Clippers Survive Wild Finish Against Warriors Behind Leonard and Rookie Breakout 103-102
If you wanted a mid-season game that felt like a Western Conference Semifinals Game 7, you got it on Monday night at the Intuit Dome between the Clippers and Warriors. It wasn’t always pretty, and the officiating will certainly be the talk of sports talk radio in the Bay Area tomorrow, but the Clippers managed to grit their way to a win.
This game had a little bit of everything: a furious fourth-quarter comeback, a rookie playing the game of his life, Steve Kerr being restrained by his own assistants, and Steph Curry watching the final seconds from the bench after fouling out.
For a Los Angeles team missing James Harden due to shoulder soreness, this was the kind of ugly, grind-it-out win that defines a season.
A Chaotic Finish in Inglewood
When the dust settled, the Clippers were the ones left standing, but they barely survived a frantic final minute. Golden State, trailing by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, refused to go away.
The drama peaked with 42 seconds left. With the Warriors clinging to life, trailing 101-100, Steph Curry picked up his sixth foul on a reach-in against Kris Dunn. It was a stunning development—the first time the two-time MVP has fouled out of a game since December 2021. With their best shooter disqualified, the air went out of the Warriors’ comeback bid just enough for Los Angeles to capitalize.
Dunn sank the free throws, Draymond Green responded with a bucket in the paint to cut it to one, and suddenly the Clippers had to play defense for their lives on the final possession. Jimmy Butler, who had been a thorn in L.A.’s side all night, isolated for a 16-footer at the buzzer. It clanked off the rim, and the Intuit Dome exhaled.
Leonard Anchors the Clippers While Sanders Shines
Without Harden running the point, the offense naturally flowed through Kawhi Leonard. The Klaw did what he always does—steadying the ship when things got choppy. Leonard finished with a team-high 24 points and 12 rebounds, acting as the stabilizer during a rough shooting night for both squads.
But the real story for the Clippers wasn’t the superstar; it was the rookie.
Kobe Sanders, thrust into a larger role, didn’t just survive the spotlight; he thrived in it. Sanders poured in a career-high 20 points, playing with a level of confidence usually reserved for ten-year vets. He played the entire third quarter, hitting big shots and keeping the offense moving when Golden State tried to clamp down on Leonard.
John Collins and Kris Dunn also chipped in double figures, with Collins adding 18 points and Dunn contributing 16 crucial points, including those ice-cold free throws at the end. It was a collective effort to fill the Harden-sized hole in the lineup.
Kerr’s Ejection Ignites Golden State Rally
The game’s temperature spiked midway through the fourth quarter. With 7:57 remaining, Warriors coach Steve Kerr lost his cool after officials swallowed their whistles on what looked like a goaltending violation by John Collins.
Kerr didn’t just argue; he chased the officials down the sideline, screaming until he was ejected. It took his assistant coaches to physically restrain him. While it cost his team a technical, the outburst seemed to wake up the Warriors. They immediately ripped off a 9-0 run, turning what looked like a Clippers blowout into a nail-biter.
Golden State’s defense tightened up, and despite shooting a miserable 10-for-41 from deep, they clawed back into it behind Jimmy Butler’s 24 points. Curry struggled from the field (9-for-23 shooting) but kept them in it until his premature exit.
What This Win Means for the Clippers
This was a massive character win for Los Angeles. Beating a surging Warriors team that had won six of its last eight is impressive on its own. Doing it without your primary ball-handler, while surviving a fourth-quarter collapse, shows a mental toughness this team will need down the stretch.
The Clippers move to 13-22, still looking up at the rest of the Pacific Division, but a win like this can be a turning point. They held their nerve against a team with championship DNA and got a glimpse of the future with Sanders’ breakout performance.
Next up, the team heads east to face the New York Knicks on Wednesday, hoping to carry this momentum onto the road.
