Warriors survive Clippers
The Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 to avoid elimination in the Western play‑in, with Stephen Curry carrying the comeback and Draymond Green making key defensive plays down the stretch (x.com) (usatoday.com). Curry finished with 35 points as Golden State answered a late push from L.A., a performance outlets called the defining moment that kept their postseason hopes alive (nytimes.com) (x.com).
Golden State stayed alive Wednesday night, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 in Inglewood to survive the Western Conference play-in. (nba.com) Stephen Curry scored 35 points, including 27 after halftime, and his seventh three-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds left. Golden State closed on a 16-6 run after trailing by 13 points in the fourth quarter. (apnews.com) Al Horford added four three-pointers, and Golden State held Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final 16 seconds. Referee Ben Taylor left shortly after halftime with an injury and alternate Sean Corbin replaced him. (espn.com) The game was an elimination matchup between the West's No. 9 Clippers and No. 10 Warriors in the National Basketball Association play-in tournament. The winner moved on; the loser’s season ended on April 15. (espn.com) Golden State finished the regular season 37-45, which left it needing two play-in wins to reach the playoffs. The Warriors got the first one and now travel to Phoenix on Friday, April 17, for the West’s final No. 8 seed game. (nba.com) That next game will decide who opens the first round against defending champion Oklahoma City on Sunday, April 19. The National Basketball Association’s 2026 first round begins April 18 after the play-in ends April 17. (nba.com) The Clippers finished 42-40 and saw their season end despite leading 31-22 after one quarter and 61-53 at halftime. ESPN’s game log lists Stephen Curry as the high scorer and Bennedict Mathurin as the Clippers’ leading scorer with 23 points. (espn.com) For Golden State, the result kept a postseason path open that looked shaky after Jimmy Butler was lost for the season in January. By the end of Wednesday night, the Warriors had turned a 13-point fourth-quarter hole into one more trip to Phoenix. (nba.com)
