The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers will close out their 2024-25 NBA regular-season journeys with a meeting at the Chase Center on Sunday.
Both teams are in good form heading into this one, with the hosts 7-2 over their last nine matches, while the away side have come out on top in each of their last seven games.
Match preview
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Having seen their automatic playoff berth put in serious jeopardy with a 114-111 defeat against the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors headed to Moda Center to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers knowing that a win was borderline non-negotiable.
Steve Kerr's men understood the task at hand and cruised to a 13-point lead at the interval, which soon became 20 before taking their foot off the gas a bit in the final 12 minutes en route to a 103-86 triumph.
While Steph Curry endured an underwhelming night, scoring just 14 points, Jimmy Butler came to the fore for his new employers, tallying 24 points, five rebounds and seven assists on 60% shooting from the field.
The Warriors continue to hold on to sixth place in the Western Conference standings, where they boast a similar 48-33 record as the seventh-place Minnesota Timberwolves while also leading the Memphis Grizzlies by only one win.
As things stand, the Warriors are set for a mammoth clash against the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoff first round but will first need to take care of business on Sunday with a win to avoid any late permutations.
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Led by James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers have put together their best form of the campaign towards the end and are looking like a proper unit ahead of the start of playoff action.
Tyronn Lue's men showed great mettle to claim a 101-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings in their last outing at the Golden 1 Center, which saw the Clippers win for a seventh straight time and the ninth in the last 10 games.
Harden racked up a third triple-double of the season with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Leonard notched a game-high 28 points on 10-21 shooting for his 14th consecutive 20-point performance.
Like the Warriors, the Clippers still have work to do to guarantee an automatic playoff spot in a tightly packed Western Conference, as a defeat this weekend would leave them looking anxiously over their shoulders.
Off the back of victories in each of this season's previous three meetings against the hosts, Sunday's visitors have fared well in this fixture of late but will know that a defeat this weekend could throw a real spanner in the works.
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Team News
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Quinten Post and Gary Payton II shook off respective injury concerns to feature for the Warriors last time out, and both men will be expected in action this weekend.
Following his impressive outing against the Blazers, Jimmy Butler now has the opportunity to record three straight 20-point games for only the second time since joining the hosts back in February.
Nicolas Batum is still nursing a groin problem and should miss out for the Clippers here, while Amir Coffey and Seth Lundy are sidelined with knee and ankle injuries respectively.
Patty Mills was absent against the Kings through illness, but the veteran guard could be back in time to play a part for the away side in this weekend's affair.
Golden State Warriors possible starting 5:
Curry, Podziemski; Moody, Butler; Green
Los Angeles Clippers possible starting 5:
Harden, Dunn; Powell, Leonard; Zubac
We say: The Golden State Warriors to win by 4+ points.
Both teams do not need a reminder as to why a win here is crucial, and we are expecting an enthralling affair.
That said, we can see the Warriors edging out their visitors to emerge triumphant when all is said and done.
Joshua Ojele
