Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. Again, in the West, that’s a product of how good the top of the conference is, particularly the record-setting Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, now the third choice for the title at +350 after going a stout 67-15 in the regular season. The amount of sheer focus and indomitable will required to win 89.024 percent of your games, while each and every opponent gives you its best shot along the way – I don’t see it ever happening again.
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Golden State have been compared to those Michael Jordan-led Bulls all season long, with many former greats proclaiming the Warriors could not have stood the test of past eras. Once the whistle was blown, the outcome was never really in doubt, but the team still managed to wring momentary drama out of Stephen Curry’s pursuit of four hundred three-pointers. “We’ve got one of them in our locker room”.
Outside of the 1985 Bears, the Bulls in the ’90s are the most revered team in Chicago sports history, especially the 1995-1996 team that went 72-10 in the regular season and set a record for most wins in a season. And Coach Steve Kerr is the steward of this group that has changed the game. “We’re defending champs. When you’re the favorite, it’s a little different dynamic”.
Bogut’s team is only the second to pass 70 wins since the National Basketball Association schedule went to 81 games in the mid-1960s and one of only 19 teams to pass 65 wins.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Warriors will be at less than full engine power for the early tip-off on Saturday, though that would be relatively understandable given the energy expended over the last few weeks. Wright signed with the Heat as a free agent on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, a long-expected move that couldn’t be executed until some logistical issues related to him playing in China this season were completed.
What did winning 73 games do for Golden State?
When the final buzzer sounded, Green bounded onto the floor and grabbed the game ball as confetti streamed down and “73 WINS” appeared on the scoreboard.
What has happened is that Curry and fellow guard Klay Thompson, possibly the best long-range bombers in the game, usually look for the open man, and whoever ends up with the ball feels he is trusted to take a big shot. “Whether the atmosphere was there or not, on the court it felt like playoff intensity for the majority of our games”. We wanted every person who purchased with us the opportunity to have a piece which was special for the moment.
Houston had to play it out until the end too, needing a win in the regular season finale just to clinch the playoffs.
Golden State and sharpshooter Stephen Curry spoiled James’ script in last season’s NBA Finals when they overcame a 2-1 series deficit to won the championship in six games on Cleveland’s home court.
On their way to the 2011 championships, the Mavericks beat Oklahoma City in five games in the Western Conference finals, but Durant and OKC turned things around the following year by completely sweeping the Texas side in the first round. “We’ve got a lot of tickets out there in the 25- to 30-1 range”. James averaged 28.4 points, eight rebounds and 8.5 assists while shooting 63 percent in his last 10 games – sitting out the Cavs’ season-ending loss to Detroit in a preview of their first-round clash with the Pistons. The Warriors offense, which ranks first in the league, will be a huge matchup nightmare for the Rockets. Leading the way is Curry, who shattered his single-season mark of 286 by hitting 402.
For context, no player in National Basketball Association history had ever made 300 in a season before this year. He struggled after that as the Warriors mixed in the bigger Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes defensively. Teammate Jason Terry says Beverly can even pester his own teammates.
“Even on the bus”, Terry said. “It’s Patrick. He’s always going to get under people’s skin”.
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This year, the Rockets just barely got in because of the Kings tanking their last game and the Warriors are looking to roll through Houston as quickly as possible to get rest. That leaves both teams with only one real day of practice and no shootaround before the opener.
