The Golden State Warriors wasted an excellent first half to lose 116-93 to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Without Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Al Horford and Will Richard, the Dubs led 53-46 at halftime before wilting in the next two quarters. The loss ended a three-game winning run and dropped their record to 36-38.
Golden State’s loss and the Portland Trail Blazers’ 123-88 beatdown of the Washington Wizards on the same day pushed the Dubs to No. 10 in the Western Conference standings. Portland (38-38) is 1.5 games ahead of Golden State in the tightly contested play-in positioning battle.
Western Conference standings after Sunday’s games:
Golden State Warriors Earn No. 8 Seed in Best Case Scenario
The Golden State Warriors have no chance of overtaking the Houston Rockets (45-29) for the No. 6 seed and final guaranteed playoff spot. Without Steph Curry and other key contributors, the Dubs will also find it tough to chase down the Phoenix Suns (41-33) for the No. 7 spot. With eight games remaining, the Warriors’ best-case scenario is to land at No. 8.
Although three games behind the LA Clippers (39-36), the Warriors can still overtake Kawhi Leonard and Co. To move up to No. 8, Golden State likely needs to run the table and hope LA stumbles. The Dubs trail 1-2 in the season series against the Clippers, making their next encounter on April 12 even more crucial.
The Golden State Warriors have already lost the season series to the Blazers 1-3, so they need to end with a better record than the Blazers. Portland holds the edge in the tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same win-loss record.
Warriors Will Face Only One Team With Losing Record To Close Season
The Golden State Warriors face a tough task to move up the standings. In their last eight games, they will face only one team with a losing record – the 19-57 Sacramento Kings. Steve Kerr’s group needs to sweep its last two meetings with the reeling team.
Golden State’s other games will be against playoff-bound teams with much to play for. San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and the LA Lakers lie in wait for the Warriors. The Dubs will cap off their regular-season campaign with a crucial showdown against the Clippers.
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