Golden State Warriors-Los Angeles Clippers NBA Play-In Game preview & odds

Q: What are the current records of the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers?

The Golden State Warriors have a record of 37-45, while the Los Angeles Clippers finished the season at 42-40.

Q: When is the Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers play-in game?

The play-in game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers is scheduled for April 15.

Q: How did the Los Angeles Clippers improve their season record?

The Clippers improved from a 6-21 record on December 20, 2025, to finish the season at 42-40, marking a historic comeback.

Q: Who are the key players in the Warriors vs. Clippers matchup?

Key players in the matchup include Stephen Curry for the Warriors and Darius Garland for the Clippers.

The NBA play-in continues on April 15 after two show-stopper matchups on April 14. The Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat with a last-second shot by LaMelo Ball, while the Portland Trail Blazers rode Deni Avdija’s 41-point performance to a first-round date with the San Antonio Spurs.

On April 15, the other side of the Western Conference play-in is resolved with a California rivalry: the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors limp into the play-in spot at 37-45 despite losing Jimmy Butler for the season, while the Clippers recover from a rough start to the season.

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They went from 6-21 on Dec. 20, 2025, to 42-40 at the end of the regular season, becoming the first team to finish above .500 after being 15 games below .500 at any point in the season. Still, it’s important to dissect the matchups to determine who will win and play the Phoenix Suns.

Point Guard: Stephen Curry vs. Darius Garland

Stephen Curry is one of the lone members of the Warriors’ dynasty. The 37-year old is still producing like one of the best point guards in the league, with 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He’s still shooting 39.3% from behind the arc, so he still has his best move to give defenses nightmares.

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Darius Garland is very good as well. He was traded from the Cavaliers to the Clippers for James Harden, and he’s improved in Los Angeles. He’s earning 19.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game while shooting a blistering 43.8% from behind the arc.

While Garland is a star point guard, he’s no match for Curry. The Warriors will definitely rely on him to lead them past the Clippers, and even at 37, he can still drop 35 or even 40 points.

Winner: Stephen Curry

Shooting Guard: Brandin Podziemski vs. Kris Dunn

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Podziemski is a good guard to have around Stephen Curry. He’s not as offensively well-rounded as Curry, with 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, but he makes up for it with his defensive impact. The third-year guard averages 1.1 steals per game as well, and while advanced analytics haven’t liked his output this season (-0.1 defensive box plus/minus), he still has the reputation as a good defensive guard.

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Kris Dunn, meanwhile, brings just his defense to the table. As the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, he has become a journeyman, joining the Clippers in the 2024 offseason. While he’s averaged just 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, he’s one of the best defensive guards in the league.

Dunn’s earned 1.6 steals per game, and analytics adore him. In the 2024-25 season, he led the league in DBPM (3.4). However, Podziemski narrowly beats out Dunn due to his offensive upside.

Winner: Brandon Podziemski

Small Forward: De’Anthony Melton vs. Kawhi Leonard

This is where the loss of Jimmy Butler comes back to haunt the Warriors. They have to put De’Antony Melton, who usually plays guard, at the three spot to match up against one of the best forwards in the game.

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There’s little that needs to be said about Kawhi Leonard. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while remaining one of the best defensive forwards in the game. He made his seventh All-Star appearance this season.

De’Anthony Melton has also notched a career-high in points, with 12.3 points, along with 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, but he has nowhere near the offensive upside of Kawhi Leonard. Analytics say he’s only slightly above average, too, with 0.1 DBPM. It’s far from his early years, where he earned over 1 DBPM for six straight seasons. Still, even with his defensive reputation, Kawhi Leonard wins out by a landslide.

Winner: Kawhi Leonard

Power Forward: Draymond Green vs. Derrick Jones Jr.

Draymond Green has carved out a career for being a heartbeat of the Warriors defense. He’s averaged 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, which aren’t too dissimilar to his career stats. However, he’s still one of the best defensive forwards in the game. Analytics suggest he’s taken a step back this season (-1.4 DBPM), but he’s still one year removed from finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year votes.

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Derrick Jones Jr., meanwhile, is a slashing tweener-type forward. Despite incredible dunks, the 29-year-old has just 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He has a negative offensive and defensive BPM, which are replacement-level numbers. That won’t go against one of the best defensive forwards of all time, so Green wins out.

Winner: Draymond Green

Center: Kristaps Porzingis vs. Brook Lopez

This feels like a throwback to the 2015-16 season, when both of them were duking it out on New York-based teams. However, it’s lost a little bit of luster with both of them moving to the Bay Area.

Porzingis still has scoring chops. He’s averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game between the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks, who traded him for Jonathan Kuminga. While he’s had his postseason struggles, Porzingis can still be dangerous from behind the arc. However, he’s had a rough go of it in Golden State, shooting 31.1% from three-point territory.

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He’s still more offensively creative than Brook Lopez at this point. The 36-year-old center is averaging just 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. While he can get over 20 points once in a blue moon, he scores in the single digits more often than not. As a result, Porzingis wins this one outright.

Winner: Kristaps Porzingis

Warriors vs. Clippers Bench

The Los Angeles Clippers have three double-digit scorers off the bench, with shooting guard Benedict Mathurin (17.4 PPG), John Collins (13.6) and Jordan Miller (10.0) leading the charge. For the Warriors, Moses Moody (12.2 PPG) has been leading the charge, but they also brought in Al Horford (8.3) for championship experience, and Gui Santos (9.2) has had his moments.

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Still, the Warriors will have to play a short rotation against the Clippers, keeping Stephen Curry and Draymond Green out for a while. I trust them to do that, especially with the talent advantage for the starting lineup. For a play-in game, it doesn’t matter as much if a team has a lot of depth, so I’m going to pick the Warriors in an upset.

The winner of this game will play the Phoenix Suns, who just lost the 7/8 play-in against the Portland Trail Blazers. This game will commence at 10:00 p.m.

Winner: Golden State Warriors