Golden State's Stephen Curry ignited a fierce second-half rally, scoring 27 of his 35 points after the break, while Al Horford's four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter helped the Warriors overcome a 13-point deficit to secure a 126-121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Curry's seventh 3-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds remaining, capping a 16-6 run that propelled the 10th-seeded Warriors into the next round of the NBA's play-in tournament. Kawhi Leonard was held scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final 16 seconds, finishing with 21 points for the Clippers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
The Warriors will face Phoenix on Friday, with the winner advancing to meet Oklahoma City in the first round. Meanwhile, 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 to lead the Sixers, who will begin their first-round series against Boston on Sunday.