Warriors At Clippers | SoFi Play-In Tournament | Full Game Highlights | April 15, 2026

And good evening from Los Angeles for an elimination game as the NBA postseason is underway featuring two future Hall of Famers, two NBA champions, two of the biggest names in the game. The Clippers led by 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard who is playing better than ever. And the Warriors, Steph Curry at 38 paddling injury now back and ready to roll. They meet on the biggest stage before and again tonight. The winner lives for another day. The loser, well for the loser the season ends. Welcome to NBA on Prime Tipoff. The Golden State Warriors have staggered to the finish line dealing with two starters lost and Curry gone for a third of the season. But now he's back. The Clippers have battled back from a horrible start to pull out a historic finish led by Leonard. The winner here advances to play the Phoenix Suns Friday. For the loser, the season will come to a conclusion. Steve Curry has this starting five and this is a group, Candice Parker, that has not spent a lot of time in the starting five and on the floor at the same time. Well this is the starting lineup that has only started one other game as a result of traits, acquiring Porzingis, but also Steph Curry injury. So Steve Curry, like he said, there's not a lot of momentum coming into this but they got a lot of experience. So the Clippers at home went 23-18. Their start 6-21. Incredible finish, historic in so many ways. Lopez is new, has been starting since he became a Clipper midseason. But Kawhi Leonard, that is the story. 34 years of age. The number 6 score in the NBA. 28 points a game. Alternate John Corbin and in the replay center for a second consecutive night, Ed Malloy. We just had this crew last night in Phoenix. I didn't see him on the flight. I don't know how they, well they fly in private obviously. Not us. Uh-uh. It's Garland. And he has been terrific since taking the place. With a shot right there that goes down. Sometimes you have to live with certain players taking threes. And right now, the Clippers are using their defense to fuel their offense right here. Leonard, wow, what a scoop. And there is a reason why. The claw is number 4. Always have love and respect for him. And we know that this respect goes both ways. Great story. Thank you. And right there, that second effort. 15 consecutive seasons for the Clippers with a record of 500 or better. Wow, is he off to a hot start. Warriors on the road with 15 and 26. They go inside and they get the 2. They're hitting from both ends and that's going to force Lou to call a timeout. And Santos, who started, is back in the game. DeAnthony Milton is coming for the first time. Nice spin. Twirling for 2. He's Santos. What might work against the Clippers? Yes, Al Hornford with that playoff experience. But let's not forget. Mathren and John Collins. It's the nice roll to go. These are two guys coming in off the bench that would be starters on a lot of teams. They've taken their role to another level for the Clippers. 3-3. And Collins was right there. He is having an extra efficient season this year. Al Hornford. How can a man that old get that high? But that time he did. Advancing to the playoffs for the first time in about five years. Oh my. Porzingis drops the anvil. Parachutes in and slams it home. With Kawhi against Porzingis. Right here. Warriors going to a jump defense right here. Take the ball out of your playmaker's hands. Then Mathren said, I'm true to this. Not new to this. Leonard and he'll go against Payton. And Mathren will tee up a triple. Bench points. Clippers 15-4. It's Porzingis in trouble. Pachemski is found and drives for 2. And right there. Santos has it. Behind the back. The drive into Mathren. Left him to lean in for 2. Crafty move inside. And Guy Santos is putting on a show without Steph in those 27 points. It's earned him a big role here. Oh, Porzingis erases the shot. Collins hits the deck. Pachemski driving hard. And looking underneath. On the wing. On top. Porzingis 3. Called. About the Warriors. The Golden State Warriors points off turnovers this quarter. 7-zip. 9-zip. Uh-oh. And it looked like Porzingis, did he just twist an ankle? It looked like he just twisted her higher shortly after that in May. The rest is in history. Good cut. Santos. What a feed by Draymond Green. And right there, as a player, you get confidence. It's Green underneath. The ball deflected. Slow developing. But there he was and got it to go. And, Kevin, we talk about gravity. Did you see that on that play? He distorts the view. In the corner, the drive by Dunn. The cutting. Kawhi Leonard. A lot of traffic. Got it. Fouled. He went into a nest of defenders and found the two. To get the refs to notice the moving screen. Kawhi Leonard. Lopez couldn't get it. Dunn does. Inside. Jones. Hammers it home. The lead is 6. Leonard on balance. 