Stephen A. Smith was left stunned by the Golden State Warriors’ Play-In win over the LA Clippers, praising Steph Curry and the veteran core after a dramatic comeback.
What made the result stand out was not just that Golden State survived, but the way the game turned late after the Clippers looked in control.
That is why Smith’s reaction landed so strongly, because this was a night where the Warriors’ proven core dragged a fading season back to life under maximum pressure.
Stephen A. Smith reacts to Steph Curry and the Warriors’ win
Posting after the game via his X handle, Smith summed up his reaction to Golden State’s closing surge.
“OMG! What a game. What a performance from Stephen Curry in the second Half. Same to Al Horford, with those big-time threes,” he wrote.
Smith added: “And then Draymond Green with the damn defense on Kawhi Leonard, held to 2 pts in the 4th QT, with two key steals. Can’t say enough about these Warriors, man. Just can’t say enough!”
The post captured the scale of the turnaround, especially with Curry and the Warriors flipping the game after a difficult first half.
It also reflected how much of the win came from familiar playoff traits, shot-making, late defense, and veteran composure.
Warriors vs. Clippers Play-In game turned on a fourth-quarter comeback
Golden State beat the Clippers 126-121 after trailing by 13 in the fourth quarter, with Curry scoring 27 of his 35 points in the second half and hitting the tie-breaking three with 50.4 seconds left.
Al Horford was a major part of that late push, knocking down four three-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Warriors closed on a 16-6 run to keep their season alive.
Draymond Green’s defense also changed the game late, with reporting noting that Kawhi Leonard was held scoreless in the fourth until the final 16 seconds after Los Angeles had led 98-85 with 9:53 remaining.
The win sent 10th-seeded Golden State on to a road game against Phoenix for the West’s No. 8 playoff spot, while the 9th-seeded Clippers saw their season end immediately.
That is what made Smith’s reaction so emphatic. This was not just a win, it was a playoff-style escape built on Curry’s shot-making, Horford’s timely spacing, and Green’s late defensive control.
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