Curry’s late rally
Steph Curry led a comeback in the Warriors‑Clippers play‑in matchup, a veteran performance that shifted momentum on a busy playoff night (si.com). The same coverage noted the NBA is quickly sealing its full first‑round bracket and listed the Finals kickoff on June 3 on ABC as the postseason timetable to watch next (espn.com).
Stephen Curry dragged Golden State back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and sent the Warriors past the Los Angeles Clippers, 126-121, in Wednesday’s win-or-go-home play-in game. (nba.com) Curry scored 35 points, including 27 after halftime, and his seventh three-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds left. Al Horford added four three-pointers, and Golden State closed on a 16-6 run at Intuit Dome. (apnews.com) The Warriors entered the night as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, while the Clippers were No. 9, which made the matchup an elimination game under the play-in format. Golden State had finished the regular season at 37-45 after an injury-hit year that included Curry missing 39 games and Jimmy Butler being lost for the season in January. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The result kept Golden State alive for one more game and ended the Clippers’ season on the spot. The Warriors now travel to Phoenix on Friday, and the winner of that game will face defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round. (nba.com) Wednesday’s game landed in the middle of the National Basketball Association’s four-day play-in window, which runs from April 14 through April 17. The league’s first round starts April 18, with the 2026 National Basketball Association Finals scheduled to open June 3 on American Broadcasting Company. (nba.com) (espn.com) The same night, the Philadelphia 76ers secured the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed by beating the Orlando Magic, another step toward filling out the bracket. Sports Illustrated’s live coverage framed Curry’s finish as the swing point in a night that moved the postseason picture closer to complete. (nba.com) (si.com) For Golden State, the comeback fit a familiar formula: late shot-making from Curry, enough spacing from veteran shooters, and just enough defense to choke off a lead. The Clippers did not get a fourth-quarter field goal from Kawhi Leonard until the final 16 seconds. (apnews.com) The bracket is not fully sealed yet, but the calendar now matters almost as much as the standings. Curry bought the Warriors two more days, and the league is already counting down to April 18 and then June 3. (nba.com) (espn.com)
