Warriors vs. Clippers score, highlights: Steph Curry keys dramatic win

The Golden State Warriors rallied back in the second half to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 126-121, to eliminate Los Angeles and advance in the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament.

The Warriors play the Phoenix Suns on Friday, April 17 for the eighth and final spot in the West in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, their franchise cornerstone, with 35 points on 7-of-12 shooting from 3-point land, including the go-ahead, long-distance shot to give Golden State a 120-117 lead with 50 seconds left in the game.

Golden State trailed by 13 points in the fourth quarter and lodged a comeback behind a flurry from veterans such as Al Horford, who cashed in four consecutive deep balls to contribute to the Warriors run.

Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland each scored 21 points for the Clippers. Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench for Los Angeles.

Gui Santos and Kristaps Porzingis each scored 20 points for Golden State. Porzingis added two blocks. Brandin Podziemski added 17. Draymond Green tallied seven points, nine assists and four steals.

The Warriors haven't had reason to be admirers of the NBA Play-In Tournament, having posted a 1-3 record in play-in games. Golden State has battled injuries throughout the season to Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Curry, but managed to hang on for the 10th seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors have integrated Porzingis, the 7-foot-2 center, after a deadline trade; he's averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 23.7 minutes in 15 games with Golden State.

The Clippers were in the play-in for the second time, and they haven't had anything to cheer about, either. They were defeated twice in their only appearance in 2022, losing both games for the No. 7 and 8 seeds. Now, they add 2026 to their history of play-in losses.

Although they weren't able to win the postseason matchup, the Clippers won the regular-season series with the Warriors, 3-1 in four meetings with their Pacific Division rival, including the final game of the season on April 12. Golden State had lost seven of its previous eight games, the lone win coming against the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings. However, the Warriors got back on the winning side of things at the most important time, the postseason.

USA TODAY Sports had live updates of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Here's how the game panned out:

Clippers vs. Warriors highlights

Clippers turnover late turns to Warriors points

Clippers' Bennedict Mathurin turned the ball over late in the game. Warriors forward Draymond Green got a steal and advanced the ball to Brandin Podziemski who went for a layup and was fouled. His shot was blocked by Mathurin, but a goaltend was called.

The Warriors led 123-117 with under a minute left after the Podziemski free throw.

Stephen Curry makes go-ahead three

Stephen Curry shows why the Warriors have a chance whenever he is on the floor. Curry scored his 34th point and gave the Warriors a 120-117 lead with 50 seconds left.

Brook Lopez ties the game

A couple of Brooke Lopez free throws tied the game at 117 with less than two minutes.

Al Horford gives Warriors lead

Al Horford made his fourth-consecutive three-pointer to give the Warriors a 117-115 lead with under two minutes remaining in the game. Horford has 14 points in the game.

Al Horford clutch threes to keep Warriors in contention

Al Horford makes three consecutive three-pointer to keep the Warriors in contention with the Clippers. Golden State trailed, 115-114, after a Brook Lopez three-pointer and layups from Stephen Curry and Gui Santos. There's 2:45 remaining in the game.

Darius Garland comes alive

Darius Garland scored a quick six points and one assists to extend the Clipper lead to 108-99 with a little over six minutes in the game. However, he has five fouls and will have to be careful in the remainder of the game.

Warriors continue to lodge comeback in second half

Golden State brought the deficit to down to three after going on a 12-2 run in the last 1:11. Clippers lead was just 100-97 with 8:16 left in the game.

End of 3Q: Clippers 89, Warriors 83

The Clippers held on to their lead, going into the final 12 minutes with a six-point lead, 89-83. Golden State is mounting a comeback but has had setbacks with 17 turnovers in the game.

However, Stephen Curry has had himself a quarter, scoring 16 of his 24 points in the period. The Warriors haven't had much scoring production from their bench with only 13 points through three quarters.

Los Angeles has five players who have scored in double-figures: Kawhi Leonard (19), Derrick Jones Jr. (11), Brook Lopez (10), Darius Garland (13) and Bennedict Mathurin (14).