3-0. Rebound. Santos. Bad pass. The outlet picked off by Dunn. It's Garland. And in the corner, Jones. A 3. They've never won in this building, which has been open a couple years. Curry. Green. The fake. Lost it. Kicks. Pichenski. Triple. They needed that. Pichenski on the move. Lopez will follow. They swing it around. Curry. 3. Got it. Curry in Sacramento had a career high 3. Curry got the screen. The 3. Oh, Persegus again. Uncovered. Untouched. And hammers it home. It's Mathurin. This is a 3 with Pichenski's defense. Benedict Mathurin nails the train. Harry Payton and Draymond doing everything they can to keep the ball out of Kawhi Leonard. But right there, that space allows. It's picked up by Leonard. Fending him off. Staggers ahead. Did you see this? Are you kidding me? Obviously slowing down Steph in the second half. 8 points on 2 of 9 shooting through the first half. What's it going to take to sustain that? Warriors with a terrific start. It's green. Pounds it home. There's Lopez countering at the other end. All right. Lopez has lived. You can just tell in terms of the intensity. As Darius Garland gets that pretty floater to go. The intensity in terms of his rhythm was 5 games playing before this. It's green. And then Porzingis. Curry on the move. Tailed by Jones. Porzingis. He'll put up a 3. Kristaps Porzingis knocks it in. He's got 14 for Golden State. It's Garland again. The move by Pichenski. And the defense of Golden State. And Curry on the move again. Into Dunn by Dunn. Up in town. Steph Curry. And is there an underrated part of Steph Curry's game? I don't know. But some people say force him to the basket. But he's one of the best finishers in the league. It's Kawhi. Green broke up that play. Blew it up. And Curry gets the ball. Thought about a long 3. Pit pocketed by Jones. Green is back. Jones to the hole. Jones and Green. Shot clock is down to 4. 19-footer won't go. Gets his own miss. Derrick Jones. Approaching 7.5 to play in the 3rd. Curry got it. The bump into Jones. The maneuver into the paint. And Curry's got 12. The Warriors, the only team with the losing record in the play-in. Curry. 3! Foul to the line. He goes. And for the game, Curry. With a nice play inside in the 2 right there. Lopez got it to go. Curry at the other end. His shot is down again. And Curry on a 7-0 run. Santos cuts. Feeds. Peyton. Rejected by Lopez. But Peyton stuck right with it. A rebound inside. It's grabbed by Dunn. Down court Matherin. Off the bench. In the game. Launching a 3. No. Oh! What a bounce. And what a triple. And Ben Matherin, this young man, is going to turn down. Collapsing Podziemski. Loses the ball on the ground is Collins. And it's done the other way. The hesitation. The drive into Horford. And are able to capitalize on the other end. 7-0 run by L.A. since the timeout. Curry. 3. Good! Nails it from outside. Inside Collins. Matherin is in there. The diving Podziemski. Trying to dig it out. Matherin comes up with it. Dunn. And Leonard. Fakes. Fires. Finds it. It's a 2. Curry again. Collins is there. It's a 3. Another one! Oh! Always a machine. For a goal that double-teamed in goal 101. Matherin. Collins in the corner. Presingers with the close. 41% career best from 3. Knocks it down. Santos with a 3 at the other end. Battle of the others, Kevin. It's a move by Sanders. It's a feed outside. Matherin. 3. Another one! He's red hot! 5 of 6 from 3. Inside by Melton. Melton on top. Santos down low. Matherin watches Presingers. Doubled by Garland. Outside, Santos. The 3 is down. And he's got 16 for Golden State. It's Curry. Catches. It's a 3. Off the bench and a triple. Curry with 27. Gets it off on his back. Payton's got it. Presingers hard into Lopez. Count it! Presingers. It's a 3. Bullseye! 3-point game! At the same time on the floor, that was tonight's drive to the finish presented by Honda. And inside. Wow. Garland. And Presingers. Through traffic. Inside, Curry. Cox has got it. The passing of Presingers. Got the 2. And again, Steph on the other end. Had been on the brink, but the Warriors keep fighting their way back in. It's Lopez. The pump fake and the 2. Garland in control. Playing with 5 fouls. Sets up with a 3. Wow! Horford is in. It's green. Oh, shuffling, grinding, getting 2. Santos the hard way. Right there, going right at Darius Garland. 