Warriors to face Clippers to begin second half of season
The Warriors will open the second half of the season on March 11 against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center as part of a marquee national television doubleheader, following the Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets, on TNT.
That will be the first of Golden State’s 11 nationally televised games in the second-half schedule, which the NBA released Wednesday, and part of a tough stretch against the top three teams in the Western Conference. After facing the Clippers, the Warriors will play back-to-back games against the Utah Jazz (March 14, 1 p.m., NBATV) and Los Angeles Lakers (March 15, 7:30 p.m., ESPN) at Chase Center.
Because of the difficulties of playing its season during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the NBA opted to release its 72-game schedule (shortened from the traditional 82 games) in two parts to account for positive tests and postponements of games. The Warriors (1715) will conclude the first half on March 4 in Phoenix before the All-Star break from March 5-10.
Overall, the Warriors will play 18 home games and 17 away in a secondhalf slate that features eight back-to-backs and six games with a rest advantage over their opponents. Their longest trip will span five games, from April 14 to April 21, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards.
Stephen Curry will match up with fellow MVP candidates when the Warriors take on Joel Embiid and the 76ers (March 23, TNT), Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (April 6, TNT) and Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets (April 12, ESPN).
Golden State will close the regular season with a six-game homestand, the longest season-ending homestand in franchise history. It will include two games against the Thunder (May 6, 8) and matchups with the Jazz (May 10), Phoenix Suns (May 11) and New Orleans Pelicans (May 14) before concluding on Sunday, May 16, against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The second half of the 2020-21 regular season will be followed by a play-in tournament from May 1821 to determine the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference.
• For the play-in tournament, the NBA has set up six games, all of which will result in either a playoff berth or elimination.
The teams with the seventhand eighth-highest winning percentages in each conference will each have two opportunities to win one game to earn a playoff spot. The teams finishing ninth and 10th in each conference will have to win twice to make the postseason.
The No. 7 team will play host to the No. 8 team, with the winner earning the No. 7 playoff seed. The No. 9 seed will host the No. 10 seed, and the winner of that game will then travel to the loser of the 7-8 game for a one-game playoff to decide the No. 8 playoff seed.