Warriors, Jazz ready for Game 1 of NBA West semifinals

OAKLAND (AP) -- The Golden State Warriors are set to face off against the Utah Jazz Tuesday night during Game 1 of the Western Conference NBA semifinals.

The Warriors hope to get injured reserves Shaun Livingston and Matt Barnes back from injuries for the second round of the playoffs after getting more than a week off between series.

The Warriors said Saturday that Barnes has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday night's Game 1 and Livingston remains questionable but is hopeful he will be ready to return. Star forward Kevin Durant is expected to be a full go after missing two games and being limited to 20 minutes in Game 4 last round because of a strained left calf.

Barnes has been sidelined since April 8, while Livingston sprained a finger on his right hand in Game 1 of the first-round against Portland.

Golden State begins the second round at home on Tuesday night against the winner of Sunday's Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz. The Warriors have been off since sweeping the Trail Blazers last Monday, giving them more than a week between games.

"I'm trying to make sure I rest it as much as I possibly can, because when I do come back I plan on staying all the way back," Livingston said Saturday. "Hopefully it will be ready for Tuesday."

After taking Tuesday and Thursday off following their first-round sweep, the Warriors practiced for a second straight day Saturday. They plan to practice again on Sunday and then again Monday once they know their second-round opponent.

There is no update on the status of coach Steve Kerr, who missed the final two games of the first round because of complications from two back surgeries. Kerr talks daily with interim coach Mike Brown and took part in coaching meetings Friday but was not at practice on Saturday.

Jazz ready for Warriors

The Utah Jazz are aware of how "dangerous" the Golden State Warriors are, but they’re going into battle with their heads held high, according to the Deseret News.

"The most dangerous part is you can’t choose a most dangerous part,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "There’s so many of them."

The Warriors are stacked with stars such as Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The team won 67 games in the 2016-2017 season, which is six less than its record 73 wins from the previous year, the Deseret News reported.

Analysts and pundits expect the Warriors to win the NBA title.

"They’re one of the most talented teams to take the floor, and it shows," Snyder said. "All you have to do is watch them on film or play them, and you feel it."