Banged-up Warriors will be in tough down the stretch
It may not sound like long for Kevin Durant to be out, but his rib injury is the latest problem for a Golden State Warriors squad that's already without Klay Thompson - also for an expected two weeks - and Stephen Curry, who's slated to have his ankle re-evaluated on Tuesday.
Not only that, but bench cog Omri Casspi left Friday's loss to the Sacramento Kings with an ankle injury.
While it's not a long time, the trouble is that two weeks from now is less than two weeks from the start of the playoffs. And while there's nothing to suggest Durant, Curry, and Thompson won't be back healthy for the postseason, the Warriors aren't in first place in the Western Conference for a change - they're now 2.5 games behind the Houston Rockets - after logging the best record in the NBA in each of the last three seasons.
Of the two teams' remaining schedules, one thing in the Dubs' favor is that they play five games against lottery teams - including three against the woeful Suns - in their final 13 contests. Perhaps hovering as a trap, however, is that two of those matchups will come on the second night of a back-to-back.
| Rockets (54-14) | Warriors (52-17) |
|---|---|
| @ Pelicans | @ Suns |
| @ Timberwolves | @ Spurs |
| @ Trail Blazers | vs. Hawks |
| vs. Pistons | vs. Jazz |
| vs. Pelicans | vs. Pacers |
| vs. Hawks | vs. Bucks |
| vs. Bulls | @ Kings |
| vs. Suns | vs. Suns |
| @ Spurs | @ Thunder |
| vs. Wizards | @ Pacers |
| vs. Trail Blazers | vs. Pelicans |
| vs. Thunder | @ Suns |
| @ Lakers | @ Jazz |
| @ Kings |
Having said that, Houston's sked is no slice of cake. The Rockets play a road back-to-back Saturday in New Orleans and Sunday in Minnesota before a trip to Portland on Tuesday. Yet, they've also got five lotto-bound squads in their final 14 contests.
With 17 losses already this season, the Warriors are guaranteed to register their lowest win total since 2013-14. And how their next stretch will look without the combined 73 points per game produced by Curry, Thompson, and Durant remains to be seen. Friday was not promising, however. After leading for most the game, the Warriors couldn't close out a lousy Kings squad in the fourth quarter. They put up their lowest-scoring half of the season, and were led offensively by Quinn Cook's career-high 25 points.
The Rockets, meanwhile, have never finished first overall in the West. They hold the tiebreaker over Golden State.