PORTLAND – After 81 games defined by a hot start, a rough stretch in the middle, a difference-making trade and a mad dash up the standings, the Warriors have a clear picture of what’s on the line with one opponent to play.
Their 103-86 rout of the Trail Blazers in Portland on Friday night kept the Warriors in control of their own destiny when they step onto their home court Sunday to play the Los Angeles Clippers in a regular-season finale.
If the Warriors win, they are locked into a playoff series with the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, avoid the play-in tournament and get five days of much-needed rest.
If they lose, they could possibly enter NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s most impactful invention, one that ended two Warriors seasons and broke up arguably the most iconic trio of the modern era last year.
“The play-in is wild,” Steph Curry said. “We’ve been in it a couple times, hasn’t gone well for us.”
Nobody – not even mild-mannered Curry – is downplaying the stakes.
“It should be like a Game Seven kind of vibe,” Curry said. “You control your destiny on getting a guaranteed playoff series.”
Teammate Draymond Green agreed.
“It’s going to be like a playoff game,” Green said. “Super intense. Two teams fighting for their playoff lives. Expect it to be a very physical, highly intelligent, high-level (brand of) basketball.”
Every team in the league has Saturday off, then each of the 30 franchises will play on Sunday.
Here are the scenarios:
As it stands in the Western Conference, Denver (49-32) is the fourth seed, followed by the Clippers (49-32), Golden State (48-33), and Minnesota (48-33).
Denver closes the season at the Houston Rockets, which will likely rest most or all of their key players after having already secured the No. 2 seed, and Minnesota will play host to the league-worst Utah Jazz.
The Nuggets’ result will not affect Golden State’s seeding.
After Friday’s win in Portland, the Warriors can go no lower than No. 7 and no higher than No. 6.
If the Warriors lose to the Clippers, they could still dodge the play-in tournament, but it would take Minnesota losing to Utah.
If Golden State and Minnesota win and Denver loses, the Warriors, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Clippers would finish 49-33.
In that scenario, the Wolves would jump to No. 4 and push Denver all the way down to the seventh seed by tiebreakers.
Golden State, which has soared up the standings since acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami in early February, would still be the No. 6 seed.
If both the Warriors and Timberwolves lose, then Golden State has the tiebreaker over Minnesota and remains the No. 6 seed.
Getting a win over the Clippers will be no easy task. Kawhi Leonard has played like an All-NBA player for the past month, scoring at least 20 points in each of his last 14 games.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also highlighted center Ivica Zubac’s imposing presence in the middle and James Harden’s savvy playmaking and ageless ability to make the right pass to the right shooter.
For the Warriors, who have been watching the standings for weeks, they know exactly what’s at stake against a Clippers team that has won seven in a row.
“We’ve known the situation for a pretty long time, so we won’t get wrapped up in the drama of it, even though it’s great for the league,” Curry said.
Originally Published:
Source: Paradise Post
