The Golden State Warriors began their final week-long homestand of the regular season with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Facing the No. 2 team in the Western Conference on Wednesday, expectations were already low.
However, the way things unfolded made it worse, with the Warriors never managing to tie or take the lead at any point in a 127-113 defeat.
Golden State was once again without its All-Star duo, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. They were also missing Al Horford, Quinten Post, and Kristaps Porzingis due to injuries. On top of that, players like Moses Moody, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and Gui Santos were available, but Steve Kerr opted not to play them.
With so many regular contributors out, the Warriors had to rely heavily on reserves and second-unit players alongside Brandin Podziemski and Draymond Green. Nate Williams led the scoring effort with 18 points.
While seven of the nine players who suited up managed to score in double figures, the team still struggled to stay competitive.
On the other side, San Antonio was powered by a dominant performance from MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 41 points and 18 rebounds. Stephon Castle also impressed, adding 15 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists to help seal a convincing win for the Spurs.
Golden State Warriors playoffs picture: Updated Standings
Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs dropped the Golden State Warriors to 36-40 on the season. They had already secured a play-in spot, but they’re still sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference, and the gap between them and the teams ahead keeps growing after back-to-back losses.
Catching the sixth-seeded Timberwolves is no longer realistic. However, there’s still a slim chance they could climb to the eighth seed. If they manage that, they’d enter the play-in tournament as the 7-8 matchup, giving them two opportunities to lock in a playoff spot. Right now, they are three games behind the #8 LA Clippers.
Golden State Warriors playoffs picture: Remaining Schedule
The Golden State Warriors are heading into a pretty challenging stretch, with four of their next six games coming against teams that have much stronger records. That group includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, and LA Clippers.
Their only slightly easier matchups in that span are two games against the Sacramento Kings, whom they will face twice over the final two weeks of the campaign.
Given how tough the schedule looks, it is reasonable to see the Warriors finishing around 38-44, which would likely put them in the play-in tournament as the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
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