As the Golden State Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 118-104 on Friday night, a massive weight was lifted off of their shoulders.
Not only did the Warriors break their nine-game losing streak against the Nuggets, having lost their last matchup even with Denver missing their three best players, but they also have now pulled within half a game of earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
With Golden State having been mired in mediocrity for much of the season, Jimmy Butler's arrival and the play of the team's youngsters have now made what once seemed impossible into a very tangible reality.
However, as the Warriors look toward their matchup on Sunday night against the Houston Rockets, they must see it as one final step through the gauntlet in which a win will cement them as true championship contenders.
Warriors must complete their Western Conference rout
Following the Houston matchup, Golden State will have completed their toughest stretch of the entire season, facing off against every team ahead of them in the conference standings apart from the one-seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
While the Warriors are 21-4 in games in which Butler has played, having stacked together multiple impressive win streaks, their two losses during Stephen Curry's absence due to injury, against the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat, brought much doubt back into fans' minds concerning the team's postseason viability.
Yet, after beating the Memphis Grizzlies and winning a massive back-to-back set against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nuggets, the Warriors have now proven that, even with some wear and tear, they can beat almost any team in the Western Conference -- a scary thought for their potential playoff opponents.
The Rockets, having won 14 of their last 15 games, stand as the two-seed in the Western Conference and as a formidable closing matchup for this gruelling week. Over their past 15, the Rockets have the third best net rating in the NBA and have averaged 122.2 points over that span.
Yet Golden State has shown their resilience once again over these past few games, demonstrating that they can keep up with any team in defensive intensity and offensive explosiveness. These are Houston's two greatest assets, and if the Warriors can continue to get star performances out of Butler and Curry, this could easily be a massive win for the team.
Given the fact that Golden State has an easier schedule from here on out, with matchups against the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers to close out the season, this game could finalize their case for being considered true contenders and lead them on a strong note into the playoffs.