Warriors bound for play-in tournament after overtime loss to Clippers in season finale

SAN FRANCISCO — Entering overtime at Chase Center, the No. 6 seed was there for the taking on Sunday afternoon. 

But when presented with such an opportunity, two of the Warriors’ longtime foes sent Golden State to the play-in tournament with a 124-119 overtime defeat.

Kawhi Leonard, six years after leading the Raptors to the 2019 title over the Warriors in the NBA Finals, showcased a vintage collection of mid-range jumpers, strong drives and unguardable isolation moves to score 33 points. 

Then James Harden, who battled Golden State for years as the Rockets’ superstar, put in 12 points during overtime to help shut the door on the Warriors. 

With the Timberwolves, Grizzlies and Nuggets winning their games Sunday, the Warriors (48-34) are the seventh seed and bound for a Tuesday night play-in game at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

“We’ve got to turn the page quickly and move on to that game,” coach Steve Kerr said.

The Warriors had a 111-107 lead with two minutes left in regulation and failed to hold on after squandering a double-digit advantage in the second quarter.

Steph Curry scored 36 but had eight turnovers, and Jimmy Butler put in 30, while Brandin Podziemski scored 19. Harden scored 39 to lead the Clippers. 

Curry did his best to carry the Warriors to a playoff berth, scoring 18 in the fourth quarter alone and burying three 3-pointers during that stretch. 

But with an opportunity to break the deadlock with 32 seconds left, the franchise point guard turned it over. Leonard missed a mid-range shot at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime. 

Even after falling behind early in the extra period, the Warriors just wouldn’t go away. Curry, Draymond Green and Butler each scored to make it 121-119 with 50 seconds left. 

After Green forced Leonard to turn the ball over, he got open on a layup that would have tied the game with 26 seconds remaining.

Green clanged the layup off the rim.

“Gary Payton made the play in the post, and Jimmy in the pocket, and I smoked it,” Green said.

The game was far from over, though. Leonard missed 1-of-2 free throws to give the Warriors the ball, down three points with six seconds remaining.

Buddy Hield missed a potential game-tying 3 on the left wing, and Harden closed things out from the line.

It was a dramatic end to a game that left the Warriors battered and bruised. 

Butler was hurt late in the game, favoring his left leg after taking a knee to his quad while challenging a shot in the overtime period. He remained in the game until the final buzzer but was clearly hobbled.

Green suffered an injury scare midway through the first quarter when he appeared to injure his neck after diving for a loose ball. The veteran forward went back to the locker room with 6:22 left in the first quarter, but returned a few minutes later and checked back into the game. 

Golden State finished the first quarter on a 13-1 run to take a 33-25 lead into the second period. Butler scored 10 points in the first 12 minutes, including six in the final 75 seconds of the first quarter. 

The Warriors scored the first four points of the second quarter to build a 39-25 lead. 

The defense deserved much of the credit: Moses Moody guarded Leonard, Norm Powell and Harden at different points, and thrived against all three. 

The Clippers responded shortly thereafter with a 16-4 run and took a 49-48 lead on a Harden baseline floater. 

Curry gave the Warriors a 58-57 lead on a fading 3-pointer from the left wing with six seconds remaining in the half, but Powell sent the Clippers into the locker room with a 60-58 lead by making a contested 35-foot buzzer-beater. 

Green’s two third-quarter 3-pointers and more Butler buckets gave Golden State a 72-71 lead, but the Clippers continued to have success in isolation. 

Harden was able to get downhill, and Leonard buried one-on-one jumpers to help the Clippers take an 83-82 lead into the fourth quarter. LA’s two veteran stars repeated that method to put away the game in overtime, sweeping the season series and sending Golden State to the play-in tournament.

“If we can take care of business, then we’ll have four or five days before the first playoff game,” Kerr said looking ahead to Tuesday’s game with the Grizzlies.