Stephen Curry ignited a spectacular second-half surge, tallying 27 of his 35 points after halftime, while veteran Al Horford contributed four timely three-pointers as Golden State clawed back from a 13-point deficit to secure a 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday night. The comeback was capped when Curry drained his seventh three-pointer of the night, breaking a tie with just 50.4 seconds remaining, giving the 10th-seeded Warriors a decisive edge. The final minutes saw Golden State finish on a 16-6 run, a stretch that also featured a defensive stand that held Clippers star Kawhi Leonard scoreless for the entire fourth quarter until the last 16 seconds of the game.
This dramatic rally propelled the Warriors, who finished the regular season with a 37-45 record and endured the loss of Jimmy Butler to a season-ending injury in January, one step closer to the playoffs. With the victory, they now await a showdown with the Phoenix Suns on Friday; the winner of that contest will move on to face defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round.
For the Clippers, Leonard posted 21 points, but the team fell short of extending its streak of playoff appearances, missing the postseason for the first time since 2022 and ending a remarkable run of 15 consecutive winning seasons. Benedict Mathurin led Los Angeles with 23 points, while Darius Garland added 21 points and eight assists despite battling foul trouble. The Clippers had held a 98-85 lead with just 9:53 left in the game, but Curry, now 38, orchestrated a furious comeback alongside Kristaps Porzingis, who contributed 20 points, and the 39-year-old Horford. Curry's performance was especially noteworthy given his recent return from a 27-game knee injury layoff.
He poured in 16 points in a six‑minute burst during the third quarter, keeping the Warriors within striking distance as the Clippers tried to pull away. In the decisive fourth quarter, Horford's three-pointers proved crucial.
After he nailed three long-range shots in the closing minutes, a layup by Gui Santos with 2:45 remaining trimmed the Clippers' lead to 115-114. Horford then hit his fourth three-pointer, pushing Golden State ahead 117-115 with 2:12 left on the clock. Beyond the Warriors‑Clippers drama, the broadcast also covered other NBA action.
In Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey erupted for 31 points as the 76ers, despite missing Joel Embiid, defeated the Orlando Magic 109-97 to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Maxey, a first‑time Eastern Conference All‑Star starter, scored seven straight points late in the fourth quarter to give his team breathing room after a late‑season collapse by the Magic against Boston. Meanwhile, Orlando’s Desmond Bane shouldered the offensive load with 34 points, keeping the Magic alive in the play‑in picture as they prepared to host Charlotte for the final East seed.
The article also listed the upcoming 2026 NBA Playoffs schedule on Sky Sports, noting that all times are in British Summer Time. The first round kicks off on Sunday, April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action beginning at 6 p.m. The schedule includes matchups such as the 7th‑seeded Eastern team versus the Boston Celtics, the 8th‑seeded Western team versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the 8th‑seeded Eastern team versus the Detroit Pistons. Additional games slated for the early morning include the Portland Trail Blazers (7) at the San Antonio Spurs (2).
The network will also broadcast the Western Conference Finals live starting May 20. For viewers in the United Kingdom, the guide detailed how to watch the playoffs, either through a Sky Sports subscription or via the NOW streaming service, which offers contract‑free access.
The coverage will feature all key moments, from the opening round through to the championship series, ensuring fans can follow every clutch three‑pointer, defensive stop, and buzzer‑beating finish. In summary, Stephen Curry’s leadership and scoring prowess, combined with timely contributions from Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, turned a seemingly lost cause into a victorious night for the Warriors. Their resilience in the face of a mid‑season injury crisis and a sub‑ .500 regular‑season record underscores the unpredictable nature of playoff basketball, where experience and clutch performance often outweigh regular‑season statistics. As Golden State prepares for the next hurdle against Phoenix, the Warriors’ fans can look forward to another intense battle, with the ultimate prize of a coveted playoff berth hanging in the balance.