Bogdan Bogdanović scored 17 points Sunday as the Los Angeles Clippers closed the 2025-26 regular season with a win over the Golden State Warriors, then said the game felt like a reminder that he has to be ready whenever his number is called again. The guard hit 6 of 9 shots, made five three-pointers and added three rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes.
He did most of the damage late. Bogdanović scored nine points in the fourth quarter and drilled three straight shots from deep to help break an 83-81 tie, turning a tight finish into a decisive run for Los Angeles. It was the kind of burst the Clippers have been waiting for from a player who appeared in only 23 games this season and averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Bogdanović said the rhythm of the game made all the difference after a season in which he struggled to find consistent minutes under head coach Tyronn Lue. He said it is difficult to keep an edge while sidelined, but added that he tells himself, “Whenever you get a chance again, you are only as good as you were in your last game.” He also thanked teammates for working out and playing real games with him in the gym while he waited for minutes, saying that helped keep him prepared.
The performance mattered beyond the box score because the Clippers and Warriors are set to meet again Wednesday in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament at the Intuit Dome. A team that may need production from the margins got a clear example Sunday of what Bogdanović can still give it when the shot is falling and the game opens late.
He also used the postgame moment to look back at the person who helped shape his career. Bogdanović said Duško Vujošević was the first person to give him a chance, trusted his work ethic and care for the game, and served as a father figure. He said Vujošević bought players books on psychology, motivation and discipline, and even tickets to the theater and museums, because he believed athletes should be examples to the world and to younger fans. For Bogdanović, the win was a lift. The larger lesson was older: stay ready, because the next chance can arrive fast.
