Warriors’ chase of 72 wins begins without trade help
The Warriors’ center also found some time to look at the team’s six-game road trip that includes two sets of back-to-back games and darts from Portland to Los Angeles and then shuttles east to Atlanta, Miami and Orlando before zigzagging to an end in Oklahoma City.
Geographically, it’s like a blind man just picked cities on the map, and that’s where we’re going. ...
(The Trail Blazers and the Clippers) are a huge test, and then we have to fly (cross-country) hours to get to our next game.
The most important part of the season begins Friday in Portland, because the Warriors have 30 games to tighten up their play in preparation for the postseason, secure the Western Conference’s top seed and possibly make history.
The trip includes six of the Warriors’ final 13 road games.
There’s still a chance that a player of interest could receive a buyout from another team and will be persuaded to chase a championship for a league-minimum salary by March 1.
The franchise’s belief is that the core of the team includes the top-10 rotation players and rookie Kevon Looney, leaving Ian Clark, James Michael McAdoo, Brandon Rush and Jason Thompson as the only possible trims.
Head coach Steve Kerr splits the season into one-week chunks, so he’d like the players to focus on putting together a good week with visits to Portland (Friday) and the Clippers (Saturday) in a span of about 22 hours.
The Warriors generally have done a remarkable job of staying in the moment and finding specific motivation for each opponent, but that’s getting more difficult as they get closer and closer to history.
Everywhere they go, the Warriors are asked about the possibility of breaking the 1995-96 Bulls’ season record of 72 wins.
The Warriors (48-4) are one win ahead of the pace set by the Bulls through 52 games, and it has become the chosen topic of conversation from the very top of the NBA mountain.
Michael Jordan cornered Klay Thompson during All-Star weekend in Toronto and told the Warriors’ guard to go for the record — offering inspiration or playing one of his head games.
The Warriors, who have won 42 consecutive regular-season home games, have seven road games during March and April.
Head coach Steve Kerr said spending the All-Star break relaxing in San Diego was good for him — the respite coming just days after he experienced headaches and dizziness after the Warriors’ victory over Houston on Feb. 9.
The Warriors’ 11-game winning streak is tied for fourth longest in franchise history.
With a league-best 24-4 (.857) road record , the Warriors are tied for the second-most away wins in franchise history and are four victories away from the all-time mark set last season.
The point guard has averaged 29.7 points in the past three meetings with his hometown team.