Stephen A. believes Warriors had playoff-derailing loss to Clippers
Stephen A. believes Warriors had playoff-derailing loss to Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming Note: Tune into 'Warriors Pregame Live' at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for 'Warriors Postgame Live.'
Was the Warriors' 124-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center the final blow to Golden State's hopes of making a deep playoff run?
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No, but ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believes the regular-season-finale defeat will have a ripple effect on the remainder of the Warriors' postseason, which begins with an NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in San Francisco.
'I believe it did, I really really do,' Smith said Monday on 'First Take' when asked if the loss cost the Warriors a deep playoff run. 'I think when you're talking about the play-in, obviously that denies them the opportunity and the additional rest they were looking for … had you won yesterday's game, it buys you the whole week of rest and the ability to potentially recover from [injuries].
'Going up against Memphis, who is a relatively physical team … let's say, for example, Golden State wins this game. If you win this game, you're going up against Houston. How often are we going to sleep on Houston?'
If the Warriors beat the Grizzlies on Tuesday, they will successfully escape the play-in tournament for the first time since the format's debut four years ago and claim the Western Conference's No. 7 seed with a matchup against the young, hungry No. 2 seed Houston Rockets waiting for them.
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While some believe a first-round series against an inexperienced Houston team is more favorable to the Warriors than the three seed/six seed series they would have played against the Los Angeles Lakers had they beaten the Clippers on Sunday, Smith believes the Warriors' latest loss does not set them up well for a deep playoff run.
'I don't like this at all,' Smith added. 'I'm still holding out hope because obviously Draymond [Green] made his guarantee and I would like to see Steph Curry for as long as we possibly can, but I do look at that loss yesterday and the extra load it's going to put on them and I do think it's something that could derail the Golden State Warriors sooner than later.'
Can the Warriors exorcize their play-in demons and secure a spot in the playoffs? We will find out on Tuesday night.
Coverage begins with 'Warriors Pregame Live' at 6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area
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