The Golden State Warriors took care of business this weekend, winning their lone game, a gritty, 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons, which kicked off a seven-game home-stand. Thanks to that win, the Dubs were able to hold onto the spot that they began the weekend with: the sixth seed in the Western Conference, which is the final postseason seed that gets to avoid the play-in tournament.
But the standings remain incredibly close. The Warriors still have visions of climbing to the fifth or even fourth seed ... and who knows, the recent injury suffered by LeBron James could end up putting the third seed into play. Yet hanging on to the sixth seed is a greater priority: there’s a lot of pressure from the teams behind Golden State, and staying out of the play-in tournament would be huge for multiple reasons.
Here’s how the weekend unfolded in the West, and a look ahead for all the teams battling the Dubs.
No. 11 — Phoenix Suns (30-34)
I initially planned on removing the Suns from this column. They’ve been in a steady free-fall since the start of February, and they’re a whopping six games behind the Warriors (and one-and-a-half games out of the play-in tournament). I really don’t think they can catch the Warriors, but they are starting to look like a quality team again, after losing a road overtime contest against the Nuggets on Friday, and beating the Mavericks on Sunday. A team with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker can always get hot, which means if something happens to the Warriors, they’ll at least have to pay attention to Phoenix. But because there’s such a gap between the Warriors and Suns, Golden State is probably rooting for Phoenix to win their games this week.
Next games up: Monday at the Grizzlies, Wednesday at the Rockets
No. 10 — Dallas Mavericks (32-33)
If the Suns can play even competent basketball, then the 10th seed is theirs, because the Mavericks are spiraling. Things went from bad to worse for Dallas, as they traded Luka Dončić, saw his replacement, Anthony Davis, suffer a serious injury, and then lost Kyrie Irving for the rest of the year to an ACL tear. Things are grim for Klay Thompson’s crew, which lost both of their weekend games: Friday against the Grizzlies, and Sunday against the Suns. They’re on a five-game skid, and most of the games haven’t been very competitive. It’s over.
Next games up: Monday at the Spurs, Wednesday at the Spurs
No. 9 — Sacramento Kings (33-30)
The Kings are hanging around, after splitting their weekend games with a Friday win over the Spurs and a one-point, overtime loss to the Clippers on Sunday. They’ve surprisingly gone 9-6 since trading De’Aaron Fox, and the meltdown that I keep expecting keeps getting delayed. They’re still two-and-a-half games behind the Warriors, though ... if Golden State beats Sacramento on Thursday, it’s probably safe to say that the race is over between these two. But if the Kings win ... well, let’s not think about that.
Next games up: Monday vs. theKnicks, Thursday at the Warriors
No. 8 — LA Clippers (35-29)
The Clippers looked dead in the water on Tuesday, having lost six of seven games and sliding into the play-in seeds. Then they had a phenomenal three-game home-stand, beating the Pistons on Wednesday, the Knicks on Friday, and the Kings on Sunday. That’s three quality teams that LA took down, and it’s kept them firmly in the upper-half of the play-in tournament, which is critical. They’re also only one game behind the Warriors, so the Dubs will be hoping that the last three games are just a blip before LA returns to their losing ways.
Next games up: Tuesday at the Pelicans, Wednesday at the Heat
No. 7 — Minnesota Timberwolves (37-29)
The Timberwolves are technically no games behind the Warriors, after beating the Heat on Friday and the Spurs on Sunday to push their winning streak to five games. The Dubs are still a game up on the Wolves in the loss column, though, as Minnesota has played two more games than Golden State — and that’s compounded by the fact that the Warriors have already clinched the tiebreaker. So there’s still a bit of work to be done for the Timberwolves, but they have the talent and momentum to do it, should the Warriors leave the door open.
Next games up: Wednesday at the Nuggets
No. 5 — Houston Rockets (39-25)
The Warriors gained no ground on the Rockets this weekend, as Houston crushed the Pelicans on Saturday in their lone game of the weekend. They remain a full three games ahead of the Dubs, though the Warriors have clinched that tiebreaker as well, so they only need to catch up to the Rockets to surpass them. It’s a tough week for Houston, so keep an eye on them.
Next games up: Monday vs. the Magic, Wednesday vs. the Suns
No. 4 — Memphis Grizzlies (40-24)
The Grizzlies are four games ahead of the Warriors, so time is running out for the Dubs to snag the fourth seed. They gained no ground over the weekend, after the Grizzlies squeaked by the Pelicans on Sunday, their second straight win after a four-game losing streak. If the Warriors want to leapfrog the Rockets or Grizzlies, they’ll need to play excellent basketball and get a little help from their former rivals.
Next games up: Monday vs. the Suns, Wednesday vs. the Jazz
As for the Warriors, they continue their home-stand with a game tonight against the Trail Blazers, and one on Thursday against the Kings. Those are games they’ll certainly feel they should win, so hopefully they handle their business.
Here’s the full standings in the Western Conference:
Screenshot of ESPN’s Western Conference standings, including the Memphis Grizzlies at 40-24, the Houston Rockets at 39-25, the Golden State Warriors at 36-26, the Minnesota Timberwolves at 37-29, the LA Clippers at 35-29, the Sacramento Kings at 33-30, and the Dallas Mavericks at 32-33. ESPN