Warriors Playoffs – Syndication Server

Warriors playoff scenarios: Breaking down Golden State’s playoff picture following Monday’s win vs. Jazz

With three games left in the regular season, here’s a look at the current NBA playoff picture for the Golden State Warriors.

The start of the new-look NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching, and every game is crucial across the league as teams are battling for playoff positioning. New in 2021 is the launch of the play-in tournament, which gives four teams from each conference the chance to occupy the final two playoff slots for the first round – and means that the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds could potentially be sent home early.

How does the NBA’s new playoff system work, and which teams are the Warriors projected to face? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a comprehensive look at the standings, the Warriors’ remaining schedule, and their potential playoff opponents with seven games left in the regular season.

[mm-video type=video id=01f5bbh1e9zvr64a6ms0 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f5bbh1e9zvr64a6ms0/01f5bbh1e9zvr64a6ms0-93bcfbf9d9a8111869a9a6687e176655.jpg]

The current standings:

6 – Portland Trail Blazers (40-29)
7 – Los Angeles Lakers (38-30) – 1.5 games back
8 – Golden State Warriors (36-33) – 4 games back
9 – Memphis Grizzlies (35-33) – 4.5 games back
10 – San Antonio Spurs (32-35) – 6.5 games back

11 – New Orleans Pelicans (31-37) – 9 games back

Games remaining in the regular season: 3

Next game: vs. Suns, Tuesday, May 11

Remaining schedule:

May 11: vs. Suns (2nd in West), 7 PT
May 14: vs. Pelicans (10th in West), 7 PT
May 16: vs. Grizzlies (9th in West), time TBD

Playoff opponents if season ended today:

As the current 8-seed, the Warriors would be slated for a must-watch one-game playoff against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the current No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers to determine the overall No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. If the Warriors won that game, they would move on to meet the No. 2 seed in the West (the Suns) in the first round.

If the Warriors were to lose the opening play-in game, they would play the winner of a playoff between the No. 9 (Memphis Grizzlies) and No. 10 (San Antonio Spurs) teams. If Golden State won that game, they would become the overall No. 8 seed in the West, and face the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz in the first round.

[lawrence-related id=36985,36981,36978]

[listicle id=36987]

[vertical-gallery id=36879]

Warriors playoff scenarios: Breaking down Golden State’s playoff picture following two wins vs. Thunder

With four games left in the regular season, here’s a look at the current playoff picture for the Warriors.

The current standings:

5 – Dallas Mavericks (40-28)
6 – Portland Trail Blazers (39-29) – 1 game back
7 – Los Angeles Lakers (38-30) – 2 games back
8 – Golden State Warriors (35-33) – 5 games back
9 – Memphis Grizzlies (34-33) – 5.5 games back
10 – San Antonio Spurs (32-35) – 7.5 games back

11 – New Orleans Pelicans (31-37) – 9 games back

Games remaining in the regular season: 4

Next game: vs. Jazz, Monday, May 10

Remaining schedule:

May 10: vs. Jazz (1st in West), 7 PT
May 11: vs. Suns (2nd in West), 7 PT
May 14: vs. Pelicans (10th in West), 7 PT
May 16: vs. Grizzlies (9th in West), time TBD

Playoff opponents if season ended today:

As the current 8-seed, the Warriors would have a star-studded one-game playoff against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers to determine the overall No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. If the Warriors won that game, they would move on to face the No. 2 seed in the West (the Suns) in the first round.

If the Warriors were to lose that game, they would play the winner of a playoff between the No. 9 and No. 10 teams. If Golden State won that game, they would become the overall No. 8 seed in the West, and face the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz in the first round.

Playoff Rewind: Warriors hold off 51 points from LeBron James in Game 1 of 2018 Finals

In the opening game of the 2018 NBA Finals, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant were able to hold off a career-high 51 points from LeBron James.

Over the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors have used May to prepare for another NBA Finals series. However, in 2020 the Warriors playoff future is already decided. With a league-worst 15-50 record, Golden State became the first team to be officially eliminated from the 2020 playoff dance.

With no hoops on the docket, Warriors Wire is looking back into Golden State’s playoff history for standout performances and matchups worthy of a rewatch.

