Turnovers crush Warriors as they abandon pregame plan against Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Coach Steve Kerr estimated the Warriors gave up 10 possessions Sunday night at Chase Center, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104 in their first loss of the 2024-25 NBA season after two straight blowout wins.
“Definitely yes,” Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski told NBC Sports Bay Area at his locker after the loss when told of the number Kerr came up with.
The Warriors opened the season against the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz, two teams projected to be at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, with an average of more than 133 points. Headlines credited Buddy Hield’s lightning start shooting the ball, as well as the Warriors swarming defensively and their depth shining as brightly as their biggest stars.
Another reason the Warriors dominated over the Blazers and Jazz was ball movement, as well as taking care of it, too.
During their undefeated 6-0 preseason, the Warriors averaged 30 assists and 18 turnovers. Then to start the season in Portland and Utah, they averaged 36.5 assists and only 16.5 turnovers, totaling 40 more assists (73) than turnovers (33). Those numbers then took an ugly turn in front of the Warriors’ home crowd on Sunday.
Steph Curry, before exiting early in the fourth quarter to a left ankle injuryhad six assists but also six turnovers. Hield’s hot shooting turned cold, and his off night was accompanied by four turnovers, which was more than the three shots he took all game. Kerr used 13 players, including Lindy Waters III’s 32 second run, and 10 had at least one turnover.
Kerr starts five tallied 11 turnovers and 10 assists, painting a picture for the team as a whole. The Warriors only had 19 assists on their 38 made shots, all while having 21 turnovers to which the Clippers scored 21 points.
“Well No. 1, the Clippers were great defensively,” Kerr said. “But we got really loose with the ball and we made some careless plays. They’re a very athletic team, very well coached. They were in places to bother us.”
Kerr blamed the Warriors’ need to work better under duress. They grabbed 28 steals in their first two games and came away with another 10 on Sunday night, but the Clippers one-upped them there with 11. Veteran guard Kris Dunn led both teams with four steals, and four Clippers had multiple steals.
Clippers coach Ty Lue is considered one of the best defensive coaches in the NBA, forming a switch-heavy scheme. The Warriors in their pregame film session discussed the need for their corner guy cut and the wing spacing to the corner to the injury the Clippers’ switches, and when they go five-out to a double cut because they like to point-switch.
“We haven’t been consistent with that,” Podziemski said. “Sometimes we did that and it was good, but just not consistent enough with it.”
In their first two games of the season, the Clippers forced their opponents – the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets – to turn the ball over an average of 16 times. They ranked 23rd in the NBA last season in forcing 12.4 turnovers per game. The Warriors too often Sunday night were their own worst enemies, committing careless turnovers.
They had four turnovers in the first quarter, doubled that to eight turnovers in the second quarter, seven in the third and finally just two turnovers in the fourth because their comeback could not be completed.
“A lot of the turnovers were easy twos, easy dunks for them on the other side,” Podziemski said. “It relieves pressure from James [Harden] win all the time. You saw Derrick Jones hit some threes, Kris Dunn started to feel good. Just have to be collectively more solid.”
The Warriors have one day to make amends for their first loss of the season. Curry is getting an MRI Sunday night after using the word “mild” or “moderate” to describe his injury to Kerr. Do he does not miss timeshort amount of time or an extended period, the Warriors know they have to clean up their turnovers, something that feels like an annual theme.
Next, the New Orleans Pelicans (2-1) come to Chase Center for back-to-backs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, averaging 12 steals per game, while also causing an average of more than 18 turnovers. Podziemski could slide into the starting lineup as the Warriors’ leading ball-handler if Curry misses games, and the young guard isn’t worried about one sloppy play offensively.
“It was a good first try by a really good defense,” Podziemski said. “When you face it for the first time, you just have to take it and learn from it. New Orleans is also a great, long defense, and we just have to learn from it.”
