Golden State Warriors: Recapping Their Amazing Road Trip, Looking Into the Future

Jan 8, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after being called for a foul against Brooklyn Nets point guard Shaun Livingston (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of a game at Barclays Center. The Nets defeated the Warriors 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors fell shy of history Wednesday night in Brooklyn, but did have an incredible 6-1 road trip for back to back seasons, something which many other teams have failed to do.

Although a fan may be heartbroken over this tragedy of losing on the last night of trip, on a back end of a back-to-back, the bigger picture is that the Warriors won six of seven games and should have no reason to be looking down or drooping their heads. Now, they get to return to “Roaracle” and please their fans, who will likely give them a roaring ovation.

The first game featured the Warriors tipping off in Cleveland. The Dubs faced adversity with an early deficit, but they were able to climb back into the game, eventually take the lead, and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime. There were a few scary moments, like Kyrie Irving‘s game-tying 3-pointer, but eventually, the hero, Stephen Curry, drilled a fadeaway jump shot to put Golden State up by four with just a few seconds left. That really sealed the victory and elevated the Warriors’ confidence.

As the road trip progressed, the Warriors headed to Orlando, an arena in which they lost in last year’s road trip, their only loss of the trip. This time, however, the reserves took over with a 13-point lead, finished the game, and ensured another Warrior victory on New Year’s Eve, where the Warriors have one of the better records in the NBA the past decade.

Who was up next? Only the two-time defending champions: Miami Heat.

Via ESPN, 3 percent of the entire nation chose the Warriors in the contest and the Warriors won the ballgame. Leading for most of the game, the Warriors kept their composure, calm dispositions and kept shooting the ball at an incredible percentage, and were able to escape with a win. LeBron James and the rest of his team tipped their hats to Curry in awe of his shooting display. He stuffed the stat sheet with 36 points and 12 assists.

The Warriors then ventured to Atlanta to face the Hawks, where most predicted they would lose their first game and snap their streak. Unfortunately for Atlanta, the Warriors overcame offensive issues in the fourth quarter, erased a 15-point deficit, and Andre Iguodala drilled a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to win the ball game 101-100. The streak was still alive.

On to Washington! In the nation’s capital, the Dubs faced off with the Wizards, who had been surprisingly hot, despite their small-name team and market. For most of the game, the Warriors and the Wizards played a very close game. Starting the third, however, the Dubs exploded for a huge run, and never looked back. Led by Klay Thompson, who scored 26 points, the Warriors kept their perfect road trip alive.

No game in the NBA is a guaranteed win and for the first half of the sixth game, the Warriors appeared to be falling to the worst in the NBA in the Milwaukee Bucks. Again, after halftime, the Warriors turned up the heat, going on a 29-12 run taking the lead and sealing the victory early. All the hype surrounded them about the possibility of breaking an NBA record: the first team in NBA history to win all seven games on a seven-game trip. Pretty exciting!

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Brooklyn was more than ready for the Dubs. After building a 32-16 lead in the first quarter, Brooklyn attacked back and took a 7-point lead entering half time. The Warriors made up for it in the third quarter, retaking the lead, but were outscored by 5 in the fourth, leading to a Brooklyn victory, and the Warriors fell short of history.

Now, looking forward, Warrior fans have plenty to be excited about. First of all, 13 of the next 18 games are at home and although the Warriors face tough teams such as the Indiana Pacers, they will be very winnable games, simply because they boast one of the best crowds in the NBA today, based on the 2013 playoffs.

As of now, the Warriors stand sixth in the West. Before their 10-game winning streak, however, they stood at just 14-13, a record not sufficient for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. Suddenly, they shocked the league. They’ve played the most road games, the least home games and the most games in total in the NBA. They’ve had a hectic start to the season and now things are beginning to slow down a little bit.

They have the opportunity to play some basketball at home, where they are lethal at 11-4. They should continue put W’s on the board and attack the standings. Right now, they must utilize the next five to six weeks, as Chris Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers’ star point guard, has injured his shoulder and will sit for an extended period of time.