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Golden State Warriorscoach Steve Kerr wants to get his team to an NBA record Dikembe Mutombo Jersey 73 wins, but not at the expense of wearing his stars out before the playoffs.Kerr said Saturday before the Warriors go for their 71st win of the season his staffwill monitor players' minutes against theGrizzlies (42-37)and bench centerAndrew Bogut.MORE: "The game is certainly not more important than our health," Kerr said,."Our health is the main thing going into next weekend. We're not going to overrun anyone with minutes, we're Gary Harris Jersey probably going to play a lot of people and we're going to try to win the game, but not at the expense of wearing people out. If we do it, it's going to have to be as a Jamal Murray Jersey team and a lot of people will have to contribute.""The one thing I won't do is play anybody 38-40 minutes" Kerr added. "No matter what happens Denver Nuggets Jersey (Saturday), we'll keep minutes down for our key guys and I expect everybody to be ready to contribute and play a solid game."The Warriors (70-9), who have clinched the No. 1 in the West,need to win all three of their final regular-season games two against the Grizzlies and one against the Spurs in San Antonioto break the Bulls' all-time record of 72 wins in a single season.Bogut is expected to return Sunday against the Spurs, who Allen Iverson Jersey are undefeated at home this season.

There are always whispers and rumblings, and Trail Blazers guard CJMcCollum is aware of them. In the two years before this one, Portland has carved out an identity as a pretty good offensive team and a so-so defensive team, and the results have been predictable. The Trail Blazers won 41 games last year on their way to a postseason spot, and 44 games in 2015-16, when they slipped into the second round of the playoffs by knocking off an injury-battered Clippers team.Thats led to speculation that Portland, over the salary cap and sitting on two years of hefty contracts for Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkle s ($39 million for the trio next year, and $41 million in 2019-20), would eventually have to deal either McCollum or fellow star guard Damian Lillard in order to diversify the roster Hector Rondon Jersey .The pair is signed through 2021, slated to make $50-60 million per year combined. Its not easy to build a true contender with half the available cap space spent on guards, but its where the Blazers are now.MORE: But McCollum is not so sure weve seen the best from this Portland bunch."Everyone has a right to their own opinion,"McCollumtold Sporting News. "I think that we live in an era where the art of the unknown scares people. But I think, consistently, we have won. Obviously, we havent won a championship, but we have made the playoffs four straight years in the Western Conference. We made it to the second round this is only our third full season playing together."Its only the first full season together for the Blazer backcourt alongside center Jusuf Nurkic, acquired last February in a trade from Denver. Before Portland determines what to do with the Lillard-McCollum combination any change that big will come much later it must decide on the fate of Nurkic, a restricted free agent this summer. Without another roster move, the Blazers will be only about $10 million under the luxury tax, making Nurkic a difficult signing.Yet Portland Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey is in position for one of its best finishes in years, which makes the next few weeks crucial. This has been a franchise struggling to establish its identity since LaMarcus Aldridge left in the summer of 2015, and the close of this season offers a good opportunity for the Blazers to raise themselves in the mix of West teams, and perhaps solidify the status of the Nurkic-McCollum-Lillard trio as the teams foundation.Since ending a three-game losing streak in mid-January, Portland has gone 13-5, the fourth-best record in the league in that stretch. Thats brought the Blazers within a 1.5 games of the third seed in the West, going into Thursdays game against the Timberwolves the current holder of the third seed, but facing an extended stretch without star guard Jimmy Butler. Portland has some tough foes in the next 12 games, but 10 of those come at home."We understand what is at stake for the second half of the season,"McCollum said. "We understand how good a lot of different teams are in the West. A lot of games will be crucial."LAWRENCE: In making the playoffs the last two seasons, the Blazers have followed a frustrating pattern. Theyve gotten off to terribly slow startsand needed to barnstorm their way into the postseason with strong finishes. Typically, that has meant accelerating their offense and dragging their defense from poor to average.Last season, they finished 17-6 to make up