Davin McFarland
The Golden State Warriors are on the road tonight to face the Los Angeles Clippers as we reach the last game of the regular season.
This season was marred by an injury plague that spread throughout the Warriors organization, but after 81 games, Golden State still feels like they can make some noise in the West or go down swinging.
Tonight will serve as a kind of litmus test, as the Clippers may decide to rest star Kawhi Leonard ahead of the play-in game or play him in an attempt to secure the eighth seed over the Trail Blazers.
Either way, considering how the Warriors lost their previous contest against the Kings, there’s a strong sense of urgency to end the season with a victory.
Does Steph have a vintage performance to close out the season?
Stephen Curry is active tonight, looking to play his usual 32-34 minutes to prepare for the play-in games. In his last 10 matchups against the Clippers, Curry has averaged 28 points while shooting 41% from three on 12 attempts.
Since returning from his knee injury, he’s been focusing on getting reps in and shaking off the rust to prepare for the showdown Wednesday night.
Nothing would be better than a vintage Curry performance to energize the Warriors’ rotation and boost confidence heading into the playoffs.
Warriors must be locked in on defense
The biggest challenge tonight will be defense for the Warriors, especially after their lackadaisical approach against the Kings. The Clippers possess a mix of athleticism and veteran savvy, which will pose a serious test for Golden State.
If Leonard doesn’t play, players like Benedict Mathurin and Darius Garland will have the ball in their hands; both are capable of executing at a high level, especially in close-game situations.
An old pattern with Golden State is that they tend to play down to their competition when opposing teams sit their stars, and that can’t happen tonight. Regardless of Leonard’s status, Golden State must play with authority—dominate the boards, play stout defense in transition, and limit turnovers.
Expectations were very high but it’s not over until it’s over
This Warriors team had much higher expectations going into this season. It’s commendable that they didn’t just shut down a star of Curry’s magnitude and roll the dice for next year, but that’s not who the Warriors have ever been.
They will win it all by any means necessary or go down swinging.
It’s been an honor to watch the growth of players like Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos while the greatest point guard of all time continues to chase greatness at the highest level.
