Forty seconds. That was all Stephen Curry needed to send the Golden State Warriors to the NBA Playoffs for the eleventh time in fourteen years — and close out a genuinely tense Western Conference play-in tournament.
Curry's go-ahead three-pointer with 40 seconds left in the Warriors' 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on 15 April 2026 had the Chase Center at full volume before it arrived. The Clippers had no answer on the final possession. Golden State is in. Phoenix will be waiting.
On the Eastern side of the bracket, Tyrese Maxey posted 31 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Orlando Magic 109-97, securing the No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics beginning 19 April in Boston. Joel Embiid missed the play-in with a foot issue — a familiar story for the 76ers center — and is listed as questionable for Game 1. The Celtics, who went 58-24 behind Jayson Tatum's MVP-caliber 27.4 points per game this season, are 7-point favorites.
“On the Eastern side of the bracket, Tyrese Maxey posted 31 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Orlando Magic 109-97, securing the No.”
