Test of Champion's Character of GS Warriors Starts Tomorrow
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 09 Apr 2023
The champion's character of the Golden State Warriors will be tested starting tomorrow, ironically the last day of the NBA regular season as three teams threaten to deny them outright play off slot.
The Warriors are set to meet the Portland Trailblazers and are expected to go flat out for a win even if it means getting the Kevin Durant-reinforced Phoenix Suns as their first round opponents.
A loss puts them in danger of being tied by any of the Los Angeles Lakers or the New Orleans Pelicans for the 6th and final slot for the post season playoffs in the West and getting dropped to the sudden death play-in for the 7th and 8th position.
The 5th position would automatically go to another Los Angeles team, the Clippers in this eventuality, regardless of whether the Clips win or lose their last game on more head to head series wins or better in conference record compared to the three teams.
The Lakers have swept in Dubs and while the Warriors and the Pelicans split their four head to head meetings this season, the Pels have better in conference winning record. Hence, if the Warriors lose to the Blazers and any or both the Lakers and the Pels win theirs, the three teams would end up tied in record, 43-39 for the 6th play off slot which will go to the Lakers which are 3-1 over the Pelicans head to head this season.
Under this worse case scenario for Golden State, the Pelicans will wind up 7th and the Warriors 8th and will play again in the play in round to determine the real 7th place finisher.
The loser will then play the winner of the 9th and 10th placer, respectively the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder to determine the real 8th placer.
The 8th placer gets to play the West Conference champion the Denver Nuggets and the 7th placer will have the West runner up Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
Completing the line up, the 6th placer whoever they are will have #3 the Sacramento Kings and 5th placer, the Dubs if they beat the Blazers for their 44th win or the Clippers if they lose will have the reenergized #4Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers have the Utah Jazz, the Clippers go up against the Suns and the Pelicans have the Timberwolves as their respective final games with all three going up for a victory to put the pressure on the Warriors.
If Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors want to show that they are not only the defending champions but have the heart of true champions who do not avoid any challenge, they will go all out for win #44 to thwart especially the Lakers and the Pelicans. And upstage the Clippers should opt to lose their final game.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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