SAN FRANCISCO — Welcome to basketball purgatory, Warriors.
Or ought to I say, “Welcome back”?
Sure, the Warriors will take part within the NBA’s play-in match for the third time in 5 years.
They solely have themselves in charge for that.
It was all so avoidable, this further recreation or two the Warriors should play this upcoming week.
And whatever the final result of this weeknight mini-tournament that leads into the playoff match, it’s all so terribly inauspicious for the Warriors’ fast-fading title hopes (are you able to even see a flicker?).
This staff couldn’t deal with enterprise when the enterprise proved to be crucial.
How does that portend good issues for the playoffs, if the Dubs even make it?
The Warriors misplaced to the Clippers 124-119 in time beyond regulation on Sunday in a regular-season finale that was each bit as intense as a playoff recreation.
It was a nasty loss for the Warriors, who had a four-point lead with slightly below two minutes left within the fourth quarter, nevertheless it didn’t converse to a bigger difficulty. Their opponent was a playoff-worthy basketball staff with two Corridor of Famers — longtime Warriors foils Kawhi Leonard and James Harden — enjoying at All-NBA ranges. Leonard scored 33 factors Sunday. Harden went for 39 factors.
No, you possibly can’t freak out about popping out the unsuitable aspect of a high-level recreation like Sunday’s — even when the Warriors (rightfully) hated their late-game offensive execution.
The Warriors’ difficulty was that they left the destiny of their season to Sunday’s recreation.
Lower than every week in the past, we have been having cheap conversations concerning the Warriors touchdown a top-four seed within the Western Convention and internet hosting Recreation 1 of a first-round playoff collection — such was the staff’s ascendancy since buying Jimmy Butler from the Miami Warmth on the NBA’s commerce deadline.
The Warriors have been celebrating and have been celebrated for his or her excellence amid a stretch of really “meaningful basketball.”
They may have gotten a bit excessive on their very own provide.
As a result of when the video games carried probably the most which means, they slipped. The end line continues to be in entrance of them, even after 82 regular-season video games.
Once more, Sunday’s loss is comprehensible, maybe even acceptable, in case you squint arduous sufficient.
However Wednesday’s dwelling loss to the San Antonio Spurs? That has confirmed to be unforgivable.
The Warriors misplaced their final three dwelling video games of the season, with poor late-game execution in every.
After Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs, Warriors star Steph Curry mentioned, “A good team takes care of business the next two [games] and goes from there. We have to prove we’re a good team.”
So what does that make the Warriors heading into an additional recreation on Tuesday?
We all know the place it leaves the Warriors: in desperation mode.
The Warriors have been operating on empty late in Sunday’s recreation.
They have been definitely not operating crisp, efficient offensive units. Curry spent the ultimate minutes of the fourth quarter and all of time beyond regulation making an attempt to dribble by way of three, 4, 5 Clippers like he was challenged to recreate an all-time spotlight shot from March 2015.
Protection? Credit score to the Clippers’ shot-making talents, however Los Angeles made 4 of their 5 photographs within the closing three minutes of regulation Sunday, sending the sport to time beyond regulation, the place they took full management.
All of the whereas, Curry (37 years outdated) was being tossed round like a crash-test dummy whereas nursing a sprained proper thumb, Draymond Inexperienced (35) took successful to the top within the first half and was going head-to-head with Leonard or 7-footer Ivica Zubac for many of the recreation, and Butler (35) — who failed to attain from 8:23 within the fourth quarter till the ultimate minute of time beyond regulation — took successful to the left thigh from Leonard late in time beyond regulation that left him limping effectively after the sport was over.
And that wasn’t even a playoff recreation. It was only a sneak preview of 1.
Tuesday brings one other preview.
And if this staff can’t discover no matter kind it had a number of weeks in the past, a 3rd will come Friday in a win-or-go-home recreation towards Dallas or Sacramento.
The Warriors might have averted all of this.
They may have used some relaxation, too.
Now, they’ll obtain a marginal quantity at greatest.
Inexperienced mentioned that the Warriors will likely be prepared for Tuesday’s recreation: “We’re not senior citizens,” Inexperienced mentioned with large patches of grey in his beard. “You train all year for this. No disrespect to the senior citizens, by the way. We love our senior citizens. … But we ain’t there yet, so we’ll be fine.”
Inexperienced may not see himself and his staff as over-the-hill, however I’ll say this:
These play-in video games the Warriors appear to play yearly are, for positive, getting outdated.
Initially Revealed: April 13, 2025 at 4:53 PM PDT
