By clinching a spot in the playoffs with their play-in win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors secured more than just a postseason berth – they also earned a rare and much-needed stretch of rest.
As The San Francisco Chronicle’s Sam Gordon reports, the victory gave the Warriors a four-day break before they open their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
The timing couldn’t be better. After weeks of high-stakes basketball trying to claw their way into the top six and avoid the play-in entirely, the Warriors have been through a grind that’s worn on both their bodies and minds.
Head coach Steve Kerr didn’t hold back in emphasizing just how valuable the downtime is.
“We desperately needed it,” Kerr said. “I’ve never seen a schedule like what we’ve faced, particularly with the stakes. Every game was meaningful – the two-week road trip followed by a back-to-back-to-back.”
The physical toll is amplified by the Warriors’ roster makeup.
As Gordon points out, Golden State is the third-oldest team in the NBA, with five of their key rotation players in their 30s.
Had they lost on Tuesday, their path would’ve been far more taxing: a home game Friday night against Dallas, followed immediately by a cross-country flight to Oklahoma City to take on the West’s top seed just one day later.
Stephen Curry, the team’s veteran leader and cornerstone, acknowledged the importance of the rest window – but also highlighted the value of using it wisely.
“Rest is one thing, but not all rest is created equal in the sense of – you have to be intentional about how you use the days,” Curry said.
“That doesn’t mean you’re not doing anything. You’re priming yourself. Weight room. Mentally. Skill-wise, getting your work in. So, it just helps to not have to prepare for a game. You realize you’ve been going for … six, seven months and the last two of it were really intense so it’s nice just to take a good pause.”
With a few days to reset, recover, and refocus, the Warriors hope the break will give them the edge they need heading into what promises to be a tough playoff series.
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Curry, Kuminga, Moody, Dunleavy https://t.co/TkIqqBbGFb pic.twitter.com/haGqmn5oVS
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 20, 2025
