Curry keeps Warriors alive
Stephen Curry scored 35 points to lift Golden State past the Los Angeles Clippers in Wednesday’s play‑in game, with Draymond Green supplying key steals late in the game (x.com). The win keeps Golden State’s season alive and advances them to a Friday matchup for the West’s No. 8 seed against Phoenix, according to game coverage and play‑in wrapups (espn.com) (nytimes.com).
Golden State beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 on Wednesday night, extending a season that looked finished with 9:53 left in the fourth quarter. (nba.com) Stephen Curry scored 35 points and hit seven three-pointers, including the go-ahead shot with 50.4 seconds remaining at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Golden State closed on a 16-6 run after trailing by 13 in the fourth. (nba.com) (espn.com.sg) Draymond Green came up with two late steals, and Golden State held Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final 16 seconds. Al Horford added 20 points and four three-pointers, three of them in the fourth. (nba.com) (espn.com.sg) The play-in tournament gives teams seeded seventh through 10th in each conference a final path into the playoffs. Phoenix finished eighth in the West, the Clippers ninth, and Golden State 10th, so the Warriors had to win Wednesday just to reach Friday’s game for the No. 8 seed. (espn.com) (nba.com) Friday’s winner between Golden State and Phoenix advances to the first round against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors entered the play-in after a 37-45 regular season, while the Clippers finished 42-40. (nba.com) (espn.com) (nba.com) The comeback turned on Curry’s second half after a quiet start. He had eight points on 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, then scored 27 after halftime, including 16 points in a six-minute burst in the third quarter. (espn.com.sg) The Warriors are trying to survive without Jimmy Butler the Third, who was listed inactive Wednesday and has been out since January, according to the game recap. Moses Moody and Quinten Post were also inactive for Golden State. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) For the Clippers, the loss ends a season that slipped into the play-in after two late losses to Portland, according to the Associated Press recap carried by ESPN. It is their first missed playoff berth since 2022 and only the third miss during the franchise’s 15 straight winning seasons. (espn.com.sg) Now the Warriors get one more night. After erasing a 98-85 deficit, they go to Phoenix on Friday with their season still alive and a playoff series still possible. (espn.com.sg) (nba.com)
