Clippers Outlast Warriors 104-101 in NBA Preseason Opener in Hawaii

Golden State erased a 13-point deficit and led inside the final 30 seconds before Keaton Wagler's jumper lifted the Los Angeles Clippers to a 104-101 win in Hawaii.

The Los Angeles Clippers edged the Golden State Warriors 104-101 on Sunday evening in Hawaii, kicking off the NBA's 2026 preseason. For the Warriors, it was a first outing since a defeat in the second leg of the play-in tournament ended their 2025-26 campaign.

Steve Kerr gave minutes to 18 players in the exhibition. Golden State controlled the early stages after rookie Yaxel Lendeborg knocked down a three-pointer moments after the opening tip, but Los Angeles flipped the game in the second quarter behind Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura, stretching the margin to as many as 13 points. The Warriors trimmed the gap to four entering the final period.

Malevy Leones supplied eight fourth-quarter points to drive the rally, and Golden State nosed ahead inside the last 30 seconds. Rookie Keaton Wagler responded with a jumper that put Los Angeles back in front, and the Clippers protected that edge the rest of the way.

Hachimura, a free-agent addition, delivered a game-high 21 points, with every one of them arriving before halftime. Wagler, a rookie taken with the Clippers' top pick out of Illinois, contributed 15.

Stephen Curry played 13 minutes in his preseason debut and produced 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, to go with two rebounds, two assists and a steal. He was one of four Warriors to score in double figures. The brief outing offered a first look at the two-time MVP ahead of his 18th NBA season.

Veteran big man Charles Bassey paced Golden State with 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting plus eight rebounds in 16 minutes, coming up just short of a double-double. Graham Ike scored 11 points as a reserve and added two steals and a block; the two big men combined for 23 points across 32 minutes off the bench.

New arrival Brandon Williams also came off the bench for 11 points in 16 minutes, shooting 4-for-9 with two rebounds, three assists and a steal while posting a team-best plus-16 rating.

Lendeborg struggled to score in his first preseason appearance, going 1-for-6 from the field for four points, but he grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds and handed out three assists in 19 minutes. Brandin Podziemski shot 2-for-10 on his way to seven points in 18 minutes, while LJ Cryer managed one point on 0-for-3 shooting and 1-of-2 free throws in three minutes.

Golden State has not announced a timetable for Kristaps Porzingis's return, leaving the frontcourt depth provided by Bassey and Ike potentially significant. Five exhibition games remain on the schedule. After completing training camp in Hawaii, the Warriors travel back to the Bay Area to continue tuning up for the 2026-27 season.