The Golden State Warriors will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament, with the winner advancing to face the loser of the Suns vs. Trail Blazers game. Stephen Curry emphasized the need for the Warriors to impose their will and maintain focus against the Clippers, who have bested them in three of four matchups this season.
It's official, the Golden State Warriors will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the play-in tournament. As the ninth and tenth seeds, the winner of that game will then face the loser of the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers for a chance to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
For the Warriors, their play-in game against the Clippers will be a rematch of their season finale, which they lost 115-110 on Sunday, April 12. When speaking to the media after that game, Stephen Curry gave an honest assessment of the mindset his team must have when facing Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Clippers roster.
"It's going to be fun. I mean, we know who they are. We've played them twice since the trade deadline," Curry said, via Joseph Dycus. "A little faster paced, obviously not Kawhi tonight, but you know what he's about and how well he's been playing...You know the tendencies. You know what our game plan is going to be. Just come with a level of focus. You obviously know, with a guy like Kawhi, you're going to play your best defense. He still can get his numbers, it's just how he gets them and making him work...We gotta be able to impose our will, even if he still gets his. That's the challenge to try to beat those guys."
Golden State has struggled when facing the Clippers this season, losing three of its four matchups. However, the play-in tournament will give them an opportunity to knock Ty Lue's team out of the running for a postseason spot. The most important thing for Golden State will be staying healthy between now and Wednesday, April 15, after all, injuries have been the recurring theme this season.
The Clippers will be a tough opponent. Fortunately for Golden State, when healthy, they have enough talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the NBA, and that includes Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Clippers roster.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Stephen Curry calls on Warriors to 'impose their will' when in play-in
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The play-in game determines which team advances to face the loser of the Suns vs. Trail Blazers matchup for a chance to enter the playoffs.
The Warriors have struggled against the Clippers, losing three out of four matchups during the regular season.
Stephen Curry highlighted the importance of imposing their will and maintaining focus, especially when defending against star player Kawhi Leonard.


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