Washington: The Golden State Warriors missed an opportunity to seal a higher playoff spot after falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 124-119 in overtime at home on Sunday. Despite Stephen Curry’s 36-point effort, including seven successful shots from beyond the arc, the Warriors now head into the play-in tournament. James Harden led the Clippers with 39 points, including a clutch performance in the extra period, where he scored 12 points.
Kawhi Leonard contributed across the board with 33 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, while Ivica Zubac dominated the paint with 22 points and 17 rebounds. The Clippers clinched the fifth seed in the West and are now set to face the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Play-In Picture and Other Results:
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Warriors to Face Grizzlies: Now ranked seventh in the Western Conference, the Warriors will take on the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in a crucial play-in showdown.
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Atlanta Tops Orlando: Keaton Wallace registered a triple-double (15 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds) as the Hawks beat the Magic 117-105. Both teams, who sat several key players, will face off again in the play-in round for a chance to meet Boston in the first round.
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Celtics Edge Past Hornets: With Payton Pritchard scoring 34 points, the Celtics secured a 93-86 win over Charlotte, despite resting their main roster. The Hornets tied the game late, but Boston closed it out with a decisive 7-0 run.
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Pacers Rally in Double OT: Indiana erased a 27-point deficit to stun Cleveland 126-118 in double overtime, marking the largest comeback in franchise history. Young talents Johnny Furphy and RayJ Dennis stepped up big, helping the Pacers clinch their first 50-win season in over a decade. The Cavaliers, missing multiple stars including Donovan Mitchell, await the play-in results.
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Wizards Stun Heat at the Buzzer: Bub Carrington hit a game-winning jumper to lift Washington over Miami, 119-118. The Heat had taken a late four-point lead, but a turnover gave the Wizards one last shot. Miami will now face the Bulls in the play-in tournament.
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Bulls Cruise Past 76ers: Chicago secured a 122-102 win over Philadelphia behind 18 points from Kevin Huerter. Lonnie Walker IV posted 31 points for the Sixers, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
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Knicks Outlast Nets: Landry Shamet’s 29 points off the bench fueled a 17-0 third-quarter run as the Knicks defeated the Nets 113-105. New York locked in the third seed despite missing Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Nuggets Seal 4th Seed: Denver finished strong with a 126-111 win over the Rockets. Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. led the way. Jokic averaged a near triple-double this season and will now prepare for a first-round clash with the Clippers.
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Grizzlies Dominate Raptors: Memphis steamrolled past Toronto 132-97 with a combined 101 points from Lamar Stevens, Marvin Bagley III, Cam Spencer, and Jay Huff. The Grizzlies now shift focus to their upcoming play-in match against Golden State.
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Bucks Win OT Thriller vs Pistons: Milwaukee beat Detroit 140-133 in overtime as Pat Connaughton dropped a career-high 43 points. However, the spotlight was on Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards in the 3-point title chase. Edwards ultimately edged ahead.
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Edwards Returns in Style: With his technical foul rescinded, Anthony Edwards dropped 43 points to help the Timberwolves defeat the Jazz 116-105 and secure the sixth seed. They’ll now face the Lakers in Round 1.
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Thunder Finish Strong: Oklahoma City concluded its historic regular season with a 115-115 draw (non-standard format; possibly adjusted later) against New Orleans. Aaron Wiggins and Branden Carlson led the charge as OKC rested all starters and still showed depth.
