SAN FRANCISCO – James Harden scored 39 points to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 124-119 overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday (April 14 in PHL), securing the final automatic playoff berth on the dramatic final day of the NBA regular season.
Harden’s clutch performance at Chase Center included back-to-back three-pointers in overtime that proved decisive in a game that featured 23 lead changes and playoff-level intensity.
The victory gave the Clippers the fifth seed in the Western Conference and sets up a highly anticipated first-round matchup with the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets.
“We knew it was gonna be a hostile environment, and the main goal was just to win the game,” Harden told ESPN.
“Whether it’s scoring, whether it’s playmaking… it’s whatever it takes at this point,” added Harden, who also recorded 9 assists and 6 rebounds.
The 35-year-old former MVP was supported by Kawhi Leonard’s 33 points and Ivica Zubac’s 22-point, 13-rebound double-double, as the Clippers notched their eighth consecutive win heading into the postseason.
“We know we’re a good team and we’re excited to show the world that we’re a good team,” Harden said after leading the team through a late-season surge.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 36 points while Jimmy Butler contributed 30, but Golden State must now fight for playoff survival in the upcoming play-in tournament, beginning with a home game against Memphis on Tuesday.
“That was a big-time basketball game — they’re one of the best teams in the NBA, and so are we,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said postgame.
“It was a great, great game — high-level stuff, stars being stars. We came up short but not for lack of effort.”
Kerr praised both teams’ execution but lamented the missed opportunities that cost Golden State an automatic playoff berth.
In other action, the Denver Nuggets secured the fourth seed in the West with a 126-111 win over the second-seeded Houston Rockets, just days after the team fired longtime head coach Michael Malone in a stunning midweek decision.
Interim head coach David Adelman praised Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic, who wrapped up a triple-double average for the season with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists on Sunday.
“I’ve been around special players, I’ve never seen any player like him,” Adelman said.
“The work he puts in, how systematic and professional he is — no wasted steps. He is absolutely the most impressive basketball player I’ve ever seen.”
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves locked in the sixth and final automatic playoff spot in the West with a 116-105 win over the Utah Jazz.
“I’m super proud of their body of work this year,” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch.
“We didn’t make a big trade or fire coaches to sort things out — they sorted it out themselves. Those guys made the right adjustments and figured out who they needed to be as a team.”
The Timberwolves will face the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
