PORTLAND — The Western Conference standings situation has clarified for the Golden State Warriors entering the weekend. If they beat the LA Clippers on Sunday, they will clinch the sixth seed and a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.
But if the Warriors lose to the Clippers, that opens the door for the Minnesota Timberwolves to leap them. Minnesota has the tanking Utah Jazz at home on Sunday. Assuming they win, the Warriors would drop into the seventh seed with a loss to the Clippers, setting up a Play-In Tournament game Tuesday at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Mike Dunleavy just said that we have three potential home games to get into the playoffs,” Steve Kerr said. “That’s a good way of looking at it.”
Beat the Clippers on Sunday, and they’re in the sixth spot. Lose to the Clippers and beat the Grizzlies, and they’re in the seventh spot, facing the Houston Rockets in the first round. Lose both of those games, and face the winner of the Sacramento Kings-Dallas Mavericks Play-In game on Friday night with the season on the line. Win that, and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We’re in a good spot,” Kerr said.
It’s fair to debate whether the Warriors should prefer the Lakers or Rockets in the first round, but the path to Houston is too prickly for the Warriors to search it out. They have a bad history in the Play-In — a collective 0-3 record and two eliminations. Even their newest player, Jimmy Butler, was forced into a Play-In situation last April and sprained his MCL, forcing him to miss the first round of the playoffs.
The Warriors will treat Sunday’s home game against the Clippers as their first true playoff game, searching for a week off for their aching bodies and extra practice and prep time for the Lakers.
“You’d be surprised about how healthy you can get over the course of a week off,” Draymond Green said. “You see how healthy Steph look after a week off?”
Curry missed time last month because of a pelvic contusion and returned with a surge in a three-game stampede over the Grizzlies, Lakers and Denver Nuggets. But his body is still beat up. Curry left Friday’s game in Portland to get X-rays on his right thumb. They came back negative, but he banged it pretty good, aggravating a sprain that has bothered him at times this season.
“It hurts right now, but I’ll be all right,” Curry said, confirming he planned to play Sunday.
Steph Curry said the thumb injury impacted his shooting “a little bit” because it was “fresh pain” but doesn’t think it’ll “last too long.”
“It hurts right now but I’ll be alright.”
He said he will play on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/INX2IS8rYS
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 12, 2025
The Warriors would’ve already clinched a playoff spot and could’ve climbed higher than sixth, but they lost at home to the Rockets and San Antonio Spurs in the last week. They handled the Blazers easily defensively (86 points), but they’re offense was out of rhythm. Kerr called it “choppy” in his criticism of their recent play.
“We have to pass the ball better,” Kerr said. “We have to get spaced better. We have to develop a rhythm. We were in a better place, I think, a few weeks ago.”
Steve Kerr: “We have to pass the ball better. We have to get spaced better. We have to develop a rhythm. We were in a better place, I think, a few weeks ago.” pic.twitter.com/EFPfXGWinP
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 12, 2025
When relayed Kerr’s comment about the Warriors’ recent offensive issues, Curry noted that they just ripped through three playoff teams in a row recently, so the situation couldn’t be too dire. During the last few weeks, Curry also had an injury absence and a cold stretch. Moses Moody’s shot has left him. Butler had a quiet spell.
But it also felt as if Kerr was indirectly spotlighting Jonathan Kuminga’s uneven integration back into the lineup the last few weeks. Kuminga has had some productive games — including closing duties in that huge win over the Lakers — but the lineups with Kuminga, Green and Butler haven’t worked, and Kerr seems to be hinting at limited minutes for Kuminga soon.
“Not much rhythm to the game (for the team right now),” Kerr said. “I gotta find the best lineups to create that. Now that we are where we are, we have to be very particular every minute of every game now in terms of who is out there and how we find that rhythm.”
(Photo of Stephen Curry and Dalano Banton: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)