Stephen Curry expects 'Game 7' vibe in season finale with Clippers

When the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors clash in Sunday's regular-season finale, more than a guaranteed playoff spot will be on the line. The team that loses could be forced to enter the play-in tournament, which means it will have fewer rest days before the postseason. 

Stephen Curry, 37, realizes that the extra week of rest will be critical for his aging squad, which relies on three players over 35, including Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. The four-time NBA champion equally knows the Clippers, who have a one-game lead over them, will be keen to recharge the batteries for a playoff run.

"I don’t want to be too dramatic — it should be like a Game 7 kind of vibe," Curry told reporters on Friday. "If you win, you control your destiny on a guaranteed playoff series. If you lose, you roll the dice... Good teams find a way to win big games like that, and that's what we’re aiming to be."

The Clippers beat the Warriors in all three previous showdowns, with their most recent win coming on Dec. 27. However, the Warriors didn't have Butler in the lineup in any of those games. Since Butler was acquired ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Warriors own the third-best record in the league (23-7) 

That's precisely why Green isn't putting any stock into the previous losses to their Pacific Division rivals.

"It's a tough game for us. They beat us three times this year, but we're a new team," Green said after Friday's 103-86 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. "It's always fun going up against a Ty Lue-coached team. Kawhi Leonard is a great player. We've had our battles with James Harden. That team is playing really good basketball, so we have to make sure we bring our A game."

If the Warriors fail to secure a top-six seed on Sunday, they'll get two more cracks to make the postseason as part of the play-in tourney. The Athletic's Anthony Slater broke down the various scenarios: