The Warriors secured more than a berth in the Western Conference semifinals when they swept Portland in the first round. They afforded themselves time to rest and prepare, a scarce commodity during the grind of an 82-game regular season.
Three days after its Game 4 victory over the Trail Blazers, Golden State is still waiting to learn which team it’ll face next. Utah, up 3-2 on the Clippers, hosts Game 6 on Friday night. If the Jazz win that game, they’ll see the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Sunday. If Utah loses Friday, extending its first-round series to seven games, Golden State will host Game 1 of the conference semifinals Tuesday.