Locked On Warriors – Daily Podcast On The Golden State Warriors

The Warriors lost Stephen Curry to an ankle "tweak" early in the first quarter of last night's game vs. the Spurs. The arena was mostly quiet after that, with fans pondering Curry's status as the Dubs and Spurs went back and forth. Thankfully, Kevin Durant (37 points, 11 boards) and Draymond Green (triple-double) came to play, igniting the crowd in the fourth quarter with a furious comeback, and ultimately sparking the Warriors to a 110-107 victory.

Curry will not be available tonight vs. the Blazers, nor will Andre Iguodala, David West, Jordan Bell or Patrick McCaw. Portland is riding an 8-game winning streak (which began with a win over the Warriors on Valentine's Day), and has ridden Damian Lillard and its defense all the way to the third seed in the Western Conference. During the streak the Blazers are outscoring opponents by 12 points per game.

The banged up Warriors then have to travel to Minneapolis on Sunday to face the Wolves in the ABC matinee. In the midst of an extremely tough stretch, Minnesota has lost its last three, and will definitely be looking to rebound, literally and figuratively. Golden State will have to continue to grab boards by committee, run Wolves players off the line, and play patiently on the offensive end. 

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The Spurs come to Oakland having won only three of their last 11 games. They've had a very tough schedule over the past month, and are clearly missing Kawhi Leonard, who may make his return this month. It won't be in time to face the Warriors however, but the Dubs are a little banged up themselves. Despite ailments down the roster, the Core 4 are intact and ready to play, so expect the team to be locked in.

Five years ago, the Warriors met the Spurs in the 2nd round of the playoffs. It was the middle of the Dubs' coming out party. Stephen Curry had just put the hurt on Denver, boosting the 6th-seeded Warriors out of the first round in 6 games. Meeting the Spurs, the Dubs narrowly missed their chance to bring a 2-0 lead back to Oracle, with Harrison Barnes completely flubbing his coverage on an out of bounds play that allowed Manu Ginobili to hit a wide open buzzer-beater in Game 1. Wow that feels like a long time ago.

Around the NBA, the Pelicans have won 10 in a row, and Anthony Davis is living on another planet right now. He's averaging 36 points, 13 boards and 6 stocks during the win streak, doing everything for the Pels while flanked by elite passing in Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday. Holiday is scoring a ton over this stretch as well. In Indiana, things haven't been going quite as well lately, but they have won 7 of their last 10 and are still holding on to one of the middle spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

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The Warriors turned the ball over 17 times but recorded 30 assists in Tuesday night's home win over the Nets. Everyone who played in white was efficient, with Stephen Curry (34 points on 12/20 shooting) leading the team. Andre Iguodala continued his post-All-Star Break torrent, filling the stat sheet and skying for dunks. Jordan Bell sprained his right ankle in the 2nd half—the Warriors are optimistic for a speedy recovery.

The Warriors went on a 25-0 run in the first quarter, but squandered their lead by allowing a 25-4 run from the Nets in the second. The net ratings for both teams from these blistering first-half performances are insane. Aliko posits that the Warriors lead the league quarters with a net rating of 30 or above. More research is needed.

The Rockets got their 16th straight win in Oklahoma City on Tuesday evening, and will go for their 17th tonight in Milwaukee on League Pass. They are leading the league in net rating during this stretch, which goes back to January 28. Along with Houston and Golden State, other streaking teams include the Pelicans, Blazers and Raptors. 

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The Warriors beat the Nets without Kevin Durant in their last meeting. Since then, the Nets have made some personnel moves, acquiring Philly cast-off Jahlil Okafor among others. Brooklyn runs at a fast pace, but has little in the veins of defense and shooting. The Warriors should make quick work of them if they keep the turnovers to a minimum and rebound as a team. Stephen Curry is expected to play after rolling his ankle in Friday's game vs. the Hawks.

Andre Iguodala has been playing very well since the All-Star Break. The vacation seems to be exactly what the 34-year-old veteran needed. He has a spring in his step, and hasn't show below 50% in any game since the break. He saved the Warriors in Atlanta on Friday night with a key steal and breakaway dunk, and is cementing his previously unsure role in the playoff rotation.

Around the NBA, the Rockets are in Oklahoma City Tonight in a big game for both teams, with the Thunder having a tough time jockeying for playoff position and the Warriors breathing down Houston's neck. The Pelicans are also putting their win streak on the line against the Clippers. 

Kevin Love, who is recovering from a wrist injury, came out with a story in the Player's Tribune explaining his mysterious illnesses from earlier in the season. He has been dealing with anxiety attacks, and suffered two different attacks during games in November and January. It was brave for the Cavaliers' All-Star to come forward with his mental health status, and acknowledge that he is seeking help through therapy. Other players including DeMar DeRozan, Royce White and our own Stephen Curry are working to raise awareness of mental health.

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The Warriors played well enough to win in Atlanta on Friday night, but committed 18 turnovers, giving up 30 points to the very bad Hawks. Stephen Curry scored 28 points but suffered an ankle tweak (thanks Zaza), and only played 23 minutes. Kevin Durant picked up the slack with 28 points of his own and some great defense down the stretch. Nick Young chipped in with four three-pointers and Draymond Green was his usual self, filling up the stat sheet outside of the points column.

The Warriors have 19 games to go this season, and are looking at a rather easy schedule through the month of March, They face the Nets and Spurs this week at home. The Young Guns—Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney and Quinn Cook—haven't been playing a lot of minutes lately. Against teams like the Nets, look for Steve Kerr to get them some solid run as the team prepares for the Second Season.

