

Buoyed by the return of Darius Garland, who had been out with a toe injury since being traded from the Cavaliers, the Clippers cut the Warriors lead to 79-77 by the end of three quarters. A Kris Dunn layup with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter gave the Clippers an 84-82 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish.

The Warriors will have two days off before embarking to Houston to begin a three-game road trip.

New starting lineup

The Warriors attempted to get some much-needed spacing into their lineup by mixing up the starting five, inserting Podziemski into the group alongside Melton, Moses Moody, Horford and Draymond Green. 

Steve Kerr has repeatedly emphasized that the team needs to be creative to find spacing around Green while Curry battles runner’s knee, and the new starting lineup brought four capable 3-point shooters onto the floor.

That combination played only three minutes together in the first quarter, with Gui Santos entering with Golden State up 6-4. They then played the first five minutes of the third quarter, being outscored by two points before Santos once again entered with the Warriors up 63-53. 

Nate Williams gets extended run

Nate Williams has had a lot on his plate over the past 48 hours. The soon-to-be father played in Sunday’s G League showcase between the Santa Cruz Warriors and San Diego Clippers, and then turned around and participated in the major league version the next day as a Two-Way player.

The energetic 6-foot-5 wing earned first quarter minutes from Steve Kerr, and rewarded the coach by giving maximum effort during his stints on the court. He put up 18 points, scoring all of his points off hustle around the rim, at the line and from behind the arc.

He also gave Kawhi Leonard his undivided attention. At one point in the third quarter, he maintained a defensive position and shuffled his feet from baseline to baseline while shadowing the future Hall of Famer …. who did not have the ball.

The 25-year-old Williams made his case for more minutes in the future.

Porzingis, Richard injury update

Kristaps Porzingis missed his fifth consecutive game with what the team is generically calling an “illness” on Monday night. The big man has played in only one game for the Warriors since being traded from the Hawks, and coach Steve Kerr was uncertain if Porzingis will join the team on its upcoming three-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Houston.

Porzingis has been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), but Kerr said it was not clear if Porzingis’ illness was related to POTS.

“It’s a little mysterious, and obviously we’re working with him and hoping he can get some clarity and break through and get to a point where he’s consistently healthy,” Kerr said. “That’s something the medical staff is working hard on with him. I’m not going to posit any medical theories.”

Meanwhile, Will Richard was seen moving around the locker room in a walking boot around his right ankle. He remains out with an ankle sprain.