The Golden State Warriors own the top seed in the Western Conference, but head coach Steve Kerr says he “won’t run guys ragged” in order to hang on to it.
The Dubs blew a fourth quarter lead Wednesday night to the visiting Boston Celtics, and the San Antonio Spurs are now nipping at their heels in the standings.
The Warriors, you may recall, went hard after the record 73 wins last season.
Per the SF Chronicle:
With Kevin Durant watching from the locker room, the Warriors again were undone by fourth-quarter issues. They piled up nearly as many turnovers (eight) in those final 12 minutes as points (12) and shot 5-for-14 from the field. A 15-0 Boston run in three minutes, 18 seconds, midway through the period paved the way for Golden State’s third defeat in five games.
It all raises the question of just how vulnerable the Warriors are sans Durant. With the eight-time NBA All-Star sidelined at least another three weeks by a left knee injury, Golden State limps into a back-to-back set in Minnesota and San Antonio with a 1½-game lead over the Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio, which overcame a 28-point, first-half deficit Wednesday without Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to beat the Kings, gets the tiebreaker if it wins one of its two remaining games against the Warriors.
“We still have the No. 1 seed, but I won’t run guys ragged to get it,” Kerr said. “We have to manage this stretch right here and get through this week.”
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