Curry on a minutes cap

Stephen Curry will play Wednesday’s play-in game in Los Angeles on a minutes cap, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr saying Curry will stay under 40 minutes. (espn.com) Golden State is the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed and will visit the No. 9 Clippers at Intuit Dome on April 15 in the 9-versus-10 SoFi National Basketball Association Play-In Tournament game. The winner advances to face the loser of the 7-versus-8 game for the conference’s eighth playoff seed, and the loser is eliminated. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Kerr said Sunday that Curry, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford would all be held below 40 minutes in the rematch with the Clippers. Reuters reported the restriction after Golden State’s regular-season finale loss in Los Angeles. (espn.com) (reuters.com) The cap follows a season in which Curry missed 27 games with a knee issue, and ESPN reported he has not played more than 29 minutes in any game since returning. Golden State finished 37-45 and enters the play-in on a three-game losing streak. (sports.yahoo.com) (espn.com) The immediate problem for Golden State is that it just saw this opponent. The Clippers beat the Warriors 115-110 on April 12, clinching the No. 9 seed and sending Golden State to No. 10. (nba.com) (espn.com) That game also underlined the schedule squeeze in the play-in format. The rematch comes three days later, and the Western Conference bracket leaves the Warriors needing two wins to reach the playoffs while the Clippers need one. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Los Angeles enters with a stronger record at 42-40 and home court at Intuit Dome. National coverage is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific time on Prime Video, according to the Warriors’ announcement. (nba.com) (espn.com) For the Warriors, the question is simple by tipoff: how much they can get from Curry in fewer than 40 minutes in a game they have to win to keep the season going. (espn.com)