Warriors' playoff bid ends
By Geoff Lepper

PHOENIX - In this oddest of seasons for the Warriors, it seems only right they should be eliminated from playoff contention Monday night with a 122-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns in a performance that was at once so familiar and yet so bizarre.

The faint hopes of earning a second consecutive playoff berth came alive during a third-quarter run when Golden State scored 15 consecutive points to turn a nine-point deficit into a six-point lead.

But with a healthy Baron Davis - the Warriors' captain and leading scorer - glued to the bench as he was throughout the second half, Golden State could not hold it together in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

The Suns mathematically eliminated the Warriors (48-33), who are one game behind eighth-place Denver (49-32) in the Western Conference standings with one game left. The Nuggets won the tiebreaker by holding a series edge over Golden State this season.

As a result, the Warriors will be going to the draft lottery for a 13th time in 14 seasons, probably with the No. 14 selection.

And the Warriors now are a footnote in NBA history: the winningest team not to make the postseason since the league expanded the playoffs to 16 teams in 1983-84.

"We left it on the court, I can tell you that," said Warriors guard Monta Ellis, who had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. "We have no regrets. We went out, played 48 minutes and they won the game. What can you say?"

In Davis' case, not much. After a 2-for-13 shooting performance in 17 minutes in the first half, Davis brushed off reporters, slowing just long enough to say, "Ain't your story."

Fellow captain Stephen Jackson and forward Al Harrington said Davis' anger came from the team's failure to advance, not because he sat for the final 24 minutes.

"Everybody's still frustrated from that Denver game (Thursday, won by the Nuggets), even now," Jackson said. "We feel like we're a playoff team and we didn't make it, so it's definitely bothering guys."

Despite Davis' absence, Jackson scored 16 of his 23 points in the third quarter, when the Warriors outscored the Suns 38-19 to erase a 14-point halftime deficit.

"Who knows what's going on through Coach's mind?" said Jackson, who sat out the second period. "Whatever's going on through his mind, I respect it. I respect everything he says, everything he does. Coach makes the decisions, and we ride with them totally. We're behind him 100 percent."

Don Nelson said he made the move to give Davis "a much-needed rest" and that he didn't bring Davis back because the unit that had erased Phoenix's lead "deserved a chance to keep (the lead) and win the game."

Instead, the Suns closed with a 26-9 rush, wiping away any lingering doubts about the Warriors' inability to hang with the Western Conference's elite in the final month. Amare Stoudemire had 11 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, including two free throws at 2:28 to put the Suns up for good. Shaquille O'Neal finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Steve Nash was just short of a triple-double with 13 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.

The game's peaks and valleys mirrored the arc of the Warriors' season. They went down early, clawed their way back with a furious run, but in the end couldn't close it.

Nelson deviated from what has been his norm for months - squeezing the club's top six players in an attempt to extract every last victory he could. Instead, rookie center Kosta Perovic and Mickael Pietrus entered the game 6 1/2 minutes into the first quarter. The substituting quickly grew more frantic, as Nelson liberally shuttled 10 players in and out, leading to huge games from Kelenna Azubuike (17 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and long-lost Austin Croshere (14 points).

The Warriors opened their biggest lead at 107-96 on a layup by Ellis at the 7:09 mark, but didn't score again for more than three minutes, allowing Phoenix to tie the score at 107.

"Hopefully the city understands that this is a team that was two games over .500 last year and this year we're going to finish 15 or 16 over," Harrington said. "We definitely improved as a team."

Posted by EnySpree:

So wait a sec....Baron is on the Block? am I missing something? If he is, I want him.....the dude is injury prone and old but he wants to win. He dribbles like a he's got that ball on a yo yo, and he understands how to use that to get his teamates open. I want him if he's available.

Posted by djsunyc:

b/c i think he's gone after this season...

Posted by djsunyc:

Posted by nyk4ever:

DJ, you know Diddy is ending up in Toronto right?

BDiddy for Ford/Rasho.

i'll take it...then parlay jose for a SG/SF and now we're talkin...

Posted by nyk4ever:

DJ, would you do it if Nelson required Bargs involved?