Honolulu, HI
The NBA returned to Hawai'i on Sunday afternoon, bringing the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors together for a preseason matchup at the Stan Sheriff Center in front of 10,112 fans. What started as the first game of a new preseason quickly turned into a competitive finish, with the Clippers holding on to a 104 -101 win after Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and took a late fourth-quarter lead. For both teams, the game was about much more than the final score. It was an early opportunity to see new faces, new systems, and new rotations begin to take shape, while giving Hawai'i fans another chance to watch some of the NBA’s biggest names up close.
The Clippers entered the game having spent the previous week training at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, while the Warriors held their training camp at BYU-Hawai'i in Laie. The trip was designed to give both teams a different environment to begin the season, with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talking before the game about the importance of bringing families and the team together in Hawai'i. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue also spoke about the experience and his personal connection to the islands, having played in the Rainbow Classic at Hawai'i in 1997. Before the game, Lue emphasized that the Clippers could not control everything surrounding the team, but they could control their effort. “No excuses, control what you can control,” Lue said. “Our main goal is to make the playoffs.”
For the Clippers, however, the afternoon immediately took a concerning turn when offseason addition Max Strus went down early in his first game with the team. Strus suffered what was described as a non-contact right foot injury approximately five minutes into the first quarter while making a cut across the top of the key to receive a pass from Darius Garland. Strus immediately began favoring the foot and made his way to the locker room, where he was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game. He finished with five minutes played, one rebound and a 0-for-1 shooting line. The injury was especially notable because Sunday was Strus first opportunity to play alongside his new Clippers teammates after joining Los Angeles in an offseason trade.
After the game, Lue did not have a diagnosis for Strus but acknowledged the concern surrounding a non-contact injury. “Never good to see when it’s a non-contact play,” Lue said. Strus was expected to undergo further testing once the Clippers returned to Los Angeles, leaving the team waiting for more information on the severity of the injury. For a Clippers team already managing injuries elsewhere on the roster, losing another wing so early in the preseason added another storyline to what was supposed to be an opportunity to simply get the team on the floor together.
With Strus out, the Clippers continued to find production from several of their new pieces, most notably Rui Hachimura. In his first game with the Clippers, Hachimura looked comfortable almost immediately, finishing with 21 points and five rebounds in only 15 minutes. He shot 8 of 11 from the field and knocked down four of his five attempts from three-point range, giving the Clippers an efficient offensive option while also providing size and versatility on the floor. Hachimura said afterward that he felt good playing in the new system and praised the way the team shared the ball. “This is our first game. Overall, we did what we wanted to do,” Hachimura said. “Offensively, we did pretty well sharing the ball and making the right plays.” Lue made it clear that the Clippers will expect plenty from their new forward, saying, “We’re going to need him to rebound, going to need him to be able to score, going to need him to block, we’re going to need everything.”
Darius Garland also made an immediate impact, connecting with Hachimura and helping Los Angeles establish control early. The Clippers were able to move the ball efficiently and create open looks, while Golden State spent much of the opening half trying to adjust to a very different offensive identity. The Warriors are experimenting with a five-out system under Kerr, spacing all five players around the floor and creating more opportunities for driving lanes and movement. It is a significant change for a team that has spent years building its offense around the movement, passing, and screening concepts that became synonymous with the Curry era. Against the Clippers, the new system looked like exactly what it is at this stage, a work in progress. Golden State shot just 33 percent in the first half and committed 10 turnovers as players adjusted to new responsibilities.
Stephen Curry was still able to provide the moments the Hawai'i crowd came to see. Curry had spoken before the game about wanting to make up for his previous trip to the islands, when he failed to make a three-pointer during the 2024 preseason matchup. This time, he knocked down a couple of threes and received some of the loudest reactions of the afternoon whenever he touched the ball. Before the game, Curry talked about the reception the Warriors received in Hawai'i, saying, “We appreciate the love we get out here for sure.” The experience was clearly about more than basketball for the Warriors, who spent the week together on O'ahu and brought family members along for the trip.
Golden State also got its first extended look at rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Lendeborg finished with four points, nine rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in just under 19 minutes, but his impact went beyond the stat line. Kerr sees the rookie as someone who could eventually help carry the offense when Curry leaves the floor, praising his ability to connect plays and make the simple pass. “He connects the game beautifully,” Kerr said. “He just makes the easy play over and over again, and looks good shooting the ball.” At the same time, Kerr wants Lendeborg to become more aggressive. Curry echoed that message after the game, saying, “We don’t want anything passive,” while pointing to the rookie’s willingness to shoot, attack, and compete for offensive rebounds as positive signs.
