The Golden State Warriors fought tooth and nail but ultimately fell short, 118-111, to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night inside Chase Center.
It was a tightly contested matchup from start to finish. Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos provided the offense for the Warriors with 25 points each. Kristaps Porzingis added 16 points and seven rebounds, while LJ Cryer and Pat Spencer also provided a spark off the bench with 12 points apiece.
Golden State has now dropped its first two games of the current five-game homestand, and its losing streak stands at three, with a 4-6 record in the last 10 games. As it has been all season, defense in pressure situations proved to be the demon the Dubs couldn’t overcome.
While it’s frustrating for the Warriors to lose back-to-back games at home, it wasn’t an outright poor performance. They looked more structured than in some of their recent defeats and didn’t let the game get away from them the way they have in past matchups.
This marked the Warriors’ 18th loss without Steph Curry since Jan. 30, when he last played. They are now 13-25 overall without him this season. However, there could be a spark next game, with Curry potentially returning to the lineup against the Rockets.
The Warriors have a history of playing well against the Rockets. They defeated Houston 115-113 on Mar. 4 without Curry.
Golden State Warriors Playoffs Picture: Updated Standings and Best Case Scenario
The Golden State Warriors can’t sneak up on anybody anymore. They only had one long shot of moving up to the eighth seed, but that hope was dashed after losing to the Cavaliers. The Warriors now appear set to finish as the 10th seed, forcing them to play two play-in games on the road to reach the playoffs.
However, the most intense battle in the play-in race right now is between the Portland Trail Blazers and the LA Clippers. The two teams switched positions after the Blazers’ win against the Pelicans and the Clippers’ loss to the Spurs.The two teams are separated by just half a game. The difference between finishing eighth and 10th is massive. The Warriors are now three games behind the Clippers and 3.5 games behind the Trail Blazers with five games remaining.
Golden State Warriors Playoffs Picture: Remaining Schedule
Three of the Warriors’ next five games come against higher-seeded opponents who are fighting for playoff positions, the Rockets, Lakers and Clippers. And the remaining two matchups are against their local rivals, the Sacramento Kings.
With the way the Warriors have been playing recently, there’s little hope on their side of winning these games. However, with Steph Curry returning, it could be a great opportunity for the team to prove their doubters wrong and end the season strong.
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