The Golden State Warriors pulled off an incredible comeback, erasing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to secure a 126-121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Stephen Curry led the charge, scoring 27 of his 35 points in the second half, including a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 50.4 seconds remaining. Al Horford also played a crucial role, hitting four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The win advances the Warriors to the next round of the NBA's play-in tournament, where they will face the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
The winner of that game will move on to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points for the Clippers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
The Clippers were led by Bennedict Mathurin, who scored 23 points, and Darius Garland, who added 21 points and eight assists despite struggling with foul trouble. The Warriors' comeback was fueled by Curry's vintage performance, which included 16 points in a six-minute span of the third quarter. The 38-year-old point guard returned to the court just five games ago after a 27-game absence due to a knee injury. The game also featured a strong performance from Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 20 points, and the 39-year-old Horford, who hit three 3-pointers down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
The NBA playoffs are set to begin on Sky Sports this Sunday, with four live games scheduled, including the East No. 7 seed at Boston Celtics and the West No. 8 seed at Oklahoma City Thunder.