OAKLAND, Calif. _ So this is what life is like with the Warriors without any All-Stars.
The Warriors labored through a 110-91 loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Oracle Arena, without any luxury to rely on stellar scoring (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant) or stellar defense (Draymond Green). The Warriors fielded a starting backcourt that features an emerging player that had mostly spent time in the G-League this season (Quinn Cook) and an inconsistent shooter that calls himself "Swaggy P" (Nick Young).
Yet, the Warriors viewed this outcome with a collective shrug for practical reasons. They do not have their star players in uniform. The Warriors (54-19) also have pretty firm position for the No. 2 spot over the Portland Trail Blazers (45-28).
"These games are obviously not critical," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said beforehand. "We're going to be the 2 seed."
The Warriors might not be the No. 2 seed with a healthy Stephen Curry. Though Curry wants to prove otherwise, Kerr said "there's no way he's playing in the first round of the playoffs" after suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee.
While the Warriors wait patiently before reevaluating Curry in three weeks, the Warriors struggled with other ailments to their other other All-Stars in Green (flu), Durant (ribs) and Thompson (right thumb). Warriors guard Omri Casspi (sprained right ankle) and Chris Boucher (sprained left ankle) also sat out.
Kerr pleaded for Warriors fans not to worry too much, though. Kerr projected Green and Durant will play either at home on Tuesday (Indiana) or Thursday (Milwaukee). Kerr added Thompson "is coming along well" and should return shortly after this week.
Against Utah though, all of those absences contributed to various struggles. Cook (17 points) and Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (12) marked the lone players to crack double digits. The Warriors shot only 41.8 percent from the field. Once Utah took a 25-24 lead with 10:07 lead left in second quarter, the Warriors never led again.
The Warriors had lost to Utah (42-32) on Jan. 30, 129-99, but the Warriors attached those reasons to apathy and lack of intensity. The Warriors lost to Utah on Sunday because it fielded a starting lineup featuring Cook, Young, Patrick McCaw, Kevon Looney and JaVale McGee instead of their four All-Stars. Iguodala and Shaun Livingston stayed put as reserves.
"I want Shaun and Andre's minutes limited and in the same roles or similar roles they're in during the playoffs. I'm not going to chase different lineups and involve them in the starting group. I'll keep them in their same roles, if we can."
