Warriors win game, lose Andrew Bogut to broken rib

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The Warriors kind of had to feign a postgame celebration Monday after a comeback from 19 points down led to a 130-120 victory over Minnesota that clinched the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.

That's because before the game started, they were dealt a blow that could derail their playoff hopes. Andrew Bogut, the anchor of the league's third-best defense, was ruled out indefinitely after an X-ray revealed a fractured rib on his right side.

The center initially was injured in the first half of Thursday's loss to Denver and then took what might have been a season-ending hit when he was sandwiched between two players in the fourth quarter of Sunday's overtime loss at Portland.

Bogut said the broken rib is too close to his lung - risking a potential puncture - to consider playing through the pain. A fractured rib usually takes about six weeks to fully heal, according to WebMD.com.

"Because of how hard he's worked, how much of a professional he's been and how much he means to this basketball team and our success, it certainly is disappointing," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said.

Draymond Green is excited about his three-pointer in the second half. Draymond Green is excited about his three-pointer in the second half. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Warriors win game, lose Andrew Bogut to broken rib 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

After the Warriors' clinched their first 50-win season since 1993-94 and secured a probable first-round matchup with the Clippers, the players surrounded Jackson and jumped around in a marginal celebration. Los Angeles still can jump Oklahoma City for second place in the West if it beats Denver and Portland, the Thunder lose to Detroit and Memphis finishes eighth.

In any case the playoff matchup probably will unfold without Bogut, who played 67 of the Warriors' first 80 games and averaged 7.3 points on 62.7 percent shooting, 10 rebounds and 1.7 assists. His true impact was seen on defense, where he ranks among the league's best at defending the rim and in overall defensive rating.

Without Bogut, the Warriors most likely will start 35-year-old Jermaine O'Neal. Jackson said using power forwards David Lee, Draymond Green and Marreese Speights will work for stretches depending on matchups, and Festus Ezeli is getting closer to returning from knee surgery.

Of course, nobody can do exactly what Bogut does. He's an excellent hub on offense and one of the team's top two screeners. He's the most vocal defender on the team, the squad's best shot-blocker and a representative of the Warriors' newfound nasty streak.

Bogut said he's having trouble breathing and with any vibration or movement. Even sneezing and driving cause severe pain.

He was paramount in the Warriors' playoffs success last season and was so frustrated about the idea of missing this year's postseason that he joked about completely changing his game.

"I'm going to dedicate the summer to learning how to play while avoiding contact at all costs, I guess - moving out of the way, not taking charges and not trying to block shots," said Bogut, who missed 50 games a season ago while recovering from a microfracture procedure in his ankle and also has had a gruesome elbow injury.

"All of my injuries have been high-impact injuries," he said. "I put my body on the line to try to take a charge or block a shot, and unfortunately, I've been on the tail end of them."

The Warriors didn't even pretend to play defense without their big man in the first quarter, and Kevin Love (40 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists) took advantage. He scored 22 first-quarter points, including 4-for-4 three-point shooting, to lead Minnesota to a season-high 42 first-quarter points and a 14-point lead.

The Timberwolves would lead by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, and some in the Fan Appreciation Night crowd started to boo. Then, Stephen Curry (32 points, 15 assists) hit two of his six first-half three-pointers during a 28-second stretch and found Klay Thompson for a layup to cap a 23-4 run that tied it 55-55 with 2:46 left before the break.

The Warriors were down 85-79 before they reeled off a 12-1 run, which was capped by two free throws from Draymond Green (20 points, 12 rebounds) that gave them a 91-86 lead with 3:42 to play in the third quarter. The Warriors would lead by as many as 12 points and did not trail again.