After Sunday night's 118-110 win over the Utah Jazz, a more dominant victory than the score suggests, the Warriors' youngest player set his mindset in the locker room. They have lost 12 straight games and have won just three in the past two months. The champion is in the clear as he reaches the end of the NBA's first regular season and begins his first race to step into the ring.
“We control what we can control, and that's 4-0,” Warriors rookie Brandin Podzemski told reporters at Chase Center. “The Pelicans will also play the Kings. If we can control what we can control and get to 4-0, we'll be in pretty good shape to move past the No. 10 seed.”
The Warriors have already clinched a top-10 seed in the Western Conference, an accomplishment that would be a silent fist-pumping celebration for a franchise that has been the NBA's gold standard for the past decade. Preseason expectations have not been met, but the door to bigger opportunities is still slightly open, opening Tuesday night in Los Angeles, which hosted a season in the same building last year and in NBA play two years ago. You will play against a team that has finished. During the tournament.
Timing is also on the Warriors' side.
Golden State has won seven of its past eight games, including the most recent six-game winning streak, and is expected to have a healthy team heading into the final week of the regular season. Stephen Curry will be back after missing Sunday's win on what was essentially a rest day. Jonathan Kuminga returned Sunday after missing six games due to left knee tendonitis and finished with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins (left ankle sprain), who missed the past two games, is considered likely, as is Gary Payton (left ankle impingement).
How well the Warriors fare in this final week may be determined by how they end up at Crypto.com Arena with a full squad missing only Dario Saric, who will miss his 11th straight game with a right knee issue.
If the Warriors defeat the Lakers, who are currently the No. 9 seed in the West, and close out the week with three more wins, they are guaranteed to win three of four and finish ahead of the Lakers. The Warriors' remaining three games are against the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Utah, two teams that are relatively easy to deal with and currently share the same record as the Phoenix Suns. He is the 7th seed.
The Warriors, Pelicans and Sacramento Kings still have games left against the Blazers, who will be looking for ping pong balls. In addition to games against the Warriors and Pelicans, the Lakers also have a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, who won 27 games. The No. 8 seeded Kings, who are without Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, still have to play the Oklahoma City Thunder (one game behind the No. 1 seed), plus the Pelicans and Suns, two teams who are facing the Blazers. They fought to avoid the play-in before the game against.
The Pelicans will be in Portland on Tuesday night before traveling to Sacramento and San Francisco before concluding with a matchup against the Lakers.
And the Suns have back-to-back games against the Clippers in the final week. The first will be in Phoenix and then in Los Angeles. Friday night's road game is at Sacramento, and ends at Minnesota, where they will face the Timberwolves. Top seed in the conference.
“Yeah, we're definitely a better team,” Steve Kerr said Sunday when asked about the Warriors compared to last season, adding, “We're playing better two-way basketball. We're connecting better, we have better chemistry. “The atmosphere in this team is much better. So,” we still strongly believe we can do something special.
“Obviously it's going to be a lot more difficult than normal. We need to win at least one, maybe two in the play-in game and it's not going to be easy, but I like the chances this group has if we can get our chance. ing”
The Warriors finished as the No. 6 seed, defeating the Kings in the first round, but losing to the Lakers in six games in the second round, leaving them one win away from a regular-season total tie for the 2022-23 season. Tuesday night's win ensures they are at least as good as last season in terms of the win column, much closer to needing one win instead of two in the play-ins, and almost fully healthy. This Warriors team should have a chance to climb up the standings and ride a winning wave heading into the postseason.
But a loss could completely change the final week. Rest and ice packs will likely be given to sustain an aging team that has had enough problems this season. Fasten your seat belt. The ride quality has already reached a level that is far beyond wild and bumpy. With so much at stake once again, it's only fitting that the final straight against the Lakers begins in Los Angeles.
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