The Golden State Warriors will have a chance to close out their series against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Golden State Warriors are on the verge of finishing their First-Roud series against the Los Angeles Clippers. The top-seeded Warriors haven’t lost a Western Conference Playoff series in over four years and the Clippers certainly won’t be the ones to end this streak.
However, there is a good reason as to why the Dubs will need to finish this series in Game 5. With the Houston Rockets preparing to sweep the Utah Jazz, the Warriors will have to face their toughest opponent in Round Two.
If Houston closes out their series today, they will have at least four days of rest before taking on the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Warriors will be looking at only one-to-two days of rest. If the Dubs fail to win on Wednesday, the difference in rest only increases.
It is important to mention that the Clippers have done a solid job at making the Warriors work for their wins. Of course, the Dubs haven’t had too much trouble winning three games, but the relentless defensive efforts of the Clippers has been enough to annoy both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
If this series is extended to a Game 6, the Warriors will be unnecessarily exhausting themselves. Meanwhile, James Harden and the Houston Rockets will only be getting healthier/stronger. The Rockets will already be a tough enough opponent. The last thing Golden State needs is to be at a disadvantage to start the series.
Luckily, the Warriors will be playing Game 5 in front of their home crowd. It seems like Klay Thompson has found his stride in this series while Durant and Curry are always explosive. This series should be over on Wednesday night.