for a 24-35 start. Their offense went from 106.5 Craig Biggio Jersey points per 100 po se sions (13th) to 111.3, and their defense improved from 26thto 10thover the last 23 games, thanks in large part to the acquisition of Nurkic.Two years ago, it was much the same. Portland was 15-24 in early January, with an offense rated 12th(102.9 points per 100 po se sions) and a defense rated 25th(105.5). The Blazersclosed 29-14, with the offense jumping to fifth (109.0) in that span, though thedefense Andy Pettitte Jersey didn't see much improvement(105.7).This year, even during the teams early struggles, Portland never fell below .500. If theyre accelerating into the kind of stretch finish theyve had the last two years, then, the Blazers are within range of reaching 50 wins for just the 14thtime in franchise history. (Currently, theyre on pace for 47.) In their last 18 games, the Blazers havebeen eighth in offensive efficiency (109.5) and 11thin defense (105.3).Lillard has been much more efficient in that stretch, upping his scoring from 24.8 points to 29.3 per game andshooting 40.8 percent from the 3-point line (34.7 percent in the first 43 games). Nurkic has been more effective, boosting his shooting (from 46.4 percent to 52.8) and rebounding (from 7.9 to 9.3) in the last 19 games. McCollum, as usual, has been steady, staying above 40 percent on 3-pointersand averaging better than 21 points per game.Thats the Blazers best trio, Roy Oswalt Jersey the closest theyve got to a "Big Three." Theres hope in the potential of rookie big man Zach Collins, who could change the rosters dynamics as he develops. But the foundation could, eventually, need to be broken up, either by splitting the backcourt, letting Nurkic walk this summeror both.Much will depend on how Portland handles the coming six weeks. The Trail Blazers arein a much better stretch-run position than theyve been in any season of the McCollum-Lillard pairing, with a No. 3 seed and 50 wins within reach. A strong finish and a good playoff run would make it more likely that the organization pays up for Nurkic and commits to the core. Related Articles NBA Power Rankings: Rockets, Warriors fight for No. 1 as teams take on second-half mi sions

The third round of the NBA playoffs, the conference finals, startTuesday when the Trail Blazers travel to take on the Warriors in Game 1 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).Golden State has overcome several postseason injuries tokey playerswhile Portland has surpa sed the expectations of most.Anything could happen in the Western Conference finals.Here are three things that could determine the outcome of thisseries between the Warriors and Trail Blazers:Kevin Durant's healthThe absence Kenta Maeda Jersey of the postseason's top scorer will definitely affect Golden State's offense. Kevin Durant hasn't played since Game 5 of the second round, where he suffered what's been described asa mild calf sprain. One report Monday said the star could realistically mi s four to five games of the Blazers series while recovering.Durant hasaveraged 34.2 points per game through 11 playoff games, but he affects other parts of the game as well. The two-time NBA Finals MVP averages5.2 rebounds, 4.9 a sists and 1.2 steals per game.His6-9 frame and astonishing quickne s makehim one of the NBA's most versatile defenders. His Mike Piazza Jersey mobility allows him to guard any position and create plenty of mismatches when he initiates the offense.Part of what makes Golden State so great is its seemingly limitle s arsenal, but with two starters down with injuries (Durant and big man DeMarcus Cousins), it seems considerably more vulnerable.Stephen Curry is battling a dislocated finger that makes Clayton Kershaw Jersey matters even worse.Damian Lillard's efficiencyDamian Lillard wasn't at his best in the second round.The Trail Blazers star struggled to be efficient against the Nuggets. He averaged 25.1 points per game in the series but shot just 39.6percent from the field. He was worse from deep, making just 27percent of his attempts from behind the arc.Lillard is deadly when he's on, and he'll need to be that to counter the most efficient 3-point shooting team in the playoffs. The Warriors are shooting 37.2 percent from range and will likely throw plenty of bodies at Lillard Joc Pederson Jersey to limit Portland's offense. Among these will likely be Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala.Lillard was phenomenal in the first round against the Thunder, who are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He averaged 33 points per game while shooting 45.3percent from the field and 46.9percent from deep against Oklahoma City.These numbers probably won't be replicated, but it's clear that Portland's star is capable of so much more. He'll need to play closer to his ceiling to reach the NBA Finals.Bench productionGolden State's rotation choices could be interesting moving forward. The Warriors' bench minutes seemed to diminish against Houston, Durant's injury forced them to surprisingly use11 players in their Game 6 closeout win against Houston.Golden State got 33 bench points in that contest, which is unusual for a team that ranks 14thin reserve points per gameout of the 16 teamsin this year's playoffs. The Warriors are averaging 22 bench points per game, but Portland isn't much Fernando Valenzuela Jersey better.The Trail Blazers rank 10th, averaging 27.8 bench points per game.Getting unexpected baskets from second units could be the force that pushes one side over the top. Related Articles

