It’s a Clippers three-peat

Reporting from Oakland —  A few weeks ago, the Clippers spoke longingly about getting back to .500 before the All-Star break.

When those hopes vanished, the chatter turned to playing at home, where the Clippers had a habit of beating elite teams.

And after the Clippers lost their first two games back at Staples Center, there was always the comforting thought that injury-ravaged Golden State was up next.

Oops.

Continuing a perplexing trend in which they have flopped against the NBA’s worst teams, the Clippers dropped a 132-102 head-scratcher against the Warriors on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

Of course, Golden State more closely resembles something out of the Development League these days.

Warriors players have missed a combined 293 games this season because of injuries, forcing the team to dip into the D League four times. Golden State suited up only eight players Wednesday and played without leading scorers Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette, who were forced to celebrate the end of their team’s nine-game losing streak from the bench.

Oops indeed.

Guard Baron Davis made only one of 12 shots for the Clippers, who played mostly reserves in the fourth quarter after falling behind by as many as 38 points. Forward Al Thornton scored a team-high 18 points off the bench.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” guard Eric Gordon said. “We just didn’t come to play at all.”

There was an ominous sign before the game when the team bus carrying interim Coach Kim Hughes and a few players arrived late to the arena, stirring reminders of a similar situation that preceded a recent loss to New Jersey.

Golden State then came out and torched the Clippers for 38 first-quarter points, with Stephen Curry scoring 17 and making five of seven three-point baskets as the Warriors (14-37) took an 18-point lead. Curry finished with a career-high 36 points along with 13 assists and 10 rebounds, securing his first triple-double when he grabbed a rebound in the final second.

“We came out with zero energy, no effort,” said Hughes, who promised to start limiting the minutes of players who failed to fully exert themselves. “I honestly don’t think we competed at all. . . . I’m embarrassed.”

If the Clippers wanted to know what a finely tuned running game looks like, they found out early in the second quarter as Golden State’s fastbreak resulted in repeated dunks and layups. At one point, the Warriors had made 19 of 23 shots (82.6%).

“It was a lack of effort on defense,” Davis said, “and on the offensive end we’re not sharing the ball and we don’t have any rhythm or continuity.”

Mike Dunleavy had talked about the Clippers needing a new voice last week when he announced his resignation as coach, but the club finds itself on track to hear a familiar one this summer when NBA Commissioner David Stern announces the team’s latest lottery pick.

The Clippers (21-31) fell to a season-worst 10 games under .500 and are 0-3 since Hughes replaced Dunleavy. They have lost eight of their last nine games.

If there ever was a team in need of a four-day break, it’s the Clippers.

“It’s going to take some soul-searching from each and every individual,” Davis said. “It’s been spiraling down for us, and the break is a chance to get away and regroup and let everyone look in the mirror and see what they’re doing and not doing.”

Etc.

Gordon took the first step toward possibly becoming a member of the U.S. Olympic team when he was selected for the pool of 27 players who will comprise the USA men’s national team.

The team will hold training camp in July before the roster is set ahead of the FIBA World Championships beginning Aug. 28 in Turkey. The preliminary list of players includes 11 former Olympians and 13 members of the national team from 2006 to 2008.

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