SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 The Warriors lost two \u201cwinnable\u201d games, to use Steve Kerr\u2019s words. As a consequence, they would now have to win two much tougher ones to escape the play-in.<\/p>\n
Back-to-back losses to the Jazz and Bulls \u2014 48 wins between them \u2014 dropped the Warriors a game below .500 and a half-game back of the surging LA Clippers<\/a>, who don\u2019t look poised to relinquish the No. 8 seed now that they have overtaken the B-Dubs with 17 games left.<\/p>\n What does the \u201cB\u201d stand for? Take your pick: Beaten-up? Beleaguered? B-team?<\/p>\n Warriors\u2019 Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is is defended by Bulls forward Leonard Miller Tuesday, March 10 in San Francisco. AP<\/p>\n Either way, between the state of the Warriors\u2019 roster and the results the past two nights, it doesn\u2019t bode well for their chances of avoiding that dreaded 9\u201310 play-in game and the difficult path that accompanies it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a big deal,\u201d Kerr emphasized before their 130\u2013124 overtime loss to the Bulls<\/a> on Tuesday. \u201cThere\u2019s a reason the league did that. Seven (or) eight, you get two cracks at it. Huge advantage. It\u2019s definitely a focus of ours.\u201d<\/p>\n The Warriors would have loved to avoid the play-in entirely. They have the second-oldest roster in the NBA \u2014 only younger than the Lakers \u2014 and are currently among its most-injured.<\/p>\n Warriors Al Horford (L) and Gary Payton II (R) celebrate during the match against the Chicago Bulls at Chase Center in San Francisco, March 10. Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n That was pretty much off the table when Steph Curry\u2019s right knee flared up at the end of January. Kerr recently acknowledged<\/a> they were \u201cdestined\u201d for the play-in.<\/p>\n The Warriors emerged from the play-in last year and upset the Rockets in the first round. As the No. 7 seed, they only had to beat the Grizzlies at home to get their chance against the No. 2 team in the West.<\/p>\n It\u2019s more complicated if they aren\u2019t able to climb above ninth.<\/p>\n Warriors\u2019 Payton II fights for a rebound with Bulls center Nick Richards. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, it\u2019s the difference between having to win one game versus having to win two games,\u201d said Pat Spencer, who scored 17 off the bench in the loss to Chicago. \u201cYou\u2019ve gotta be realistic: It\u2019s much easier getting into that 7\u20138 game than 9\u201310.\u201d<\/p>\n Curry could not play another minute and the Warriors would still be highly unlikely to fall beyond 10th and into the clump of tanking teams below them. But if they\u2019re not able to surpass either the Clippers (32\u201332) or Suns (38\u201327), that would set them up with a do-or-die date with the Trail Blazers (31\u201335), currently 1.5 games back in 10th.<\/p>\n That merely sets up another win-or-go-home game. Whoever prevails from the 9\/10 game must then hit the road to play the loser of the 7\/8 matchup, which takes place a night earlier, too.<\/p>\n All that for the right to play the No. 1 seed, likely the defending champion Thunder.<\/p>\n Warriors forward Draymond Green has an apparently contemplative moment after the game against the Bulls. Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n No wonder why only four teams have even advanced out of the play-in from the No. 9\u201310 game since the NBA adopted the current format in 2021. None has ever won its first-round matchup.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t feel sorry for ourselves,\u201d Gary Payton II said. \u201c\u2026 We\u2019ve just got to finish strong and find our way back up to the 8 or 7.\u201d<\/p>\n Warriors head coach Steve Kerr hugs it out with Green after the game. Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n They made the task harder on themselves by letting games against lesser opponents like the Jazz and Bulls slip away. Already missing most of its top players, Utah sat its remaining leading scorers in crunch time of a 119\u2013116 loss. The Warriors were at the free throw line with the lead in the final moments of regulation against the Bulls and couldn\u2019t put them away.<\/p>\n Payton chalked up the losses to \u201clittle mental breakdowns.\u201d Spencer thought the Warriors were \u201cdefensively, a little passive.\u201d Kerr was fine with their end-of-game execution.<\/p>\n \u201cShots didn\u2019t go down,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t score.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, the Warriors have a losing record for the first time since they were 14\u201315 on Dec. 20. They still have home games left against the Nets, Wizards and Kings. They have two more on the road at Washington and Sacramento. And Game 82 \u2014 April 12 in Inglewood \u2014 which looks more important now than ever.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to finish,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cAnd we haven\u2019t finished either of the past two nights.\u201d<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
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