Warriors vs. Suns tonight

Golden State and Phoenix play Friday night for the West’s last playoff spot, with the winner claiming the No. 8 seed and the loser ending its season. (nba.com) The game is set for 7 p.m. Pacific time on April 17 in Phoenix, and the first-round reward is immediate: a Sunday, April 19 opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Phoenix got here as the No. 7 team in the West at 45-37, then lost 114-110 to Portland in the 7-vs.-8 play-in game on April 14. Golden State finished 10th at 37-45, then stayed alive by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 on April 16. (nba.com) (basketball-reference.com) (landofbasketball.com) That format is the point of the play-in: seeds 7 through 10 get a last shot, and the 9-vs.-10 winner has to survive twice to reach the bracket. Golden State is now on that harder path, while Phoenix gets a second home game after losing its first chance at the No. 7 seed. (nba.com) The matchup also comes with a recent edge. Dillon Brooks said Thursday he wanted the Warriors, naming Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr after Phoenix learned it would face Golden State. (sports.yahoo.com) Brooks framed it as a test against a team with a long postseason résumé, saying Curry is “one of the best players to ever do it” and calling Golden State “battle-tested.” Phoenix will host the game at Mortgage Matchup Center, where Brooks said fans “have been waiting a couple of years for games like this.” (sports.yahoo.com) Oddsmakers opened Phoenix as a slight favorite, with Sports Illustrated listing the Suns at minus-2.5 after Golden State’s comeback win over the Clippers. Other betting markets Friday morning had the line a bit higher, around Suns minus-3.5. (si.com) (sportsbookwire.usatoday.com) The regular-season meetings leaned Golden State’s way. The Warriors went 3-1 against the Suns, including a 101-97 road win in Phoenix on February 5. (champsorchumps.us) Golden State’s immediate question is energy after the quick turnaround. Curry scored 35 against the Clippers, with 27 coming in the second half, as the Warriors erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to extend their season by two days. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) By late Friday night, one team will be headed to Oklahoma City and the other to summer. The margin between those outcomes is one game, 48 minutes, and no second chance. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)