Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors look like a formidable foe heading into the NBA playoffs.

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that executives around the NBA view the confidence that the Warriors are playing with as something to fear and that they will not be a preferred draw in the postseason.

"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 told Bontemps and Windhorst.

"I would not want to play them in any round," the executive said.

The Warriors are currently 47-33 and are tied for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. If they can earn the No. 6 seed, they will face the No. 3 seed in the opening round and avoid the play-in tournament.

While that figures to make them something of an underdog, the team has gone 22-7 since acquiring Jimmy Butler on Feb. 7.

Golden State has two games remaining and will need to finish strong to remain outside of the play-in tournament. If the Warriors finish sixth, they'll likely play the Los Angeles Lakers, who need one win in their next two games to clinch the No. 3 seed.

It was pure dominance for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

As the Warriors look to secure a playoff spot, they walloped the Phoenix Suns 133-95 in the two squads' final meeting of the season. The loss for the Suns, who were without star Kevin Durant, marked their seventh in a row as they got one loss closer to being eliminated from the play-in tournament.

Stephen Curry, who had just three points in his last outing against the Houston Rockets, managed to bounce back on Tuesday, posting 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists in just 26 minutes. Brandin Podziemski continued his recent hot streak, putting up 22 points.

The blowout meant Curry and other stars got the chance to rest for the entirety of the fourth quarter, which is huge considering the matchup with the Suns was the first night of a back-to-back.

After the crushing win, fans praised Curry and the Warriors for keeping their foot on the gas in the final moments of the regular season.

The Warriors won't get to enjoy a relaxing end to the regular season with how tight the playoff race is in the West. Golden State improved to 47-32 with the win and is now in fifth place in the Western Conference, but much will be determined over the final few games of the season.

The Warriors have the same record as both the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies and are just one game ahead of the eight-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. The No. 3 seed is still at play as well as Golden State is just one game back from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Warriors took care of business with Tuesday's win, but they'll still need to pick up a few more wins to avoid the play-in tournament.

That sound coming from the Western Conference is the Golden State Warriors emerging from the shadows to look like a viable NBA Finals contender for the first time since their last championship during the 2021-22 season.

After leading the Warriors to their fifth straight victory with a 118-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday, Stephen Curry said they "tend to level up" when the pressure increases.

"[There's a] sense of urgency down the stretch. The feeling of where you are in the standings, every game mattering. And the idea that the chess match of 'how do we win this particular game?' becomes a little bit more important. We thrive off of that. That's why we've been so successful for this many years. Because as the stakes rise, the lights get brighter, we tend to level up."

Curry went on to say "we're playing like that" when asked if he views the Warriors as a title contender, but they "still have a lot of work to do to finish the year strong."

Friday started out looking like a potential blowout for the Nuggets. They picked apart this vaunted Warriors defense with 44 points in the first quarter, including 15 from Nikola Jokić.

Golden State righted the ship by holding Denver to just 60 points over the final three quarters. Jokić still got his with 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists because he's unstoppable, but the rest of the team was unable to match his level.

Acquiring Jimmy Butler has unlocked the best version of the Warriors. Since his first start with the team on Feb. 8, they lead the NBA in defensive rating (109.4) and steals (10.5) in 26 games.

Curry is on a heater right now after scoring 36 points against the Nuggets. It was his third straight game with at least 35 points and he's shooting 50.0 percent from three on 46 attempts during this run.

The Warriors are 21-5 in the 26 games since Butler's debut. They have moved up to fifth in the Western Conference standings, tied with Denver in the loss column for the No. 4 seed, and just one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers at three.

Curry and Butler are two of the best playoff players in this era. They haven't quite secured a spot in the top six just yet, but all the pieces are in place for this Golden State team to win a postseason series for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

Draymond Green is one of the best defensive players of his generation, and he takes immense pride in using that skill set to thwart opposing game plans.

Even if that means frustrating the coaches who came up with those game plans.

"Every offense in the NBA is built to put (defensive) players in a rotation," Green said in a Thursday piece by Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. "So if I know that, and I know the rotation … if I see that y'all are doing this or y'all (are) doing this to get to that? Great. I'm going to stand right there and f--k this whole play up.

"I want everything that y'all thought y'all was going to come in this game and do, I want to take all of that s--t off the table. That's why I talk to the coaches so much. … This is my little battle with the coach. I want to f--k your s--t up. It's no hard feelings. I'm always bantering and talking. But I want you to know that your offensive game plan, I wanna f--k it up. … Completely destroy your offensive game plan, and then I want to let you know about it."

Green is better equipped than most to stop offenses from exploiting mismatches because he can do a little bit of everything on the defensive side.

