SAN FRANCISCO — Step by step, the Clippers have inched toward their goal of making the NBA playoffs.
The final step came Sunday and it was against the Golden State Warriors, who were also seeking an automatic postseason spot in the final regular-season game for both.
The teams went toe-to-toe all game, so much so they battled into an extra five minutes of overtime to determine their fates, the outcome finally decided by James Harden’s clutch play and two blown opportunities by the Warriors that allowed the Clippers to escape with a 124-119 win at Chase Center.
The Clippers advanced to the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, where they will face the fourth-seeded Nuggets in Denver either Saturday or Sunday in the first round of the postseason.
“On nights like this, this is really when it means something,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Like I said, you make it to the playoffs, all the hard work you put in throughout the course of the season, it’s huge when it comes down to this point. I’m just proud of our guys, being counted out and staying the course and playing with that chip on your shoulder all year long.”
It took Harden scoring 12 of the Clippers’ 13 points in the overtime for them to reach the playoffs for the 12th time in the last 14 seasons. It took Harden scoring 39 points, handing out 10 assists and grabbing seven rebounds for the Clippers to win 50 games this season for the seventh time in franchise history.
It took Harden playing all 29 minutes in the second half, including overtime, and a total of 48:24 for the Clippers to win for the eighth straight time. It took Harden making back-to-back three-pointers to open the overtime and making two free throws to seal the game with three seconds left for the Clippers to win for the 17th time in their final 20 games and avoid the play-in.
“I’m happy that we’re in it,” said Kawhi Leonard, who had 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds in 47:25. “The last three weeks I felt like we’ve been in a playoff mindset or environment and we had to win really every game to get to this point. I don’t know what our record was, but I think we lost two games in the last three weeks or something like that. I’m happy and proud that we were able to fight and get in for the playoffs without the play-in.”
But it wasn’t until Buddy Hield missed a three-pointer with the Clippers ahead by three with 5.1 seconds left in overtime did the Clippers clinch a playoff spot.
Kawhi Leonard made one of two free throws with 6.1 seconds left that let the Clippers ahead by just three, but he still had 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Stephen Curry turned up the heat on the Clippers late in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 of his 36 points in that span. But he had eight of the Warriors’ 16 turnovers, two of them in the important overtime.
The Clippers leaned on their starters to get this win, and big Ivica Zubac did his part in 42:16.
He had 22 points and 17 rebounds and he kept making history as a Clipper, his 1,010 rebounds on the season making him the fifth player in franchise history to reach that milestone.
He secured his 59th double-double of the season, tied for the second-most in the NBA and tied for the fifth-most in a season in franchise history.
“We want to go a little further,” Zubac said. “So, our goal was obviously to make the playoffs, but we’re not happy or whatever. We’re happy that we got in and not to be in the play-in. But since everyone doubted us, it feels good to prove everyone wrong. There was people saying we’re going to win 30 games, 35 or whatever. To win 50 games and not to be in the play-in, it feels good. But we got some more work to do.”