Galen's debut with the Clippers, a disastrous start turned into a comeback contribution.

The Clippers vs. Warriors game was Galen's debut with the Clippers. Traded from the Cavaliers for Harden in early February, he was injured for a month. He actually suffered a right big toe sprain on January 15th and has been out until now.

On February 10th, Clippers GM Frank said Galen's right toe had healed but required recovery for a left toe injury. This indicates Galen injured his other foot during recovery, which, though unfortunate, shows his eagerness to return to the court.

In today's debut, Galen came off the bench, but Tyronn Lue made it clear: "Galen is our starting point guard and will enter the starting lineup once his minutes restriction is lifted." For his first game back, the Clippers were cautious, playing him just over 20 minutes. In those roughly 20 minutes, Galen experienced both extremes.

Right from the start, Galen was hit hard, failing to score and committing consecutive turnovers. In the first quarter, he was credited with 3 turnovers, but at least 4 were directly related to him. In Q1, Galen had 0 points and 3 turnovers, with a plus/minus of -11—a disastrous start.

The Clippers dug a 12-point hole in the first quarter, largely during Galen's minutes. His speed was fine, allowing him to shake defenders, but his ball-handling was rusty, showing clear signs of being out of practice.

The Warriors applied intense defensive pressure on Leonard from the opening, double-teaming him whenever he had the ball. After Leonard went to the bench, they shifted that same defensive focus onto Galen, leaving him a bit confused and leading to several mistakes.

However, in the second quarter, Galen gradually found his rhythm, hitting a three-pointer and scoring 5 points with 1 assist. He hit another three in the second half, adding 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in the third quarter. This period coincided with the Clippers' fierce comeback, as Galen, Dunn, and Mathurin began to gel.

In this game, both the Warriors and Clippers each had a strong half, but ultimately the team that performed better in the second half won. The Warriors once led by 17 points, but the Clippers outscored them 72-45 in the second half, a 27-point swing. Galen was on the court during two key comeback runs.

For the game, Galen shot 4-9, including 2-7 from three-point range, and made both free throws for 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, but also had 5 turnovers and 2 fouls, with a plus/minus of +5. He was -11 in the first quarter but +16 over the final three quarters—a tale of two halves, making his debut basically acceptable.

Currently, the Clippers want Galen to do two things: handle the ball to organize the offense and make three-pointers. His return should ease some of Leonard's ball-handling burden. Galen has a career three-point percentage of 38.6%, and even in a down season, he's shooting 36%, still an above-average shooter.

Since Harden's departure, the Clippers' "Northern Expedition" has slowed, but they remain 9th in the West. After today's win over the 8th-place Warriors, the gap is only 1.5 games. Considering Curry's return is still some time away, the Clippers overtaking the Warriors seems only a matter of time.

Regarding Draymond Green, it's truly baffling. In the Warriors' last seven games, they lost all five he played in and won both he missed, including one against the Nuggets. Draymond is increasingly seen as a liability. He can't take all the blame for today's loss, but his negative impact on the court is still glaring.

The Warriors started smoothly today but completely collapsed in the second half once their shooting cooled. The root of their offensive breakdown was the lack of a player who could break down the defense, forcing them to rely on outside shooting. Even without Curry in the past, having Butler ensured some interior scoring. Today, the Warriors had only 36 points in the paint, 26 fewer than the Clippers.

Tough days are ahead for the Warriors, with upcoming road games against the Rockets and Thunder. Their remaining schedule is challenging, and the key question is when Curry will return.

The Clippers welcomed Galen back, getting off to a decent start. The Warriors also urgently need Curry's return to get the team back on track.