“It’ll take a sweep of their final three regular-season games -Saturday at Memphis, Sunday at San Antonio and Wednesday at home against Memphis – for the Warriors to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls” NBA season record of 72 wins.
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In the first-ever match between two teams with at least 65 regular season wins, Stephen Curry top-scored for the Warriors with 27 points and Harrison Barnes had 21. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced before the game that he would rest some veteran players Friday in Denver, and have all hands on deck once again for the rematch with the Warriors in San Antonio on Sunday. “That’s why it’s important to play against them and get familiar with that type of play”. When asked in his pregame press conference to explain Tuesday’s home loss to Minnesota, Warriors coach Steve Kerr stole from “Animal House” and labeled his players “fat, drunk and stupid”. “Now that we have that, I’m inclined to give some guys some rest if they need it, but I’ve sort of made a pact with the guys that if they are not banged up and they are not exhausted and if they want to go for this record or whatever then – so we’ve got to talk”.
All-Star forward Draymond Green said he thinks most of his teammates are aiming for the wins record over rest.
“You need to play a couple of games in a row”, Popovich told reporters Thursday. To get this far and kind of just tank it and say never mind?
Not to be outdone, Kerr got angry after a turnover led to an open 3-pointer for Danny Green late in the first half and slammed his white board so hard during the timeout that his marker flew into the air. “That’s why it’s only been done one time”, Green said.
“I’m only 26. When I’m 36, I’ll be looking to rest more”, guard Klay Thompson told reporters after Thursday’s win. I just don’t see Curry hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy, thanking Kerr so much for that rest at the end of the regular season in April.
“We are going to talk about it tomorrow”, Kerr said Thursday after Golden State’s win. So this victory has got to mean something more than just another tally in the W column for Stephen Curry and company.
So how do the Warriors feel about the prospect of resting over the final three games, even though it might help down the line?
This is probably the most likely scenario as it is a win-win for both Kerr and his players. That way the Warriors can still go after the record while also getting in some rest before the postseason starts. Golden State has won 113 consecutive games – playoffs included – when leading by at least 15 points at any point.2.
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I took it as a good omen that Aldridge hit his first shot of the third, a little jumper from halfway down the left baseline, but that good omen didn’t last long as the Warriors took advantage of the Spurs’ poor shooting and defensive lapses. building a 67-48 lead with 7:30 left in the third.
