Warriors Limp Into Play-In After Ugly Loss to Kings

Steph Curry's ankle 'fine' but Golden State lacks momentum heading into postseason play-in

Apr. 11, 2026 at 11:44am

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A fractured, geometric painting in shades of blue, gold, and red, breaking down a basketball court and players into sharp, overlapping planes, conveying the Warriors' lack of continuity and rhythm heading into the postseason.The Warriors' late-season struggles are reflected in a fragmented, cubist-inspired illustration of the upcoming play-in matchup, hinting at the team's need to quickly rediscover their cohesion and rhythm.Today in Sacramento

The Golden State Warriors suffered an ugly 124-118 loss to the tanking Sacramento Kings, leaving them in poor shape for the upcoming NBA Play-In Tournament. Stephen Curry tweaked his ankle but said he'll be 'alright,' while head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the team lacks 'continuity and health' and has 'a lot of mistakes to clean up' before their do-or-die play-in game.

Why it matters

The Warriors are a perennial championship contender, but their late-season struggles and injuries have them limping into the postseason. Their ability to find rhythm and health in the final game and short prep time before the play-in will be crucial to their chances of extending their season and making a deep playoff run.

The details

The Warriors struggled mightily on both ends of the floor against the Kings, suffering defensive breakdowns and looking 'clunky and out of rhythm' offensively. Curry, who missed 27 games earlier this season with a knee injury, was limited to just 27 minutes and finished with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting after tweaking his ankle. Coach Kerr acknowledged the team lacks 'momentum' and 'continuity' heading into the play-in, and said they'll need to 'clean up a lot of mistakes' in their final regular season game against the Clippers in order to have a chance.

  • The Warriors' final regular season game is on Sunday, April 13, 2026.
  • The NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Wednesday, April 16, 2026.

The players

Stephen Curry

The Warriors' star point guard, who is still working his way back to full strength after missing significant time with a knee injury earlier this season.

Steve Kerr

The Warriors' head coach, who expressed concern about his team's lack of momentum and continuity heading into the postseason.

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What they’re saying

“I'll be alright. As long as it's not my knee, I can deal with ankles; I've been dealing with that forever.”

— Stephen Curry, Warriors Point Guard

“We're going into Wednesday's Play-In game without much momentum, without a whole lot of continuity and health and all that. So we're trying to put it together quickly, and we're gonna have to clean up a lot of mistakes between now and then.”

— Steve Kerr, Warriors Head Coach

“I think we can win two games, because I know these guys and I believe in them, but I also know that we're not where we need to be. We showed that tonight.”

— Steve Kerr, Warriors Head Coach

What’s next

The Warriors will play their final regular season game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, April 13, 2026, in an effort to find rhythm and continuity before the NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Wednesday, April 16.

The takeaway

The Warriors' late-season struggles and injuries have left them in a vulnerable position heading into the postseason, raising questions about their ability to regain their championship form in time for a deep playoff run. However, their veteran leadership and coaching staff still believe they can win the two necessary play-in games to secure a playoff berth, if they can quickly find their rhythm and focus.