Weakened Warriors look at risk of being dethroned
LOS ANGELES — The Golden State Warriors will be heading into uncharted territory on Saturday as they open their NBA postseason campaign against the San Antonio Spurs missing star Stephen Curry and struggling to find their best form.
For the first time since head coach Steve Kerr took over in 2014-2015, the Warriors will not enter the playoffs as owners of the NBA’s best record, starting as second seeds in the Western Conference behind the Houston Rockets.
After last year’s emphatic march through the postseason, when Kerr’s men went 16-1 to clinch a second NBA finals crown in three seasons, beating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, the Warriors looked poised to dominate for years.
Yet the aura of invincibility surrounding the Bay Area franchise has dimmed in the closing weeks of the regular season.
A knee injury to Curry has left the Warriors without one of their most potent attacking weapons, contributing to a poor run of results that has included 10 defeats in 17 games.
That sequence included a 119-79 pounding by the Utah Jazz on Tuesday to end the regular season on a downbeat note.
Kerr, however, is adamant that the regular season — both the wins and the losses — will count for little as the playoffs come into view, starting with Saturday’s series opener in Oakland against the Spurs.
“We won 58 games this season,” Kerr said. “But in the end, none of that matters. It’s what you do in the playoffs. That’s the test. That’s the challenge. We’ll see what happens.
“We’re trying to get back to the finals for the fourth year in a row. And only a few teams have been able to do that. So, that’s the challenge.”
With Curry’s injury status uncertain, it will be left to Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to demonstrate that the Warriors remain a playoff threat.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Eastern Conference top seeds the Toronto Raptors will open their campaign at home to the Washington Wizards, while the Philadelphia 76ers — who finished their regular season with a 16th straight win — host the Miami Heat.