If the Golden State Warriors are going to reach an NBA-record 73 regular-season wins, they’ll need to go through all of the San Antonio Spurs. Twice.
Well, almost all of the Spurs.
Gregg Popovich’s rest-and-relaxation program has been a source of spirited debate ever since the Warriors dropped two of three games at Oracle Arena, making it so they’ll need to win each of their final four games to transcend the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Two of those matchups will come against the Spurs, one which will be played in San Antonio, where Coach Pop’s troops have yet to lose this season.
Hence the interest in who the Spurs will play.
If they are at anything other than full strength, the Warriors’ chances of grabbing 73 wins increase exponentially. If they decide to play everyone, well, Golden State will need to be every bit as historically good as a 73-win team must be.
And as it turns out, the Spurs, it seems, plan on playing everyone, per Jeff Garcia of Spurs Zone:
With the Spurs and Warriors set to tussle tomorrow night in Oakland, Parker now says he doesn’t think the Spurs will rest down the stretch of the regular-season and possibly be at 100 percent tomorrow night.
I think we’ll play,” Parker said. “Utah, I thought he was going to rest everybody. But we played Utah, so I don’t see any reason we’re not playing Golden State.
Like I said, before the Utah game, I thought [Popovich] was going to rest everybody,” Parker said. “He said he wanted to play. So if we played Utah, I don’t see any reason now we’re not going to play Golden State. Before, we were going to rest everybody like against Utah and Golden State. But I guess he changed his mind. Everybody’s playing now.”
Even if the Spurs are at 100 percent, minus Boris Diaw, the Warriors will still be favored on Thursday night. They have only lost twice at Oracle Arena all season and responding to recent losses has long been their forte.
It’s Sunday night’s tilt in San Antonio that’s of more interest.
First place in the Western Conference won’t be on the line during that game. If it is, the Warriors won’t be chasing 73 wins anymore. But the Spurs’ run of perfection at home will be. Neither Popovich nor his players particularly cares about regular-season accolades, but that would be an interesting dilemma—especially if the Warriors win Thursday versus San Antonio and Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Should Gregg Popovich rest most of his key contributors, risking the Spurs’ home-court perfection as the Warriors try for their 72nd win of the season? Or should he lean toward protecting San Antonio’s house, with caution, so as to try ensuring his Spurs don’t become a pivotal steppingstone in Golden State’s march toward immortality?
