ICYMI: Will Ferell makes an appearance as Jackie Moon during Warriors-Clippers pre-game, connects on an alley-oop with Steph Curry

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors were on a five-game losing streak heading into the game against the LA Clippers at Chase Center.

They have been collectively struggling, primarily due to Draymond Green’s lengthy absence from the team. The multi-titled All-Star forward still a few days away from his much-awaited return, but the Warriors got an unexpected boost from a legendary basketball player.

Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell), who owns, coaches and plays for the Flint Tropics, surprised the home crowd when he went out of the tunnel with the Golden State Warriors. The gung-ho Moon made the usual pre-game warmups even livelier with a perfect alley-oop pass to Steph Curry:

Before the perfect pass to Steph Curry, Moon got a superb lob on the other end of the floor and converted a surprisingly graceful lay-up. Besides showing off his shooting and passing skills, the energetic guest also spent a few minutes guarding Klay Thompson, hoping the latter breaks his shooting slump.

Thompson is a huge Jackie Moon fan, often seen wearing the Flint Tropics uniform before NBA games. It was a case of Moon meeting Moon when the two gleefully exchanged pleasantries during the warmups.

The Golden State Warriors, despite Steph Curry’s presence, have lost five straight games, including two of their last 10. Their once ironclad grip on the second seed in the Western Conference has all but slipped to the emerging Memphis Grizzlies.

The hope is that Jackie Moon can provide the spark the Warriors need as they enter a crucial stretch of the season.

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Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors clinch vital win against the LA Clippers

The Golden State Warriors recorded an emphatic end to their five-game losing streak against the LA Clippers. [Photo: SFGate]

After a tight first quarter, the Jackie Moon effect seemed to finally show for the Golden State Warriors. Thanks to Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole, the Warriors dominated the Clippers 33-15 in the second quarter.

They kept it going in the third quarter and opened the final 12 minutes of the game with a 86-61 lead. Golden State ultimately took the game 112-97 with Thompson, Poole and Jonathan Kuminga recording 20+ points, and Curry contributing 15.

Right now, the Bay Area team is not outwardly showing signs of worry despite their recent horrible showings. They still believe that when fully healthy, they can turn it up a notch in the playoffs. Head coach Steve Kerr is also positive that their collective struggles will eventually give way to their usual consistency on both ends of the floor.

Draymond Green is expected to be back on March 14 against the Washington Wizards. That should bode well for the Warriors’ leaky defense and often stagnant offense and help them improve in the final stages of the regular season.