Golden State Warriors receive slight silver lining after NBA Cup elimination
The Golden State Warriors were officially eliminated from the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament on Tuesday night, failing to achieve the necessary 12-point victory to usurp the Sacramento Kings at the top of West Group C.
To add insult to injury, the Warriors collapsed from a 24-point lead to a one-point loss against the Kings, with Malik Monk proving the difference with back-to-back baskets in the final minute of the game.
The Golden State Warriors have received a slight silver lining in the wake of their NBA Cup elimination on Tuesday night.
Having failed to make the quarter-finals, Golden State have been scheduled to face two other eliminated teams to complete their 82-game regular season schedule. An 80-game schedule had been released prior to the season to account for NBA Cup results.
With group games completed on Tuesday, the NBA announced that the Warriors would host the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center next Wednesday, before travelling to Oklahoma to battle the Thunder next Friday.
Drawing the Trail Blazers at home is a good result for the Warriors, with Portland having finished fourth in West Group A with a 1-3 record. After trading Damian Lillard during the offseason, the franchise has entered a rebuild headed by recent top 10 picks Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
With the likes of Jerami Grant, last season's Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, and former number one overall pick Deandre Ayton, the Trail Blazers have proven problematic at times so far this season.
Still, they've produced just a 5-12 record to date and are currently 3-7 on the road. Of their five wins, only one have come against a team with a winning record. That came in their most recent game on Monday where they nabbed a surprise 114-110 victory in Indiana.
The Warriors will enter heavy favorites against Portland, even despite some concern regarding Chris Paul and Gary Payton II who exited Tuesday's game against the Kings with injury. The Thunder are a different kettle of fish, having been one of the most impressive teams in the league with an 11-6 record through 17 games.
One of those losses did come against Golden State, with a Stephen Curry layup winning a high-scoring game at the start of the month. The Thunder responded in back-to-back games at Chase Center, including an overtime win best remembered for Chet Holmgren's buzzer beating three at the end of regulation.
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