With six games to go until the All-Star break and 40 wins already in their back pocket, the Golden State Warriors have reached an important mile marker on any team’s path to the playoffs. They are Steve Kerr’s sixth team to reach the 40-win mark by All-Star weekend — outpacing two others — and the previous five all went on to earn the top seed in the Western Conference.
The banged-up Warriors are looking forward to using the upcoming time off to get healthy and are already well on their way to a top seed in the Western Conference. But these final six games before All-Star weekend are no less important than any of the other 82.
Winning ways
The Warriors take their longest winning streak of the season into their Monday night matchup in Oklahoma City.
Besting their red-hot start to the season — two stretches of seven straight wins separated by a single loss — was no easy feat, but it was much-needed after a bout of midseason doldrums dealt them six losses in nine games preceding the current streak. Golden State lost its grip on the top spot in the Western Conference with a loss Jan. 11 at Memphis and, after a home overtime defeat to the Pacers nine days later, held only a two-game lead on the Grizzlies for the second seed.
Now, after eight straight wins, the Warriors have widened their lead on Memphis back to 5.0 games and are the only team besides the Phoenix Suns (42-10) with at least 40 notches in the win column. Oklahoma City provides a prime setting to extend the streak: Golden State has won its past five games against the Thunder, including the past two at Paycom Center.
Wiggins vs. Gobert
The Warriors’ toughest remaining game before the break also matches up two players at the center of an All-Star debate: Should the final starting spot have gone to Andrew Wiggins or Rudy Gobert? Wiggins dominated the fan vote, which accounts for 50% of the final tally, while Gobert was heavily preferred by media members, whose votes are worth 25% (they nearly tied in player votes, which account for the final 25%).
The Warriors and Jazz (32-21) face off Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.
Gobert, the reigning defensive player of the year, is averaging a double-double (16.0 points, 15.1 rebounds) and is one of four players in the league with a field goal percentage of 70% or better. Wiggins, who claims his own defensive credentials, is shooting the ball better this season than any other point of his career with highs from the field (48.6%) and from 3-point range (41.8%).
Gobert has missed the Jazz’s last six games with a calf injury and it’s unclear if he’ll suit up Tuesday.
Slump no more
The last time the Warriors faced the New York Knicks — set to make their yearly visit to Chase Center on Thursday — the game had to be paused so Steph Curry could celebrate making history as the all-time 3-point king. At the time, nobody could have foreseen the how much longer Curry’s shooting slump that started during the record chase would drag on.
With 27 points per game on better than 48% shooting from beyond the arc over his past four games, Curry has clearly put the dog days behind him. Over the course of the Warriors’ eight-game winning streak, Curry is leading the team in scoring (23.0) and assists (7.9).
Curry’s breakout, along with the continued progression of Klay Thompson, has the Warriors’ offense again firing on all cylinders.
Golden State is averaging 122.7 points over its past six games and hasn’t scored fewer than 110 in any of them, including outputs of 122, 124 and 126 points apiece in its last three contests. Prior to their current eight-game winning streak (which includes a 94-92 win against the Jazz), the Warriors had failed to crack triple digits in six of their 10 previous games.
Six players are averaging in double figures during the eight-game streak: Curry (23.0), Thompson (18.2), Jordan Poole (17.8), Andrew Wiggins (17.6), Otto Porter Jr. (13.0) and Moses Moody (10.0).
Source: www.mercurynews.com