The Warriors also received an energetic performance from Brandon Williams, who brought speed and aggression off the bench and helped change the pace of the game. As Golden State became more comfortable in the second half, the Warriors began attacking the Clippers more consistently and slowly chipped away at the deficit. The Clippers had built a lead as large as 13 points in the third quarter, but Golden State refused to let the game get away. The Warriors continued to push, eventually taking an 88 to 82 lead in the fourth quarter with just over seven minutes remaining. What had looked like a comfortable Clippers afternoon suddenly became a possession by possession preseason battle.
The final minutes showed exactly why preseason basketball can still produce meaningful moments. Charles Bassey and Graham Ike gave Golden State important production inside, with Bassey finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds while Ike contributed 11 points. With less than a minute remaining, Ike came up with a huge tip-in that gave the Warriors a 101 to 100 lead and put Golden State in position to steal the game. The Clippers, however, turned to their first-round pick when they needed an answer.
Keaton Wagler had struggled from the field for much of the afternoon, shooting just 3 for 15 overall and 1 for 11 from three-point range, but he continued to play aggressively. The fifth overall pick finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in more than 30 minutes. With the Clippers trailing late, Wagler cleared out and created enough space to rise for a 19-foot step-back jumper. The shot went down with roughly 13 seconds remaining and gave Los Angeles a 102 to 101 lead. The Clippers trusted their rookie when the game mattered most, and Wagler delivered despite his difficult shooting night.
Wagler later credited his teammates for continuing to encourage him to shoot despite the misses. “Keep shooting it, no matter makes or misses; this is preseason,” his teammates told him, according to Wagler. That confidence showed up in the final possession, when the rookie stepped into the biggest shot of his first NBA game and gave the Clippers the lead. The play became one of the defining moments of the afternoon, not because Wagler had been perfect, but because he was willing to take the shot after struggling throughout the game.
Golden State still had an opportunity to answer. After Wagler’s jumper, Blake Wesley came up with a defensive play that helped preserve the Clippers advantage, blocking a late attempt from Miles Kelly with just a few seconds remaining. Cam Christie then knocked down two free throws after being fouled, pushing the Clippers ahead 104 to 101. The Warriors had one final chance from deep, but the long attempt from Ike fell short as the Clippers escaped with the three-point victory.
For Los Angeles, the result provided an encouraging opening to a preseason that comes with plenty of questions. Hachimura immediately showed how he can contribute, Garland looked comfortable helping organize the offense, and Wagler demonstrated the confidence to take a game deciding shot despite an inefficient shooting night. The bigger concern will be Strus, whose injury came almost immediately after he stepped onto the court for his Clippers debut. The team will know more after further testing in Los Angeles, but his early exit became one of the most important developments of the game.
For Golden State, the loss was less important than the first glimpse of what Kerr is trying to build. The Warriors are attempting to create a more modern offensive identity around Curry, while asking players such as Lendeborg to take on new responsibilities and veterans such as Draymond Green to adjust to a system that places more emphasis on spacing and movement away from the ball. Kerr acknowledged that the transition will take time, and Sunday showed both the potential and the growing pains of that process. The Warriors struggled early, found their rhythm later, and nearly stole the game, which may ultimately make the film more useful than the final score.
The game also served as another reminder of what an NBA event in Hawai'i can mean for the local basketball community. More than 10,000 fans packed the Stan Sheriff Center to watch two Western Conference teams begin their preseason, with Curry, Hachimura, Garland, Green and the rest of the stars sharing the floor with some of the league’s newest players. The Clippers and Warriors spent the week training on O'ahu, connecting with their teammates and families while giving local fans a rare opportunity to see NBA teams preparing for the season in person. Lue summed up the experience simply after the game: “The fans have been great. I thank Golden State and Steve and those guys for coming here with us. It’s always a great experience. The people and community are great. I love being here, so hopefully we can do it again next year.”
The Clippers leave Hawai'i with a preseason victory, several promising performances and an important injury situation to monitor. The Warriors leave with plenty to evaluate as they continue installing a new offensive system and developing a young core around Curry and Green. for the fans inside the Stan Sheriff Center, the final score was only part of the experience. The NBA was back in Hawai'i, the building was packed, and the game delivered a competitive finish that came down to the final possession.
Final Score: Clippers 104 - Warriors 101
Pictures taken by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
Stephen Curry Shooting During Pre-Game
Photographer: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
