What we learned as Warriors kick off NBA preseason with narrow loss to Clippers

What we learned as Warriors kick off NBA preseason with narrow loss to Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HONOLULU – Preseason basketball isn’t about perfection. 

The Warriors on Sunday in their first preseason game of the 2026-27 NBA season had their highs and their lows, finding a way to overcome a 13-point deficit for yet another thriller at the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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A Lindy Waters buzzer-beater three called for a raucous celebration the last time the Warriors played here in 2024. Sunday’s game again came down to the final minutes, and even the final few seconds. But a Keaton Wagler step-back jumper with 12.8 seconds left was the difference in a 104-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Al Horford had their days done after the first half. Curry scored 10 points and drained two threes. Green swiped three steals and didn’t have any turnovers. Horford hit his first three but missed his next three shots from deep.

Charles Bassey (12 points), Brandon Williams (11 points) and Graham Ike (11 points) did their all to lead the bench in the Warriors’ comeback attempt.

Both teams displayed a heavy dose of rust and will want to look away from their shooting percentages, which is expected at this point of the calendar.

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Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ three-point loss to kick off their preseason slate.

First Look at Lendeborg

Every player has his own unique welcome to the NBA moment. A reminder of the rules might have been just that for Yaxel Lendeborg. 

Fighting for a rebound on the Warriors’ opening possession, Lendeborg was reminded by a referee to tuck in his jersey after the ball went out off the Clippers. Lendeborg was the Warriors’ inbounds man, and after strong ball movement, the rookie splashed a three from the right corner for the first points of the day. 

The only other shot attempt Lendeborg took in the first quarter got swiped by Kris Dunn right as he went up around the rim. His size already stood out guarding Clippers center Brook Lopez, and Lendeborg had a game-high four rebounds in the…

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Publish date : 2026-10-04 19:00:00

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