For Warriors, price of being good is paid in travel mileage

SAN ANTONIO — The Warriors' postgame sandwich spread remained largely untouched 30 minutes after the final buzzer sounded on their 107-85 loss Saturday night to the Spurs. In that visiting locker room at AT&T Center, rookie guard Patrick McCaw — fresh off an 0-for-12 dud — stared blankly at the floor as assistant coach Willie Green spoke to him in hushed tones. Across the room sat Kevon Looney, who, after a 1-for-8 night that included a missed dunk attempt, thumbed through his iPhone in silence. By resting Curry, Thompson, Green and Iguodala in a nationally televised game against their Western-Conference rival, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr sent an emphatic message to the league: No TV ratings or disgruntled fans will trump his duty to prioritize the health of his players. Though geography ensures that the Warriors will always be one of the league's most traveled clubs, they are enduring certain repercussions for being must-watch TV. Because national TV games must be jammed into specific days of the week (Thursdays for TNT; Saturdays and Sundays for ESPN and ABC), the NBA has limited flexibility when crafting team schedules. Of the five NBA teams this season to...