With five games remaining and only one more loss to work with, the week that the Golden State Warriors have been waiting for is finally here, and only one thing stands between them and the NBA's single-season wins record: the San Antonio Spurs ... twice.
In addition to the highly-anticipated showdowns between the NBA's top-two teams, the rest of the playoff race is intensifying from top to bottom, and we have the five marquee matchups that you won't want to miss as we near the final chapter of the 2015-16 NBA season.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors
When: Tuesday, April 5 at 10:30 pm ET on TNT
Season series: Golden State leads 2-0
The matchup: You know how we said the only thing that stands between the Warriors and the coveted 73 single-season wins is the Spurs? Not so fast. Sure, the Timberwolves may have the NBA's fifth worst record and are once again destined for the draft lottery, but the last time these two teams met, the Warriors snuck away with a five-point victory in a game that went down to the wire. Will the young and inexperienced T'Wolves be able to pull off an upset for the ages? Probably not. But regardless, the Warriors are as must-see TV as they've ever been, and their week of reckoning starts here.
Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks
When: Wednesday, April 6 at 9:30 pm ET on ESPN
Season series: Houston leads 2-1
The matchup: The battle at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff standings is as tight as it's ever been, and the Rockets and Mavericks just so happen to be two of those teams. The Mavericks start the week in seventh place with a 39-38 record, while the Rockets sit in ninth at 38-39. Needless to say, this should be a closely fought battle with monumental playoff implications.
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat
When: Thursday, April 7 at 8 pm ET on TNT
Season series: Miami leads 3-0
The matchup: At 44-32, Miami is a lock for a postseason appearance after falling short last season for the first time in six years. The Bulls can hardly say the same, as they head into the week with a 39-38 record which, if the playoffs began today, would keep them out. Wins against Memphis on Tuesday and Miami on Thursday could put the Bulls within arms reach of the eighth-place Detroit Pistons (41-36, 3-1 in season series), but the the postseason window is closing, and it's closing quickly.
San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors
When: Thursday, April 7 at 10:30 pm ET on TNT
Season series: Tied 1-1
The matchup: The matchup itself will likely have no impact on the postseason (Warriors 4 1/2 games ahead of Spurs), but let's be honest, does that really matter? It's not every day that the two best teams in the NBA (and two of the best teams in league history) go head-to-head in early April, only to set the plate for their fourth and final matchup just two days later. Tony Parker thinks Gregg Popovich will rest his starters, but nevertheless, this will be a game — and a week — for the ages as far as the NBA record books are concerned.
Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs
When: Sunday, April 10 at 7 pm ET on NBA TV
Season series: Tied 1-1 (at the start of the week)
The matchup: If the rest of the week plays out in Golden State's favor, a Sunday night victory would solidify them as the NBA's winningest team of all-time in a single season. The problem is, the Spurs haven't lost a game at the AT&T Center since March 12 of 2015 ... Yeah, it doesn't get any better than this.
Follow AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK
