The postseason pedigree of the Golden State Warriors was on full display Wednesday night as Stephen Curry erupted in the second half and Al Horford delivered clutch shooting down the stretch, lifting the 10th-seeded Warriors to a dramatic 126–121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference 9-vs-10 NBA Play-In matchup.
Golden State erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and closed the game on a decisive 16–6 run to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Warriors now advance to face the Phoenix Suns on Friday, with the winner earning a first-round matchup against defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
After scoring just eight points on 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, Curry reminded everyone why he remains one of the league’s most feared postseason performers.
The 38-year-old superstar poured in 27 of his 35 points after halftime, including a decisive seventh three-pointer that broke a late tie with 50.4 seconds remaining. His scoring burst fueled Golden State’s comeback and silenced a Clippers team that had controlled much of the second half.
Curry’s surge began earlier in the third quarter, when he rattled off 16 points in a six-minute stretch, preventing Los Angeles from pulling away and setting the stage for the late-game rally.
While Curry supplied the fireworks, Horford delivered the daggers. The veteran forward knocked down four three-pointers, including three critical shots in the fourth quarter. His final triple gave Golden State a 117–115 lead with 2:12 remaining—its first advantage late in the closing stretch.
Moments earlier, a driving layup by Gui Santos had trimmed the deficit to one possession, igniting the Warriors’ late surge.
Horford’s timely shooting proved decisive as Golden State seized momentum and never gave it back.
The Clippers appeared in control when they built a 98–85 lead with 9:53 remaining, but the Warriors’ championship-tested core refused to fade.
Alongside Curry and Horford, Kristaps Porzingis contributed 20 points, helping stabilize the offense during the comeback push.
Golden State also clamped down defensively, holding Kawhi Leonard scoreless throughout the fourth quarter until the final 16 seconds.
Despite finishing the regular season at 37–45 and losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending injury in January, the Warriors now sit one win away from another playoff berth—a remarkable turnaround fueled by experience and resilience.
Los Angeles received strong contributions across the lineup but couldn’t hold off Golden State’s late surge.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Clippers with 23 points, while Darius Garland added 21 points and eight assists despite battling foul trouble. Leonard finished with 21 points, though he struggled late as Golden State tightened its defense.
The loss ended the Clippers’ season and marked their first missed playoff appearance since 2022, snapping momentum after what had been the NBA’s longest active streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons.
Late-season losses to the Portland Trail Blazers ultimately dropped Los Angeles into the No. 9 seed—forcing the team into the tougher two-win play-in path that proved too steep.
From Curry’s electrifying scoring burst to Horford’s clutch perimeter shooting, Golden State leaned heavily on experience to survive elimination night.
Now the Warriors head to Phoenix with their season—and perhaps another deep postseason run—still alive.
