Curry on minutes restriction in must-win play-in

Stephen Curryis one of threeGolden State Warriorswho will be on a minutes restriction in the team's play-in game against the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Sunday that Curry,Kristaps PorzingisandAl Horfordwill all play fewer than 40 minutes in the must-win game.

The game is a rematch of Sunday's regular-season finale won by the Clippers 115-110. If the Warriors lose, a season the team likely would like to forget ends. Golden State clinched the last of four play-in berths at 37-45.

Curry has been battling knee injuries most of the season and Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in early January. Horford has been dealing with a calf injury whileDraymond Greenand Porzingis have both been nursing sore backs.

The Warriors have attempted to manage the minutes of their aging superstars all season, and the play-in game is no different. Kerr has been vocal about the league needing to adopt a shorter regular-season schedule to prevent such injuries.

"I know this will not be a popular opinion in the league office, but I will continue to say it because it's obvious we need to play fewer games -- we need to take 10 games off the schedule," he said in March. "I think it would be a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games."

For the Clippers,Kawhi Leonardrested for the final games of the season in preparation for the play-in. Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists during a mostly healthy season in which he played his second-most games as a Clipper. He played 68 games two seasons ago after being limited to 37 in 2024-25 because of injuries.