The number of potential opponents for the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs dropped from six to four Tuesday night when they were clobbered, 119-79, by Utah at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
That scratches the Jazz and the Thunder off the list for the No. 7 seed.
Still in play: the Spurs, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Pelicans.
All four candidates play Wednesday night, after which matchups will be determined and the Warriors will discover which team is coming to Oracle Arena this weekend.
Whereas Utah (48-33) is playing for seeding, the Warriors, who finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, are locked into the No. 2 seed.
STANDOUT PERFORMER: In a season with numerous dreadful performances by their standard, this was the worst, though that has to be tempered by the insignificance of the game.
It’s notable, though, that Klay Thompson, in scoring a team-high 23 points, finished the season with an average of 20.0 points per game.
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That, along with the scoring averages of Durant (26.6) and Curry (26.4), makes the Warriors the fourth team in NBA history to have three scorers average at least 20 points in back-to-back seasons and the first since the Seattle SuperSonics in 1986-87 and 1987-88.
TURNING POINT: The Jazz didn’t wait long to take charge. And the Warriors wait to allow it.
The Warriors never led, as Utah sprinted out to a 23-9 lead with 4:57 remaining in the first quarter and maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the night.
The Jazz won the season series, 3-1, but was particularly potent in Salt Lake City, as the Warriors took a 129-99 loss there on Jan. 30.
INJURY UPDATE: Warriors: C Damian Jones (L mid-foot sprain) was listed as probable and upgraded to available prior to tipoff. G Stephen Curry (L MCL sprain), G/F Andre Iguodala (L knee soreness) and G Pat McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) were listed as out.
Jazz: G Thabo Sefolosha (R knee surgery) was listed as out.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Warriors return to the Bay Area late Tuesday night and await notice of their opponent in the first round of the playoffs. That will be determined Wednesday night, with Game 1 coming either Saturday or Sunday.
