The Golden State Warriors have been left stunned by a buzzer-beating game-winning three from Harrison Barnes, with a 114-111 San Antonio Spurs victory at Chase Center dropping the hosts to the dreaded seventh-seed in the Western Conference standings.
The 2015 NBA champion sunk the deep and difficult wing three over Jimmy Butler, with Barnes delivering a huge blow to his former team's chances of a top six spot in the West with only two games remaining.
The Warriors had a fourth-quarter collapse of their own against the Spurs
A day after the Minnesota Timberwolves gave up a 24-point fourth-quarter lead in Milwaukee, the Warriors succumbed to their own incredibly disappointing defeat after leading the Spurs by 12 entering the final period.
Golden State held a two-point lead in the final minute, but were unable to hold on despite Draymond Green's clutch free-throws in the final seconds that were about to send the game into overtime before Barnes' heroics.
Harrison Barnes fadeaway wing 3 at the buzzer to deliver the Warriors a potentially crucial loss depending how the rest of the week plays out. Could send them to the play-in bracket. pic.twitter.com/2plLzbb2qc
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 10, 2025
In a back-and-forth game on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, the Warriors controlled the first and third quarters while the Spurs held sway in the second and fourth.
Golden State jumped out to an 11-0 start as part of a 32-23 opening period, yet would come back to rue a quiet second-quarter where they missed a host of threes and were ultimately outscored 32-19. Yet Stephen Curry led a third-quarter revival, with a number of triples from the 2x MVP powering the Warriors to a 37-21 period that appeared to have them back in control of the game.
But despite playing without stars Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, the Spurs have remained a tough opposition down the stretch of the season and simply wouldn't go meekly like the Phoenix Suns had done the night before.
Outside Butler's ability to get to the free-throw line an incredible 17 times (making 16), the Warriors failed to generate offense and allowed 38 fourth-quarter points to a Spurs team who've ranked bottom 12 on that end since the All-Star break.
Curry had 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting and 5-of-14 from 3-point range, with the Warriors a -16 in his 11 minutes off the floor. Butler had 28 points, four rebounds and seven assists on just eight field-goal attempts, yet no other Golden State player had more than 13 as Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski combined to shoot just 6-of-22 from the floor and 2-of-12 from beyond the arc.
The Warriors will now have to beat the Portland Trail Blazers and L.A. Clippers, and hope other results go their way in order to avoid the dreaded Play-In Tournament and secure a playoff berth.