Kerr 'won't run guys ragged' for Warriors to maintain No. 1 seed
Another game without Kevin Durant in the lineup resulted in another loss for the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, with their lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference continuing to shrink.
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The team is now 2-3 (52-12 overall) sans the four-time scoring champion, which includes a four-point loss to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 28 where Durant sprained his left MCL in the first minute. Only 1 1/2 games separate the Warriors and Spurs (50-13) now, and while securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs would be ideal, head coach Steve Kerr isn't willing to run his players into the ground to get it.
"We still have the No. 1 seed, but I won't run guys ragged to get it," Kerr said, according to the San Francisco Gate's Connor Letourneau. "We have to manage this stretch right here and get through this week."
In Golden State's 99-86 defeat to the Boston Celtics, the team only mustered up 12 measly points in the final 12 minutes, while giving up a 15-0 run to the opposition in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Dropping a game at Oracle Arena was bad enough, but to make matters worse, San Antonio managed to overcome a 28-point deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings, thus closing the gap out West.
The Warriors visit the Target Center on Friday night to take on the 26-37 Minnesota Timberwolves, with an all-important meeting in San Antonio taking place the next day.