Warriors won't quit, continue to make it a game

Golden State fought their way back the Warrior way. Stephen Curry went on a mini flurry, scoring 16 points in the 3rd quarter. He has 24 total points. The Warriors trail 83-78.

Halftime: Clippers 61, Warriors 53

The Los Angeles Clippers responded to the Warriors cutting their deficit with buckets from Kawhi Leonard, Benedict Mathurin and Brook Lopez. They ended the first half with a 61-53 lead going into the locker room.

The Clippers were led by Leonard with 14 points. Darius Garland had 11 points to add for Los Angeles. However, their bench production is what told the tale in the first 24 minutes. The secondary unit scored 18 in the first half.

The Warriors were led by Brandin Podziemski with 11 points. Stephen Curry had eight points, despite scaring fans with an unexpected trip to the locker room in the first quarter. He later returned to the game. Kristaps Porzingis has nine in the first half.

Warriors push cuts deficit

A couple of threes from the Warriors backcourt between Brandin Podziemski and Stephen Curry helped cut the Clipper lead down to four, 57-53, with a minute left in the half.

Draymond Green technical foul

Draymond Green gets a technical foul after going back and forth with with NBA official James Williams, which led to two free throws from Kawhi Leonard. Clippers led 52-42.

Clippers look to separate themselves

The Los Angeles Clippers duo of Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard have scored 22 of the team's 52 points. They have 11 points each as the team leads 50-42.

Stephen Curry returns to the game

Stephen Curry returned to the game at the 7:59 mark of the second quarter.

Warriors take lead without Stephen Curry

Despite star guard Stephen Curry being out for a brief moment, the Warriors went on a stretch where they were able to get back the lead in the second quarter, 33-31, after a 9-0 run. Curry is back on the bench, but hasn't subbed back in the game.

End of 1Q: Clippers 31, Warriors 22

Clippers led the Warriors, 31-22, after 12 minutes of play in the opening quarter. Warriors guard Stephen Curry went into the locker room after a little over seven minutes of play.

Los Angeles was led by Darius Garland with eight points, while Kawhi Leonard had six. The Clippers' second unit has shown up in the first quarter, scoring 18 of the team's 31 points.

Stephen Curry goes to locker room

Warriors guard Stephen Curry went to the locker room late in the first quarter. It is unclear as to what happened. Curry has missed time with Golden State during the regular-season due to what the team previously told USA TODAY Sports was runners' knee.

Warriors take lead, respond with a quick run

The Warriors got things cooking in the middle of the first quarter sparked by a Brandin Podziemski three-pointer, as did Draymond Green. Kristaps Porzingis chipped in with a couple field goals. Golden State led 17-16 after a Stephen Curry three-pointer with 5:07 left in the opening period.

Clippers on fire to start game

The Los Angeles Clippers opened the game on a 10-2 run in the first 3:19 of the game. Clippers are led by Darius Garland with six points on 3-for-3 shooting. Kawhi Leonard has four points, he made his first field goal and a couple free throws.

What to watch for during Warriors vs. Clippers

Be on the lookout for these key points during the NBA Play-In game between the Warriors and Clippers.

Superstar matchup: Steph Curry vs Kawhi Leonard

There's something special about the postseason when superstar talent goes toe-to-toe with each other. When it's a pair of stars who dominated the previous decade and much of this one, and you're not sure when you'll see greatness go head-to-head again, it's a spectacle to view.

The Warriors and Clippers matchup is a highly anticipated one because it's a chance to see Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard face each other in the postseason for perhaps the final time. Leonard has the slightly better playoff win percentage against Curry, going 8-5 in their 13 matchups.

The last time these two saw each other in the postseason was the 2019 NBA Finals, when Leonard played for the Toronto Raptors. Leonard went to lead the Raptors to the championship in six games and was named Finals MVP after Warriors suffered key injuries to Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.

Curry got the best of Leonard during the 2017 Western Conference Finals, however. Leonard was injured in Game 1 and missed the remainder of the series. The Warriors won the series and went on to win the NBA championship.

During the 2025-26 season, Curry averaged 23.3 points, 5.7 assists and four rebounds on 44%/31%/87% shooting splits in three games against the Clippers. Leonard averaged 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in three games against the Warriors.

