Warriors fall to Clippers in preview of NBA play-in matchup

Steve Kerr said it himself.There wasn’t much for either team to glean from Sunday night’s regular-season finale between the Warriors and Clippers.The teams will meet again with far higher stakes in three days, meaning neither coach wanted to show his hand in a 115-110 loss to LA.“Wednesday will be much different, for sure,” Kerr said before tipoff.Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Draymond Green (back) were both ruled out before tipoff, while the teams’ remaining rotation regulars mostly went through the motions for 48 minutes while their fates were determined by a game 1,500 miles up the coast in Portland.Both players are expected to return to their starting lineups for Wednesday’s win-or-go-home rematch, which became official with the Trail Blazers’ 122-110 win over the Kings.As expected, Steph Curry played his heaviest load of minutes since returning from a 27-game absence with a knee injury.

He finished with 24 in 29 minutes, setting him to play as much as necessary with the Warriors’ season on the line Wednesday.Without Green, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford both started alongside Curry, Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton in the Warriors’ 43rd different starting five of the season.Porzingis missed all four 3s he attempted and finished with 12 points in 24 minutes.Horford was held to two field goals — one for 2 and one for 3 — for a quiet five points in 19 minutes.

Both big men were outshined by Charles Bassey, who scored in double digits for the third straight game with 16.“We know we’re going to have to put together a good four quarters on Wednesday,” Kerr said.“Tonight [was] another chance to make a step in that direction.

But again, it’s different.It’s a different feeling when the result doesn’t matter.”The Warriors finished the regular season 37-45, their second-worst record in 12 seasons under Kerr.

Their only worse finish came in 2019-20, when Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant all missed most of the season.B...