Preview: Final dress rehearsal
Warriors face Clippers in likely Play-In practice game
Fittingly, the Golden State Warriors will come limping into the final game of the regular season, but somehow looking hopeful - despite all the setbacks. This season has been rough, with huge injuries to key players like Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, combined with little ones that have held out critical players as well as the supporting cast. It’s been a forced adjustment for months, and the Warriors are likely happy to see this season come to a merciful close.
But before it does, there’s one last dance. One last chance to take a look at what’s currently available and try and figure out the best path forward. The Warriors’ new reality after tonight’s game: do or die. After this one, it’s two straight wins (and then the OKC Thunder) or a trip home for the summer. The dreaded 10th seed.
And yet, the slimmest glimmer of hope remains. Can Curry open the Matrix of Leadership one or two more times to keep the dream alive just a bit longer?
GAME DETAILS
WHO: Golden State Warriors (37-44) Los Angeles Clippers (41-40)
WHEN: Sunday, April 12th, 2026; 5:30pm PST
WATCH: NBCSBA
Final Seeding Mostly Set
Following a late season loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, the Clippers and Blazers are tied at 41-40, but the Blazers hold the tiebreaker advantage for the 8th seed due to a better conference record. What this means is that while there is an outside chance - Blazers lose to Kings, Clippers beat Warriors - it’s fairly certain that these two teams will be playing against each other on Wednesday with the season on the line.
Today, the stakes are essentially zero for the Warriors, but they do have a vested interest in proving that they aren’t a pushover.
All eyes will be on the injury report heading into this game, with Al Horford finally showing up as Probable, and Kristaps Porzingis staying available, this the first real look at Curry with the renewed Warriors front court. Of course, there are injuries up and down the roster to contend with, but it’s an acceptable minimum viable outcome for Golden State.
10th seed. No Butler, no Moody. And Kuminga has been converted into Porzingis - who should pair well with Horford if they can both stay healthy enough to maintain availability.
But in this cursed season, it’s not going to be all roses and sunshine. Gui Santos (pelvis) and Will Richard (back) are both Questionable; and LJ Cryer is done for the season with an ill-timed ankle injury that rules him out tonight and a contract that doesn’t extend into the playoffs.
And yet, maybe this crew is enough. That’s always been this year’s wildcard: give Curry a chance, any chance. The margins are thinner than KD’s dusty ankles, but the chance is presenting itself - a gnarly gauntlet that is going to require consecutive wins over the Clippers (not tonight) and Blazers. Neither is an insurmountable foe, but Golden State hasn’t exactly looked like a World Class Titan this season either.
All of that changes at the top, with the return of Curry. He came off the bench twice upon return, but is now slotted back into his familiar and warranted spot in the opening lineup. He’s expected to ramp his minutes up in this final game, but it’s far from certain. Remember, the Warriors have absolutely no implication in the standings for tonight’s game - but nonetheless will be looking to establish a rhythm.
Curry popped off for 29 in his first game back, but was held to just 17 in that last game against the Kings - a game that included a knee bonk injury that he swears is no big deal.
“I’ll be all right,” Curry said. “As long as it’s not my knee. I can deal with ankles. I’ve been dealing with that forever. That was the interesting part: My knee felt pretty good, even better than last game.”
Assuming Curry is the answer isn’t as simple as it used to be. It’s been a full decade since Curry won his back-to-back MVP awards, and the league (and his body) have moved on in the interim. He’s still elite, but it’s that old man level of elite. The Warriors have entered that phase of their career where the path to the championship no longer goes through them.
And yet, even aged, this is a dangerous squad.
The margins for this to all work out are ridiculously slim. But thankfully (for better or for worse) this is another practice run. Another shot at checking out the team dynamics and rotation decisions before those ultimate 48 minutes of truth on Wednesday, when the Warriors really do face elimination.
Fittingly, tonight feels less like an ending and more like a dress rehearsal for something far more unforgiving. The Warriors don’t have anything tangible to gain in the standings, but they have everything to figure out. Rotations, chemistry, stamina, and whether this patchwork roster can hold together under real pressure. Which is something they really have not seen yet.
Against the Clippers, expect flashes rather than final answers: a few more minutes for Steph Curry to rediscover rhythm, a longer look at the new frontcourt pairing, and one last attempt to manufacture cohesion out of a season defined by instability. Because while this game technically doesn’t matter, what it reveals absolutely does. Wednesday is the real threshold - the moment where experimentation ends and everything is on the line. That’s the night where tired legs won’t matter, where excuses disappear, and where the Warriors’ season will either find one last improbable heartbeat or finally flatline. Tonight is just the setup. Wednesday is the fight.
Prediction
Sure. Let’s get one last win to close out the season. Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but that’s why we watch.