Warriors Complete Stunning Comeback to Overcome Clippers

The Golden State Warriors achieved a thrilling comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, winning 126-121 in the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday night. Stephen Curry, who scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half, led the charge. Al Horford made four crucial 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping the Warriors erase a 13-point deficit and secure their place in the next round. Curry's seventh 3-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds remaining, sealing the win for the 10th-seeded Warriors. The team finished on a 16-6 run and managed to keep Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final 16 seconds. Following this impressive rally, the Warriors, led by Curry and Draymond Green, are one game away from another playoff berth despite a challenging regular season. They will face Phoenix on Friday, with the winner advancing to play the defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round. The Clippers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022, were led by Bennedict Mathurin with 23 points, while Darius Garland added 21 points and eight assists. The Warriors' victory was fueled by a classic second-half performance from Curry, who returned from a 27-game absence due to a knee injury just five games ago. He scored 16 points in a six-minute span in the third quarter, keeping the Warriors in contention. The Clippers had led 98-85 with 9:53 to play, but the Warriors' furious comeback, led by Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and the 39-year-old Horford, turned the game around. In another game, the Philadelphia 76ers secured the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 109-97 win over the Orlando Magic, despite the absence of Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, and V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, as the 76ers moved on to a first-round series starting on Sunday at Boston. Desmond Bane and the Magic will host Charlotte on Friday night, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Detroit.