Clippers keep losing to short-handed teams, and that should worry them most

Nov 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (28) shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) during the third quarter at Chase Center.The Los Angeles Clippers got about as good a setup as a struggling team could ask for on Sunday night, with Golden State sitting Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler also out, and the Clippers putting up 37 points in the first quarter at Chase Center, yet they still walked off with a 124-112 loss.Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg did most of the damage, scoring a career-high 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three, which was the most by a Warriors rookie since Curry scored 42 back in April 2010.The loss is the fifth straight for the Clippers, who fell to 1-5 on the season.How the Warriors Took OverThe Clippers led 37-29 after one quarter and were getting good looks almost every trip down the floor, but the second quarter turned on them fast as Golden State won the period 34-20 and took a 63-57 lead into halftime, with Lendeborg already sitting on 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and Los Angeles never got back in front after that.Lendeborg hit back-to-back threes late in the third quarter to make it 84-70, and a 14-0 run early in the fourth turned a 100-92 game into a 114-92 blowout before the Clippers put together a 13-0 run of their own to get within 118-110, which was as close as they would get.Golden State finished 22-of-49 from three while the Clippers made 14, and the Warriors got plenty of help beyond Lendeborg, with De'Anthony Melton hitting six threes for 21 points, Brandin Podziemski posting 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Brandon Williams scoring 17 off the bench.Lendeborg was coming off a six-point, foul-out night against the Lakers that he called the worst game of his life, so this one meant something to him."I'm gonna just continue to try to keep playing with a smile on my face," Lendeborg told reporters after the game.Nov 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (28) shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) during the third quarter at Chase Center.Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesNov 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (28) shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) during the third quarter at Chase Center.Hachimura Finds His ShotRui Hachimura was the best thing the Clippers had going, scoring 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds after shooting 28.6% from the field through his first four games.Kobe Sanders added 16 points with four threes, Kris Dunn had 12 points to go with seven steals, and Nick Martinelli gave the second unit a lift with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.Darius Garland came in averaging 22 points a game but was held to 15 on 4-of-12 shooting, going 1-of-7 from three, and Keaton Wagler had a rough night of his own with seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and no made threes. It was the first time in six NBA games the No. 5 pick didn't reach double figures, and it happened on the same night the No. 11 pick went for 37.A Worrying TrendWhat bothers me most about this stretch is who the Clippers are losing to, since each of their last three losses came against a team missing its best player.Luka Doncic sat out with back tightness when the Lakers beat them by 16 at Intuit Dome, Anthony Edwards was out when Minnesota beat them by 26 on Friday, and Golden State played Sunday without Curry, Green or Butler.Those are the games a team in this spot has to find a way to steal, and the Clippers haven't come close in any of them.I understand this roster is thin, with Brandon Ingram still out after offseason heel surgery, Bradley Beal dealing with a sore right knee, and Ty Lue leaning on a 19-year-old rookie and a rotation where a lot of guys are still figuring out their roles, so nobody expected this group to look like a contender two weeks into the season.The issue goes past talent, though, because the Clippers keep letting one bad stretch decide the game, whether it was the 23-2 run Minnesota hit them with in the fourth quarter on Friday or the 34-20 second quarter on Sunday that wiped out a strong start.The defense worries me the most, because giving up 127 and 124 points in back-to-back games to teams playing without their stars is hard to explain away, especially on a night when Golden State piled up 32 assists and went 8-for-8 on fast breaks, which points more toward effort and communication than anything on the injury report.Garland has to be better too, because when he's off the offense has nowhere to go, and the Clippers went 2-of-13 from the midrange on Sunday with nobody else able to create a clean look.There is some relief on the schedule, with the next three games at Intuit Dome against Toronto, Miami and New Orleans, and if this team is going to find its footing before Ingram and Beal get back, this homestand is the place to start, because another week like this one would change the conversation around the whole season.The Clippers host the Raptors on Monday at 7 p.m. on the second night of a back-to-back.