A look at the wild Western Conference after Warriors loss to Denver
The Warriors have three games left to play with too many potential playoff outcomes.
With a loss to the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets on Sunday night in Denver, the Warriors fall to 41-38 and are in the driver’s seat to either secure a guaranteed first-round series or potentially fall into the play-in tournament by the regular season’s end.
“There’s a sense of urgency on these last three games and not only just the wins, but the vibe that you create going into a playoff series,” Steph Curry told reporters in Denver. “That does matter.”
The path to a sixth or fifth seed (unlikely) in the Western Conference playoffs will be bumpy, but in reach.
Golden State is tied with the Los Angeles Clippers (41-38), but sit in the sixth seed because the Clippers hold the tiebreaker via head-to-head matchup. They’re one game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (40-38) and New Orleans Pelicans (40-38) with the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-40) and Oklahoma City Thunder (38-41) right on their tail. The Utah Jazz (36-43) and Dallas Mavericks (37-42) are still in contention by a thread, too.
A Warriors win in Denver would have helped ensure at least a sixth seed. But now the Warriors return to Chase Center for their final home game against a hungry Oklahoma City team before embarking back on the dreaded road for two games against the Sacramento Kings — who just clinched their first playoff berth in 17 years — and Portland Trail Blazers.
The inconsistent Warriors have consistently been lethargic on the road, and they play two of their final three games away from Chase.
The Kings may well rest some of their starters for the April 7 game in Sacramento and the Trail Blazers already shut down superstar Damian Lillard — so the Warriors could run into a little good fortune. But they’ve fumbled advantages plenty this year, including a a 15-point lead against a top-seeded Nuggets team playing without MVP candidate Jokic.
The competition won’t have it much easier. Clippers game against the Lakers on Wednesday could be major determinant in seeding. The Clippers face Portland and the fourth-seeded Suns to round out their season. The Pelicans have four games remaining against the Kings, No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies, playoff-bound New York Knicks and Timberwolves.
The Lakers have four games remaining, including two against the Utah Jazz sandwiching two games against the Clippers and Suns. The Timberwolves play the Brooklyn Nets, bottom-feeding San Antonio Spurs and a New Orleans.
Plenty is yet to be decided with just a handful of games remaining. And with nine teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot, anything can happen.