The Golden State Warriors headed into Sunday night’s game against the LA Clippers knowing they were in for their biggest challenge of the year. Sure, they were at home for the first time this season, and yes, they faced a Clippers team that is without Kawhi Leonard. But after blowing past the Portland Trail Blazers in their season opener and destroying the Utah Jazz on Friday night, the Dubs were anticipating their first tough game of the year. And that’s exactly what they got.

Ironically, the Dubs flipped the script early in the game. Through their two lopsided wins, Golden State’s only weakness came early in the game, with their new starting lineup struggling to find rhythm. But in this one there was no such battle. They forced a stop on their first defensive possession of the game, with Steph Curry dropping a three on their first offensive possession. Although the Clippers scored seven straight points, the Warriors answered with six points of their own. Ivica Zubac hurt them inside, but the big starting lineup, which struggled with spacing, got good looks from beyond the arc.

After a strong quarter from Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors led 17-13… and the starting five were allowed to stay in the match for seven minutes, with Steve Kerr not having to return to his bench so early thanks to their strong play. .

From there, the teams went back and forth in an entertaining, fast-paced game. James Harden was eating while Derrick Jones Jr. ate for the Clippers, while the Warriors took every opportunity. We all caught our breath at the end of the quarter, when the game was tied 34-34.

And then things went downhill and never fully recovered.

Behind an all-bench unit, the Dubs struggled to start the second quarter. LA scored the first seven points of the frame, leading to a timeout for Kerr. The quarter starting point reached 9-0 before the Warriors finally scored, turning the ball over four times before putting anything on the scoreboard.

Eight minutes in, Buddy Hield broke the point with a basket, and soon after added a four-point play as the Warriors responded with an 8–0 run, forcing a Clippers timeout. Zubac still dominated the Warriors on the glass, but Golden State’s defense tightened up… until it didn’t. The Clippers rattled off their own 8-0 run, while the Warriors continued to turn the ball over. LA pushed the lead to an 11-point lead with about two and a half minutes left before Golden State went on a 7-0 run… it was a quarter of the points!

But the Clippers did better with their runs and led 59-54 at halftime, with the Warriors losing a quarter for the first time all season.

In the third quarter the battle started to look like a disaster. Once again, the Warriors started things slowly, with four early turnovers and a Gregg Popovichian timeout very early by Kerr. But then the attack started to find its legs, with Wiggins once again leading the charge with a brilliant frame. But it was a back-and-forth affair, as LA’s offense – once again led by Jones, Harden and Zubac – matched the Warriors blow for blow. The game seemed to be living in a 4-9 point margin, and then things got really bad, with the one thing no one wanted to see: a Curry injury.

Curry rolled his ankle and went to the bench in visible pain, where trainer Rick Celebrini worked on him while Curry used a resistance band. Meanwhile, LA had pushed the lead back to double digits, but the Dubs answered with a 6-0 run… only for Norman Powell to end the quarter with a clutch three, ending the run and giving LAC an 86-79 lead got. . It would be the Warriors’ first competitive fourth quarter of the season.

They started the final frame with some good looks, but the shots weren’t falling. LA pushed the lead back to double digits, with Kerr calling a timeout with exactly eight minutes left, and the Clippers ahead by ten minutes. Good news awaited everyone when the timeout ended: Curry checked back in.

The good news was very short-lived. Just a few seconds after his return, Curry rolled his ankle and set a screen. He immediately left the game and limped to the locker room, with the Warriors ruling him out of the game with a sprained left ankle.

Golden State didn’t want Curry’s injury to be in vain. They responded to their star’s departure and put up quite a fight. A Wiggins three capped a 10-run Warriors run, bringing Golden State to within a point with about four minutes left. But the Clippers answered with a series of their own, with field goals by Harden and Powell setting up a blocked Buddy Hield jumper.

From there, the Warriors would continue to battle, but they didn’t have enough offensive firepower. The shots weren’t falling, they couldn’t stop Zubac and they would lose 112-104.

Wiggins’ phenomenal play was a success for the Warriors, as he finished with 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting, including 5-for-8 from distance. But only three other Warriors would reach double figures, with 18 points for Curry, 12 for Jonathan Kuminga and 10 for Kevon Looney. While the offense looked fluid and seamless in both the first two games and in the preseason, the Dubs were plagued by LA’s active defense, turning the ball over a whopping 21 times… while recording just 19 assists. Considering they lost Curry to injury and had more turnovers than assists, it’s a minor miracle they were still in the game in the closing minutes.

Zubac enjoyed Golden State, finishing with 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, while Harden finished with 23 points and 11 assists, albeit with poor shooting… and five turnovers. Powell scored 20 and Jones 18 as LA’s starting unit defeated Golden State 86-65.

The Warriors now get a day off before hosting the New Orleans Pelicans for back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday. And until then, all eyes are on Curry, with Kerr saying after the game that the sprain is “mild or moderate,” and that the two-time MVP will undergo an MRI tonight.

Fingers crossed.