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INGLEWOOD — The Warriors will go from playing a meaningless game to one for all the marbles against the same opponent, in the same venue, only three days apart.
They have 72 hours to lock in from practice to play-in mode before a win-or-go-home rematch against the Clippers inside the Intuit Dome at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
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“Super easy,” Steph Curry said after Sunday’s 115-110 loss to the Clippers in a regular season finale that only served as a preview of the 9-10 play-in matchup insofar as the teams’ uniform colors.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on April 12, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NBAE via Getty Images
Curry doesn’t need any extra motivation to get amped up for the Warriors’ fourth appearance in the play-in tournament. What was once a dreaded destination now serves as a glimmer of hope — the entire reason Curry clawed to come back from a persistent knee issue.
The experience helps.
“We’ve been there before,” Curry continued. “Whether it’s a Game 7 or the many play-in games that we’ve been (sarcastically) fortunate enough to play in. … I guess you’re grateful for it now just because … this is such a unique year. It’s not like we’ve underperformed. We’ve just been hit with so many injuries that your expectations had to shift.”
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Injuries have introduced an interesting dichotomy: The Western Conference rivals are intimately familiar with each other, but neither has seen the versions that will be on the court with their seasons on the line.
Their first two meetings took place before Jimmy Butler tore his ACL, their third occurred during Curry’s 27-game absence, and neither Draymond Green nor Kawhi Leonard dressed on Sunday. Not that either coach was keen to show his cards, anyway.
“We know who they are,” Curry said.
Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins dunks against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP
Steve Kerr said there was “not a whole lot to take” from Sunday’s game,…
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Publish date : 2026-04-13 22:13:00
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