The Golden State Warriors now know exactly when their postseason begins.
The NBA released the official 2026 play-in tournament schedule on Wednesday, and Golden State’s path is clear. As the tenth seed in the Western Conference, the Warriors will play Game 4 on Wednesday, April 15 at 10:00 PM ET against either the Los Angeles Clippers or the Portland Trail Blazers.
The opponent will be determined by how the final regular season games shake out. Los Angeles currently sits eighth in the West at 41-39, holding a one-game lead over Portland at 40-40. Whoever finishes ninth will face the Warriors in a win-or-go-home elimination game.
What the Full Schedule Looks Like
The play-in runs across three nights on Amazon Prime Video.
Tuesday, April 14 opens with two games. The Eastern Conference seventh and eighth seeds tip off at 7:30 PM ET in Game 1, followed by the Western Conference seventh-eighth seed game at 10:00 PM ET, where the Phoenix Suns host either the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers. The winner of that game clinches the seventh seed and advances directly to the playoffs.
Wednesday, April 15 follows the same format. Two Eastern Conference ninth and tenth seeds meet at 7:30 PM ET in Game 3, and then the Warriors take the floor at 10:00 PM ET in Game 4 against whichever team finished ninth. The winner of that game stays alive. The loser goes home.
Friday, April 17 hosts the final two play-in games, with the losers of Tuesday’s seventh-eighth seed games facing the winners of Wednesday’s ninth-tenth seed games. The winners of Friday’s games secure the eighth playoff seed in each conference.
What It Means for the Warriors
GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State needs to win twice to reach the playoffs. A loss on April 15 ends their season. Win that game and they advance to a second elimination game on April 17 against the loser of Tuesday’s seventh-eighth seed matchup.
The Phoenix Suns are locked in as the seventh seed and will host the first Western Conference play-in game against either the Clippers or Trail Blazers. If the Warriors win on April 15, they will face the loser of that seventh-eighth seed matchup on April 17 for the final spot in the playoffs as the eighth seed.
Stephen Curry has three regular season games remaining to build chemistry and timing with his teammates before April 15 arrives. Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Gui Santos are all expected to be available before the play-in begins, which could give Golden State a considerably different look than the one that has been grinding through the final stretch of the regular season.
Final Word for the Warriors
The schedule is set. The opponent is almost determined. The stakes are real.
Win on April 15 and the Warriors are still alive. Lose and the season is over.
Curry is back. The reinforcements are coming. April 15 cannot come soon enough.
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