Warriors' Curry ready to face Kawhi, Clippers in play-in elimination game

Golden State star expects tough challenge against Clippers' Leonard in single-game playoff matchup

Apr. 13, 2026 at 10:09pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the dynamic action of a basketball game, with the players' forms broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color.An abstract, cubist-inspired illustration captures the high-stakes tension of a single-elimination playoff matchup between two NBA powerhouses.Los Angeles Today

The Golden State Warriors will face a tough test when they take on Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers in the Western Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night. Stephen Curry and the Warriors are preparing to slow down Leonard, who is coming off a career year in scoring and three-point shooting. Curry knows the Warriors will have to bring their best focus and effort to try and contain the Clippers star.

Why it matters

This single-elimination play-in game will determine which team advances to the first round of the NBA playoffs, making it a high-stakes matchup between two Western Conference powerhouses. The Warriors are looking to return to the playoffs after missing out last season, while the Clippers are aiming to build on their strong regular season and make a deep postseason run.

The details

The Warriors and Clippers faced off on Sunday, with the Clippers eking out a 115-110 victory even without Leonard playing. Curry led the Warriors with 24 points in that game, while six Clippers scored in double figures. Now the teams will meet again on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to face the loser of the Trail Blazers/Suns matchup and the loser being eliminated from the playoffs. Leonard finished the regular season averaging career-highs of 27.9 points and 38.7% shooting from three-point range.

  • The Warriors-Clippers play-in game is set for Wednesday, April 13th at 7pm PST.
  • Curry returned from a two-month absence due to a knee injury on April 5th, playing in four of the Warriors' final five regular season games.

The players

Stephen Curry

The star point guard of the Golden State Warriors, who averaged 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season.

Kawhi Leonard

The superstar forward of the LA Clippers, who finished the regular season averaging career-highs of 27.9 points and 38.7% shooting from three-point range.

Draymond Green

The veteran forward for the Golden State Warriors, who did not play in the previous matchup against the Clippers but is expected to be ready for Wednesday's game.

Bennedict Mathurin

The Clippers player who led the team with 20 points in the previous game against the Warriors.

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What they’re saying

“The same way we do every night. You know who to key in on, you know their tendencies, you know what our gameplan is going to be. Just come with a level of focus. You obviously know with a guy like Kawhi, you can play your best defense that you want and he still can get his numbers. It's just how he gest them and making him work. I feel it all the time. We've got to be able to impose our will, even if he still gets his because that's the challenge to try to beat those other guys.”

— Stephen Curry, Warriors Guard

What’s next

The winner of Wednesday's Warriors-Clippers play-in game will advance to face the loser of the Trail Blazers-Suns matchup, while the loser of the Warriors-Clippers game will be eliminated from the playoffs.

The takeaway

This single-elimination play-in game between the Warriors and Clippers features two of the Western Conference's top teams and stars in Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard. The Warriors will need to bring their best defensive effort to try and slow down Leonard, who is coming off a career year, in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.