They may have held only a light practice, but the Warriors were nevertheless pretty successful Friday; Golden State couldn’t have scripted a better pair of outcomes than having the Lakers beat the Hornets and the Rockets knock off the Suns.

Phoenix is now all but cemented in the No. 6 spot, so their motivation against the Warriors on Monday may slacken.

Houston, meanwhile, is still right in the thick of the race for home-court advantage — and just a game behind No. 1 New Orleans — giving them plenty of reason to knock off Denver on Sunday, which is pretty much a necessity for the Warriors to sneak into the postseason.

Now it’s up to the Warriors to do their part.

** Something to watch for: Mickael Pietrus is suffering from tendonitis in his left knee, something that flared up during his rehab for the right groin/hamstring strain that cost him nine games. He said it’s nothing major, but it can’t be helping him regain his natural athleticism.

– Geoff