After a narrow Game 5 win, the Celtics visit the Bucks in Milwaukee in search of a win to advanceto the second round.In Game 5, Bostonbenefitted from the return of Marcus Smart, who had not played since March 11. In his Randy Jones Jersey first game back, Smart finished with nine points, five rebounds, four a sists and three blocks in just under 25 minutes.Smart'sgutsy effort down the stretch was highlighted by a play in which he recovered a loose ball, pryed it away from three Bucks and found an open Al Horford to put the Celtics up by seven with le s than 30 seconds Chase Headley Jersey to play. Peak Marcus Smart.Boston guard Terry Rozier bounced back from two rough performances in Milwaukee to finish with 16 points and five a sists. Rozier needs to deliver a solid road performance for the Celtics to have a balanced offensive attack.Horford led Boston with 22 points and 14 rebounds, his second double-double of the series. In Boston's three wins, the All-Star center has averaged 20.7 points and 10.3 rebounds, a stark contrast Johnny Manziel Jersey from his averages of14.5 points and six rebounds in its two lo ses.A bigGame 6 performance from Horford is the key to aCeltics series win.Thon Maker proved to be the difference for Milwaukee in its two wins in the series. After averaging 11 points and five blocks in Games 3 and 4, Maker fouled out in Game 5, scoringtwo points and failingto block a shot in 23 minutes. Along with Maker, Malcolm Brogdon (two Wil Myers Jersey points, three a sists) will need to improve upon hisperformanceas well.Jabari Parker (17 points) and Shabazz Muhammad (11 points) anchored the reserves inan offensive struggle. Parker has found his groove offensively and Muhammad's performance can be something to help extend the series.Game 5 saw Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly recorda triple-double (16 points, 10 rebounds and nine a sists), but he only attempted four shots in the second half. Celtics coach Brad Stevens inserted forward Semi Ojeleye into Cory Spangenberg Jersey the starting lineup to throw a different defensive lookat the star in hopes of slowing him down. It worked, as he was limited in the lo s.Antetokounmpo hasto a sert himself offensively in all four quarters of Game 6to helpMilwaukee force a decisive Game 7.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a basketball game to play Wednesday night, but that won't be on anyone's minds.Flip Saunders, the Timberwolves Masahiro Tanaka Jersey ' team president and head coach,died Sunday at age 60.His battle with cancer was brief, but the as Saunders was inlife.MORE: | His impact went beyond coaching, but it beganthere.Saunders was at the helmfor more than half of the Timberwolves franchise's wins (427 out of 818) and all eight of their postseason berths. No other coach won 100 games or has a winning record with the Timberwolves.He played a major role in developing Kevin Garnett in Minnesota and John Wall in Washington,and he guided Detroit to three consecutive Eastern Conference finals.But Minnesota was where Saunders made his mark. He was the point Aaron Hicks Jersey guard for a 24-3 Golden Gophers team in 1977 as a senior, teamed up with Mychal Thompson and Kevin McHale. In 1996, he was paired again with McHaleand led a young Timberwolves team to playoff prominence, all behindyoung Garnett.The Timberwolves made their first and only appearance in the Western Conference finals in 2004. Saunders left Minnesota a year later, but the franchise faltered until he returned in 2013 as president, adding coaching duties a year later. Among his moves were trading for Andrew Wiggins anddrafting Karl-Anthony Towns, Luis Severino Jersey the bedrock for the Timberwolves' future. He also brought back the franchise's greatest player.Forever in my heart....Posted by onGarnett isn't alone. As time has gone on, the public, from fansto coachesto playersto former ESPN colleagues, has Greg Bird Jersey extended condolences to the Saunders family and all that were close to him. And more praise of his character will continue to make its way through social media and other outlets as time goes on.But it wasn't his coaching abilitythat warrantshim this sort of praise. It was him as a person.Yes, the Timberwolves will open their regular season Wednesday on the road against the Lakersat the Staples Center. Garnett, Wiggins, Towns,coach Sam Mitchell, Ricky Rubio and all the other Wolves who Saunders brought in, will be there to try to bring in a win. But it's going to be impo sible for anyone to think about just the game, and that's okay.Saunders said back in August that the support he received "has truly reminded me that the goodne s of people should never be questioned,"but that only came because of the number of lives Flip impacted in his tragically short lifetime. The goodne s of people Brian Roberts Jersey was exposed because of the goodne s of Flip Saunders.

