The Golden State Warriors are heading into the final game of the regular season with a clear goal in mind. The eighth seed in the Western Conference is still up for grabs, after all. Whoever gets the eighth seed will have an opportunity to only play one game in the Play-In Tournament. Their matchup for the finale will be the Utah Jazz.
With that in mind, the Warriors need to have all hands on deck to win this final game. However, looking at the Warriors' injury report, it looks absolutely dreadful. Stephen Curry is one of six players currently listed on the most-updated injury report for Sunday. This list includes Chris Paul, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Klay Thompson, and Gary Payton II (who is the only one listed as out).
Curry rolled his ankle during their last game against the Pelicans, which puts his status against the Jazz in jeopardy.
Given the magnitude of this matchup, fans are probably expecting the players who can at least step on the court to play. A win today will give the Warriors a much-needed chance for an early out into the playoffs, instead of having to win two back-to-back elimination games. However, the odds for their entry to the 7-8 game are pretty slim.
Warriors' Play-In chances
Currently, both the Sacramento Kings and Warriors hold the ninth and tenth seed in the Western Conference. If the regular season ends today, both teams will be playing in the first day of the Play-In. The winner will then go on to face the loser of the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, the latter of which possess the eighth seed.
However, the Kings and Warriors still have a chance to leapfrog the Lakers. The first domino that needs to fall is the Lakers losing to the New Orleans Pelicans. That loss would give both teams a chance to win the eighth seed. For Sacramento, it's easy: win, and they get the eighth seed.
For the Warriors, though, the path is trickier. Aside from the requisite Lakers loss, Golden State also needs the Kings to lose… to the last-place Portland Trail Blazers. That's a pretty rough ask: the Lakers loss is indeed probable, but it's hard to see a Kings team trying hard to win drop the ball against the worst team in the West.
The Warriors will also need to win this game against the Jazz. It's a slightly harder job, but the Jazz are likely sitting their major stars out as they have nothing to play for. Still, it's the fact that the Kings will be trying hard to win that can screw over the Dubs in their chase for the eighth seed.
Stephen Curry's immaculate carry job
This whole fiasco with the eighth seed wouldn't have happened if the Warriors had took care of business this season. Contrary to what fans believed, Golden State started off cold and failed to stay hot when they did start to win games. It's such a shame, since Curry is doing his best to carry the team.
In a season where most of their usual veterans have struggled in terms of production, Curry has been the most consistent star on the Warriors. His stats have taken a bit of a dip compared to past years, but he's still going strong as the star, the rock of the team. He's averaging 26.4 points per game on 45% shooting from the field and 40% from deep, along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. It's crazy to think that this is just a slow season for Curry.
In any case, the Warriors will need to brace themselves for yet another grueling path in the playoffs. If they lose (or if the Kings or the Lakers win), they will have to go through two of the Lakers, Kings, Pelicans, and the Suns. Based on what's happening, that seems to be where this team is headed. But hey, anything can happen, right?
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