Curry's elite performance, Golden State Warriors close in on NBA 2025-2026 playoffs

The exceptional performance of "Chef" Curry alongside Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis enabled Golden State Warriors to overcome Los Angeles Clippers in round 1 of the NBA play-in tournament this season.

Superstar shooter Stephen Curry delivered an extremely outstanding performance to help Golden State Warriors beat Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 in the first game of the play-in series NBA 2025-2026 on April 26 morning Vietnam time.

Curry was the driving force behind Warriors' impressive comeback. "Chef" scored 35 points (12-23 successful shots, 7-12 successful three-pointers), with a scoring efficiency of 52.1%, ranking as Warriors' top scorer and the game's leading scorer, ahead of Benedict Mathurin (22 points) and the Clippers duo Kawhi Leonard-Darius Garland with 21 points each.

Additionally, Curry contributed 4 assists and 1 successful steal, leaving a strong mark in the gameplay strategy Coach Steve Kerr specifically designed for him.

The NBA's all-time number one three-point shooter started poorly with only 2 successful shots before halftime. However, from the third quarter, Curry began shooting "hot" at Intuit Dome, helping "The Golden" continuously recover points and surge powerfully in the decisive quarter.

Besides Curry, another key contributor to GSW's valuable victory was veteran center Al Horford with 3 sensational successful three-pointers. Earlier, "The Unicorn" Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos both delivered excellent performances with 20 points each.

Los Angeles Clippers could only blame themselves as superstar Kawhi Leonard completely "lost his touch" in the last two quarters, while rookie Darius Garland accumulated 5 fouls early.

The dramatic victory over Clippers advances Warriors to the final round of this year's NBA play-in tournament, where Curry and his teammates will face Phoenix Suns - the team that lost to Portland Trail Blazers on April 15.

The winner of this matchup will secure a playoff berth and will face the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.