Clippers, Warriors, Sixers and Magic Face Win-or-Go-Home Tests on Wednesday
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Two play-in contests on Wednesday will determine one Eastern Conference playoff berth and keep a Western Conference season alive.
Western Conference: Clippers vs. Warriors
The nightcap at Crypto.com Arena matches the No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers (42-40) against the No. 10 Golden State Warriors (37-45). Most sportsbooks list the Clippers as five-point favorites.
Los Angeles began 2025/26 with championship hopes built around Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, but a 6-21 start and an ongoing NBA investigation into alleged salary-cap circumvention reshaped the year. Harden was traded to Cleveland and Zubac to Indiana at the deadline, with two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland arriving in return. The revamped roster closed the schedule on a 36-19 surge while Leonard stayed healthy and productive, yet his long-term future with the franchise remains uncertain.
Golden State’s season turned when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January. Stephen Curry followed with a knee injury that sidelined him for more than two months, and from Feb. 1 forward the Warriors posted the worst offensive rating among the league’s 20 postseason teams. Curry returned for the final four games but has not exceeded 29 minutes in any outing. Without Butler, the club enters the play-in with limited margin for error.
The winner will advance to play the loser of Tuesday’s 7-8 matchup for the West’s final playoff slot; the loser’s season ends.
Eastern Conference: 76ers vs. Magic
The early game at Wells Fargo Center grants the No. 7 seed to either the Philadelphia 76ers (seeded seventh) or the Orlando Magic (seeded eighth). Oddsmakers favor Philadelphia by two points.
The 76ers went 24-14 when Joel Embiid suited up but will be without the reigning MVP after last week’s emergency appendectomy. The team was below .500 in games he missed, though Paul George and Tyrese Maxey—who combined for a 20-14 record when both played—are available Wednesday.
Orlando opened the season projected as the East’s third-best team, yet injuries and inconsistent defense stalled progress. Forward Franz Wagner appeared in only 34 games because of a lingering high ankle sprain, and the Magic slipped to 13th in defensive rating after two straight top-three finishes. Offensively, newcomer Desmond Bane delivered as expected following a trade that cost four first-round picks, but the unit still ranked 18th league-wide.
The Magic won five consecutive outings from April 3-10, including a victory over Detroit, but fell 113-108 in Sunday’s finale against a Boston squad resting most starters. That defeat dropped Orlando to eighth and forced the road trip to Philadelphia instead of a home game, swinging the betting line against the Magic.
The winner secures the conference’s No. 7 spot and a first-round series, while the loser hosts Friday’s elimination game versus the 9-10 winner.
Source: Hoops Rumors
