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3 things to know: Eric Paschall’s 19 points off bench not enough, Warriors fall short in gritty battle vs. Clippers, 108-101

A slow start to the contest led turned into a gritty battle between the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at Chase Center. Each time the Clippers were able to get some breathing room with a lead, the Warriors pushed to stay in the game.

However, a late fourth-quarter swing from Los Angeles clipped Golden State’s chances of a comeback against a proven Western Conference playoff contender.

Behind a flagrant foul call on Draymond Green paired with timely shooting from Nicolas Batum and Patrick Beverley, the Clippers were able to seal the contest with a victory over the Warriors’ 108-101.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George paced the Clippers with 21 points each. George added 12 rebounds, two assists and a steal in 39 minutes.

Wednesday’s contest launched with a situation bigger than basketball. Following the events at the U.S Capitol building in Washington D.C., both the Warriors and Clippers knelt during the national anthem.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

The Warriors will have the chance to even the two-game “baseball series” with the Clippers on Friday at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

Eric Paschall thriving off the bench

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

After starting the first two games of the season, Eric Paschall moved into a role off the bench in Steve Kerr's rotation. Since moving to the second unit, the NBA sophomore has developed into a small-ball center weapon for Golden State's offense. With a refined role, Paschall has thrived as Kerr's lead option off the bench. On Wednesday, the Villanova product recorded one of his top performances of the young season. Paschall notched a season-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting with three boards and an assist in 20 minutes against the Clippers. As Steph Curry struggled to find his rhythm, Paschall provided a downhill scoring option for Golden State. Via @NBALatam on Twitter https://twitter.com/NBALatam/status/1347028223310356480?s=20

Andrew Wiggins providing consistency

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Through the first seven games of the season, Andrew Wiggins has notched double-figures in scoring in each contest. Heading into Wednesday, the former first overall pick shot 46% or better from the field in three of his last four games. Wiggins continued his consistent play with a 19-point performance against the Clippers. Wiggins shot 8-of-12 from the field with a pair of triples. The Golden State wing added three assists, a rebound and a steal in 34 minutes against Los Angeles. Several of Wiggins buckets against the Clippers came on smooth step backs or tough jumpers with defenders surrounding him. If Wiggins can continue his current pace, he could develop into a much-needed secondary scoring threat the Warriors desperately need alongside Steph Curry. Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1347045769233256448?s=20

Steph Curry heat check

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

After scoring 94 total points in his previous two games, Steph Curry cooled off against the Clippers on Wednesday. While he struggled to find the bottom of the net, Curry recorded only 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the field. The sharpshooting guard's heat check extended beyond the arc. He sank only one triple on six attempts. Curry tacked on five assists, four rebounds and a steal in 35 minutes. Pestering defense from Patrick Beverley swarmed Curry throughout the game. However, the two-time Most Valuable Player was able to hit a tough long-distance jumper after battling with Beverley to get an open look. Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1347032788596363265?s=20 At the end of the contest, Curry seemed to roll his ankle. After the game, Steve Kerr said Curry told him he doesn't believe it's a serious injury. https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1347058316690804738?s=20