Golden State Warriors: This Season was Golden State’s All Along
By Marc Grandi
Matchups
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into the postseason, it was well-known that the San Antonio Spurs posed the biggest threat to the Golden State Warriors. The Spurs were the defending champions and one of only two teams that had beaten the Warriors in Oakland in the regular season. San Antonio also defeated the Warriors in late-season matchup that saw Kawhi Leonard dominate and stifle Curry. If the two teams met in the postseason (it would have been in the Western Conference Finals because of the seeding), the Spurs would not be lacking confidence.
However, the two teams never faced off. Thanks to a stroke of luck and some ingenuity from Chris Paul and the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs lost their opening-round series in seven games.
After the Warriors defeated the Grizzlies in the Western Conference Semifinals, it seemed as if NBA fans would be treated to an all-Pacific Division series for the Western Conference crown. While Golden State very well may have beaten the Clippers, the Rockets posed a smaller threat.
Los Angeles led Houston three games to one and miraculously, the Basketball Gods — just as they had been doing for much of the season — acted in favor of the Warriors. For only the ninth time in NBA history, a team overcame a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.
Remarkable.
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