Los Angeles Clippers collect 15th consecutive winning season with play-in preview victory over the Golden State Warriors

LOS ANGELES – When the final buzzer sounded Sunday night at the Intuit Dome, the Los Angeles Clippers secured their 15th consecutive winning season with a 115–110 victory over the Golden State Warriors, marking their 42nd win of the season. 

Still the longest active streak in the NBA and fourth longest in the league’s history, the Clippers miraculously managed to secure their spot as the No. 9 seed in the SoFi Play-In Tournament. 

Despite many trials and tribulations, it was the well-rounded effort on the court and continued resiliency in that locker room that shaped this historic run, which may never be seen again. 

“My mindset is never give up,” said Clippers Head Coach Tyronn Lue. “Play every game, run through the tape, those guys have been able to do that. I got respect for everybody in that locker room for everything we’ve been through.”

Kawhi Leonard was ruled out with a precautionary ankle injury in preparation for the play-in tournament. 

After playing his 65th game on Friday in Portland, Leonard became eligible for NBA awards. 

In what was easily an All-NBA First Team campaign, Leonard finished his final 57 games of the season scoring at least 20 points, tying Bob McAdoo for the longest streak in franchise history. 

His 27.9 points per game average was not only a career-high, but he also became the first player to average a career-best in points in year 14 or later.  

However, with his absence, the Clippers yet again embraced that next-man up mentality within the starting rotation. 

John Collins, Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez, Kris Dunn and Darius Garland took the floor together for just the second time this season after their narrow 119-115 loss against the San Antonio Spurs at home on March 16 the first time around. 

In what eventually turned into a play-in preview, the Clippers were extremely versatile in their approach at the basket, demonstrating why they were able to lead for 70% of the game. 

The first half saw them play a similar style as they continuously drove the ball down low while also utilizing terrific ball-movement through their motion offense. 

Despite only recording seven free throw attempts for a squad that leads the league in free throw percentage with a near 83% and records 24.7 attempts a game, the Clippers still fought through the low post with 22 paint points in the first half. 

Collins was the main contributor in that area, quickly getting out in transition and earning easy buckets against a poor Warriors defense that allows almost 14 points on the fast break. His 20 points on the night was his 46th game in double figures this year, and his 14 by break also was his third highest total at the half this season. 

“(We) just need him to attack, to be aggressive, and then when we get stops he’s got to push a little bit faster because he is one the best guys in transition,” said Lue. 

The Warriors are also no strangers to rotations, as they rolled out their 43rd different starting five this season, their third most in a single season in franchise history. 

For an offense built on firing from beyond the arc—where more than 42% of their points have come from this season—that approach didn’t hold up tonight. 

Shooting an abysmal 6-for-24 from beyond the arc in the first half marked the 26th time this season that the Warriors have made six or fewer triples in a first half. A huge credit of course goes the approach of the Clippers’ perimeter defense. 

“With them you got to get closer, you can’t give them space because if you give them space the way they run and slip out it just causes a lot of confusion,” said Lue. “You got to be physical, you got to be on their body.” 

Despite their efforts Stephen Curry still put on another clinic, finishing with 24 points and going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc even without playing the final four minutes. 

This Warriors squad clearly has more of an identity when he is on the court, as they went a horrid 13-26 without him this year. Curry just recently captured sole possession of 19th place on the NBA all-time scoring list after reaching 10 points against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. 

Even with the injury-filled season, Curry still managed to drop 190 triples on the year, nearly adding on to his NBA-record 12 seasons with at least 200 3-pointers made. 

By the second half, however, the Clippers’ consistency began to pay off. For a squad that is dead last in the league in assists, the Clippers dished it out 27 times to set themselves up for quality shots, primarily on the perimeter. 

Within the first four minutes of the final frame, the Clippers nailed four triples to put themselves up by double digits and never looked back. 

Bogdan Bogdanović hit three of those triples during that stretch to fuel the run, a full-circle moment to cap off his campaign after suffering an injury just two minutes into the preseason back in October. 

Dropping 17 points and matching a season-high five made triples, Bogdanovic finally got his flowers. 

“He puts the work in every single day,” said Lue. “Every day he’s in the gym, and to get the opportunity to show out the way he did, it was beautiful to see the fans show him the appreciation he deserves.”

Mathurin’s fantastic two-way play also helped seal the deal for the Clippers. Undoubtedly the Clippers sixth-man, he came into this one leading all players in total bench points post All-Star Break with 393. 

He led all Clippers scorers with 20 points, adding nine rebounds and eight assists to cap a career year in scoring, rebounding, and assists. 

While the Warriors adjusted their approach in the second half by attacking the lane and getting to the charity stripe at a much higher rate, their inability to stay consistent from deep ultimately undid them.

They finished 27-for-32 from the line—a solid mark for a team that ranks 25th in the league in free-throw attempts at fewer than 17 per game—but they managed to hit just five second-half triples, straying from their core identity.

If this preview did one thing, it was demonstrate the Clippers’ ability to adapt as they have all season long. 

Now victorious over the Warriors in ten of their last 11 matchups, the Clippers will hope to tally another victory over the Warriors as these two squads will face off once again on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome for game four of the SoFi Play-In Tournament. 

Tip off is at 7 p.m. PT.