The Golden State Warriors lost a couple games at home to a couple teams well beneath them -- the Timberwolves more than the Celtics, of course -- and no one really freaked out. Of course they didn't, because had a feeling Thursday would play out exactly like it did.
NBA scores 2016: The Warriors and the Spurs don’t really matter until the playoffs
Golden State beat San Antonio on Thursday, but all that really matters is the potential series between the two.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Gregg Popovich didn't rest his starters ... until the fourth quarter, at least, when the Warriors officially turned the game into a blowout. The first quarter immediately brought back memories of last month's Spurs win over Golden State, where they slowed them way down and held them to a season-low 79 points in San Antonio. But after that, it was back to the bombastic run-and-gun, layup-line Warriors we were all used to, and the Spurs never had a chance.
Last month, the Warriors were still missing Andre Iguodala and Festus Ezeli. On Thursday, the Spurs were missing Boris Diaw. When teams are as dominant as these two are, little changes like that can cause huge ripple effects. The absence of Diaw clearly affected San Antonio, who ended up playing Tim Duncan a very ineffective 19 minutes. If (and when) this series comes, Duncan's role clearly will be reduced to a very small role.
In those two recent losses, though, the reasons for Golden State’s failure seemed clear. Some of the players actively want that 73-win season that would be the best in NBA history, while others (and probably Steve Kerr) are ambivalent towards it. But regardless, everyone on the Warriors is wearied from the long season. With the playoffs looming -- but not quite here -- it’s hard to remained focus on games that feel more and more like slogging walk-throughs. It’s a challenge that many great teams face, and Golden State has done fine staving off those demons. Seeing Boston and Minnesota take them down, gunning at them as hard as they could, didn’t seem to be anything other than that.
If we don’t freak out about losses with this team anymore, then it doesn’t seem right to make a big deal out of wins. The Warriors won a regular season game against a team they will very likely face in the playoffs. That’s all the analysis needs to be, just about. Maybe Golden State, if healthy, will cut right through the Spurs like a Texas summer to a popsicle. More likely, the playoffs factor changes most everything. The Warriors will be the favorite, but that’s not because they won 112-101 on Thursday. It’s because that’s what the respective rosters dictate.
Still, we’re not complaining about Thursday. Every Warriors and Spurs meeting is a good one, even as quickly as this devolved into Warriors Funhouse Theater. The results may not be totally indicative of a playoff series between these too, but the enjoyment we have watching them should be.
3 more things from Thursday
It’s Josh Richardson’s world and we’re just living in it
Where Josh Richardson came from is still a mystery. OK, we know where: he was a four-year player at Tennessee drafted 40th overall by Miami in last year's draft, and after Tyler Johnson's injury shortly after the All-Star break, he was elevated into the rotation. But Richardson didn't just fill in adequately -- he won Eastern Conference Player of the Month in March by setting the three-point arc on fire. The second-rounder shot 59 percent on nearly four attempts from distance in 29 minutes per game as Miami fought for home court advantage in the playoffs.
Richardson’s a shooter, yes. But he can also do this.
It's funny -- Johnson, another generically named guard, came out of nowhere last season for Miami. With his injury, it was Richardson. Neither project to be anything other than very solid rotation players, but both have given some new life to the Heat.
DeMarre Carroll has returned
Carroll played just four minutes, but it was a great sight regardless after the Raptors' foremost free agency signing had missed nearly the entire season. Although he only scored five points, Carroll's impact was felt with four steals in 14 minutes in a loss to the red-hot Atlanta Hawks. Carroll may not be fully healthy until he has a full offseason under him, but his presence in the postseason is clearly a plus for Toronto as they try to finally prove themselves this postseason.
The Rockets blow it
Houston had the easiest schedule in April of the five Western Conference playoff teams battling for the final four playoff spots. They even beat the most difficult challenge, somehow topping the Oklahoma City Thunder. But against Chicago, Dallas and, on Thursday, Phoenix, the Rockets lost. Yes, Phoenix, a team with 21 wins who had lost seven straight.
The Rockets are not officially out of it. If Utah slips up, they’ve still got a chance. But let’s not forget they played in the Western Conference Finals last season and now are the likely choice to miss the postseason completely. Maybe a new coach (hey Tom Thibodeau) can set things in the right direction again, but man, what a total disaster of a season.
Play of the night
Even when things go wrong for Stephen, they really don’t.
2 fun things
Final scores
Suns 124, Rockets 115 (Bright Side of the Sun recap | The Dream Shake recap)
Heat 106, Bulls 98 (Hot Hot Heat recap | Blog a Bull recap)
Hawks 95, Raptors 87 (Peachtree Hoops recap | Raptors HQ recap)
Warriors 112, Spurs 101 (Golden State of Mind recap | Pounding the Rock recap)
Timberwolves 105, Kings 97 (Canis Hoopus recap | Sactown Royalty recap)
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