Strategies for Warriors to Dominate West Group C and Advance to NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals

How Warriors can win West Group C, reach NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA In-Season Tournament continues to heat up as the Warriors kept their hopes alive with a thrilling victory on Friday. Led by Steph Curry’s impressive 35-point performance, the Golden State team edged the San Antonio Spurs 118-112 at Chase Center, improving their tournament record to 2-1.

With the Warriors (2-1) closely trailing the Kings (3-0) in the West Group C standings and tied with the Timberwolves (2-1), the stakes are high. Only one of these three teams will emerge as the winner of Group C, securing a spot in the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals, as the Thunder (1-2) and Spurs (0-4) have been eliminated from contention.

The Warriors’ fate will be decided in their upcoming game against the Kings at Golden 1 Center. To advance to the quarterfinals, they must secure a victory in this crucial match. Here’s how they can achieve it:

Scenario 1: Warriors beat Kings; Thunder beat Timberwolves

If the Warriors defeat the Kings and the Thunder triumph over the Timberwolves, it will result in a three-way tie. In this case, Golden State’s head-to-head performance against Sacramento will give them the edge.

Scenario 2: Warriors beat Kings; Timberwolves beat Thunder

In this scenario, the Warriors, Kings, and Timberwolves will all have 3-1 records and 1-1 head-to-head matchups against each other. The winner of Group C will be determined by the following tiebreakers in this order: point differential in the group stage, total points scored in the group stage, 2022-23 regular-season record, and a random drawing.

With the Kings leading in point differential at plus-29 after three games, followed by the Warriors (plus-5) and the Timberwolves (minus-3), the competition is intense. In the event of a continued tie, the total points scored in Group C play will come into play, with the Warriors currently leading with 360 points, followed by the Kings (358) and Timberwolves (332).

Wildcard Possibility

While it is unlikely for the Warriors to advance to the quarterfinals as the Western Conference’s wild card, the possibility remains. However, they would need the Kings to falter, while the Timberwolves defeat the Thunder. To top it off, Golden State would have to lose the Group C title in a tiebreaker, making it a challenging path to advance.

The current wild-card spot is held by the Phoenix Suns (3-1) with a formidable plus-34 point differential, posing a tough challenge for the Warriors to surpass.

Excitingly, regardless of the different scenarios, Tuesday’s matchup at Golden 1 Center promises to be a thrilling spectacle as Draymond Green returns from his five-game suspension. Moreover, the game holds significant implications for the In-Season Tournament, adding to the intensity of the budding Warriors-Kings rivalry.

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