For James Harden, there was some soul-searching this summer. Considering the debacle that last year became for the Rockets, with Harden in the middle of the me s, heavy thinking was in order.Last year was frustrating, Harden told Malcolm Smith Jersey reporters. Numbers, individually, were pretty solid. But just the love and excitement wasnt there. So I had to look in the mirror this summer and realize that Ive gotta change, I have got to get back to how I was. My focus level, the things I can control, I have to be a lot better at. Once I get myself figured out, I can help others. That was one of the main things that I focused on this summer. Thats why I am in a good place now.Of course, Harden was in a very good place two years ago, when he finished just behind Stephen Curry in the MVP tally, and helped the Rockets reach the Western Conference finals. Hes right about his numbers last yearthey were almost identical, and better in most spots, than in 2014-15. But he got just three mentions on MVP ballots last spring, a third-place, a fourth-place and a fifth-place selection. He even mi sed out on Mike Person Jersey all three All-NBA teams, finishing 49 points behind Kyle Lowry.Harden has work to do this year, arguably more than any player in the league. He is 27 now, but hes still a tough player to figure out. His talent is obvious, and his stats are impre sive. But its uncertain whether a team can win with Harden as its featured player.MORE: Harden received a big portion of the blame for the Rockets downfall last year, as they swooned from 56 wins to 41. Harden and center Dwight Howard had developed a tenuous relationship during their time together in Houston, but the pairing bottomed out last year, and the Rockets became a me s of personal dysfunction in the locker room and half-hearted effort on the floor.Howard is gone now, and the team belongs to Harden. The Rockets have had to give up on the notion of stockpiling a superteam (they made efforts to bring in free agents like Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony, remember) and instead, have surrounded Harden with role players like shooters Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson. The up-tempo offense of new coach Mike DAntoni should ensure that Harden continues his run of impre sive numbers.But his old coachKevin McHale, fired 11 games into last Garrett Celek Jersey seasonsaid that numbers alone are not going to cut it this year for Harden. There are a lot of tools in the tool box to help a team win games, McHale said. Its not just when the ball is going in the hole. Can you help the team win when the ball is not going in? Can you help your team win when everything is not going your way? And that has to be James mantra, that he has got to find a way. Taking it full circle to C. J. Beathard Jersey the best players in the leagueand I know thats who he wants to bebut LeBron can win games when his shot is not going down. There are guys who are the elite of the elite, they can help themselves in many ways.DEVENEY: For now, at least, Harden is preaching togetherne s on and off the floor for the Rockets. That would be a good start over last year.I am going to make a point, an effort to make sure everybodys on the same page, Harden said. Whether youre the coaching staff, whether its the training staff, whether its the players, front office as well. We all have one goal, we all have one mindset and that Tom Rathman Jersey s to win. If youre an outcast, youre going to feel bad about yourself because everybody else is going to be on the same page.But McHale is right. Its going to take more than pledges of unity and big numbers for Harden to reclaim his mantle as an elite player in the league. His stats did not take a hit last year, but those stats rang hollow amid the Rockets struggles. Hardens reputation did take a hit. Hes under considerable pre sureas much pre sure as any star player in the leagueto bury last season and re-establish himself.Last year was a blur, Harden said, everything was happening so fast, and you know, we all go through that in life, we all have bad days, bad years. But its the bounce-back that makes you stronger.

