In the all-important race for first place in the NBA’s Western Conference at the end of December, the Golden State Warriors enter tonight’s game in Portland just a half game behind the conference-leading Denver Nuggets and tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Thunder are idle tonight, both the Warriors and Nuggets will be on the road tonight with an opportunity to gain a game late in the year as 2019 rapidly approaches.
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For some people — even some members of the Golden State of Mind community, it seems — losing ground more than six months away from the NBA Finals really really matters; somehow, each and every regular season game has become a must-win.