He is athletic enough to stay in front of ball-handlers for stretches, can play against big men who tower over his 6'6" frame and can control the boards as a formidable rebounder. That versatility has been critical throughout the Golden State Warriors' extended run of success and a major reason they have four championships since drafting him in 2012.

The Michigan State product also allows head coach Steve Kerr to play small ball if necessary because of that defensive ability, which then creates mismatches on the other end for the Warriors to exploit when they are attacking.

And it is working even better since Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler via trade in February.

It now has two dominant defenders and veteran leaders in Green and Butler who can guard multiple positions, attack switches and throw off offenses. The result is a 17-4 record in the last 21 games, which has propelled the Warriors into fifth place in the Western Conference standings.

It has also given Green the opportunity to trash-talk plenty of opposing coaches.

Steph Curry's return to the Golden State Warriors' lineup on Friday came despite some lingering pain after being diagnosed with a pelvic injury.

Curry revealed that he suffered a "deep serious contusion" that was reminiscent of an injury he had in 2021. Curry said he can play but will "feel it for a while."

"It just reminded me of '21 when I fell into the stairs in Houston," Curry said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "I think that [this time it didn't] break anything or have any bone damage, was mostly just a deep serious contusion that I'll feel it for a while. But I can play and I can't make it worse as long as I don't land on it again."

Curry scored 23 points and added six assists in the Warriors' 111-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He missed two games due to the contusion, both of which the Warriors lost.

He is averaging 24.1 points, six assists and 4.5 rebounds in 61 appearances so far this season. He has helped Golden State go 42-31 thus far. Golden State is tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Losing Curry for a significant stretch would torpedo the Warriors chances of avoiding the play-in tournament, so Curry deciding to play through the pain should be a welcome boost as the Dubs look to close out the regular season strong.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is optimistic point guard Stephen Curry, who has missed two straight games with a pelvic contusion, will return Friday at the New Orleans Pelicans.

"He looked really good," Kerr said at his team's practice Thursday, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "He is going to go through his individual workout like he did the other day. That is where he can really feel and test certain things.

"I am optimistic [he will return Friday]."

Per Kerr, the Warriors had a six-minute scrimmage, and Curry also went through a post-practice individual workout. Kerr said Curry looked good during the scrimmage. The next step is seeing how Curry feels Friday.

Curry has averaged 24.1 points, 6.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in his 16th NBA season. The two-time NBA MVP, four-time NBA champion and 10-time All-NBA player is obviously an invaluable member of the Warriors as they fight for a playoff berth.

The Warriors' season received a much-needed boost after trading for Jimmy Butler, but Golden State has hit a snag of late without Curry, losing to the Atlanta Hawks 124-115 before falling 112-86 to the Miami Heat.

Despite that, the Warriors are still tied for sixth in the Western Conference. A top-six seed solidifies a playoff berth and lets the team avoid taking part in the play-in tournament.

Welcoming back Curry right now could help the team stem this losing tide at an opportune time. The Warriors have four games left in a six-game road trip, beginning Friday at the Pelicans.

Without Curry, the Warriors had put big man Quinten Post in the starting lineup before swapping him out for guard Gary Payton II. Both will hit the bench with Curry back, as the Warriors welcome their star player while also strengthening the second unit.

Golden State Warriors wing Gary Payton II has suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that the Warriors are "still trying to figure out [the extent of the injury and return timeline], but they anticipate Payton will miss some amount of time."

It's a tough break for both Payton and the Dubs. The veteran has seen an uptick in minutes during March, averaging 11.5 points, four rebounds and 1.3 steals in 21 minutes per game. He's become a key contributor off the bench behind the starting 5 of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski.

In total, the 32-year-old is averaging 6.6 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 33 percent from the field across 58 contests.

But March has not been pleasant for Payton on the injury front. He suffered a non-displaced nose fracture on March 3 that has left him wearing a mask for the past nine games, though it doesn't appear likely he'll feature for the team in any of its final 10 regular season games.

That's a tough loss—at 41-31, the Warriors currently sit at seventh in the Western Conference, just outside of the automatic playoff berths, though they have an identical record to the Los Angeles Clippers, who currently hold the No. 6 seed. The Dubs are just a half-game above the Minnesota Timberwolves, however.

Avoiding the Play-In Tournament would obviously be ideal. They just are going to have to make their push for a final playoff berth without Payton, further taxing their depth.

The Golden State Warriors' playoff push has hit a speed bump as Stephen Curry continues to recover from his pelvic injury.

Per The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Curry will miss Tuesday's game against the Miami Heat amid his recovery from a pelvic bruise. Of note, Tuesday's contest against the Heat will mark the first time Jimmy Butler has played in Miami since being traded to Golden State in February.

