The Warriors' road back to the playoffs remainsThe Warriors also boast the league's seventh-best defense since the All-Star break and are fifth in defensive efficiency since Jackson-Davis entered the starting lineup March 27. With 1:30 left in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks on April 2 and the Warriors holding a 98-92 lead, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic feigned a dribble penetration from the top of the 3-point line before dishing the ball to guard Kyrie Irving. Green ripped the rebound away from Irving, firing up the Chase Center crowd, with the Warriors then holding on for a 104-100 win. As Warriors forward Draymond Green roamed the paint, Irving sidestepped the defending Andrew Wiggins, took two steps toward Green and then passed to center Daniel Gafford near the baseline. However, the Warriors responded by winning their next four games -- all on the road -- before the home win against the Mavericks. During that streak, the Warriors held their opponents to 99. On March 24, the Warriors started a crucial five-game road trip by losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which left them only a game over the Houston Rockets in the battle for 10th place. Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty ImagesAFTER THE LOSS to the Timberwolves on March 24, Green had a harsh assessment of his team's defense. just competent on the offensive end but they play defense, you're going to lose. "The Warriors led the Wolves by as much as 12 points in the first half. "If I'm the 5, I'm the last line of defense," Green said after theThe rookie responded with eight points and 14 rebounds in the 101-93 win. Two days after the Wolves game, the Warriors bounced back with a 113-92 road win over the Miami Heat. With Curry on the bench during that stretch and not returning until the 6:54 mark in the fourth, the Wolves went on a 32-19 run that then led to a 114-110 win. "So the things that I do off of instinct or reading the game on the fly, it's harder to do. AFTER SUNDAY'S WIN against the Utah Jazz to wrap up the regular season, all eyes turned to Tuesday's matchup: the play-in game between the 9-seed and 10-seed in Sacramento. "playThe key numbers behind the Warriors-Kings NBA play-in matchupTake a look at the important stats and sports betting nuggets ahead of the Warriors-Kings play-in matchup. "Everything starts with the head of the snake -- Sabonis and Fox -- and then everyone else gets their [offense] off of those two guys," Green said after the JazzHe's gotten great experience the last couple of months. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs last season, with the Warriors eliminating the Kings in seven games. Even with Jackson-Davis taking over the majority of Looney's minutes in the rotation, the challenge remains the same in stopping Sacramento's star big man. That is the most by any player against Sabonis. During the playoffs last season, Looney was primarily tasked with defending Sabonis. "And should the Warriors advance, it gives Kerr that flexibility to either rely on the rookie big man or a front-court veteran in what is a win-or-go-home setting. " "It's a good situation to be in. "
