Warriors‑Suns do‑or‑die
Golden State and Phoenix meet tonight in an elimination game for the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed, with Phoenix opening as a slight favorite. (si.com) Golden State still has to win again after surviving their prior play‑in — Yahoo notes the Warriors scored 43 points in the fourth behind Stephen Curry’s 3‑point barrage and Draymond Green’s defense. (sports.yahoo.com) Suns forward Dillon Brooks publicly said he preferred drawing the Warriors, adding a personal edge to the matchup. (nytimes.com)
Golden State and Phoenix play Friday night for the West’s last playoff berth, with the winner taking the No. 8 seed and the loser done. (nba.com) The game tips at 10 p.m. Eastern on April 17 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and streams on Prime Video. ESPN listed Phoenix as a 3.5-point favorite Friday morning. (nba.com) (espn.com) This is the second life in four days for Golden State. The Warriors finished 37-45, entered the play-in as the No. 10 seed, and had to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 on April 15 just to reach Phoenix. (espn.com) (nba.com) That comeback is the reason this matchup looks less lopsided than the standings suggest. Golden State trailed by 13 with 9:53 left against the Clippers, then closed with a 43-point fourth quarter as Stephen Curry scored 35 and Al Horford hit four late 3-pointers. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Phoenix got here from the other side of the bracket. The Suns finished 45-37, opened the week as the West’s No. 7 seed, then lost 114-110 to Portland on April 14 and dropped into this winner-take-all game for the final spot. (nba.com) (espn.com) The reward is a first-round series against top-seeded Oklahoma City, whose playoff matchup is still listed as against the West’s No. 8 seed. The first round starts April 18. (nba.com) There is also a personal edge. Dillon Brooks said Thursday he wanted this matchup, citing “Steph and Draymond” when asked why he hoped Golden State would beat the Clippers. (sports.yahoo.com) (nbcsportsbayarea.com) The regular-season series leaned the other way. Golden State won it 3-1, including a 101-97 road win in Phoenix on Feb. 5, according to the Warriors’ official game notes. (nba.com) Health could shape the last few hours before tipoff. ESPN listed Kristaps Porzingis as questionable for Golden State with an ankle issue, while Phoenix had Grayson Allen and Mark Williams marked as game-time decisions. (espn.com) So the setup is simple by Friday night standards: Phoenix has the better record and home court, Golden State has the fresher comeback, and one of them will wake up Saturday with a playoff series in Oklahoma City. (espn.com) (nba.com)
