SURELY, it was a mind-boggling for them to register the best-ever record in National Basketball Association (NBA) regular-season history at 73-9, eclipsing the old mark of 72-10 set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team that went on to capture the first of their second set of “three-peat” league championships.
And it also was stunning for them to become the first team ever to go through a regular campaign without enduring any back-to-back (consecutive) losses and post the best single-season road card in league annals at 34-7.
All of those accomplishments, though, may easily be forgotten if they do not reach the mountain top in the ongoing playoffs and secure the Larry O’Brien hardware for a second consecutive title. “It don’t mean a thing without the ring,” as the saying goes.
And that’s the mindset of the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors are bringing into the 16-team, four-tier NBA playoffs that begun last Sunday (Manila time). As the top overall seeds, the Dubs will be enjoying homecourt advantage (or hosting Game Seven assuming a series goes to the maximum) throughout the postseason.
Sixteen playoff victories are all that it takes to snare the NBA crown – four in each of the four best-of-seven series (first round, conference semifinals, conference finals and NBA Finals). Said Warriors phenom and NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry, who during the regulars reset his own NBA single-season record for three-pointers made with 402 (out of a league-record 886 attempts, a .454 clip), shattering his old mark of 286 in 2014-15, and currently owns a streak of 152 consecutive regular games of at least one three-pointer (easily eclipsing Atlanta’s Kyle Korver’s 127 straight (Nov. 4, 2013 to March 2, 2014): “We have the opportunity to win 16 games and can accomplish that goal and do it all. It would suck to not finish the job off.”
Win No. 1 is now in the books as the Warriors shellacked the No. 8-seeded Houston Rockets, 104-78, in their first-round series opener at the Oracle Arena last Sunday (MT). The 6-3 Curry, who averaged a seven-year career-high 30.1 points a game this season, knocked in all of his 24 points (five threes, 8-for-13 from the field) in the first half while playing about 20 minutes.
What’s bothersome is that Curry, who has had a history of ankle injuries early in his pro career, tweaked his right ankle just before halftime. The 41-41 Rockets, who fell to the Warriors in five games in last year’s West final playoffs, were hampered by ice-cold shooting as the league’s No. 2 scorer James Harden (29.0 ppg) was held to a measly 17 points and did not have a free-throw attempt.
It’s uncertain whether Curry would be available for action when the Warriors again host Game two on Tuesday (MT). Health will play a pivotal role in the Golden State’s title-retention quest. Any major injury to Curry, his backcourt mate Klay Thompson or the league’s No. 2 triple-double getter Draymond Green (13 T-Ds) can be devastating.
The Warriors were relatively injury-free during the playoffs a year ago when they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2, in the NBA Finals with a small-ball strategy and captured their first NBA diadem since 1975. Here are the other first-round series results so far (and our predictions):
EAST
1-Cleveland (57-25) vs. 8-Detroit (44-38), Kyrie Irving netted 31 points, Kevin Love chalked 28 points and 13 rebounds and LeBron James added 22 points and 11 assists as Cavs survived a tightly-contested Game 1, 106-101; April 21 (MT) Game 2 at Cleveland; Forecast: Cleveland in 5.
2-Toronto (56-26) vs. No. 7-Indiana (45-37), comeback Paul George had 33 points as Pacers stole homecourt advantage, 100-90, in Game 1; April 19 Game 2 at Toronto; Forecast: Toronto in 6.
3-Miami (48-34) vs. 6-Charlotte (48-34), Heat took series opener, 123-91, behind Sudan-born Luol Deng’s 31 points and NBA shot-blocking champion Hassan Whiteside’s 21 points and 11 boards in his playoff debut; April 21 (MT) Game 2 at Miami; Forecast: Charlotte in 6.
4-Atlanta (48-34) vs. 5-Boston (48-34), Hawks secured Game 1, 102-101; April 20 (MT) Game 2 at Atlanta; Forecast: Boston in 7 (Celtics guard Avery Bradley is out for the remainder of the series after suffering a right hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Game 1).
WEST
2-San Antonio (franchise-best 67-15) vs. 7-Memphis (42-40), Spurs grabbed series opener, 106-74; behind Kawhi Leonard’s 20 points; April 20 (MT) Game 2 at San Antonio; Forecast: San Antonio in 4 (Grizzlies are without starters Marc Gasol and Mike Conley for the playoffs due to injuries and the team suffered its worst playoff defeat ever).
3-Oklahoma City (55-27) vs. 6-Dallas (42-40), Triple-double king Russell Westbrook (Thunder 18-0 in his 18 T-D games) collected 24 points and 11 assists and sidekick Kevin Durant contributed 23 scores as OKC secured Game 1, 108-70; April 19 (MT) Game 2 at OKC; Forecast: OKC in 5.
4-Los Angeles Clippers (53-29) vs. 5-Portland (44-38) Clippers crushed the Trail Blazers, 115-95, in Game One behind Chris Paul’s 28 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin’s 19 points, 12 boards and six assists and DeAndre Jordan’s 18 scores, 12 rebounds and four blocks; April 21 (MT) Game 2 at LAC; Forecast: LAC in 5 (Clippers court general Paul has carried a big load for much of the season and fellow star Griffin apparently is back in the groove after missing more than 40 games due to injuries and a controversy-related suspension; of last year’s starting five, only Blazers playmaker de luxe Damian Lillard has returned to Rain City).