When the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, the Lakers and Warriors had been grudgingly happy. While they misplaced ground to Dallas, Denver is the scariest chance to their deep-run playoff chances.
Both Los Angeles and Golden State desire to climb up in the standings, escaping the 9-10 play-in game. But they’re three video games at the back of the three teams simply tied for sixth-to-eighth region — an imposing deficit this late in the season. It does not help that the Warriors lose tiebreakers to each group above them.
That potential that in all likelihood, the great seed either crew can get is No. 8, even if they win two play-in games. In which case, they would face the pinnacle seed in the Western Conference, nearly certainly one of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves. And both teams would greatly select the Thunder or Timberwolves before the reigning champs.
Denver hasn’t lost a single recreation to the Warriors or Lakers this season. Golden State has lost seven straight games, going 0-3 final season and 0-4 this year. Counting their sweep in the convention finals, Los Angeles has dropped eight straight to Nikola Jokic and Co. Reversing these trends towards a championship-hardened crew in the first round is a tall order. After enduring play-in games, either LA or GSW would have to go on the road and win in Denver, the place the Nuggets went 10-1 in last year’s playoffs.
With Minnesota, the outlook is no longer great, however it is much better. The Lakers are 1-2 this season, winning solely a sport where Minnesota was missing starters Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert — and the Wolves have been ahead after three quarters. The Warriors are 0-2 this season and have misplaced three straight with one defeat coming after Draymond Green tried to choke out Gobert.
Golden State is 1-3 against Oklahoma City this season, however two of those losses came in overtime. The third came when the Warriors did not have Stephen Curry or Green.
The Thunder have had a excellent season, but they’re not an intimidating matchup for both the Lakers or the Warriors, who have a long history of triumphing huge games in OKC.