Timberwolves rookie point guard Kris Dunn is about to be thrust into a starting role sooner than expected. The team announced Monday night Ricky Rubio is out indefinitely with a Didi Gregorius Jersey sprained right elbow.Ricky update from wolves Jerry Zgoda (@JerryZgoda) Rubio's place in the lineup seemed precarious after Minnesota selected Dunn Larry Bowa Jersey with the fifth overall pick in thisyear's NBA Draft, but the crafty Spaniard retained his job before leaving Saturday's game against the Kings because of the injury.Dunn is an electric,pa s-first point guard who Tim McCarver Jersey can also score in a variety of ways. In limited game time so far, he's averaging 6.0 points and 2.5 a sists.MORE: The Timberwolves Darren Daulton Jersey are 0-2, but they lost both games by fewer Jimmy Foxx Jersey than four points. They remain an intriguing team with young stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine leading the way.

While NBA teams have been able to renegotiate and extend contracts for a while, Ru sell Westbrook and James Harden are the faces of a new resurgence that coincided with the 2016 salary cap jump. Robert Covington should be the next key player to renegotiate and extend his contract, but the example to look to is Westbrook and Hardens Thunder teammate Nick Collison.Back in 2010, Sam Presti and Oklahoma City had an unusual situation because the Thunderpo se sed both cap space and a slew of talented rising stars still getting paid on bargain basement rookie scale deals. They knew eventually those players would get paid (one in Houston,but that story is for a different day), so the best way to spend that temporarily available space was in a way that had short-term costs and long-term benefits Tony Gonsolin Jersey .MORE: What Presti and the Thunder did was give Collison for an additional $11 million and four years, adding four seasons and $17.5 million, but putting more than one-third of that money on the 2010-11 books.The Sixershave a similar situation with about $15 million in salary cap space for this season and a desire to minimize their expenses for when Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and their other young talent receive their own raises off rookie scale contracts. Collisons 2010 contract inspired changes in the ensuing Collective Bargaining Agreement, but the Sixers front office can still follow that basic idea later this year.Under the current rules, a renegotiated and extended player can have a 40 percentdrop in their salary from the final renegotiated year to the first new season of the extension, which would be 2018-19 in this case Trevor Bauer Jersey . That means bumping Covingtons current salary all the way from $1,577,230 to $16,698,103 (the maximum allowed using Philadelphias current cap space) could open the door for a $10.02 million starting salary in 2018-19 and an overall four additional years and $50.4 million$15.1 million added this season and $35.3 million in the four new seasons.Of course, that is only the minimum contract value of a renegotiation and extension using this approach. Covington could say he wants more than $50 million in new commitments since that would be the same as a $12.6 million annual salary on the open market next summer, and he could make meaningfully more than that as a talented defender who can shoot 3-pointers (48.2 percent from deep through eight games this season).If the front office agrees, the Sixerscould keep the 2017-18 component the same and simply add more money in future seasons Mookie Betts Jersey , though that either reduces their summer of 2018 salary cap space, increases their eventual luxury tax bills or both. Depending on their motivations, they could follow the above structure and have the later years decline in salary, or have them increase to maximize 2018 cap space but make future seasons more expensive.MORE: The Sixershave something strong in their corner, too: security. While Covington would be an unrestricted free agent next summer and thus not artificially limited by the restricted system, there are simply .On top of that, Covington has made le s than $5 million in his career so far, and this deal would lock in truly life-changing money more than seven months in advance. He does not need to look far to Walker Buehler Jersey see how quickly injuries can change a players financial prospects.One