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The Golden State Warriors have the heart of a champion, and it showed as they stunned the LA Clippers 126-121 in the Play-In Tournament.
The Clippers led for much of the game but were not able to put their foot down and extend the lead by a wide margin. Every time LA has a lead of double-digits, the Warriors made a run to close the gap. That led to the final few minutes of the game, when Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Al Horford willed the Warriors to a victory.
Curry exploded in the second half, as he produced 35 points on the night to lead all scorers, which included a huge three in the final minute. Green, meanwhile, locked down Kawhi Leonard, as the Clippers star was held to just two points in the fourth quarter.
Horford, though, was the unlikely hero, as the veteran made four threes on the night, including three big ones in the fourth. Horford’s play was a big reason Golden State erased a 13-point Clippers lead in the fourth quarter, allowing Curry to take over from there.
The Clippers, meanwhile, fizzle out of the postseason despite such a strong end to the year. LA began the season 6-21 but rallied and were one of the better teams in the league after.
However, LA’s poor start ultimately meant the Clippers had to play in this game, which was their undoing.
With the win, the Warriors will play the Phoenix Suns on Friday night for a chance to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.
The Sporting News tracked live scores, updates and highlights from the NBA Play-In Tournament game between the Clippers and Warriors. Here is what happened in Inglewood on Wednesday night.
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Warriors vs. Clippers updates, highlights from 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament gameFinal: Warriors 126, Clippers 121
12:46 p.m.: The Warriors run out the clock to pull off the upset! Curry, Green and Horford put on a Masterclass in the fourth quarter.
12:44 p.m.: Draymond Green’s defense has directly led to two turnovers and three points, giving Golden State a six-point lead.
DRAYMOND GREEN WITH A PAIR OF INCREDIBLE STEALS IN THE CLUTCH.
WARRIORS KEEP THEIR SEASON ALIVE. https://t.co/8SITELoXjE pic.twitter.com/7Hre7jG5TX
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
12:40 a.m.: With the game tied, Curry is able to get loose and hits a three in Lopez’s face to take a three-point lead with 50 seconds left.
STEPH CURRY GIVES THE WARRIORS THE LEAD!
GSW 120
LAC 117
50.2 TO PLAY IN A MUST-WIN GAME 🍿 pic.twitter.com/7UrogTrYiz
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
12:37 a.m.: Horford remains red-hot, hitting another three to give the Warriors a two-point lead.
AL HORFORD FOR THE LEAD 🔥
HIS 4th THREE OF THE QUARTER!
WARRIORS UP 2 WITH UNDER 2 TO PLAY 🍿 pic.twitter.com/TarSbwl58N
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
12:35a.m.: Horford hits two-more threes to cut the lead down to two , but Brook Lopez responds with a three of his own. However, Gui Santos makes it a one-point game with 2:45 left.
GUI SANTOS MAKES IT A 1-POINT GAME!
Warriors 114
Clippers 115
2:45 to play in a must-win battle 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WDFbfslHLp
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
12:30 a.m.: Golden State collects five quick points, the latest on an Al Horford three. It’s a four-point game with under six minutes left.
12:24 a.m.: Garland now has 21 points, including three to cap off an 8-2 run as the lead reaches nine once again.
12:18 a.m.: A Porzingis lead has the Clippers lead at just three, forcing LA to call timeout.
KP’s 3 makes it a one-possession game 🔥
12-2 run for the Warriors! pic.twitter.com/ZKNexyMcFx
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
12:17 a.m.: Curry re-entered the game and immediately started a Warriors run. Golden State has cut the lead back down to six.
12:14 a.m.: LA has extended the lead all the way up to 13 with Curry on the bench. Ty Lue is trusting Darius Garland in the game with five fouls as the Clippers want to keep building on the lead.
End of third quarter: Clippers 89, Warriors 83
12:06 a.m.: After three, the Clippers are up six. Curry is doing all he can to try and will Golden State to a win.
11:58 p.m.: The back-and-forth action has picked up. LA began to extend the lead back, but Curry is doing all he can with 16 of Golden State’s last 18 points. Now, Leonard is called for an offensive foul as he appeared to hit Podziemski in the face.
11:51 p.m.: Curry has scored seven straight points by himself to cut LA’s lead back to four. He has 10 in the quarter overall.
STEPH 4-POINT PLAY!
Warriors have cut the Clippers lead down to 4 in a must-win clash 🍿 pic.twitter.com/SG9sx41xNK
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
11:45 p.m.: LA has extended the lead to 10 thanks to strong defense as the Warriors need a timeout.
11:43 p.m.: Golden State has closed the gap to six points, but LA was able to halt a 7-0 Warriors run to end that brief threat.
