The Warriors: Here's to Home Cooking
On Monday night, the War-droops begin a three-game home stand. It couldn't come at a better time.
Balanced precariously on the razor's edge between potential and the same old-same old, the War-dribbles are lurching heavily towards the ghosts of seasons past. They're hurting right now, having lost three in a row and six of their last ten games. They currently sit three and one-half games out of the number eight playoff position (behind the damn Fakers, among others), and have settled into last place in the Pacific Division. They are seven games below .500, the furthest they have been from the break-even point all season.
Enter three teams that have never been in our kitchen, and three teams that the War-knocks can, should, and need to beat.
First up, the Utah Spaz, a below-.500 team that rolls into town Monday night a full two games ahead of the War-hens in the playoff race. The teams have split their two previous meetings this year, with both teams stealing a road victory. The Spaz are gritty, selfless, tough, and ruthless--lately the War-droops have been spotty, listless, rough, and toothless. This game is a must if the War-peas want to keep their Mary-Kate Olsen-like playoff hopes alive.
Next come the Orlando Magic for the first matchup of the season between these two sub-pars. Orlando is 1-9 in their last 10 games and drags a brutal 6-21 road record into the O-rena on Wednesday in what should be- check that, must be a gimme for the local squad.
On Friday, Sir Scores-a-Lot and his Freeway Four pull in for their last visit of the season. The Fakers have beaten the War-nips twice this year, both nailbiters that could have gone either way, but didn't. More importantly, the Fakers currently own the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If the War-tokes are going to have any chance at wresting it from their cold, dead hands, they need to take this game.
And did we mention that these games are at home? Home has been good to the War-agoraphobics. They are 15-14 at home, but only 9-17 on the road. Despite 11 straight years of reasons not to, Warrior Nation has been in the house big time this year. The War-snarks are averaging 18,284 fans per game, 9th in the NBA. They're going to need every one of them for this homestand.
The War-frogs have to win these three games. After Friday's contest with the Fakers, they hit the road for five games in seven days. If the War-blurs can't take at least two of three on this homestand, they can pretty much kiss the playoffs and any hopes of a .500 record goodbye. Or not?