Only one will get the last laugh during the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament game.

Which second unit will show up for stars?

As much of the attention will be focused on the marquee players, the second unit and bench production will be a key component to this game. Los Angeles has the better secondary unit, at least on paper. Its team consists of a number of dependable scoring options and shot makers such as Bennedict Mathurin, Kobe Sanders, John Collins and Jordan Miller. The Clippers have guys who aren't afraid to get scrappy, such as Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Collins and Mathurin. The Clippers benched averaged 30 points per game.

But the Warriors have guys who aren't big names, but have stepped up when their numbers have been called. The Warriors' secondary unit has averaged 45 points per game. Key bench players for Golden State have been Pat Spencer, Gary Payton II, Gui Santos and Al Horford. When the Warriors' second unit is defensive minded, and play a balanced game of attacking and knocking down 3s, they are hard to beat.

Production from secondary scorers, options

The Warriors made a midseason trade for Kristaps Porzingis, who has averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 23.7 minutes in 15 games with Golden State.

Porzingis filled a much-needed void at the center position, adding size and shooting capability as one of his strong suits. The Warriors will need his offensive and defensive presence to give them a chance to win. He was brought to the team to add some championship experience. He was a part of the team that helped the 2024 Boston Celtics win the trophy, along with Horford. Golden State looks for Porzingis and Horford to channel that with the experience of Green, Curry and Kerr.

For the Clippers, they made a trade deadline move to bring in Garland. The Clippers were rolling after the 6-21 start and continued to trend in that direction after the trade that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers. Garland has been a bright spot for the Clippers and seems to be a piece for their future. He can showcase that he belongs in Los Angeles' future plans with a monster performance during the NBA Play-In Tournament and possibly playoffs.

Garland has averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 19 games with the Clippers. He's shooting splits are 46%/39%/86%.

Warriors vs. Clippers starting lineups

Here are the starting lineups for the No. 9/10 seed game between the Warriors and Clippers.

Golden State Warriors starting lineup:

• Guard: Stephen Curry
• Guard: Brandin Podziemski
• Forward: Gui Santos
• Forward: Draymond Green
• Center: Kristaps Porzingis
• Head coach: Steve Kerr

Los Angeles Clippers starting lineup:

• Guard: Darius Garland
• Guard: Kris Dunn
• Forward: Kawhi Leonard
• Forward: Derrick Jones Jr.
• Center: Brook Lopez
• Head coach: Tyronn Lue

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Warriors vs. Clippers live NBA odds

Odds as of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 14, courtesy BetMGM

• Spread: Clippers (-5.5)
• Moneyline: Clippers (-220); Warriors (+180)
• Over/Under: 221.5

HOW TO BUY: Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers NBA Play-In tickets

Warriors vs Clippers prediction: NBA play-in game picks

USA TODAY Sports: Slim majority pick Clippers

• Lorenzo Reyes: Clippers
• Scooby Axson: Clippers
• Mark Giannotto: Warriors
• Jon Hoefling: Clippers
• James H. Williams: Clippers
• Andres Soto: Warriors
• Marcus D. Smith: Warriors

Sportsbook Wire: Clippers 116, Warriors 108

"The Warriors are only 15-25 on the road and have not beaten the Clippers on the road since 2021. The Clippers have beaten the Warriors in 9 of the last 10 meetings. The Clippers are 22-18 at home this season."

Arizona Republic: Clippers 113, Warriors 106

"Can Steph Curry get hot and lead the Warriors to an upset? It's certainly possible, but the Clippers will have the defenders to slow him down as Los Angeles gets a big win over Golden State in the NBA Play-In Game."

BetMGM: Clippers likely win, Warriors cover

BetMGM's model predicts the Clippers will win Sunday‘s game with 57.4% confidence, against the Warriors and projects Golden State to cover the spread for Sunday‘s game with 61.6% confidence.

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How to watch Warriors vs Clippers: TV, live streaming for NBA play-in game

• Date: Wednesday, April 15
• Time: 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local)
• Location: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, California)
• TV: None
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video