Draymond Green has been around long enough to know that a big win in the NBA only matters if you keep the momentum rolling into the next game.
So, after the Warriors' thrilling come-from-behind win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at Chase Center, Green made sure to send an urgent message to his young teammates about the potential trap game lying in wait Sunday against the Kings. With Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. sitting Sunday, Green didn't want the young Warriors to slip up in Sacramento and negate the critical win over the Jazz.
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“Last night was a huge win for us,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Green's message was heard loud and clear in the Warriors' 109-90 win over the Kings at Golden 1 Center. “But he recognized the importance of this one. First thing he said in the locker room last night was, ‘All you young guys, tomorrow’s a huge game and we’re going to need you.’ For him to be able to play to help lead them, I thought, was an important factor.”
Sunday night was the first time Green has played in a back-to-back since returning from the disc injury in his lower back on March 14. That Green logged 24 minutes Sunday after playing 33 on Saturday shows he is inching closer to getting back to his normal self.
"That's a great sign," Kerr said after the win over the Kings. "For him to be able to play a back-to-back and bring that kind of energy and look as good as he's looked, he has clearly turned the corner from a physical standpoint."
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With three games remaining in the regular season, the Warriors are 50-29 and one game up on the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Locking in the No. 3 seed would mean the Warriors would avoid the top-seeded Phoenix Suns until the Western Conference finals, but seeding isn't on their mind as they head toward the finish.
"Whether you're the three seed or the six seed, the way I look at it is you still have to win a road game because no one is trying to go to Game 7. We know how those go and it's a coin flip," Green told reporters Sunday. "So, you still got to win a road game. If you're the six seed, you still got to win a road game. If you're any seed, you have to play the better teams to get to The Finals. It is what it is."
The Warriors close the regular season with games against the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and New Orleans Pelicans. They will do so without Steph Curry, who continues to rehab his left foot sprain and will be reevaluated on April 11.
Golden State hopes to finally be whole for the start of the playoffs on April 16. Green's showing over the weekend is a good sign that if Curry returns on time, that will indeed be the case.