The Golden State Warriors were one of the best teams after the trade deadline. Since acquiring Jimmy Butler, they went on a run that helped them climb from outside the play-in chase in the Western Conference to the seventh spot. There was an opportunity though to be the fourth or fifth seed. Two losses in the regular season and one in the postseason might have cost the Golden State Warriors a chance to rest.
Where It All Went Wrong: 3 Games That Doomed the Warriors
March 25, at Miami
The Jimmy Butler return home game is one that the Warriors blew away. They showed almost no effort in trying to win the game. What is worse is that the Heat were coming off a 2-11 stretch in their previous 13 games. Miami lost ten consecutive games before beating Charlotte and then the Warriors. Golden State finished the regular season 48-34. The Los Angeles Lakers finished 50-32 in the third spot in the West.
That difference of two games meant playing in the play-in and starting the playoffs with a week of rest. In Miami, the Warriors were without Steph Curry and lost 112-86. They shot only 39.8% from the floor and 23.7% from behind the arc.
April 9, vs San Antonio Spurs
This is the game that hurts the most. The San Antonio Spurs were not a team fighting for a playoff position. They were without Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.
Despite Curry and Butler combining for 58 points, the Warriors lost the game in the fourth quarter. Entering the fourth, the Warriors had a 12-point lead. And then, they lost the game. Considering the Warriors finished just one game behind the Timberwolves for the sixth seed, they could have had a week to rest before the playoffs.
Game 5 at Houston
The Golden State Warriors stormed to a 3-1 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the postseason. But instead of closing things in five, they showed no effort or will to compete in Game 5. As a result, they were routed, and their first-round matchup extended to seven games. It was another lackadaisical effort that resulted in playing two more games instead of resting.
How Did Lack of Rest Impact Steph’s Injury?
Without Curry, the Golden State Warriors have almost no chance of beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round or competing for a championship title. Curry suffered a hamstring strain in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Hamstring injuries take time to heal. According to the Mayo Clinic, one of the risk factors for a hamstring injury is tired muscles. Considering the amount of stress Curry puts on his body during games, having a week’s rest before the playoffs or after the first round could certainly help. Instead, the Warriors blew the aforementioned three games that might have given their aging stars enough time to heal and recover.
The problem for the Warriors is that hamstring injuries have to fully heal before an athlete can come back to the floor. Coming back too soon is another risk factor that can result in another injury. Their season is not over yet, but without Steph, the chance for a championship run is slim.
Photo credit: © David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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