LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors 2026 NBA Play-In Preview

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LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors 2026 NBA Play-In Preview image

Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images

By Joel Reyes

It’s now or never for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors this coming Thursday (PH time) when they lock horns in the 2026 NBA Playoffs Play-In Tournament at Intuit Dome.

Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images

The ninth-seeded Clippers will host the No. 10 seed Warriors in this contest, with the winner of that clash advancing to play for the eighth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The Clippers qualified for the Play-In Tournament after finishing the 2025-26 campaign with a 42-40 record. It was a remarkable turnaround for Ty Lue’s men, who started the regular season with a woeful 6-21 slate.

Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images

Kawhi Leonard powered LA’s resurgence, leading the team in scoring (27.9 PPG), rebounding (6.4 RPG), assists (3.6 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG) this season. He averaged 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists through three meetings with Golden State this campaign.

The Warriors, who sneaked into the Play-In Tournament with a 37-45 record, will be led by two-time MVP Stephen Curry. He played just 43 games this season because of a knee injury, averaging 26.6 points and 4.7 assists per outing. He’s slowly getting back into form after making his much-anticipated return this month, averaging 20.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists through four games in April.

The Clippers won their season series against the Warriors 3-1. LA is 23-18 at home this season, while Golden State has a 15-26 road record.

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