The Warriors got the better of Russell Westbrook and the Thunder on Saturday night.
In addition to securing an impressive 110-88 road win without Kevin Durant, Golden State held Westbrook to just seven points on 2-of-16 shooting, and provoked multiple emotional reactions out of Oklahoma City's star point guard.
One of those reactions resulted in Westbrook being assessed a technical foul, his 16th of the season. That earned Westbrook an automatic one-game suspension, which he will serve Monday night when the Thunder host the Heat.
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That's relevant to the Warriors for a couple reasons.
For one, particularly with Golden State's victory Saturday, the chances that the Warriors could face Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs appear greater than they did two weeks ago. The Thunder (42-28) have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA, and currently sit just two games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth seed in the West.
If Oklahoma City loses to Miami on Monday, that possibility becomes even more likely.
Golden State Warriors
Additionally, Westbrook's automatic suspension presents a good time to review Draymond Green's status as it relates to technical fouls. With 14 games remaining on Golden State's regular-season schedule, Green currently has 14 technical fouls on the season. That means he would have to accrue at least two more technicals in the remaining 14 games in order to be suspended.
The technical foul counts reset at the start of the playoffs, so Green's slate will be swiped clean approximately a month of now. Players earn an automatic one-game suspension after their seventh postseason technical.
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With only one game currently separating the Warriors and the Denver Nuggets for the top record in the West, it would behoove Green to avoid an automatic suspension.
Golden State certainly hopes he can avoid one in the playoffs as well.