PORTLAND – After 81 video games outlined by a sizzling begin, a tough stretch within the center, a difference-making commerce and a mad sprint up the standings, the Warriors have a transparent image of what’s on the road with one opponent to play.
Their 103-86 rout of the Path Blazers in Portland on Friday evening stored the Warriors answerable for their very own future after they step onto their house court docket Sunday to play the Los Angeles Clippers in a regular-season finale.
If the Warriors win, they’re locked right into a playoff collection with the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, keep away from the play-in match and get 5 days of much-needed relaxation.
In the event that they lose, they may probably enter NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s most impactful invention, one which ended two Warriors seasons and broke up arguably probably the most iconic trio of the fashionable period final yr.
“The play-in is wild,” Steph Curry stated. “We’ve been in it a couple times, hasn’t gone well for us.”
No one – not even mild-mannered Curry – is downplaying the stakes.
“It should be like a Game Seven kind of vibe,” Curry stated. “You control your destiny on getting a guaranteed playoff series.”
Teammate Draymond Inexperienced agreed.
“It’s going to be like a playoff game,” Inexperienced stated. “Super intense. Two teams fighting for their playoff lives. Expect it to be a very physical, highly intelligent, high-level (brand of) basketball.”
Each workforce within the league has Saturday off, then every of the 30 franchises will play on Sunday.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Inexperienced (23) is prepared for the ultimate recreation of the common season (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Listed below are the eventualities:
Because it stands within the Western Convention, Denver (49-32) is the fourth seed, adopted by the Clippers (49-32), Golden State (48-33), and Minnesota (48-33).
Denver closes the season on the Houston Rockets, which is able to seemingly relaxation most or all of their key gamers after having already secured the No. 2 seed, and Minnesota will play host to the league-worst Utah Jazz.
The Nuggets’ outcome is not going to have an effect on Golden State’s seeding.
After Friday’s win in Portland, the Warriors can go no decrease than No. 7 and no greater than No. 6.
If the Warriors lose to the Clippers, they may nonetheless dodge the play-in match, however it might take Minnesota shedding to Utah.
If Golden State and Minnesota win and Denver loses, the Warriors, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Clippers would end 49-33.
In that situation, the Wolves would bounce to No. 4 and push Denver all the way in which right down to the seventh seed by tiebreakers.
Golden State, which has soared up the standings since buying Jimmy Butler from Miami in early February, would nonetheless be the No. 6 seed.
If each the Warriors and Timberwolves lose, then Golden State has the tiebreaker over Minnesota and stays the No. 6 seed.
Getting a win over the Clippers will likely be no simple job. Kawhi Leonard has performed like an All-NBA participant for the previous month, scoring a minimum of 20 factors in every of his final 14 video games.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr additionally highlighted heart Ivica Zubac’s imposing presence within the center and James Harden’s savvy playmaking and ageless capacity to make the precise cross to the precise shooter.
For the Warriors, who’ve been watching the standings for weeks, they know precisely what’s at stake towards a Clippers workforce that has gained 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 stated.
Initially Printed: April 12, 2025 at 8:05 AM PDT