significant factor in contract structure for those future seasons is how Philadelphia sees its 2018 cap space. Agreeing to a max extension withEmbiid moves his cap hold from $18.3 million to a projected $25.3 million, trimming $7 million off the Sixers'July spending power. A new agreement with Covington would push his hold from about $1.5 million to that new number, meaning another $8.5 million reduction to the Sixers 2018 flexibility.The front offices recent decision to decline Jahlil Okafors $6.3 million option made clearing space a little easier, but Philadelphiawill need to decline to make Nik Stauskas a qualifying offer to make the most of its opportunities, especially since 2018 draft picks will eventually take a chunk out of their space.The Sixerswill not know Logan Forsythe Jersey exactly how big a chunk until draft lottery night in May.Still, that eventual amount around $20-25 million should be enough for Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green or whomever else management prioritizes in free agency.There could certainly be some potential negotiation that still needs to happen, but a significant reason a Covington renegotiation and extension has not happened yet is timing. Covington signed his current contract later in 2014(Nov.15th),so the third anniversary of the signing has not happened yet, and even if a deal is agreed to already, it cannot happen before then. That raises the po sibility or even likelihood that both sides know what will happen and are simply biding time.While Covington does not generate the excitement of Embiid, Simmons or Fultz, the Sixers front office could solidify their future with some creative accounting while still maintaining enough flexibility for another big difference-maker in free agency next summer. Related Articles NBA Draft mistakes: Every team's ugliest, most painful regret

OAKLAND, Calif. "31?"Clippers guard Landry Shamet told Sporting News with his eyes wide in near disbelief. "31? Biggest in playoff history?"Shamets shock mirrored the feelingof the entire Oracle Arena crowd. While the Warriors faithful slowly trudged outside with their heads down,the Clippers rushed the floor to celebrate the most unlikely postseason victory the league has ever seen.NBA PLAYOFFS 2019:| The Clippers, down 31 points in the second half, managed to complete the largest Minnesota Twins Jersey comeback in NBA playoff history Monday night to even their best-of-seven series with Golden State at one game apiece. It was a victory that not a soul in Oraclesaw coming. That is, except for Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers." I told the team that we were going to win,"Rivers said, explaining what he shared with his players in the locker room afterthe Clippers faced a73-50 halftime deficit. "Just hang in there. Just hang in there long enough. I was honest with them. I said, 'I dont know how. Were going to figure this out, but just hang in there with each other.' I thought they did that."It was a night that began with the expectation of a playoff romp, but Game 2 wasn'tjust a terrible collapse for the Warriors.Early in the first quarter, after intercepting a pa s at half court, starting center DeMarcus Cousins stumbled to the ground and clutched his left quad. It was a non-contact injury, similar to the torn Achilles he suffered in the same leg as a member of the Pelicans more than ayear ago.As a hushed Warriors crowd looked on, a visibly frustrated Cousins headed to the locker room. Golden State fears Cousins tore his quad, according to , and Warriors coach Steve Kerr did little to quell those concerns after the game."Theres a pretty significant quad injury Phil Hughes Jersey ," Kerr said. "Well get an MRI tomorrow. But hes going to be out for, Ill just say awhile, because I think its unclear right now how long hell be out. Its significant."After Game 2 collapse against LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said DeMarcus Cousins suffered a "pretty significant" quad injury. "He's going to be out awhile." Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) MORE: Cousins' injury didnt seem to faze the Warriors for nearly two-and-a-half quarters. In fact, it almost seemed to galvanize them as their lead swelled to 31 in the third. Stephen Curry was putting on a show on his way to a team-high 29 points, and Oracle went into celebration mode. The party started a little early.As the Clippers trimmed the deficit to 14 before the start of the fourth quarter, the thought that they could complete the largest comeback in playoff history still seemed far-fetched. But the Clippers had been there before all season really. Back in February, they completed an improbable 28-point comeback to beat the Celtics on the road."It kept popping into my head," said Shamet, who finished with Jorge Polanco Jersey 12 points, four rebounds and three a sists against the Warriors. "Boston. Think of Boston. Because it definitely felt identical."That beliefhelped Shametstick the dagger in Golden State when his name was called. Shamets go-ahead 3-pointerwith 15. Jose Berrios Jersey 9 seconds left put the Clippers up, 133-131. After a key defensive stop, Shamet tipped a reboundto Montrezl Harrell, who was fouled andwent on to knock down two free throws, clinchingthe 135-131 victory.Shamet DRAINS a for the Clippers to take the LEAD! | NBA TV (@NBATV) OFFSEASON PREVIEWS:| | | | Game 2was a testament to what the Clippers have been all year long: gritty, resilientunderdogs.Led by Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley, the Clippers continue to exceed expectations. Williams, who led the Clippers with 36 points and 11 a sists, made improbable shot afterimprobable shot to continue chipping away at the deficit. Beverley, always known for his swagger and propensity for trash talk, never allowed the Clippers to lose faith." Beverley is so important for us. I think people get lost in some of his antics and stuff," Rivers said. "But his spirit and his soul is so important for our team. He was encouraging everybody. I thought him and Lou in particular in the timeouts, when we were down, they kept going to the young guys. I thought they were really important for us."The Kirby Puckett Jersey Warriors will regroup, of course. In all likelihood, Golden State will take care of busine s against the Clippers andcontinue their run towarda third consecutive title. But choking away a 31-point leadwill not be forgotten easily, especially with a lo s that highlighted all of the Warriors' problems.Theres a very real chance that Cousins will not be there to help in their quest. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green , leaving their teammates to explain what happened and opening the door to speculation about internal strife. The bench depth has been a concern all season long.This is a team so good it can build a 31-point lead in a playoff game, seemingly without breaking a sweat. It can also fall apart against a significantly le s talented opponent. The gap between another championship and the end of a dynastyhas never felt thinner.For the Clippers, Monday nights victory was the icing on the cake of a season that few expected. For the Warriors, it should serve as a major wake-up call.

The reigning NBA champions may be without their MVP leader for the next two games.Warriors point guardStephen Curry has a right calf strainand is questionable for their game at Dallas on Wednesday. Interim Golden State coach Luke Walton said that Curry, who did not practice Tuesday, Jackie Robinson Jersey could alsomi s the team's contest Thursday night in Houston.MORE: | Matthew Boyd Jersey JOSEPH: "There's a chance that he won't play in one or both," Walton said, . "That's probably going to be a game-time decision or at least determined on how he's feeling (Wednesday)."He hasn't said anything except for he wants to play. Even (Monday)night in Shane Greene Jersey the game (a victory overthe Kings) when I saw him in the game limping, and I tried to take him out, he gave the wave-off and said that it was fine."MORE: Curry, who is averaging 30.5 points per game,isn't the only Warriors player injured. Backup guardLeandro Barbosa (shoulder) did not make the trip to Dallas. That means reserve pointguard Shaun Livingston could be running Daniel Norris Jersey the offense in Texas.The Warriors (29-1) will also be without third-year forward Harrison Barnes and his 13 points per gamebecause of an ankle injury. Startingforward Draymond Green also has a tender ankle, but heon Tuesday that he'll be OK.The Warriors will Kirk Gibson Jersey return home to Oracle Arena for a Jan. 2 game against the Nuggets. They hope to have Curry and some of his ailing teammates back in the lineup then.