NBA Announce Playoff Schedule, TV Times: Warriors vs. Spurs First Up

The Golden State Warriors’ stock fell in the absence of Stephen Curry, who is currently sidelined with a grade two MCL sprain to his left knee thereby missing the last 17 games. Western Conference coaches were reportedly hoping to play the Warriors in the first round playoffs before they were scheduled to play against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Warriors point guard will not make it back for the first round of the post-season when the reigning NBA champions take on the Spurs on April 14. He will be re-examined this weekend as the playoff matches start with the NBA releasing the schedule of matches until April 23 along with TV times and channels.

Curry suffered the injury when a teammate fell on his knee and it was a major setback to the team as he was just returning from a six-game absence due to an ankle injury. He revealed recently that he is in the rehabilitation phase of his recovery and is hopeful of returning for the next round of playoffs.

The reigning champions are 7-10 in their last 17 games and suffered a 40-point loss to the Utah Jazz in the final game of the regular season. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, their recent form reportedly led to other Western Conference coaches hoping they can play the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs when they are without their star point guard suggesting the Warriors fear factor is negated without the two-time MVP.

“I was talking with several coaches and execs from teams in the West morass from three to eight, nine,” Lowe said during his chat with Kevin Arnovitz on the Lowe Post. “The fear factor for the Warriors without Curry does not exist.”

“There are people who will say, ‘I’d rather play the Warriors right now in the first round than the Thunder or the Jazz’.

“Right now, in this state in which they are 7-10 in their last 17 games and Curry’s hurt and they just lost by a thousand points last night, these are G-chats and texts that are happening last night during the Jazz complete destruction of a team that clearly doesn’t care very much,” he added.

Apart from the Warriors and the Spurs, the other six teams to have made it to the first round of the playoffs include the Houston Rockets, who finished number one and will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The Portland Trailblazers, who finished third will take on Anthony Davis’ New Orleans Pelicans and finally Russel Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder will face fifth placed Utah Jazz, who ended their season on a high with a 119-79 win over the Warriors.

The NBA announced the schedule for the first round of playoff matches that begin on April 14. They have released the roster of matches for both the Western and Eastern Conference with TV times and channels until April 23.