Road Warriors.
After blowing out their initial chance to close out Friday in San Francisco, Golden State saved their best for the last game of their series against the Sacramento Kings, pulling off an astounding 120-100 victory to be able to advance to the Conference Semis on Sunday for the continuation of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Stephen Curry served as the primary reason for the Dubs’ Game 7 triumph, as he added another memorable performance in his illustrious career – becoming unconscious for over 37 minutes that allowed him to register a godly 50 points in a 20-of-38 shooting (7-of-18 threes). He also had eight boards and six assists to add up on his historic show that left the jam-packed Golden 1 Center stunned.
The reigning Finals MVP now holds the scoring record for a Game 7 in the history of the playoffs, surpassing former teammate Kevin Durant who churned 48 in a losing effort for the Brooklyn Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks last 2021. Curry also tied legendary power forward Karl Malone for the most points in a postseason game at age 35 or older (h/t ESPN’s Stats & Info).
In a pivotal, do-or-die night where Klay Thompson (4-19), Andrew Wiggins (5-16), and Jordan Poole (3-9) struggled shooting the basketball, Curry ascended and channelled his greatness to carry the Warriors moving to the next round. He got plenty of help from Kevon Looney, who had a massive 11-point, 21-board performance.
Golden State’s entry to the second-round added another achievement for the low-seeded teams in this year’s playoffs. For the first time in history, one of each seed (1-8) advanced to the Conference Semifinals. This also marks the first time that all underdog clubs have booked their spot in the next stage.
Prior to the Warriors’ Game 7 win over the third-seeded Kings, there were already a handful of upsets amongst low-seeded teams. The eight-placed Miami Heat overwhelmed the top-seed Milwaukee Bucks in a historic upset. The Los Angeles Lakers, ranked seventh in the Western Conference board, dismantled the top-two Memphis Grizzlies last Friday via six games.
As they were heavily tested and pushed to seven games by a Sacramento team that exceeded expectations all year long, the Warriors will now face a familiar foe in LeBron James who led the Lakers to the Conference Semifinals. This serves as the first time since 1987 that a sixth and seventh-seed will battle in a postseason series.
Golden State will welcome Los Angeles for a star-studded showdown starting on Tuesday’s Game 1 in Chase Center.
