The Golden State Warriors’ massive 123-116 victory over LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night marked the group’s fourth consecutive win, while the starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green extended their undefeated streak to 13 games.
The Warriors also came away the victor in their most important game of the season to this point, as they were able to move within one game of Los Angeles for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately, their next two games will end up presiding over their sensational night against the Lakers as their most crucial contests, as they’ll first face off against the West’s No. 3-seeded Denver Nuggets on Friday night before taking on the No. 2-seeded Houston Rockets on Sunday.
So far this week, Curry went nuclear against the Memphis Grizzlies for 52 points and 12 hits from three-point range on Tuesday night and dropped in another 37 points and dished out six assists against Los Angeles, but Denver may be the most threatening team to snap the Warriors’ current hot streak due to the continued excellence of their 3-time MVP center Nikola Jokić, who recently notched a 61-point triple-double in a 140-139 double overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
With both teams fighting for home-court advantage in the postseason and to remain as far away from Play-In Tournament range as possible, their important matchup will provide fans with yet another early taste of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
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“There is much to unfold in the Western Conference playoff picture, starting with the red-hot Warriors facing yet another Game 7-like scenario with Denver in town on Friday,” ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote Friday afternoon.
“Every game matters a little bit more at this juncture for the Warriors. Golden State’s main focus has been avoiding the play-in tournament, and they have put themselves in a position to achieve loftier goals with about a week remaining in the regular season.”
While Golden State’s recent run through the Wild West has earned the group status as a true title contender, a defeat at the hands of the Nuggets could wreck everything the group has been building since their acquisition of Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline, as the Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers both sit just one game behind in the standings and are itching to escape the Play-In and claim a guaranteed spot in the postseason.
Though the Warriors took care of business recently against the Grizzlies on the back of Curry’s electric shooting night, the franchise missing its longtime head coach Taylor Jenkins after his shocking dismissal on Mar. 28 are also just a half-game behind and waiting in the wings to capture the West’s No. 5 seed with a Golden State loss to Denver and a win of their own against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
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