Curry sparks Warriors comeback over Clippers in play-in thriller

Stephen Curry dragged Golden State through the biggest moments and the Warriors stayed alive, rallying past the LA Clippers 126-121 in the Western Conference 9/10 play-in game at Intuit Dome. Curry finished with 35 points, 27 of them in the second half, and Al Horford added four 3-pointers as the No. 10 seed turned a 13-point fourth-quarter hole into a season-saving victory.

The result carried immediate postseason weight for both teams. Golden State, which finished 37-45, advanced to face the loser of the 7/8 game for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. The Clippers, who finished 42-40, were left to absorb a home loss that ended their path to the bracket despite taking the regular-season series 3-1 and beating the Warriors 115-110 in the teams’ finale on Sunday.

That made Wednesday’s rematch at Intuit Dome more than a tune-up in a long rivalry. The Clippers had already won twice in Los Angeles and controlled the season series, while Golden State entered with a 1-3 all-time play-in record and the Clippers with an 0-2 mark. The stakes were clear from the opening tip: one team would keep moving toward the playoffs, the other would be forced to reckon with a season that ended one step short at home.

The comeback also added to the pressure on veteran leaders who were asked to carry the night. Curry’s shot-making changed the game after halftime, and Horford’s spacing gave Golden State the extra edge it needed when the fourth quarter tightened. The Warriors outlasted a Clippers team that had controlled the first half and looked positioned to close it out before the lead disappeared.

There was also an unusual wrinkle after halftime, when referee Ben Taylor left because of an injury and alternate referee Sean Corbin took over. The game was nationally televised on Prime Video and capped the nightcap of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, which the NBA says has existed in some form since 2020 and became a permanent part of the playoff structure in 2022. Golden State’s comeback now shifts the season’s next pressure point to one more elimination game, with the West’s last seed still on the line.