INGLEWOOD, California : Al Horford drained four three-pointers in the final minutes to power the Golden State Warriors to a 126-121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday.
The 10th-seeded Warriors closed the contest with a decisive 27-13 run, overturning a late deficit to advance to a sudden-death clash against the Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 35 points, including seven three-pointers, and hit a crucial deep shot with just over 50 seconds remaining to put his side ahead for good. However, it was Horford who proved decisive, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the final 5:37 after a quiet start off the bench.
“This one is right up there because of where we are,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, praising his team’s resilience amid injuries and inconsistent form this season.
Gui Santos contributed 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Kristaps Porziņģis added 20 points, helping Golden State stay within reach before their late surge.
For the Clippers, Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points each, with Bennedict Mathurin leading the team with 23 off the bench. Los Angeles led by as many as 13 points and appeared in control late in the fourth quarter but faltered down the stretch.
“We had the game in our hands,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “To be up 13 with 10 minutes to go, we’ve got to finish.”
The loss ends the Clippers’ season, while the Warriors move one step closer to the playoffs.
