Patryk Stachowiak
Warriors Storm Back Past Clippers; 76ers Secure East Seven Seed
Stephen Curry orchestrated a fourth-quarter masterclass to propel the Golden State Warriors past the LA Clippers 126-121 in the SoFi Play-In Tournament nightcap. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 109-97 earlier in the doubleheader, claiming the Eastern Conference seven seed with a trip to the Boston Celtics awaiting in Round One.
Warriors’ Clutch Revival
Curry delivered 35 points, including 27 in the second half, to engineer Golden State’s comeback from a halftime deficit. The Warriors trailed 61-53 at the break but shot 15-of-20 from the field in the fourth quarter to seize control at the Intuit Dome.
With 50.4 seconds remaining, Curry knocked down a three-pointer while falling into the front row to give Golden State a 120-117 lead. Draymond Green provided the defensive anchor down the stretch, recording 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists while clamping Kawhi Leonard. Green produced two critical steals in the final moments to seal the victory.
Kristaps Porziņģis contributed 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Gui Santos and Al Horford each added 20 and 14 points respectively. Horford connected on consecutive three-pointers during the fourth-quarter surge.
The Warriors were 8-33 when trailing after three quarters this season but completed the comeback. Golden State advances to face the Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference eight seed on Friday.
Maxey Powers 76ers Past Magic
Tyrese Maxey paced Philadelphia with 31 points and 6 assists in a defensive battle that saw the 76ers edge Orlando. VJ Edgecombe collected 19 points and 11 rebounds while Andre Drummond secured 14 points and 10 boards to anchor the interior.
Philadelphia shot 44.7% compared to Orlando’s 40.7% and controlled the turnover battle 14 to 10. Despite Desmond Bane pouring in 34 points for the Magic, the 76ers’ balanced attack proved decisive.
The Sixers will face the Celtics in the first round, renewing a playoff rivalry that spans 116 matchups. Boston leads the all-time series 66-50 against Philadelphia.
Tournament Scoreline
The Play-In Tournament doubleheader concluded with Golden State’s advance setting Friday’s West eight-seed matchup against Phoenix. The Hornets advanced and the Trail Blazers earned the West seven seed in Tuesday’s action.