Golden State’s bid to avoid the play-in tournament ended with a 124-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, pushing the Warriors into a must-win scenario against Memphis on Tuesday.
Head coach Steve Kerr emphasized the high-level nature of the contest and praised both teams’ execution, saying, “That’s one of the best teams in the NBA, and so are we. That’s how I look at it. Great game. High-level stuff. Stars being stars.”
Despite 36 points from Stephen Curry and a 30-point, 9-assist effort from Jimmy Butler, Golden State couldn’t capitalize on its final possession in overtime, where Buddy Hield’s contested three fell short.
The Clippers were led by James Harden’s 39 points and 10 assists, with Kawhi Leonard adding 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting. The duo carried Los Angeles to its eighth straight win and locked up the fifth seed.
Ivica Zubac dominated the interior with 22 points and 17 rebounds, contributing to the Clippers’ 42-25 rebounding edge.
Kerr called the rebounding disparity “the only part of the game that really bothered me,” noting several costly loose ball situations. “We were careless going after [the ball]. One-hand plays… The ball is gold, the ball is everything.”
He declined to blame late-game decisions, including a foul in overtime and a foul to give at the end of regulation. “Not really. You go for a steal first, then you try to get the foul… We got what we wanted — we got the ball back down three and had a decent look.”
The Warriors now face the Grizzlies at Chase Center, needing two wins to advance to the first round. “We’ve got to turn the page quickly and move on to that game,” Kerr said. “Great opportunity to win a game and get into the playoffs, which has been our goal this whole time.”
Kerr also addressed the heavy minutes logged by his starters, including Butler’s 48 minutes. “Playoff game,” he said, pointing to the long workloads of Harden, Leonard, and Zubac. “When you get to these types of games, you tighten up the rotation… and you go for it.”
Jonathan Kuminga and Gui Santos were notably absent from the rotation. Kerr said the decision came down to matchups and recent chemistry. “We’ve just found a group, since Jimmy got here, that we’re pretty comfortable with.”
He called Butler’s performance “total stud” level and likened his impact to the best wing scorers in the game. “He’s an alpha… Just space the floor. What a luxury.”
When asked about the importance of Tuesday’s outcome for Curry’s health, Kerr responded, “If we can take care of business, then he’ll have four or five days before the first playoff game… I’m not worried about Steph.”
The Clippers completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep of Golden State and will now face the Denver Nuggets in the opening round.
For the Warriors, the focus shifts to recovery and readiness, as the next loss could end their season.
