Spurs vs Warriors NBA Pick: Popovich vs Kerr As Regular Season Closes (Apr 9)

• The Spurs lost 109-100 to the Blazers, marking their third straight defeat.
• The Warriors are coming off a 133-95 win over the Suns.
• These two teams last met on Mar. 11, Golden State edged out San Antonio 113-108.

The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs meet on Apr. 9 at Chase Center, but these franchises are in very different stages of the season—and their trajectories. The Warriors are locked in a tense battle for playoff seeding in the West, while the Spurs continue to rebuild and close out a challenging season without their franchise cornerstone, Victor Wembanyama. Golden State can’t afford a slip-up against a depleted San Antonio team, but Gregg Popovich’s squad has played spoiler before.

The Spurs Are Looking Towards Next Season

The Spurs (32-47) are firmly out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference and now playing purely for player development and momentum heading into the offseason.

Without Victor Wembanyama—who was ruled out for the season in February due to a right shoulder deep vein thrombosis—the team is missing its defensive anchor and top scorer (24.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG). Also missing from the lineup are Jeremy Sochan (back), De’Aaron Fox (finger), and rookie forward Riley Minix (shoulder surgery).

Tre Jones has emerged as a bright spot in Wemby’s absence, running the point with increased confidence and distributing well in the pick-and-roll. Still, the lack of interior defense and scoring punch has severely limited the Spurs, especially against playoff-caliber opponents.

While the Spurs likely won’t be competitive in the standings, they’ll use this opportunity against Golden State to test their younger rotation players in a hostile road environment.

Warriors Look Poised Headed To Playoffs

The Warriors (47-32) are currently battling for the 5th–7th seeds in a packed Western Conference standings race, where one loss can dramatically impact playoff seeding. They made a statement in their last outing, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 133-95 at Chase Center, behind 25 points from Steph Curry

Golden State is riding a three-game winning streak and has won six of its last eight.

Steve Kerr’s squad is clicking offensively, and their ball movement and spacing are peaking at the right time. The Warriors currently rank top-10 in three-point percentage (37.7%) and are averaging over 117 points per game during their last five contests.

With playoff implications on the line, expect the Warriors to come out focused. A win over San Antonio could help them avoid the play-in altogether and secure a top-six seed. But any complacency could open the door to a trap game scenario.

San Antonio Spurs vs Golden State Warriors Pick

The stakes are all on Golden State’s side as they push to lock up a favorable playoff position. San Antonio, riddled with injuries, is simply trying to play spoiler. Expect the Warriors to handle business at home behind Steph Curry and their now-deep rotation. The only variable? How quickly they put the Spurs away. If they come out hot, this could be over early.