In back-to-back games, the Golden State Warriors have toppled the Western Conference’s two best teams in a statement that will have the league shook for round one of the NBA Playoffs. As their great play-by-play crew said on Tuesday night, the Dubs just went ‘Beast Mode’ on the top teams in the West.
The Golden State Warriors have proven they will be a nightmare matchup after a beast-like run through the Western Conference’s best teams.
We will start with their win over the Utah Jazz. Fresh off a 49 point performance over Oklahoma City, Stephen Curry again erupted for 36 points as the Dubs closed out a three-point victory. Kent Bazemore came up huge with 19 points while Jordan Poole was a flamethrower off the bench with his seventh 20 point night of the season.
One night later, the Warriors took on the Phoenix Suns who sit with 48 wins and the second-best record in the West. Things looked dreary as the Dubs were ice cold from the 3-point line for the entire game, with Curry finishing 1-for-11 from deep. However, through grit, determination and a massive 38 points from Andrew Wiggins, the Dubs squeaked out another win and further cemented themselves as the eighth seed.
We can not give enough praise for Wiggins. He has played relentless defense and given consistent effort on offense all season long. Wiggins has absolutely bought into the Dubs’ system and is doing everything asked of him. This performance was indicative of the hustle Wiggins has shown all year long.
In fact, his game against Phoenix was the pinnacle of Warriors basketball in 2020-21. With their backs against the wall, the Dubs scratched and clawed their way to a victory. Even when Curry himself couldn’t get going, the rest of the team stepped up and made timely plays to get the job done.
The Dubs have now won four straight games and hold one of the best records in the association since the All-Star break.
This level of cohesion is something the Warriors didn’t have a few months ago. The team has clearly broken through their ceiling and is ready to play their best basketball heading into the playoffs.
Assuming they take care of business in the Play-In Tournament, I don’t think any team will be looking forward to playing the Warriors in round one of the playoffs.