Preview: Warriors take on Blazers in final regular season game
Finish strong fellas!
The Golden State Warriors are back at it for their final regular season game with serious playoff implications on the line. If the Dubs knock off the Portland Trail Blazers today, they help themselves solidify a spot outside of the tricky play-in tournament.
With a record of 43-38 and a current hold on the 6th seed, they’re in a decent spot. But a loss today could put them into a position they may not want to be in.
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers
April 9h, 2023 | 12:30 PM PT
Watch: NBC Sports Bay Area| Listen: 95.7 The Game
Here are the Western Conference seeding scenarios for the playoffs and play-in, via the @NBA:
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 9, 2023
-Clippers can finish 5 to 7
-Warriors 5 to 8
-Pelicans 5 to 9
-Lakers 6 to 8
-Timberwolves 7 to 9
All games start at the same time. It's gonna be a wild day. pic.twitter.com/imUEkVasvv
The Blazers are 33-48 and are completely out of the playoff picture. Another year with All-Star Damian Lillard has gone off the rails for this Northwestern division squad, despite hs heroic efforts. Now Lillard has been shut down for the season with nothing to play for.
With injury-plagued Portland Trail Blazers out of the playoff picture, superstar guard Damian Lillard will be held out the remainder of the season, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 28, 2023
That should make today’s task easier for the Warriors, who will do their best to finish with 11 wins on the road. That’s right folks, if all goes well today the Warriors will finish with an 11-30 road record, which is absolutely terrible for a team that has set standards for road excellence during their dynastic run.
But then again, as long as the team fixes their road woes enough for the postseason, it really doesn’t matter. This game will be the final tuneup before the big dance, and hopefully the Dubs can put the Blazers away early and get some rest for their stars. All that matters now is that they avoid the play-in tournament and stay healthy going into the playoffs.
Then, the heart of a champion will be on full display as the Dubs look for their fifth championship of the Splash Bros era.
Klay Thompson: “I don’t see a team who can beat us in a 7-game series when we’re healthy.”
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) April 8, 2023