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Warriors fall to Suns in season finale, clinch two-seed
Isaiah Charles
May 29th, 2027
The Golden State Warriors sputter into the playoffs, having gone 4-6 in their final 10 games and clinching the two-seed in the Western Conference. For a team that for much of the season spoke at length about wanting to enter healthy and not atop the standings, the ending to the season fit their approach.
Ben Simmons was the lone starter to play against Phoenix, a 110-87 loss, as Stephen Curry (rest), Jonathan Kuminga (rest), Klay Thompson (bruised knee), and James Wiseman (right foot stress fracture) were all in street clothes. While Thompson and Wiseman are both expected to play in the Warriors’ first round series against the Mavericks, time will tell if it was worth abandoning the top overall seed in favor of a matchup with the Mavericks and either Memphis or Minnesota should they advance.
It culminates a stretch in which the Warriors lost big to title contenders Orlando (141-128), Dallas (136-84) and Detroit (117-109), while also slipping up against teams that missed the playoffs completely like Phoenix and the Clippers (120-113). A win surely would’ve served as momentum, but the Warriors may be hoping that a fully healthy roster is all they need.
I can’t find the option to view the calendar in 2k21 and I didn’t do the box scores before advancing, so no boxes for these
Let’s get to our first round previews, starting with the Warriors. Full standings are below for what was an extremely competitive playoff race. (Reminder all first round series are five games. Conference Semifinals and beyond are seven.)
Western Conference
(2) Golden State Warriors (60-22) vs (7) Dallas Mavericks (48-34)
Dallas is facing their own injury issues, as Luka Doncic is still out with a high ankle sprain he suffered in mid-May against the Warriors, while Jae’sean Tate (right leg stress fracture; 72 games played) and Kira Lewis Jr. (dislocated right patella; 21 games played prior to the January injury) will also be missing. That means all the weight of the world falls on the shoulders of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Mavs lost six straight to enter the playoffs, falling from a potential top four seed to seventh.
Prediction: Warriors in five
Golden State is more healthy than Dallas and deeper. A rematch of last year’s first round matchup is bad news for Dallas.
(1) San Antonio Spurs (61-21) vs (8) Houston Rockets (44-38)
Here are a pair of feel good stories. On one hand, the Rockets were struggling just to stay above water, now they are back in the playoffs as their rebuild continues. On the other, the Spurs navigated major injuries to Zach LaVine, Cole Anthony and Daishen Nix and still won 61 games thanks to Sasha Kasparov (4th overall in 2022), a Defensive Player of the Year finalist and a favorite for Most Improved Player.
Prediction: Spurs in four
The Spurs are back healthy and playing some of their best basketball. The Rockets are the lone playoff team in the West without a reasonable argument that they could win it all.
(3) Memphis Grizzlies (58-24) vs (6) Minnesota Timberwolves(48-34)
The Wolves started red hot, going 15-0, before going a pedestrian 33-34 the rest of the way. Sample size tells us that’s who Minnesota really is: a .500 team that got hot. That streak was good enough to get them here, but is it good enough to keep them around? Ja Morant is elite, averaging 31.5 points and 11.0 assists a game, and the Grizz have been starting Brandon Clarke at the three for an over-sized front court with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Viktor Pressey (27th overall in 2022).
Prediction: Grizzlies in four
The Grizz are rolling all season, not just in December and are full of two-way studs. The Wolves are led by three offensive forces in D’Angelo Russell, Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns that have yet to prove they can play defense consistently (+2.7 point differential compared to Memphis’ 11.2).
(4) New Orleans Pelicans (52-30) vs (5) Oklahoma City Thunder (51-31)
Is it a good or a bad thing that this could easily be a Western Conference Finals matchup but we’re getting it in the first round. Props to the Pelicans for navigating Zion Williamson’s 25-game PED suspension and then injury, as well as injuries to Brandon Ingram and Jaxson Hayes and still manage to win 52 games.
And Oklahoma City is equally potent, with MVP-finalist Cade Cunningham surrounded by Shai Gilgeous Alexander and DeAndre Ayton.
Prediction: Pelicans in five
The reigning NBA champs will be tested, but Oklahoma City has yet to prove they can advance past the first round. I wouldn’t at all be mad to be wrong here.
Eastern Conference
(1) Detroit Pistons (57-25)vs (8) Indiana Pacers (37-45)
Detroit is embracing two approaches: ultra-big and ultra-shooting. LaMelo Ball and Desmond Cooper make up one of the league’s most explosive backcourts, and with Evan Mobley at the four and Nick Ricahrds at the five, they are massive underneath.