29 points on 20 shots. Trying to get 3. It's Horford for 3. Got it! And right there. Corner 3, Horford. Got it! And this is the reason why the Warriors signed Al Horford. Matherin with 21 off the bench. He's been spectacular. To the right. Not settling. Benedict Matherin getting to the paint. He's lived beyond the arc. Curry trying to untangle. He finds Horford. It's Santos. In the corner. Can he do it again? He does! Horford knocks down the 3. Right here, Kawhi giving the ball up. Trying to get it back. Matherin outside. Lopez, a 3. Goal! We got a shootout here. It's Pudzemski. It's Curry. Dunn is there. Got screen. Down the rack. Slithers. And gets the 2 on the scoop. 31 for Steph Curry. And Santos. Got away. Drives. Takes it home. 1 point game. Timeout Clippers. Dunn is on it. Matherin to inbound. Oh, look at the defense. Green. Steal. Pudzemski. Oh, he can't get it at the doorstep. And a foul. Go back to that play defensively. Leonard is not scored in the 4th. And here he's got the ball. And Green in front. Green steals the ball. Green stole the ball. Nice. Bumped. Foul. 32 seconds. Curry at the line. He missed. The number 1 free throw shooter in the league. It's a 14-2 run by Golden State. Green is there. Doubled to Pudzemski. And a screen check. And he gets it away. Clippers got to go. They don't have enough time. Lopez. Inside. Leonard. First basket of the 4th. And he hammers it home. And he's got 21. The full court pressure. Weaving out. 9th and 3. Curry got it to Pudzemski. Clock at 9. Experience supersede the lack of momentum. And I think that they've answered that question today. Even though they turned it over 20 times, they hit 19 threes. Here goes Jones. They let him drive. He puts it down. Reno inbound. Quickly to Hartford. Kawhi can't knock it away. Pudzemski is there. The Warriors have won. Golden State Warriors have won. Steve said you guys may not have had a lot of momentum on your side, but you had experience. Where did that show up when it mattered most? You look at the guys on the floor down the stretch. I mean, everybody contributed. But the guys on the floor down the stretch, beginning of the 4th quarter, you know, KP in some big shots. He's a champion. Guy and VP, Gary, they all have shown what they can do all the course of the regular season. And when the lights are bright, they showed up. Al Horford, that man's been hurt in and out of the lineup all year. Grinding. But when it's winning time, that's what champions do. And I don't know what to say about Draymond. I got some ice for you. What's this? From your brother, the Playmaker Chain. What do you think? You've seen a lot throughout your career. This might be a new one. This is definitely a new one. I love that my brother got to give it to me. But Draymond and defense on Kawhi all night. Two big steals. That's why I love this team. I'm thankful that we had an opportunity to come out and just win one game. Now we got to do it again. I do have to ask about Al just a little bit more, because we're so used to watching you hit three after three after three. What was going through your mind when you watched him drain one after the other? Nothing but confidence. He's been doing it when he's been available and healthy all year and his whole career. But you could say there's no hesitation. Read what the defense was giving him. Knock shots down. Shoot with confidence. It was beautiful to watch. No disrespect to the Clippers. They're a great organization. But it was amazing when he was making those shots, what the energy in this arena turned into. That's what the NBA is about. For you, you had eight at the half. You finished with 35. But bigger than that, you promised Draymond that you would be back. Steph, how did you get yourself to yet another year? First year, you thank God for just the patience and perseverance. I know I was only out for two months, but it was a difficult two months because I didn't know on a day-to-day how I was going to feel. I thought I was going to be out for four days. Rick Celebrini, all the doctors that have helped kind of get me through this last two months, I appreciate all the work because there's a lot of hours. And then I just love to play basketball. When I'm out here and able to do what I get to do, I'm blessed. You said you wanted to be a part of meaningful basketball, get a matchup with the Suns on Friday for a trip to the playoffs. What's it going to take? The same resiliency. Coach talked about it in the locker room before. These win-or-go-home scenarios, we think we know the team, but you got to be able to withstand the runs and stay in it emotionally. It was 12, 4, 8, 2, 10. It was back and forth the whole game. And then we got over the hump the last three minutes. So stick with it. Know it's not going to be perfect, but just try to find a way to win. Appreciate the time, Steph, as always. Thank you.