Five Home Games Against Losing Teams Will Show What 3-3 Is Worth
The Warriors dug out of an 0-3 start, and now a homestand against struggling teams tests whether they can stop falling behind early.
Golden State beat the Lakers 112-95 on October 30 after trailing by 25, its third straight win. The Clippers come to Chase Center on November 1 having lost four in a row, with five players listed out.
A comeback that started with a hole
The Warriors scored 15 first-quarter points against the Lakers and allowed 38. They won the second quarter 38-15. Then an 18-0 run across the third and fourth turned a 78-80 deficit into a 96-80 lead. Curry made 8 of 14 threes and scored 31. Brandin Podziemski added 21 points and six assists. Gui Santos was doubtful that morning, then got cleared and started. Three straight wins have the Warriors at 3-3, 10th in the conference and one game behind sixth-place Dallas.
Why this stretch matters
The next five games are all at home: the Clippers November 1, the Suns November 2, the Heat November 5, the Magic November 7 and the Pelicans November 9. None of the five has won more than 40 percent of its games. The Clippers are 1-4, and Darius Garland is scoring 22.0 a game. Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal, Max Strus, Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Jordan Miller are all listed out for them. Golden State lost to the Clippers 104-101 on October 4. The Suns visit the next night, so it is a back-to-back.
The number is 15
NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson counted nine Warriors turnovers in the first nine minutes Friday. Yaxel Lendeborg had five turnovers in 24 minutes, finished minus-20 and, per Johnson, fouled out. The bench rescued that night: Georges Niang, De'Anthony Melton and Charles Bassey were a combined plus-44. A team can't count on a rescue like that five times in nine days.
Can the starters win a first quarter?
Jimmy Butler III is not expected back until January 2, and Kristaps Porzingis and Moody both have December 1 estimates. That leaves Kerr with the group that started Friday: Curry, Podziemski, Santos, Lendeborg and Green. Against teams this short-handed, that five needs to build leads instead of erasing deficits. If it can, the Warriors can bank wins before December. If it can't, every night turns into another comeback.
When do the Warriors play the Clippers?
November 1 at Chase Center, the first game of a five-game homestand. The Suns visit the next night.
When is Jimmy Butler expected back for the Warriors?
His right-knee injury carries an estimated return of January 2, 2027. Porzingis and Moody are both estimated to return December 1.
