Anyone who questions coach Don Nelson's desire to win, even in a hopelessly lost season, obviously wasn't at the Warriors' workout Tuesday.
The second-winningest coach in NBA history welcomed back Monta Ellis to practice with strict instructions from the club's training staff: Don't go too hard on the guy. Almost two hours later, Nelson realized he'd goofed.
"Monta actually did the whole practice today, which probably I wasn't supposed to (do)," Nelson told the media. "It kind of ended up that way."
Ellis, who underwent ankle surgery in August, had been shooting and doing some light conditioning on his own for about a week, then was finally given the go-ahead to mix it up with the team for the first time Tuesday. He was not cleared to play Wednesday, but another workout without complications Thursday and he just might get the green light for Friday's home game against the Hawks.
The fourth-year guard assured Tuesday's longer-than-expected workout didn't do any harm.
"No pain. No swelling. Nothing," he reported. "Right now, (it's not) even the ankle. It's the conditioning work, getting back in the flow of things."
Ellis labeled himself "day-to-day," leaving the door open for a season debut Friday. And when he returns?
Two things: He wants to start and he hasn't given up hope of making the playoffs.
At 11-29 and given Nelson's desire to get Ellis back in the swing of things, the former surely has a lot better chance of occurring than the latter.
KINGS 135, WARRIORS 133 (3 OT): In a battle of attrition, it was almost unfair the team that began the game with four key players out of uniform also had three foul out. But that's exactly what happened to the Warriors, who lost Andris Biedrins, Corey Maggette and C.J. Watson long before John Salmons' game-winning jumper with 1.6 seconds remaining in the third overtime. How lean were the Warriors on available talent? Jamal Crawford rested just three of the game's 63 minutes, and Kelenna Azubuike played 51 minutes despite starting the game on the bench.
