The Golden State Warriors survived a 126-121 play-in tournament win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, erasing a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to stay alive in the postseason race. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green led the late surge that pushed Golden State one win away from the playoffs.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr highlighted the sustained competitiveness of his veteran core after the comeback. He said, “I’ve been watching them for 12 years. There’s a reason we have four championships, and it’s the competitiveness, the heart, the will.”
Kerr emphasized the significance of the performance given the context of the season. He added, “this is right up there. Just because of where we are, and our age, the decline of our performance this year, the injuries, it was just a display of, just a beautiful display of competitive will.”
He also pointed directly to Curry’s decision to return and compete through adversity. Kerr said, “And this is why Steph came back. So everybody out there who thought Steph should have taken the rest of the year off, this is what he does. This is who he is. If he can compete, he’s going to compete.”
Golden State’s ability to withstand multiple Clippers runs was another focal point for Kerr. He stated, “We must have been down double figures five, six separate times. And we came back every single time we made a run.”
Kerr credited both star leadership and collective execution in the win. He said, “it was such an incredible display of guts and competitiveness and connection.”
On Draymond Green’s defensive impact, Kerr was direct about his value against elite scorers. He said, “Dre’s defense, he’s the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life.” He also added, “Draymond obviously is the guy who allows for that game plan to work.”
Kerr pointed to the defensive strategy against Kawhi Leonard as a key factor. He said, “I thought our coaches did a really good job with the game plan to blitz Kawhi and try to put a crowd around him.”
He further explained Green’s defensive intelligence, stating, “he seems to be in place before the other nine guys on the floor over and over again.”
Kerr also highlighted role players stepping up, especially in the fourth quarter. He said of Al Horford, “he completely turned his own performance around,” referencing his late shooting burst that helped shift momentum.
Looking ahead to the next matchup in Phoenix, Kerr noted the short turnaround but clear mindset. He said, “We just have to present it to the players tomorrow… We’ll be ready.”
He also underlined the opportunity created by the play-in format. Kerr said, “We’re just happy to have a shot. Give us a chance.” He added, “it’s one game to get in, and we’re excited about it.”
Golden State now advances to a win-or-go-home matchup against Phoenix, with a playoff berth on the line after a season defined by injuries, inconsistency, and late-season resilience.
