Los Angeles @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 10, 2018 ) L.A. Clippers 125, Golden State 106

The three-time defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors return from the All-Star break on Thursday in an unfamiliar position -- second place. The Warriors will try to break out of the malaise that seemed to infect the team in the two weeks before the break when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Golden State got less of a break than any other team with four players -- Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green -- in the All-Star Game in Los Angeles on Sunday, but coach Steve Kerr believed it was a good idea for the team to decompress. "It's just like any other job, to be honest," Kerr told reporters. "No matter what you do, you need a vacation. So, if you can get away for a few days, go somewhere nice or do something fun, it helps anybody. I think our guys will feel that, for sure." The Warriors dropped four of their eight games before the break to fall a half-game behind conference-leading Houston while the Clippers come out a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 spot with 26 games left in the regular season. Los Angeles won seven of nine heading into the break, including three of the first four on a seven-game trip that continues at Golden State.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (30-26): Los Angeles center DeAndre Jordan was not invited to the All-Star Game despite ranking second in the NBA in both rebounding (15) and field-goal percentage (65.2) but showed off his talent while scoring a career-high 30 points in a win at Boston heading into the break. "I think it was great for us to build confidence on a road trip like this, knowing that we have (three) more games coming out of the All-Star break (on the road)," Jordan told reporters. "I think we've been doing a really good job playing well, but we just need to finish off games." Small forward Tobias Harris is proving to be a strong addition and is averaging 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in six games since coming over in a trade from the Detroit Pistons.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (44-14): Durant ended up on the opposite side from his three teammates with the new format in the All-Star Game and provided the defensive stop of the night when he switched onto Curry and prevented his Golden State teammate from attempting a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. Durant, who scored 50 points in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers heading into the break, scored 19 points for the winning Team LeBron -- the highest scoring total of any of the four Warriors in the game. Kerr is hoping those four found some time to rest with a pair of games against Western Conference playoff contenders coming out of the break before a three-game East coast trip.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Curry went 6-of-19 from 3-point range in the two games before the break.

2. Clippers SF Danilo Gallinari is averaging 20.1 points in seven games since returning from a glute injury.

3. Los Angeles snapped a 12-game losing streak in the series with a 125-106 win at Golden State on Jan. 10 when SG Lou Williams scored a career-best 50 points..

PREDICTION: Warriors 122, Clippers 109