The Warriors got the help they needed Thursday night.
Golden State moved back into the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed after the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 141-125, at FedExForum.
The Warriors (47-33), coming off a brutal 114-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, entered Thursday half a game behind the Grizzlies and half a game ahead of the Timberwolves.
Minnesota’s win over Memphis, fueled by Anthony Edwards’ game-high 44 points, means all three teams have 47-33 records. That’s good news for Golden State, which holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over both teams.
The Warriors desperately want to avoid participating in the Western Conference play-in tournament for a third time in the event’s brief history. Golden State is 0-3 in play-in games, having lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and Grizzlies in 2021 and the Sacramento Kings last year.
So, entering the final two regular-season games, here’s how the Western Conference standings look:
- Oklahoma City — 66-14 — Clinched No. 1 seed
- Houston Rockets — 52-28 — Clinched No. 2 seed
- Los Angeles Lakers — 49-31 — Clinched playoff spot
- Denver Nuggets — 48-32
- Los Angeles Clippers — 48-32
- Golden State Warriors — 47-33
** - Memphis Grizzlies — 47-33
- Minnesota Timberwolves — 47-33
- Sacramento Kings — 39-41 — Clinched play-in berth
- Dallas Mavericks — 38-42 — Clinched play-in berth
If the Warriors take care of business in their final two regular-season games against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night and the Clippers on Sunday afternoon, they will secure the No. 6 seed.
Should Golden State win both remaining games and get some help, they could move up to the No. 4 seed or No. 5 seed.
But one stumble against the Blazers or Clippers likely means the Warriors are headed for a play-in game Tuesday night.
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