In philanthropic news, Klay Thompson and his immediate family have partnered with Opus Bank to launch The Thompson Family Foundation, which will be involved in a number of youth-focused initiatives in 2018. The family is also participating in a docuseries produced by Opus titled "A Solid Foundation," which serves as an introduction to the Thompson and how they operate as a unit. That story can be found on Forbes.com.

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The Warriors finish their three-game roadie in ATL tonight, facing the fairly atrocious Hawks. The Hawks have some wins over good teams though, so the Dubs will have to keep up the intensity they've been showcasing since the All-Star Break. That include shoring up rebounding on the defensive end, where the team has faltered lately.

(Didn't make the Pod: Shawn Livingston will be held out tonight for rest; Klay Thompson says the Warriors are trying to run the table to close the season; the Warriors met with CA representatives Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Lee while in DC.)

Down the Reddit Hole, Steve Kerr has some great insight into Donald Drumpf's flip-flopping on gun control, Stephen Curry is destroying hotel rooms, and Twitter handle @ThisDayInSuck reminds us to cherish these good times. Also: Kyrie Irving has words about Zaza Pachulia falling on Russell Westbrook.

The Warriors are well-represented in the Forbes SportsMoney Index, with the franchise and stars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry making the Top 25. The Bay Area is well represented on the list as well, with the 49ers, Giants and Raiders all falling in the Top 50. The Warriors are now worth $3.1 billion, and stand to increase their valuation by $1 billion with the completion of the Chase Center in 2019. If they win the title again this year, that valuation will climb even higher.

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The Warriors topped the Wizards led by Kevin Durant's 32 points. Klay Thompson held Bradley Beal in check, Steph Curry hit threes, and Draymond Green was everywhere. The only nitpick: 18 offensive rebounds for Washington. Other than that, the Dubs held it down. Their defense was sound (held the Wiz to 40% shooting), they took care of the ball (15 turnovers), and the offense was humming (51%, 42% from three) for the most part of the evening.

For Throwback Thursday, we take a look at the 2015 Finals, where Stephen Curry was very good but could not pull momentum away from LeBron to win his first Finals MVP. That award instead went to Andre Iguodala, who changed the series when he was inserted into the starting lineup in Game 4. Aliko posits that Steph's entire 2015-16 MVP campaign may have been in response to that "snub," (as well as the NBA players voting James Harden their MVP that year).

Lastly, Curry used his trip to Atlanta to be a part of Kaiser Permanente's NBA Total Health Forum. The event is part of efforts by Kaiser and the NBA to promote healthy minds, bodies and spirits. Curry is also doing his part to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Kevin Durant also made news this week by giving $10 million to College Track to empower students from his hometown of Seat Pleasant, MD. The Warriors are walking the walk. 

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The Warriors are in Washington to play the newly pass-happy Wizards tonight. The Wiz have been outpacing every team in assist percentage since John Wall went down with an injury earlier this month. The offense has become egalitarian, and the Warriors will have to keep their hands active in the passing lanes to thwart this high-powered machine.

While in DC, the Dubs decided to spend their time with local kids at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was a fitting alternative to heading to the White House, which which have been awkward to say the least.

Around the NBA, Kawhi is back with the Spurs, Anthony Davis is playing out of his mind for the Pelicans, Corey Brewer is available off waivers, and the NCAA is under fire from NBA players for its outdated rules about amateurism.

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The Warriors used another 3rd quarter barrage to break down the Knicks, ultimately nabbing a comfortable double-digit win. Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry all broke the 20-point plateau, while everyone wearing The Town managed to get off offensively. The new-look Knicks pushed the Dubs in the first half, scoring 64 points, but they were understandably no match for GSW through 48 minutes.

Draymond Green had another suberb defensive outing, and is the subject of this week's Warrior of the Week segment. The lineup of Green, Thompson, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and David West carries the league's most stifling defense, and it was on display in the 2nd and 4th quarters of last night's game.

Around the NBA, the Rockets continued their win streak with a victory at Utah Monday, while in Denver, Paul Millsap is set to return following a wrist injury suffered early in the season. The up and down Cavs round out the subject matter of today's podcast.

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The Warriors exorcised a few demons by beating the Thunder on Saturday evening behind some amazing defense and even better offensive execution in the third and fourth quarters. Kevin Durant shone brightly with 28 points and some key defensive plays, while Stephen Curry held it down from three-point land. Klay Thompson clearly took his defensive assignments seriously, helping to force Russell Westbrook in to 5 turnovers on the night. 

The Dubs' schedule through the next few weeks has some highlights but for the most part is a period of time in which the team should feast on lesser opponents. They will have to maintain their current offensive output, rebound and take care of the ball, and play the kind of stifling defense we saw against OKC every time out. Jordan Bell's return to the lineup should help.

Tonight GSW is at Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks, where Curry has provided ample fireworks in the past. This Knicks team has been in freefall since Kristaps Porzingis went down with an ACL rupture at the end of January. However, they do rebound the ball and the Warriors get every team's best shot, so it would be best if the Dubs don't fall asleep in the Big Apple. I would take more of Klay's thoughts on scaffolding or anything else that comes to his mind.

Zaza Pachulia has come under fire for appearing to intentionally fall onto Russell Westbrook as both were in a scrum for a loose ball. Official Locked on Warriors opinion: Zaza deserves a fine. It was dangerous and not a basketball play, and it was disingenuous. A flop is perfectly fine when it doesn't endanger another player's health. But what Zaza did could be classified as "dirty." Other topics include: JaVale starting, blocked jump shots, and the latest on Jimmy Butler's injury.

Didn't make the podcast: Draymond had his most recent technical foul rescinded, putting him at 14 for the season - two away from a suspension.

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