Examining potential play-in tournament scenarios for the Warriors

With the end of an era seemingly at hand, the Golden State Warriors are set to enter the NBA play-in tournament for the second time in four years. In 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies swept the Warriors, eliminating them from postseason contention.

Three years later, Golden State finds itself in playoff purgatory after climbing to the top of the NBA mountain just a couple of years ago. The Lakers could again prevent the Warriors from making the playoffs. 

These squads face off Tuesday night in a huge game. For Golden State, a win in L.A. keeps their slim hopes alive for breaking into the top six of the Western Conference. It's currently three games back of Phoenix and New Orleans, in sixth and seventh place, respectively. 

Luckily, the Warriors are running into a Lakers team that is pretty banged up. Anthony Davis (left eye soreness) and LeBron James (flu-like symptoms) are listed as questionable for this pivotal matchup.

"He's extremely valuable," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Davis. "Everyone around here knows that. Everything he brings on both sides of the ball, it's tough. Already being without Bron and seeing him go out, it's tough. But my hat's off to our guys. They didn't feel sorry for themselves. They kept competing all the way through."

Two of the Warriors’ four remaining games are against the Lakers and Pelicans, both of whom are ahead of them in the standings. So, the dubs will need to win out and get some help along the way to avoid the play-in. 

Should the Warriors lose to the Lakers, another likely outcome could be the Sacramento Kings falling back to that ninth spot, swapping with L.A. since only a half-game separates them. Another game between these Northern California “rivals” would surely be welcomed. 

Golden State eliminated Sacramento in the first round of the last postseason in a seven-game thriller. This season, they split the series (2-2), so this potential rubber match would be must-see TV for these fan bases.