Check on the only routes for Warriors to land playoffs Spot

With a victory against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors’ ambitions of finishing in the top eight by the end of the regular season were severely damaged.

Tuesday’s 134-120 victory against the Lakers had created a chance for the Warriors to catch up to the Suns in the standings by the end of the week, but that has now vanished because it needed Phoenix to drop their next three games.

With three games left in the regular season, there is now only one route left for the Golden State Warriors to finish in the top eight.
As a result of leaving oneself open to unfavorable outcomes, Golden State experienced precisely that on Wednesday night. The Suns’ trip to the Clippers was challenging on paper, but in practice, the hosts had nothing to lose, so they rested or controlled every player, including Terrence Mann, who played only eight minutes overall, and Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Ivica Zubac, and Paul Kawhi Leonard.

To their credit, the incredibly inexperienced Clippers fought valiantly and were ahead by six points with eight minutes remaining.

There is just one possible route for the Warriors to finish as the eighth seed, and that route primarily involves the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans game on Thursday at Golden 1 Center. If the Pelicans lose, Warriors supporters will be hoping that New Orleans loses their final two games, while Golden State will be hoping that they lose at least one of their final two games.

This is presuming Golden State wins its final three games, which is a situation that is both feasible and far from guaranteed. The fact that they play the Pelicans at Chase Center on Friday could prove to be advantageous; if the Kings triumph on Thursday and the Warriors easily handle their business, the Lakers would need to triumph in New Orleans on the last day of the regular season.

After the Lakers defeated the Hawks on Tuesday night, veteran forward Draymond Green summed up the significance of finishing as the eight-seed.