For the third straight time to start the season, the Clippers were in a game too close for comfort that challenged their composure.
They have managed to withstand similar challenges over the last two games, and on Sunday night the Clippers pulled out a 112-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
Of the four Clippers players who scored in double figures, center Ivica Zubac was the most dominant.
Zubac continued his strong play to open the season, posting his second straight double-double with 23 points and 17 rebounds to go along with six assists. He has scored at least 20 points in the first three games, making him the second center in franchise history to achieve the feat. Bob McAdoo, while playing for the Buffalo Braves, did it three times — in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
Zubac became the first Clippers player since DeAndre Jordan in 2015 to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in consecutive games.
James Harden had 23 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, Norman Powell had 20 points and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18.
The Warriors tried to mount a comeback late without Stephen Curry, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained left ankle.
The Clippers knew their defense would be tested in a far different way than in their first two games.
Golden State entered Sunday leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 133.5 points per game. They’re averaging 99.5 shot attempts per game, the second-most in the league, and were shooting 49.7% from the field, the fourth-best mark in the league.
The Warriors opened the season with a 36-point win over Portland and followed that with a 41-point victory over Utah. That made the Warriors the first team to win each of their first two games by at least 35 points, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Clippers did not back down in the first half, holding the Warriors to 43.6% from the field.
At one point, the Clippers held the Warriors scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter.