Warriors at 76ers
One goal is already out of the way for the Golden State Warriors, but much loftier pursuits remain left to accomplish. After becoming the first team to clinch a playoff berth with Saturday's home win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors will kick off a five-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Golden State was without All-Star small forward Kevin Durant (finger) on Saturday and fellow All-Star Draymond Green went 1-of-10 from the field but it still found a way to cruise past the Brooklyn Nets 112-95 and lock up a playoff spot with 24 games remaining in the regular season. The Warriors' next goal is clinching the Western Conference and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, and after this stretch with seven of eight games on the road they finish with 11 of 16 on their home court. The 76ers ended the last few seasons in a holding pattern as they waited for highly-touted young stars to get healthy and learn to play together, and 2016-17 is turning out to be more of the same. The team announced late last week that No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons (foot) would not play this season while rookie center Joel Embiid, who sat out his first two seasons after being drafted due to foot issues, missed the last 13 games and is not expected to play Monday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (49-9): The absence of Durant, who is not expected to be out long, combined with a date against the worst team in the NBA on Saturday allowed coach Steve Kerr to experiment with different lineup combinations. Rookie guard Patrick McCaw got the start in place of Durant and scored nine points in 25 minutes while center Zaza Pachulia, who missed the last eight games prior to the All-Star break, inched his playing time up to 20 minutes and hauled in nine rebounds. Backup center JaVale McGee engaged in a public feud with Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal last week but it didn't seem to bother him on the court, where he matched Pachulia with nine rebounds while again providing solid defense.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (22-36): One young building block managing to avoid injury is forward Dario Saric, who became the first Philadelphia player since 2010 to record four straight double-doubles when he collected 19 points and 15 boards in Saturday's 110-109 loss to the New York Knicks. “He’s playing within himself, he’s so prideful,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters of Saric. “I feel like the ease of being around me, the ease of being around the NBA, the not taking it all so dramatically serious, he has taken a weight off his shoulders where he plays more freely. That’s the evolution that I’m seeing, especially lately.” Saric moved into the starting lineup when Ersan Ilyasova was traded to the Atlanta Hawks and logged 40 minutes on Saturday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers C Jahlil Okafor recorded his second double-double of the season with a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday.
2. Warriors PG Stephen Curry is averaging 31 points while going 11-of-20 from beyond the arc in two games since the All-Star break.
3. Golden State is reportedly a favorite to sign veteran PG Jose Calderon if he negotiates a buyout with the Los Angeles Lakers.