11:37 p.m.: The third quarter is underway with LA looking to extend its lead.
Halftime: Warriors 61, Clippers 53
11:20 p.m.: The Clippers take a 61-53 lead into the break. Leonard leads all scorers with 14 points and Darius Garland has also chipped in 11.
KAWHI TWO-HAND SLAM 💥
A relentless attack to the rim!
Clippers lead by 8 at the break in a must-win battle 🍿 pic.twitter.com/nqVSvOgk1l
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
11:13 p.m.: Draymond Green picked up a technical foul to allow the Clippers to make it a 10-point lead, but Golden State has cut the lead back to four.
11:11 p.m.: LA has extended its lead back to 9 points on a Derrick Jones Jr. three-pointer.
11:03 p.m.: The Clippers defense helps LA steal a couple points as Leonard scores to put them up five. Golden State takes a time out to regroup.
10:58 p.m.: Curry is back in the game as LA has retaken the lead by two.
10:52 p.m.: The Warriors are on a quick run to open the second quarter, closing the gap immediately. Golden State takes a 33-31 lead after a Porzingis three.
GP2 battles for it… KP knocks down the 3!
Golden State takes the lead after going on an 11-0 run 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fdwRscBIIu
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
10:48 p.m.: Curry has returned to the bench as the second quarter begins.
End of first quarter: Clippers 31, Warriors 22
10:43 p.m.: Los Angeles ends the quarter strong, taking a 31-22 lead after 12 minutes.
10:39 p.m.: Curry, who just returned from with a knee injury, has headed back to the locker room late in the first quarter.
10:35 p.m.: After missing his first three shots, Steph Curry made his first three-pointer of the game to give Golden State a 17-16 lead.
Steph swishes the sidestep 3 🎯
Warriors go on a 10-2 run in a must-win battle! pic.twitter.com/z7btTEjXdT
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
10:29 p.m.: After being down 10, the Warriors have started to get hot from three, with Brandin Podziemski and Draymond Green helping cut the lead to 2.
10:22 p.m.: The Clippers are off to a hot start as they take an early 10-2 lead. Kawhi Leonard looks spry so far.
Kawhi gets the reverse to fall 🔥
The Clippers are off to a hot start and lead by 10 in Q1! pic.twitter.com/hskfM9bz4e
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026
10:18 p.m.: The game is underway! Los Angeles has control first.
10:05 p.m.: We are almost ready for action from the Intuit Dome to see who plays the Suns on Friday and who goes home.
9:50 p.m.: Clippers head coach Ty Lue isn’t feeling the pressure, as this is nothing compared to an NBA Finals Game 7.
Ty Lue was asked if he feels pressure going into a game like this.
Lue: “No.”
Has he ever felt pressure?
Lue: “Yeah. Game 7, 2016.”
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 16, 2026
9:45 p.m.: This is who the Clippers will be starting in this game.
Starting 5️⃣ vs. Warriors
🏀 Darius Garland
🏀 Kris Dunn
🏀 Kawhi Leonard
🏀 Derrick Jones Jr.
🏀 Brook Lopez pic.twitter.com/yzrkREZOra
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 16, 2026
9:35 p.m.: Here’s a look at the starters for Warriors.
Bring ’em out pic.twitter.com/wjH3Dqtgkd
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 16, 2026
9:15 p.m.: Kristaps Porzingis will play a key role in Golden State’s chances in this game.
Pregame buckets from the big man 🎯 pic.twitter.com/TizhDER42m
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 16, 2026
8:50 p.m.: The Clippers are hoping their home court advantage makes a difference tonight.
THE WALL! IS READY TO MAKE WAVES 👀🔴🌊 pic.twitter.com/Dgw2OsddKN
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 16, 2026Where to watch NBA Play-In Tournament gamesWarriors vs. Clippers start timeDate: Wednesday, April 15Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
The Warriors and Clippers will tip off at 10:00 p.m. ET from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. It will be the second game of the night and the fourth game overall in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
What channel is Warriors vs. Clippers on today?
Prime Video will be broadcasting the entire NBA Play-In Tournament this season in its first year covering the NBA postseason.
NBA Play-In Tournament schedule 2026DateMatchupTime (ET)TV ChannelApril 14Hornets vs. Heat7:30 p.m.Prime VideoApril 14Suns vs. Trail Blazers10:00 p.m.Prime VideoApril 1576ers vs. Magic7:30 p.m.Prime VideoApril 15Clippers vs. Warriors10:00 p.m.Prime VideoApril 17Hornets vs. TBD7:30 p.m.Prime VideoApril 17TBD vs. Suns10:00 p.m.Prime Video