What Warriors Fans Can Extract from the 25-26 Regular Season Finale
The regular season officially came to a close on Sunday night. The finishing touches on the playoff picture were painted on the 2025-2026 NBA canvas, and the Warriors’ side of it doesn’t look pretty. Golden State faced off against the Los Angeles Clippers, who cautiously sat Kawhi Leonard to give his ankle more rest ahead of the NBA Play-In. That didn’t faze the Clippers much as they took care of the Warriors, 115-110. This game served as a preview of the ninth and 10th seed matchup in the Western Conference this year, with the winner having the chance to clinch a playoff berth with another win.
Stephen Curry and His Possible Restrictions
The greatest three-point shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, was, once again, the Warriors’ best play on the floor last night. He finished with a team-high 24 points, doing so while shooting exactly 50% from the field. The four-time NBA Champion is evidently still shaking some rust off, which is probably why head coach Steve Kerr opted not to rest him but give his star guard normal minutes instead. After missing almost two months with a knee issue that gave the Warriors trouble and put their playoff hopes at risk, Curry should be ready to lead his team into a playoff battle once again. I don’t anticipate seeing much of a minutes cap on him by Kerr during the tournament, because every game is do-or-die moving forward.
Meaningless, but Needed Repetitions
The Warriors walked into this game indifferent from a standings perspective, but it was good for the players to get a feel of how the Clippers may defend them again on Wednesday. This team has retooled itself to rely on athleticism, something that the Warriors may struggle with given their long-term absences. Curry is bound to get more help than he did tonight, where only three of his other teammates crossed the double-digit point threshold. This unprecedented version of the Warriors is mostly defined by veterans, but for younger pros like Charles Bassey or Gui Santos, collecting last night’s film may give them an edge on Wednesday.
Statistical Identity With a Caveat
This contest, on paper, resembled two evenly matched teams. Neither group showed statistical dominance in any category, and the final score was very representative of this game’s output. However, when looking ahead to their next tilt against each other, last night didn’t account for one thing: the Claw. As mentioned earlier, Ty Lue rested Leonard so his star player would be as close to 100% for the more important contest between these two teams. The seven-time all-star has scored the ball efficiently this season and has done so in bulk with 27.9 points per game on average. It’s hard for me, or anyone, to say that Wednesday was a close preview of what’s to come. Intensity will ramp up, different players may step up, and Leonard will be present and in full force when these squads fight for the right to move on in three days’ time.
