Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors: Injuries, How to Watch

The Portland Trail Blazers are back at home for two more games to wrap up the season. First up is the Golden State Warriors. This a must-win game for the Warriors, who find themselves in a precarious position after their shocking loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, 114-111. The Warriors need to win their last two games to be sure of avoiding the play-in. In fact, wins against the Blazers and their Sunday night finale against the Los Angeles Clippers could see them move up as high as the 4 seed if other results went their way. A loss, however, means they’d need help to stay out of the play-in, a fate they are desperate to avoid. The play-in doesn’t have a long history, but the Warriors have a disastrous track record. They lost to both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021, and they bowed out to the Sacramento Kings last season.

The Blazers are eliminated from the post season, so their only incentive to win at this point is pride. With respect to lottery odds, a loss could keep them in the running to move up slightly in terms of ping pong balls. While the Blazers currently have the same record as the Phoenix Suns, the Suns haven’t won in eight games, so getting help from them isn’t something we should bank on. There’s also the Miami Heat in the other conference, a game ahead of the Blazers but destined for the play-in. If you’re rooting for the Blazers to have slightly better lottery odds, you’re rooting for Portland losses and Suns and Heat wins,

Portland Trail Blazers (35-45) vs. Golden State Warriors (47-33) – Fri. Apr. 11 – 7pm Pacific

How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network

How to watch via streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else

Trail Blazers injuries: Shaedon Sharpe (questionable); Deni Avdija (doubtful); Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton, Scoot Henderson, Bryce McGowens, Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III (out).

Warriors injuries: Gary Payton II, Quinten Post (questionable)

SB Nation Affiliate: Golden State of Mind

What to Watch For

For one team to be trying harder than the other. Look, we’re not saying that players or coaches are ever okay with losing. With the infinitesimally rare exception, they aren’t. However, ORGANIZATIONS certainly understand the value of a better draft pick and often act accordingly. In this game, you have a real “unstoppable force meets extremely movable object” situation with the Warriors gunning for a win and the Blazers gunning for a few extra ping pong balls. With home court advantage still within reach, expect the visitors to be running as hard as they can through the tape as the home team stares at their best players sitting on the bench in street clothes.

What Others Are Saying

Daniel Hardee of Golden State of Mind gives us a look into the Warriors fanbase after their rough loss to the lowly San Antonio Spurs:

The Warriors’ playoff picture, once seemingly secure after the Butler acquisition, now hangs in limbo. They’ve slipped into the seventh seed, staring directly at the play-in tournament with Minnesota. All because Harrison Barnes, the ghost of Finals past, returned to haunt the franchise that replaced him with greatness. Maybe somewhere, LeBron James raised a glass of wine watching the highlight. After all, Barnes’ cold streak in 2016 helped deliver him a championship. Now Barnes’ hot hand might just help deliver the Warriors into playoff purgatory.

The Black Falcon’s revenge, served ice cold after seven years of waiting. And it definitely messed up the Dubs in the standings.

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN claim that rival GMs aren’t interested in seeing the Warriors in the playoffs:

“There’s always time for small ball but their championship teams had positional size,” an East executive said of Golden State. “When they won [titles] they had Andrew Bogut, Kevon Looney, Klay [Thompson] and [Kevin] Durant. The ‘death lineup’ with the small ball only played a handful of minutes. I don’t know if this way they’re playing, so small, works. I’ll be impressed if they can run the table this way… “The most important thing is their confidence, not their record. People think Steph and Dray don’t need confidence, but they all do. [Andrew] Wiggins didn’t always have that and you could tell. Jimmy has provided that,” a West executive said. “I would not want to play them in any round.”