Clippers vs. Warriors: How to watch, start time, and streaming for must-win matchup
Clippers face Warriors in must-win game
The Los Angeles Clippers play the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament Wednesday night.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The Los Angeles Clippers face the Golden State Warriors in a must-win game in the NBA’s play-in tournament Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome.
What we know:
The Clippers ended the regular season as the ninth seed following a finish that came down to the wire. The team must win Wednesday night’s game to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The season has been marked by off-court headlines, including an investigation into the Aspiration deal, and significant roster changes. The Clippers parted ways with Chris Paul during what was intended to be a farewell tour and traded James Harden and longtime player Ivica Zubac. Despite the outside noise, the team managed to maintain its focus on the court.
Kawhi Leonard has led the team with a remarkable season, highlighted by a career-high 55-point game and an All-Star game appearance. The two-time Finals MVP has maintained a consistent scoring streak of 20 points or more since Oct. 31.
The two teams also faced each other at the end of the regular season. Without Leonard, the Clippers got the job done and won 115-110.
Inglewood, CA - April 12: LA Clippers guard Darius Garland (10) looks to pass against Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Intuit Dome on Sunday, April 12, 2026 in Inglewood, CA. (Eric (Getty Images)
How to watch
- When: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
- Time: 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
- Where: Intuit Dome
- Streaming: Amazon Prime
Play-in tournament explained
The current play-in format was established in 2021, requiring teams ranked seventh through 10th in each conference to compete for a postseason berth.
Under the rules, the seventh and eighth seeds have two opportunities to secure a playoff spot. The loser of the game between the ninth and 10th seeds is immediately eliminated. The winner of the 9-10 matchup must then defeat the loser of the 7-8 game to advance to the playoffs as the eighth seed.
The winner of the eighth seed will face the Western Conference’s number one seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
What they're saying:
During practice Tuesday afternoon, Leonard said he is "taking it one game at a time."
"Obviously, that’s what you gotta do," Leonard said, in comments posted by the Sporting Tribune. "Just making sure that nobody’s ready to go home and squeeze as much out [of] this season as we can."
Leonard noted the importance of entering the postseason without injury. "Glad I was able to finish it healthy once again. Let’s just see if we can perform," he said.
Historic season for the Clippers
Dig deeper:
This season marks a historic milestone for the franchise. The Clippers became the first team in NBA history to finish with an overall winning record (42-40) after starting the season 6-21. No other team has ever finished at or above .500 after beginning a season with that record.