Warriors comeback to eliminate Clippers in play-in tournament thriller

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Warriors comeback to eliminate Clippers in play-in tournament thriller

Warriors comeback to eliminate Clippers in play-in tournament thriller

The Warriors will now play the Suns on Friday for a trip to the playoffs.

Warriors comeback to eliminate Clippers in play-in tournament thriller

The Warriors will now play the Suns on Friday for a trip to the playoffs.

The NBA's 2026 play-in tournament has been nothing short of electric, delivering three consecutive games of high-stakes drama. That trend continued in Los Angeles on Friday night, where the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers authored another classic, a back-and-forth thriller that came down to the final possessions.

Facing elimination, the Warriors started in a deep hole, falling behind 12-2 in the opening minutes. The Clippers repeatedly pushed their lead to nine and ten points, but a resilient Golden State squad, seasoned by years of playoff battles, refused to let the game slip away. They hung around, waiting for their moment to strike.

That moment arrived in the third quarter, courtesy of Steph Curry. After a quiet first half with just eight points, the superstar guard detonated. He poured in 16 points in the frame, hitting 6-of-8 shots including three from deep—one of which was a momentum-swinging four-point play. His flurry cut the deficit to six and completely shifted the game's energy heading into the fourth.

With the Clippers reeling, veteran Al Horford took over. He caught fire from beyond the arc, drilling four crucial fourth-quarter three-pointers. Curry added 11 more points with two additional triples, as the Warriors completed a stunning road comeback to win 126-121. This victory in the 9-vs-10 matchup keeps their season alive.

While the offense surged, Draymond Green provided the defensive backbone. He tallied nine assists and, in the game's critical final minutes, locked down Kawhi Leonard. With the lead in hand, Green forced consecutive turnovers from the Clippers' star, effectively sealing the victory and ending Los Angeles' season.

Curry finished with a game-high 35 points, leading a balanced Warriors attack. The team now turns its focus to a win-or-go-home showdown with the Phoenix Suns this Friday, with the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs on the line.

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