Decision by Kerr on Tuesday leaves Warriors sans Splash Brothers vs Clippers

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OAKLAND -- There was a tiny hint of regret in Steve Kerr’s voice late Wednesday afternoon when the Warriors coach reflected on a decision he made a day earlier.

That decision left the Warriors without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson against the Clippers.

Thompson was not scheduled to play at all, but Curry most certainly was -- until he tweaked his right ankle during the team’s morning shootaround.

Though the Curry injury is not believed to be serious, the Warriors suddenly were without either of the Splash Brothers and, frankly, woefully thin at guard.

“I had told Klay (on Tuesday) that he’d have the day off. He needs one,” Kerr said in his pregame news conference.

Thompson is the only member of the Warriors to have played in every game this season. Chelsea Lane, who oversees the physical performance and sports medicine, went to Kerr a few days ago advising him to find a day to rest Thompson for both physical and psychological reasons.

“It just felt like the right day, before we go on this road trip,” Kerr said. “Once Steph got hurt, what am I going to do? Call Klay and say ‘I changed my mind?’ Obviously, if this were a different situation, we might consider that.

“But we’re giving Klay a day off for a reason. He needs it. So I didn’t feel comfortable at all changing my mind, calling him and saying, ‘Hey, can you play after all?’ So we’ll have to make do.”

The Warriors entered the game with three natural guards: Shaun Livingston, Pat McCaw and Nick Young. Andre Iguodala, can play spot minutes in the backcourt, and both Draymond Green and Kevin Durant are able to initiate the offense.

Kerr acknowledged he considered Quinn Cook, who has appeared in 10 games this season, but realized the two-way point guard was not available. He’s in Canada with the Santa Cruz Warriors, who are participating in the G-League Showcase.

Kerr said his guard rotation on Wednesday would be determined in the hour before tipoff, adding half-jokingly that forward Omri Casspi could see minutes at guard.

As a result, Kerr conceded that the Warriors might have to play bigger than he would like for stretches of the game.

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