Who Pays for the Run
The Golden State Warriors are headed for the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament as the 2026 NBA postseason approaches, with five or fewer games remaining for teams around the league in the 2025-26 regular season. USA TODAY reported that the Warriors are 36-41 and currently the No. 10 seed in the West, and cannot catch the Western Conference's No. 6 seed before the regular season ends.
The article said the Warriors are trying to get into form ahead of the postseason after an injury-riddled season that included season-ending setbacks to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, along with nagging injuries to Al Horford and Quinten Post. The team’s late push is being built around the return of Stephen Curry after a stretch in which the roster was thinned by injuries that reduced available labor on the floor.
Curry Returns to Stabilize the Roster
The Warriors are expected to welcome back star guard Stephen Curry, who missed the previous 27 games with what the team previously told USA TODAY Sports was "runner's knee." ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that Curry is expected to play April 4 against the Houston Rockets. The article said Curry's return comes with five games remaining in the Warriors' schedule and is intended to help him get back into basketball shape for a postseason run.
Golden State's remaining regular-season schedule is Sunday, April 5 vs. the Houston Rockets, Tuesday, April 7 vs. the Sacramento Kings, Thursday, April 9 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, April 10 at the Sacramento Kings and Sunday, April 12 at the Los Angeles Clippers. Ahead of the Warriors in the West are the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 9 with a 39-38 record, the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 8 with a 40-38 record and the Phoenix Suns at No. 7.
If the regular season ended as of the article, the Warriors would go on the road to face the Clippers in an elimination game for a chance at the No. 8 seed. If Golden State loses, it is eliminated from postseason contention. If it wins, it would face the loser of the No. 7 vs. 8 seed game between the Suns and Trail Blazers for the No. 8 spot. If the Warriors win both play-in games, they would make their 2026 NBA playoff appearance in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Odds of Advancement
BetMGM odds listed the Warriors at -450 to miss the playoffs, +300 to make the playoffs, +2800 to advance to the Western Conference second round, +8000 to advance to the Western Conference Finals, +25000 to win the Western Conference Finals and +50000 to win the championship.
The article’s numbers place the Warriors in a narrow path shaped by injuries, standings pressure and a short remaining schedule. The team’s postseason hopes depend on whether Curry can return quickly enough to help a roster that has already lost Butler and Moody for the season and has dealt with ongoing injuries to Horford and Post.
The Western Conference standings leave Golden State outside the direct playoff field, with the Clippers, Trail Blazers and Suns ahead of them. The play-in structure means the Warriors must first survive an elimination game on the road, then win again to reach the first round.
The article said the Warriors cannot catch the Western Conference's No. 6 seed before the regular season ends. That leaves the play-in route as the only remaining path described in the report.