LOS ANGELES -- The sight of the Los Angeles Clippers still generates animosity and frequently brings out the best in the Golden State Warriors.
"There's definitely some added adrenaline when we play this team," Warriors forward Harrison Barnes said. "This is not a team you want to lose to."
Guard Klay Thompson scored 32 points and forward Draymond Green recorded his NBA-leading 11th triple-double, allowing the Warriors to bounce back from their worst showing of the season with a 115-112 victory over the Clippers on Saturday at Staples Center.
Guard Stephen Curry had 23 points and nine assists as the Warriors (49-5) returned to their winning ways following a 137-105 thrashing by the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Green finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as Golden State defeated the Clippers for their fifth straight time. Barnes also had 18 points.
"It was a big test for us," Curry said. "We've been a resilient team all year. Obviously, our record, we haven't lost two in a row all year because of our mentality. We can have a letdown night like we did last night, but come back and re-focus and turn it on, and find a way to get a win against a great team that's been playing well the last 20 or so games."
Guard Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 25 points to lead the Clippers (36-19). Crawford also notched his 47th career regular-season four-point play in the second quarter.
Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a thigh bruise, had 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while center DeAndre Jordan contributed 16 points and 21 rebounds. J.J. Redick also scored 16 points.
"We have history," said Crawford, referring to the rivalry between the two teams. "It is a love-hate thing, I guess. Both teams have been on the rise the last few years. Obviously, they won a championship last year, and you always want to play well against the champs."
The Clippers made it close in the final 35 seconds, getting three straight 3-point buckets. After guard C.J. Wilcox hit one, guard Pablo Prigioni hit two in a row to cut the Warriors' lead to three with 5.1 seconds left in the contest.
However, Wilcox' 3-point attempt from 25 feet just before the final horn was well short.
"Up until the last minute, we played well," said Thompson, who registered a 11-of-22 shooting performance and four of nine from 3-point range. "I am just proud of the way that we were solid with the ball. When we don't turn it over, we are tough to beat."
The Warriors held a 93-84 edge heading into the final quarter. They increased the margin to 110-92 after a 3-pointer by Barnes on a beautiful assist by guard Shaun Livingston and a layup by Green with 5:20 remaining before the Clippers closed with a 20-5 run.
Golden State dictated from the start. The Warriors built a double-digit lead in the first quarter before earning a 63-53 advantage at the break.
Golden State hit 51.2 percent of its shots to 44.7 percent for Los Angeles. The Clippers converted 13 of 36 (36.1 percent) of their 3-point attempts to 11 of 31 (35.5 percent) for the Warriors.
"They are sort of becoming like San Antonio in that they won't beat themselves, you've got to beat them," Paul said. "We didn't communicate as well as we could have tonight and they made us pay when we didn't."
Forward Jeff Green made his Clippers' debut. Green, who was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for swingman Lance Stephenson and a protected first-round pick, had five points against Golden State.
The Warriors played without center Andrew Bogut, who missed the contest with a strained right Achilles' tendon.
NOTES: The Warriors committed a record 13 turnovers in the third quarter of Friday's blowout by the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the most by a Warriors' club since the NBA began tracking miscues per quarter. "Hopefully, we'll keep it to 12 per quarter tonight," Golden State coach Steve Kerr deadpanned prior to the game. ... Los Angeles PG Chris Paul averaged 23.3 points per game in the 53 previous career games against the Warriors, his highest output against any NBA team. ... The Clippers signed F/C Alex Stepheson to a 10-day contract. The 6-10 Stepheson, 28, started 31 games for the Iowa Energy in the NBA Developmental League. He averaged 15.9 points and a league-high 13.8 rebounds. ... Both clubs resume play Monday. The Warriors visit the Atlanta Hawks, while the Clippers host the Phoenix Suns.
