How Warriors' NBA playoff seeding impacted by Timberwolves' win over Grizzlies
The Golden State Warriors got the help they needed from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.
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How Warriors' NBA playoff seeding impacted by Timberwolves' win over Grizzlies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors got the help they needed Thursday night.
Golden State moved back into the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed after the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 141-125, at FedExForum.
The Warriors (47-33), coming off a brutal 114-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, entered Thursday half a game behind the Grizzlies and half a game ahead of the Timberwolves.
Minnesota’s win over Memphis, fueled by Anthony Edwards’ game-high 44 points, means all three teams have 47-33 records. That’s good news for Golden State, which holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over both teams.
The Warriors desperately want to avoid participating in the Western Conference play-in tournament for a third time in the event’s brief history. Golden State is 0-3 in play-in games, having lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and Grizzlies in 2021 and the Sacramento Kings last year.
So, entering the final two regular-season games, here’s how the Western Conference standings look:
- Oklahoma City — 66-14 — Clinched No. 1 seed
- Houston Rockets — 52-28 — Clinched No. 2 seed
- Los Angeles Lakers — 49-31 — Clinched playoff spot
- Denver Nuggets — 48-32
- Los Angeles Clippers — 48-32
- Golden State Warriors — 47-33
** - Memphis Grizzlies — 47-33
- Minnesota Timberwolves — 47-33
- Sacramento Kings — 39-41 — Clinched play-in berth
- Dallas Mavericks — 38-42 — Clinched play-in berth
If the Warriors take care of business in their final two regular-season games against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night and the Clippers on Sunday afternoon, they will secure the No. 6 seed.
Should Golden State win both remaining games and get some help, they could move up to the No. 4 seed or No. 5 seed.
But one stumble against the Blazers or Clippers likely means the Warriors are headed for a play-in game Tuesday night.
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