Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

Forced Game 7 sums up Golden State Warriors’ rollercoaster season

By Peter O'Keefe

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Klay Thompson #1 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors sit on the bench at the end of their loss to Sacramento Kings in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Chase Center on April 28, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Klay Thompson #1 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors sit on the bench at the end of their loss to Sacramento Kings in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Chase Center on April 28, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Coming off an NBA championship and a successful pre-season trip to Japan, everything seemed right at the Golden State Warriors. Then, seemingly out of nowhere from an external perspective, Draymond Green king hit Jordan Poole in a training session two weeks out from the season.

So begun the start of a season that’s never truly derailed, nor really gathered serious momentum. When the Warriors looked like overcoming the Sacramento Kings after a 0-2 deficit, it only feels appropriate that the series now goes to a Game 7.

The Game 6 loss to the Sacramento Kings, and this series in general, sums up the Golden State Warriors’ turbulent season to date.

After three-straight wins including a crucial one on the road in Game 5, Golden State were heavy favorites to close out the series on Friday. They entered with an imposing 35-8 record at Chase Center, including 14-1 in their last 15 at home.

But instead of getting the job done like almost all versions of this team during the dynastic era, the Warriors capitulated against a young Kings team. They got run out of their own building as Sacramento took a comfortable 118-99 victory.

A disappointed Stephen Curry during the Golden State Warriors’ Game 6 loss. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
A disappointed Stephen Curry during the Golden State Warriors’ Game 6 loss. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

In a rollercoaster of emotions that Golden State have provided fans this season, it was simply another unexpected turn few thought possible. Perhaps they could lose a close one on their home floor — they nearly did in Game 4 when Harrison Barnes had a shot at the buzzer to give Sacramento a 3-1 lead. But to be completely dismantled over the final three periods? That seemed implausible even for Kings fans hoping to see a Game 7.

Believing in the ‘championship and playoff experience’ is an element that swings from game-to-game, much like the overall perspective on the Warriors this season. At times they simply haven’t been good enough, and that was again the case on Friday as the optimism slowly drained from the building.

Next. Warriors fail to answer Kings’ major shift as series heads to Game 7. dark

We can argue for and against Golden State’s chances heading into Game 7, but the truth is that there’s an unpredictability on this season that goes beyond the general realms that sport entails. Game 7 is the best thing in sport, outside the anxiousness and uncertainty that’s brought upon for fans of the teams competing.

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