Warriors vs. Clippers
The Western Conference 7-vs-8 play‑in pits Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors against Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, April 15, with the winner claiming the No. 7 playoff spot. Sportsbooks have already posted opening odds and the matchup has extra star intrigue — outlets note Darius Garland is eyeing a Curry showdown amid the volatile single‑game format. (nbcsports.com)(espn.com)(si.com)(clutchpoints.com)
Golden State and Los Angeles meet Wednesday night in Inglewood in a single-elimination play-in game, with the loser’s season ending there. (nba.com) The Clippers finished ninth in the Western Conference at 42-40, and the Warriors finished 10th at 37-45. Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific time, and the winner advances to the West play-in final for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The play-in is a four-team race for the last two playoff spots in each conference: the No. 7 seed plays the No. 8 seed for one berth, while the No. 9 seed hosts the No. 10 seed in an elimination game. The loser of the 7-versus-8 game then hosts the winner of 9-versus-10 for the final berth. (nba.com) Los Angeles gets home court after finishing with the same 42-40 record as Portland but landing ninth, and Golden State enters on a three-game losing streak. The Clippers also beat the Warriors 115-110 on Sunday in the regular-season finale. (nba.com) (si.com) (nba.com) Sportsbooks opened Los Angeles as a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings, with the Clippers at -192 on the moneyline and the Warriors at +160. The opening total was 220.5 points. (si.com) The season series gives Los Angeles another edge on paper. Golden State won the October meeting, but the Clippers won the other three games, including the last two by one point on January 5 and five points on April 12. (si.com) (nba.com) Stephen Curry remains the Warriors’ central threat after averaging 26.6 points per game this season, and he scored a team-high 24 points in Sunday’s loss to Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard has been the Clippers’ late-season anchor, with NBA.com highlighting his scoring surge during the club’s push back into the West race. (espn.com) (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) There is also a next-round subplot around Darius Garland, who said he was looking forward to a possible matchup with Curry if the Clippers advance. Curry answered that he was ready for the challenge, according to reports published Tuesday. (sports.yahoo.com 1) (sports.yahoo.com 2) For both teams, the margin is now one game. Win on April 15 and keep a path to the playoffs alive; lose on April 15 and the season is over. (nba.com)
