Stephen Curry ignited a dramatic turnaround for the Golden State Warriors, delivering 35 points—27 of them in the second half—to secure a 126-121 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA play‑in tournament on Wednesday night. The win was sealed when Curry buried his seventh three‑pointer with just 50.4 seconds remaining, breaking a tie and propelling the 10th‑seeded Warriors past a 13‑point fourth‑quarter hole. Al Horford contributed four treys, including a clutch bucket that gave Golden State a two‑point lead with just over two minutes left. The Warriors capped the comeback with a 16‑6 run, while holding Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the final 16 seconds of the game.
The rally was a testament to Golden State’s veteran poise. Despite a 37-45 regular‑season record and the loss of All‑Star forward Jimmy Butler to a season‑ending injury in January, the team’s core—Curry, Draymond Green and a seasoned supporting cast—proved they could still compete in high‑pressure situations. After the win, the Warriors are only one game away from a full playoff berth.
Their next challenge is a road trip to Phoenix on Friday, where the victor will earn the right to face defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round of the postseason. For the Clippers, the night was a mix of individual brilliance and collective disappointment. Kawhi Leonard tallied 21 points, while rookie Bennedict Mathurin led Los Angeles with 23, and Darius Garland added 21 points and eight assists despite battling foul trouble.
The Clippers had built a 98-85 lead with just under ten minutes left, but the 38‑year‑old Curry, alongside Kristaps Porzingis (who contributed 20 points) and 39‑year‑old Horford, orchestrated a furious comeback that ultimately erased the deficit. Curry’s performance was especially noteworthy given his recent return from a 27‑game knee injury layoff. He erupted for 16 points in a six‑minute stretch of the third quarter, keeping the Warriors within striking distance as the Clippers attempted to pull away. In the fourth, Horford’s three‑point barrage—including three triples in the final minutes—shifted momentum.
After Gui Santos’ layup trimmed the lead to 115-114 with 2:45 remaining, Horford’s fourth three‑pointer pushed Golden State ahead 117-115 with just over two minutes left, a lead they would protect until the final buzzer. Beyond the Warriors‑Clippers showdown, the broadcast highlighted other NBA storylines.
In Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey erupted for 31 points as the 76ers, despite missing star center Joel Embiid—who recently underwent an emergency appendectomy—defeated the Orlando Magic 109-97 to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Maxey, an Eastern Conference All‑Star starter for the first time, delivered a decisive stretch of seven straight points late in the fourth quarter, giving the Sixers breathing room after a late‑season collapse by the Magic. Orlando’s Desmond Bane shone in defeat, dropping 34 points and shouldering the Magic’s offense.
His performance, alongside Anthony Black’s triple‑double‑ish effort, kept the game competitive until the final minutes. The Magic will host Charlotte on Friday, with the winner securing the No. 8 seed in the East and a first‑round matchup against Detroit. The article also provided a schedule for the 2026 NBA playoffs on Sky Sports, listing start times in British Summer Time for the opening night and subsequent rounds, including the Western Conference Finals beginning May 20.
It outlined the bracket matchups, noting home‑court advantage for higher seeds, and reminded viewers that all games would be streamed live on Sky Sports Action and the NOW platform without a contract. Overall, the Warriors’ comeback exemplified the resilience of a veteran‑laden squad capable of overcoming adversity. Curry’s leadership, Horford’s timely shooting, and the collective effort of role players like Porzingis underscored why Golden State remains a threat despite a sub‑ .500 regular‑season record.
As the play‑in tournament progresses, the Warriors aim to capitalize on this momentum and secure a full berth, while the Clippers must regroup after a heartbreaking loss that ends a remarkable stretch of 15 consecutive winning seasons, marking only the third time they have missed the playoffs since 2022.