Golden State's turnaround has been all Steph Curry. The Warriors started 0-3, losing by 22 to the Lakers before close losses to Memphis and Phoenix. Then Curry made all 8 of his shots for 24 in a 134-114 win at Denver and scored 44 on 16 free throws in a 119-114 win at Minnesota. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg added 26 in that one, which gives the Warriors a real second scorer for the first time this season.
There's a catch on the Golden State side. The Warriors host the Lakers on October 30 before this game, and that result will decide whether they arrive with 3 straight wins or a split. It will also show how much Curry had to carry against a team that has already beaten them by 22. The Clippers' last game was the loss in Minneapolis, so they get a day off before Sunday while Golden State plays in between.
The Warriors are banged up too, just in a way they have had time to plan for. Jimmy Butler III (ACL) is targeting January or February, Moses Moody (patellar tendon) December or January, and Kristaps Porzingis is away from the team indefinitely for health reasons while Golden State reportedly explores trades involving him. That leaves the Warriors without a true big. Against a Clippers team that is also missing its center, that probably won't decide much. It does put more on Curry and Lendeborg.
Tipoff is 5:30 PM PT on Sunday, November 1. On paper this is a Warriors team that has found a formula against a Clippers team still looking for one. The question is whether LA's makeshift rotation can hold up for 48 minutes on the road. Against Minnesota, it didn't make it past halftime.