In possibly the most electric game of the NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers took down the Golden State Warriors 124-119 on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s regular-season finale between two teams fighting for playoff positioning had all the makings of an actual postseason game, and the two star-studded teams did not disappoint.
In an overtime thriller, the Clippers were led by James Harden with 39 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds on 13-23 shooting from the field and 5-8 from deep, while co-star Kawhi Leonard recorded 33 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals on 13-20 shooting from the field and 4-8 from deep.
Harden/Kawhi masterclass pic.twitter.com/REFGO82Is8
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 13, 2025
The Clippers narrowly squeaked out a win to secure the five seed in the playoffs while sending the Warriors to the play-in tournament, but the overtime victory did not come without an officiating mistake.
The NBA released its Last Two Minute Report for Sunday’s game, admitting a huge mistake in the closing seconds of overtime. With about ten seconds remaining and the Clippers leading 121-119 with the ball, Warriors star Jimmy Butler should have been called for a defensive three-second violation, but the referees missed it.
“Butler III (GSW) is in the paint for longer than three seconds without imminently actively guarding an opponent,” the NBA comments.
If the officials correctly called this, the Clippers would have been awarded a technical free-throw and would have retained possession, making it a three-point game. Instead, the Warriors intentionally fouled the Clippers to send them to the free-throw line, resulting in Kawhi Leonard going one-for-two from the line and giving Golden State the ball with a chance to tie.
Warriors guard Buddy Hield missed the game-tying three-point attempt after this missed call, as the mistake ultimately had no impact on the final score, but it could have been costly.
