In a Western Conference play-in game, Al Horford connected on four 3-pointers in the final 5 minutes and 37 seconds, propelling the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors to a 126-121 victory over the ninth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in Inglewood, California. The win keeps the Warriors' playoff hopes alive and sets up a crucial matchup for the final postseason spot.

Horford's late-game heroics were part of a game-ending 27-13 run by Golden State. Stephen Curry punctuated a 35-point performance by sinking a deep 3-pointer with 50.4 seconds left, putting the Warriors ahead for good at 120-117. Curry went 7-of-12 from beyond the arc, leading the team to a 19-of-41 (46.3%) shooting night from long range.

Despite Curry's contributions, it was the 39-year-old veteran Horford who stole the spotlight. After scoring just two points off the bench earlier, he finished with 14 points, with his pivotal baskets set up by two assists from Gui Santos and sandwiched between assists from Curry. Santos played a key all-around role, tallying 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Warriors.

The Clippers, who led for most of the game, couldn't maintain their advantage down the stretch. Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard each scored 21 points, but Leonard went cold offensively in the fourth quarter, committing turnovers and scoring only on a dunk in the final seconds after the outcome was essentially decided. Bennedict Mathurin led Los Angeles with 23 points off the bench.

With the win, Golden State advances to a sudden-death game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday to determine the West's No. 8 seed and the first-round playoff opponent for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The loss ends the Clippers' season, marking a disappointing finish despite their earlier control of the game.

Source: www.aljazeera.com