Curry is expected to return for Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to head coach Steve Kerr.

Kerr said that the decision to sit Curry on Tuesday was made after the Warriors star felt discomfort while working out Monday.

"At the very end of the workout, just one movement that he made just didn't quite feel right," Kerr said.

Curry has been able to stay healthy for most of the season. He has missed 11 games so far, but this is the first time he has had to sit out multiple games in a row. He also sat out Saturday's contest against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Warriors were given a scare in their 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday when Curry left in the third quarter. He took a hard fall driving to the basket, landing directly on his tail bone.

Kerr told reporters after the game that Curry "thought he might be able to come back" in, but they elected to hold him out just to be safe before he could undergo an MRI.

The Warriors have been playing great basketball since the trade deadline when they acquired Butler. They have moved up to sixth in the Western Conference, one game clear of the Los Angeles Clippers to avoid the play-in tournament.

Curry remains the driving force for everything they do on offense, but Butler gives them another impact scorer to rely on.

Kerr will likely turn to Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield to help pick up the slack until Curry is able to return.

Golden State Warriors star forward Jimmy Butler is known as one of the most unique characters in the NBA, but he's made it clear that there's always a method to his eccentricities.

While speaking to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Butler had some fiery words for critics who question his handling of his career.

"All of these stories come out about this and that," Butler said. "You hear about it, but you don’t know why I do what I do. Don’t nobody know why I do what I do. You just see: ‘Oh, he did this.’ Well, why did he do this? Do you think he did it just to f--king do it? No. There’s always a reason behind it."

Butler's contentious departure from the Miami Heat last month was the latest installment in his polarizing NBA tenure. He was suspended multiple times by the Heat as he forced his way off the team before agreeing to be sent to the Warriors.

Unfortunately, the 35-year-old has developed a reputation for controversial exits. His tenures with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers also ended with noteworthy disagreements between him and the teams.

Still, Butler has proven to be an effective player regardless of his situation. The Warriors have gone 16-3 in the 19 games he's played and improved to 41-30 ahead of Tuesday's matchup against the Heat, which will be Butler's first return to Miami since being traded. The Heat, meanwhile, have fallen to 30-41 since his departure, strengthening his case that he knows what's best for himself.

Prior to being traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors last month, star forward Jimmy Butler's preferred destination was widely known to be the Phoenix Suns.

However, Butler explained to The Athletic's Anthony Slater that his initial hesitance to be sent to the Warriors stemmed from his lack of a relationship with Golden State's players. His familiarity with Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Tyus Jones initially made Phoenix a more attractive landing spot.

"I wasn’t skeptical of coming here," Butler said. "I just didn’t talk to anybody. … I knew I was going to get this contract no matter what. The people keep talking about it being about the money. How can it be about the money when any team that traded for me, what were they going to do? I just want to win. Where can I go to win?"

Upon his acquisition, Butler signed a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Warriors, aligning him with star players Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to compete for an NBA championship over the next few years. Curry, who already led the franchise to four titles, admitted that he felt some reluctance when approached about the possibility of acquiring Butler.

"With any deal, you question it," Curry said. "Even when KD came, it was like, you don’t know what it’s going to look like. We came into it positive, but you still had to see it. That uncomfortability is good because it challenges everyone to talk through it, come with the right preparation."

Butler's arrival provided Golden State with a much-needed injection of new energy, as the team is 16-3 in the 19 games he's played and ranks sixth in the Western Conference with a 41-30 record. Both Curry and Butler spoke glowingly of their experiences as they continue to embrace their new partnership.

"I can only speak for this environment because I only know this environment and I helped create this environment," Curry said. "If (quirky habits) bother you, if that’s something that is distracting, then you’re worried about the wrong stuff. Professionals show up and play. And that’s all we ask of everybody who is in here. We’ve had our challenges throughout the years. We’ve seen certain, you know, episodes or what not. But if you show up to play, I have zero problems."

"He real real," Butler said of Curry. "Good dude. Talks. He’s always trying to help everybody be great. Laughs. Wants to have a good time. Loves the game. Loves to compete. Loves to win. But he is the guy. He is the man. He is everything everybody says of him. More than anything, he’s just nice. I’m not talking about on the court. He’s just genuinely a good human being. To everybody. It’s very, very, very refreshing. Because he doesn’t have to be that way."

Adding Butler gives the Warriors a window of title contention that will be open for the next few years, and the team is content with its current short-term outlook rather than worrying about the distant future.

"The contracts are all lined up with a defined timeline," Curry said. "You never know what will happen. But that’s not by accident. So I don’t think anyone’s worried about anything other than right now. We have this year and next year to go for it all. Whatever happens after that is the nature of the NBA. We don’t think too far beyond that."