It’s the most important game of the season for the Warriors. Or at least until the next one. And the one after that, and the one after that . . .
On the line Tuesday night is a potential playoff seeding advantage over the host Memphis Grizzlies in the fifth game of a six-game trip outside the Bay Area. The Warriors have won two of three against the Grizzlies this season, most recently 121-114 on Jan. 4 in Memphis.
“If we beat Memphis, we can get the tie-breaker against them,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Sunday night after a 148-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs. “That’s huge. We’re right there with the Clippers and the Lakers are only a couple ahead. It’s going to be quite a race down the stretch. Our last eight games are pretty tough. Tonight was a really good effort and a good, good momentum builder.”
In their best offensive performance of the season against an admittedly tired and overmatched opponent, the Warriors had season highs in points and assists (42) and committed only 13 turnovers. They moved back into the No. 6 position at 42-31, with the Los Angeles Clippers (42-32) dropping to No. 8 and Minnesota (42-32) sliding in to No. 7.
The top six teams in each conference advance to a playoff series. Nos. 7 through 10 will require a play-in game to stay alive. The Warriors were the No. 10 seed last season at 46-36 and were one-and-done after a 118-94 road loss to the Sacramento Kings in a play-in game. The previous time they were in the play-in tournament, in 2021, Memphis knocked them out at Chase Center.
The Warriors will conclude the trip Thursday night on the road against the fourth-seeded Lakers, who are 45-29 going into a game Monday night against Houston. But first things first. Having won two of three against Memphis, a win for the Warriors would give them the tiebreaker advantage should the two teams finish with the same record.
The Grizzlies shook things up by firing coach Taylor Jenkins Friday with the team tied for fourth place in the Western Conference. Memphis lost its first game Saturday at home under interim coach Tuomas Iiasalo 134-127.
After scoring a game-high 27 points against San Antonio and a career-high seven 3-point baskets (in nine attempts), guard Brandin Podziemski said the Grizzlies appear to have changed things up with Jenkins’ departure.
“They play a little bit differently on offense,” Podziemski said. “It was a good thing for us the Lakers won because we can have the tiebreaker.”
Before the Warriors beat New Orleans Friday, Kerr expressed shock at the Grizzlies’ move.
“It came out of nowhere for us,” Kerr told reporters. “We’re not involved, obviously. Just from afar, it’s shocking . . . it doesn’t add up if you’re on the outside looking in.”
The Grizzlies are 44-31 not including a home game Monday night against the NBA champion Boston Celtics. The Warriors are on their second-longest trip of the season, but the one-sided nature of the win in San Antonio should alleviate some of the fatigue.
Podziemski played 27 minutes, equaling his point total, and leading the team.
The Warriors lost the first two games of the road trip with Stephen Curry on the bench with a pelvic contusion and have won two with him back in the lineup. Curry had 23 points in 34 minutes against New Orleans and 13 points in 26 minutes against San Antonio, so he hasn’t been pushed to the brink in his return from injury.
Forward Draymond Green played 21 minutes with 14 points and five rebounds.
“You get a night where nobody plays more than 25, 26 minutes, that’s very helpful,” Kerr said. “So we’re rested and in rhythm. A big, big stretch coming.”
After the Warriors play the Lakers on the final game of the road trip, they’re back at Chase Center for games against Denver (47-28) and Houston (49-26), the third- and second-seeded teams in the Western Conference, respectively.
The final four games of the regular season are at Phoenix (April 8), at home against San Antonio (April 9), at Portland (April 11) and the regular-season finale against the Clippers (April 13) at Chase Center.
Center Kevon Looney, who converted his first 3-point basket of the year as drawn up by Kerr against San Antonio, was encouraged by the way the Warriors played against the Spurs.
“We had to get back on the right path, and we were playing the right way,” Looney said. “The ball was moving. We had a low turnover game. We set better screens and our shooters made shots. I think if we play the right way, we’ll be in a good spot next week. We know the opportunity we have in front of us. We have to make sure we capitalize.”
Waiting on Kuminga: Forward Jonathan Kuminga fell awkwardly in the first half and was done after scoring four points in a little over six minutes against the Spurs. Kuminga was coming off a promising 18-point, eight-rebound game against New Orleans.
“I saw him at halftime and checked in and it’s such a bummer,” Kerr said. “He was just coming back, finding his rhythm, playing well. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
If Kuminga is sidelined, Gui Santos, who had four points, four rebounds and six assists against San Antonio in 23 minutes, will be used more.
“Obviously he doesn’t play a ton, but he plays a really important role,” Kerr said. “He comes in and gets offensive boards, moves the ball, plays with great energy. He’s a difference-maker so I feel good about playing Gui if he has to play more with JK’s absence.”