The Pacers feel much like the 2024-25 Pistons team that went 40-42, made the playoffs as the eight seed with a young core, got beat by a good Milwaukee team, but rebounded last year to win 55 games and come within a game of the NBA Finals. I’m not saying Indiana is going that way (Brighton Reed’s regression this season is concerning) but they’re making forward progress.
Prediction: Pistons in three
Detroit is just better, simple as that.
(2) Orlando Magic (53-29) vs (7) Miami Heat (41-41)
Jalen Green and Tre Hunter are the other young and elite backcourt in the East. A former MVP, Green’s shooting numbers dipped slightly, but remain elite (52.0% / 40.7% / 81.1%) and Hunter should be All-NBA after averaging 26.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists on 51.6-42.9-94.9 shooting splits.
The Heat started hot but have holes. They have great playmakers in Lonzo Ball and Bam Adebayo, great defenders in Jonathan Isaac and Adebayo and a great shooter in Tyler Herro. But they don’t have that one superstar you need to win it all.
Prediction: Magic in five
There are too many weapons for the Magic and too many concerns with the Heat for me to trust Miami to pull an upset.
(3) New York Knicks (52-30) vs (6) Cleveland Cavaliers (46-36)
What better encore for Jason Sanders than a rematch from a year ago. The 2023 first overall pick led the Cavs back to the playoffs last year only to get swept by the Knicks as New York marched to the NBA Finals. He’s back after another impressive season, scoring 24.9 points with 7.3 boards and 4.1 assists. This time, he’s flanked with improved talent, with Cameron Sullivan (7th overall in 2025) improving.
The Knicks are still potent, led by Trae Young and R.J. Barrett along with the addition of Marvin Bagley III making them better than a year ago.
Prediction: Knicks in five
The Cavs improved, but so too did New York. After getting demolished by Zion Williamson a year ago in the NBA Finals, they added Bagley to shore up their forward rotation. Now it’s time to see if that investment is worth it.
(4) Boston Celtics (48-34) vs (5) Atlanta Hawks (48-34)
It’s been a sudden and quick fall for Atlanta, after they made consecutive NBA Finals two years ago. But they’re still relevant, which is saying something. Kyrie Irving is showing signs of slowing down, so too is Pascal Siakam, though Brandon Boston and Saddiq Bey each upped their scoring totals by four points per game.
The Celtics are no strangers to scoring, led by Jayson Tatum, who again averaged over 30 points per game (31.0), and flanked by Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard (who’s recovering from a left ankle sprain). With Robert Williams inside, the Celtics defense is scary.
Prediction: Celtics in five
If Kawhi comes back early in the series or misses no games at all, the Celtics defense at full-strength is demoralizing. If the Celtics can slow Kyrie, they should be able to walk out of this battle alive.
NBA Standings
| NBA Standings - Updated: May 30, 2027 |
| EAST PLAYOFF RACE | W | L | GB |
| 1 Detroit | 57 | 25 | -- |
| 2 Orlando | 53 | 29 | 4.0 |
| 3 New York | 52 | 30 | 5.0 |
| 4 Atlanta | 48 | 34 | 9.0 |
| 5 Boston | 48 | 34 | 9.0 |
| 6 Cleveland | 46 | 36 | 11.0 |
| 7 Miami | 41 | 41 | 16.0 |
| 8 Indiana | 37 | 45 | 20.0 |
| Philadelphia | 37 | 45 | 20.0 |
| Milwaukee | 37 | 45 | 20.0 |
| Charlotte | 34 | 48 | 23.0 |
| Toronto | 31 | 51 | 26.0 |
| Chicago | 30 | 52 | 27.0 |
| Washington | 28 | 54 | 29.0 |
| Brooklyn | 23 | 59 | 34.0 |
| WEST PLAYOFF RACE | W | L | GB |
| 1 San Antonio | 61 | 21 | -- |
| 2 Golden State | 60 | 22 | 1.0 |
| 3 Memphis | 58 | 24 | 3.0 |
| 4 New Orleans | 52 | 30 | 9.0 |
| 5 Oklahoma City | 51 | 31 | 10.0 |
| 6 Minnesota | 48 | 34 | 13.0 |
| 7 Dallas | 48 | 34 | 13.0 |
| 8 Houston | 44 | 38 | 17.0 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 43 | 39 | 18.0 |
| Denver | 38 | 44 | 23.0 |
| Utah | 37 | 45 | 24.0 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 28 | 54 | 33.0 |
| Phoenix | 26 | 56 | 35.0 |
| Sacramento | 23 | 59 | 38.0 |
| Portland | 11 | 71 | 50.0 |
Worth Noting: The Bucks (37-45) and Nuggets (38-44) both missed the playoffs, which means the Warriors are guaranteed a lottery pick by way of the trade made during last year’s NBA Draft. The Warriors also own the Pelicans’ first round pick.