The last day of May marks the anniversary of the start of another Golden State series against LeBron James. In 2018, James kicked off the Finals with a career-best performance.

May 31, 2018

For the fourth consecutive season, the Golden State Warriors matched up with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. In game one of the 2018 series, the Warriors and Cavaliers battled for 48 minutes, but it wasn’t enough.

With four seconds remaining, George Hill missed a free throw that would’ve given the Cavaliers a one-point lead. Even with Hill’s miss, the Cavs had another shot at winning the game when Cleveland’s J.R. Smith came down with the rebound. Instead of attempting a putback at the rim, Smith dribbled the ball out towards halfcourt as time expired. Smith appeared to believe the Cavs had the lead instead of a tie game.

Behind a pair of 3-pointers from Klay Thompson, the Warriors were able to steal the game in overtime, outscoring the Cavaliers 17-7 in the extra period to win the game, 124-114.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 29 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. The two-time MVP added nine assists and six rebounds. Kevin Durant was right behind Curry with 26 points, nine boards and six assists.

In Golden State’s victory, James turned in a postseason career-high scoring night. The four-time MVP tallied 51 points on 19-of-32 shooting from the field with eight assists and eight rebounds. James became the sixth player in Finals history to drop 50 or more points and the first to do so in a loss. Kevin Love (21) and Smith (10) were the only Cavaliers to score in double-figures.

Watch highlights from the Warriors game one win via YouTube:

The Warriors went on to sweep the Cavaliers in four games to earn their third Finals banner in four years.

[lawrence-related id=27777,27717,26725,27791,26576,25658,25400]

Warriors Playoff Rewind: Baron Davis fuels ‘We Believe’ squad with vicious dunk over Andrei Kirilenko in 2007

On May 11, 2007, the NBA arena in Oakland became known as ‘Baron’s house.’

Over the past seven seasons, the Golden State Warriors have built up a steady library of thrilling playoff moments. From Stephen Curry’s long-range jumpers, Draymond Green’s defensive stops and Kevin Durant’s game-sealing daggers, Warriors fans have been spoiled when the calendar turns to May.

However, in the 2020 edition of the playoff dance, the Warriors will be on the outside looking in. A 15-50 record with 17 games remaining has already sealed Golden State’s playoff hopes.

With no playoff hoops on the radar, Warriors Wire is digging back into Golden State’s postseason history for games worthy of a rewatch.

While performances from the Curry and Steve Kerr era Warriors standout, one postseason moment from 2007 will forever hold a special place in Golden State lore.

May 11, 2007

After blitzing past the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the opening series of the playoffs, the darling “We Believe” Warriors faced off against the Utah Jazz in the second round.

Golden State’s magic looked to be running on empty after two straight losses in Utah to open the series. Yet, a trip back to the Bay Area provided a spark for the underdogs.

The Warriors jumped out to a lead in the first quarter and never looked back, controlling the Jazz from start to finish. While the Warriors were up 20 in the fourth period, there were still fireworks left in Oracle Arena.

With just under three minutes remaining in the game, Baron Davis blasted past Deron Williams forcing a matchup at the rim with one of the NBA’s feared shot blockers, Andrei Kirilenko.

Davis proceeded to throw down an emphatic tomahawk slam dunk right over the top of Kirilenko to set the entire state of Bay Area basketball into a ringing frenzy.

The Jazz quickly called a timeout leading to a famous call from ESPN play-by-play voice Mike Tirico — “timeout in Baron’s house.”

Watch the Davis dunk with Tirico’s call via YouTube:

The Warriors earned their first victory of the series that night, 125-105. Davis tallied a game-high 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting with nine assists, six steals and three rebounds. Six different members of the Warriors recorded double-figure scoring numbers against the Jazz in game three.

Despite the Warriors later getting eliminated by the Jazz in game five, Davis’ dunk over Kirilenko is near the top of almost every list in Golden State playoff memories.

[lawrence-related id=25928,25658,25400,25792,25741,25733]

Warriors Playoff Rewind: Sleepy Floyd erupts for 51 points vs. Showtime Lakers in 1987

In 1987, Sleepy Floyd ripped off a record-breaking performance in the fourth quarter to lead the Warriors past the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers.

When the calendar turns to the month of May, the NBA playoffs are usually in full swing. However, with the 2019-20 season on hold for over two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is no playoff basketball on the current radar.

Despite the league going on hiatus, the Golden State Warriors playoff hopes were already decided with 17 games remaining. With a league-worst 15-50 record, the Warriors became the first team in the association to be eliminated from playoff contention.

With playoff action on hold until further notice, Warriors Wire is digging deep into Golden State’s postseason history to find rewatchable matchups and standout performances.

Before there was Stephen Curry, “We Believe” or “Run TMC,” Eric “Sleepy” Floyd led the Golden State Warriors with a thrilling playoff moment.

May 10, 1987

After taking out the Utah Jazz in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Warriors advanced to play the Los Angeles Lakers in round two.

With their star-studded lineup of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Byron Scott, the Showtime Lakers blasted past the Warriors in the first three games of the series.

The Warriors were down 14 points heading into the final quarter of game four with Floyd recording a modest 22 points. Facing elimination, Floyd exploded for an eye-popping scoring performance.

The Georgetown product erupted in the fourth quarter to put Golden State on the comeback trail. Floyd shattered a pair of playoff records with 29 points in the fourth quarter and 39 points in the second half. The Warriors sealed their comeback with a 129-121 victory in Oakland to extend the series.

The 1987 All-Star guard racked up 51 points against the Lakers on 18-of-26 shooting from the field in 44 minutes. Floyd added 10 assists and three rebounds.

Scott, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson combined for 71 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Golden State guard.

Along with Floyd, only Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Kevin Durant have scored 50 or more points in the playoffs donning a Golden State kit.

Watch highlights from Floyd’s career-night via YouTube:

The Warriors couldn’t translate Floyd’s magic in Los Angeles, dropping game five to the Lakers, 118-106. After eliminating Golden State, the Lakers swept the Seattle Supersonics in four games before advancing to the NBA Finals. The Lakers cruised past their rival Boston Celtics in six games to put an exclamation point on their run to a championship.

[lawrence-related id=25990,25958,25939,25400,25658,24444]

Warriors Playoff Rewind: Steph Curry drops 40 in 2016 ‘I’m back’ game in Portland

It’s been four years since Stephen Curry exploded for 40 points in the “I’m here, I’m back” game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Throughout the 2019-20 season, Stephen Curry has missed 60 games for the Golden State Warriors. His absence from the lineup has had a dramatic impact on the Warriors’ chances of returning to the NBA playoffs for the eighth straight time.

With 17 games remaining on the calendar, the Warriors are the first team in the league to be eliminated from playoff contention. Despite the Warriors missing the playoffs in 2020, the past handful of years has provided a balanced wave of postseason highlights.

Although Curry’s return to action was shortened to only one game before the NBA season was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two-time Most Valuable Player’s comeback in the 2016 playoffs produced a legendary moment.

May 9, 2016

After spraining his knee against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, Curry made his awaited return versus the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Semifinals game four.

After dropping game three behind Damian Lillard’s 40 points, the Warriors found themselves in another tight game in Portland. Without Curry in the starting lineup, the Warriors fell behind big to start the game, but a back and forth battle broke out after the first quarter.

Harrison Barnes drilled a 3-pointer with 52 seconds remaining to push the game into overtime. Prior to the start of OT, Curry recorded 23 points against the Blazers. Once the bell rang for the extra period, Curry exploded.

The six-time All-Star snapped an NBA record, scoring 17 points in overtime to blast past the Blazers, 132-125.

With just under two minutes remaining in overtime, Curry splashed a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key forcing the Blazers to call a timeout. As the teams were walking to the bench, Curry famously called out — “I’m here. I’m back.”

Curry’s 40 point performance on 16-of-32 shooting with nine rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes will forever be known as the “I’m back” game.

Watch highlights from Curry’s return to the playoffs via YouTube:

The Warriors eliminated the Blazers in game five Oakland to move on to face Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

[lawrence-related id=25658,25691,25603,25629,25939]