Warriors Clinch Top Seed in Western Conference with Win vs. Spurs

The Golden State Warriors earned a 112-101 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, thus clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Four starters scored in double figures for the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, who had 27 points and nine assists. Harrison Barnes had 21 points as Golden State became the second team ever to reach 70 wins in a season.

With the win, the top four seeds in the Western Conference have been set, per Matt Moore of CBS Sports:

The 70-9 Warriors became the quickest team to earn a playoff berth this year, doing so Feb. 27. It's surprising they had to wait this long to claim the top spot, which is a testament to San Antonio's consistency. In another year, fans would probably be discussing the 65-13 Spurs as a historically dominant team.

While the reigning NBA champions know their playoff seeding, their first-round matchup is unclear. Three teams are within two games of the eighth spot:

Seed	Team	Record	GB	Warriors Head-to-Head
7th	Dallas Mavericks	40-38	29	3-1
8th	Utah Jazz	39-39	30	4-0
----	Houston Rockets	38-41	31	3-0

Of course, Golden State will be heavily favored to advance to the second round no matter who its first-round opponent is. The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets or Utah Jazz could take a game or two off the Warriors, but none will likely be able to beat them over a seven-game series.

With Golden State guaranteed to be the No. 1 seed, the focus will shift to the team's pursuit of 73 wins. Following surprising defeats to the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves over the past week, the Warriors have to win their remaining three games to supplant the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls in the history books.

In early March, head coach Steve Kerr told ESPN's Marc J. Spears, then working for Yahoo Sports, that he would rest players ahead of the playoffs even if it meant jeopardizing the record. He clarified his stance March 24, though, per ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss:

"

It's the players who are setting a record. It's not the organization. It's the players who are doing it. So they will absolutely have some say in matters down the stretch in terms of how we approach everything. But again, we could lose the next couple games, and all that's thrown out the window.

I know they want to get it. So we'll act accordingly. If the players want to go and they're fine physically, we'll probably play them.

"

On one hand, locking up the No. 1 seed gives the Warriors added incentive to take their foot off the gas in preparation for the postseason. Nothing they do in their remaining regular-season games will impact their place in the standings.

Then again, Golden State might never be in position to win 73 games again, and the 1995-96 Bulls are the only other team in NBA history to win 70-plus games.

The Warriors have road games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Spurs before they welcome the Grizzlies to Oakland to wrap up the regular season April 13.