Clippers’ Path to the Playoffs: Regular Season Review and Play-In Preview

Few people expected the Los Angeles Clippers to be one of the four Western Conference teams competing for a playoff spot in the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament. But now, the Clippers are the No. 9 seed and still in the running to make their fourth straight playoff appearance.

Here is a breakdown of the Clippers’ regular season and what to expect for Los Angeles going into the play-in tournament against the No. 10 seed Golden State Warriors.

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Early-Season Adversity

The Clippers dealt with adversity both on and off the court that contributed to a disastrous start to the season.

During the preseason, the Clippers and superstar Kawhi Leonard found themselves in the middle of an NBA investigation that began in September and has spanned the entire season. The league is investigating if the franchise used a fraudulent endorsement deal to pay Leonard more money and circumvent the NBA’s salary cap.

Then, a few weeks into the season, starting guard Bradley Beal suffered a season-ending hip fracture that required surgery in November. By December, the Clippers controversially dismissed veteran Chris Paul from the team after signing him for the final season of his career in the summer.

By Dec. 20, the Clippers were 6-21.

A Challenge From Ty Lue

Despite their 6-21 record, the Clippers upset the Los Angeles Lakers when Leonard scored a season-high 32 points against the crosstown rivals on Dec. 20.

Jan 22, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends a shot by Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

That win sparked a shift in the Clippers’ season.

Clippers coach Ty Lue challenged his team to go 35-20 for the remainder of the regular season, which seemed like an impossible feat for the struggling franchise. But the Clippers ultimately accomplished that goal and finished the regular season with a 42-40 record.

Trade Deadline Moves

In the middle of the Clippers’ season turnaround, Los Angeles traded two veterans at the trade deadline in February: James Harden and Ivica Zubac.

The Clippers traded 11-time NBA All-Star Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick. This was a mutual move for the Clippers and Harden, as it allows Los Angeles to rebuild and gives Harden a shot to win an NBA championship.

LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) stands on the court prior to the opening tip against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

Los Angeles sent Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Indiana Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

Play-In Tournament Preview

The Clippers went 3-1 against the Warriors during the regular season, with the only loss being on Oct. 28 before Los Angeles’ turnaround.

The latest matchup between the two teams was on Sunday when Los Angeles won 115-110 without Leonard on the court. Leonard was resting his ankle to be prepared for Wednesday’s play-in game.

Meanwhile, the Warriors will have three key players on minutes restriction for the play-in game: Stephen Curry, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.

In order to advance to the playoffs, the Clippers will need to defeat the Warriors at the Intuit Dome on Wednesday then defeat the winner of Tuesday’s game between the No. 7 seed Phoenix Suns and No. 8 seed Portland Trail Blazers. If the Clippers lose either of those two games, Los Angeles’ season is over.

Photo Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

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