Warriors Rally, Advance
The Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126–121 in the play‑in tournament, with Stephen Curry leading a second‑half rally that eliminated the Clippers and sent Golden State to face the Phoenix Suns for the West’s No. 8 seed. Game recaps and bracket updates published today put the Warriors into Friday’s matchup after that comeback win (usatoday.com) (nytimes.com).
Golden State erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit Wednesday night, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 to stay alive in the Western Conference play-in. (nba.com) Stephen Curry scored 35 points, including 27 after halftime, and his seventh 3-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds left at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. (nba.com) The Warriors trailed 98-85 with 9:53 remaining, then closed on a 16-6 run and won the fourth quarter 43-32. (nba.com) (espn.com) That result moved the No. 10 Warriors into Friday’s road game against the No. 7 Phoenix Suns for the West’s No. 8 seed. The winner gets defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round when the playoffs open April 18. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The play-in is a two-step path for teams seeded seventh through 10th in each conference. The No. 9 and No. 10 teams face elimination immediately, while the winner advances to one more game for the final playoff spot. (nba.com) Golden State reached this point after a 37-45 regular season, and Curry only returned five games ago from a 27-game absence with a knee injury. Jimmy Butler has been out for the season since January. (nba.com) Al Horford gave Golden State another lift with four 3-pointers in the comeback, and Draymond Green helped close it by anchoring a defense that held Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final 16 seconds. (nba.com) The Clippers were eliminated despite leading late and finishing the regular season 42-40. Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points, while Leonard and Darius Garland added 21 apiece. (nba.com) (espn.com) Now the Warriors get one more win-or-go-home game on Friday, with Curry dragging a 10th-place team within one victory of the postseason. (nba.com) (apnews.com)
