In Game 7 win, Warriors prove they have what it takes to make a deep run
Golden State Warriors relish Game 7 opportunity and prove they still got it
>Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) hi-fives teammate Stephen
Curry (30) during the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Western
Conference first-round playoffs at Golden One Center in Sacramento,
Calif., on Sunday, April 30, 2023. The Golden State Warriors defeated
the Sacramento Kings 120-100. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 30, 2023 at 6:24 p.m. | UPDATED: April 30, 2023 at
11:15 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/30/in-game-7-win-warriors-prove-they-have-what-it-takes-to-make-a-deep-run/

SACRAMENTO — Steph Curry and Draymond Green wore all black to
Sacramento. It could have been an omen; if the Warriors lose Game 7 in
hostile Sacramento, they’d be well-dressed for the dynasty’s funeral.

Green, Curry and the entire Warriors team heard doubters circling as
their season looked on the brink of a quick demise. Not only would a
Game 7 defeat mark the team’s first first-round elimination in the Steve
Kerr era, it’d bring an onslaught of speculation that the dynasty had
seen its final minutes.

The Warriors made it clear from tip-off on Sunday afternoon that the end
— of this season, and the dynasty — is nowhere near.

It’s no coincidence that the words “Trophy Hunting” were etched in white
thread on Curry’s black cotton hooded sweater. After becoming the first
player in NBA history to score 50 points in a Game 7, it became clear
Curry and his teammates have more trophies to hunt and steam to run on
in their ninth playoff appearance over the last decade — despite the
miles on their legs.

“To do this for a decade, it’s incredible,” Kerr said. “The energy it
takes to fight off challengers year after year and have to prepare to
win big games and doing it over again. There’s a reason these guys are
Hall of Famers.”

>Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures to a player while
playing against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter of Game 7
of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs at Golden One Center
in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, April 29, 2023. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Now they’ll play the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers in the Western
Conference semifinals, marking the first time the two teams have faced
each other in the playoffs since 1991. They will also face a familiar
foe in 38-year-old LeBron James for the fifth time over that decade span.

The Lakers and the Warriors have a bit in common. Both took down the
young up-and-comers and higher seeds to prove they’re still the guys to
beat. Grizzlies’ forward Dillon Brooks called James “old,” prompting the
Lakers to defeat them in six games. Kings’ guard Malik Monk called the
Warriors old and, therefore, vulnerable after their Game 6 win at Chase
Center.

“Stop trying to turn the page on us so fast,” Green said. “Stop trying
to turn the page on ‘Bron so fast. We get so caught up in the next
thing, that we don’t appreciate the current. Then you get to the next
thing looking back like, ‘Man, I wish we still had that.’ ”

What separates the Warriors from the rest showed in their perspective on
Sunday’s Game 7. A veteran team who has won four championships might
show some frustration after laying an egg in Game 6. They might get
caught up in the physical and mental fatigue collected over a grueling
season and years of playoff runs blending into what’s become non-stop
high-pressure basketball.

They were in a hole beginning this series down 2-0 to the spry Kings.
Former Warriors assistant Mike Brown, their head coach, knew which
buttons to push and had plenty of moves and counter-moves to push this
series to its limit. The Warriors’ ultimate counter was their
experience; they thrive on the Game 7 butterflies. They still love the
opportunity.

>Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown congratulates Golden State
Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) after winning Game 7 of the NBA Western
Conference first-round playoffs at Golden One Center in Sacramento,
Calif., on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The Golden State Warriors defeated
the Sacramento Kings 120-100. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

“When you have an opportunity like tonight, Game 7, we haven’t had this
opportunity many times. This is our fifth one,” Green said. “When you
have rare situations, rare players do rare things.”

Green’s comment was about Curry, who pulled out all hesitation moves and
mind-blowing 3-pointers to paralyze Sacramento’s feisty defense and
deflate a loud Golden 1 Center by the third quarter on his way to
history. The team’s collective effort under duress was rare, too.

Klay Thompson had a bad shooting night by his own admission — going
4-for-19 from the field and 2-for-10 from 3 — but he’ll never shy from
the challenge of opportunity. Thompson finished at a team-high plus-30
because of his defense, fighting through screens to get under Kings
scorers such as Malik Monk that helped the Warriors transform a
two-point deficit at half into a runaway finish.

He got his killer 3 in, anyway. His four-point play in the final seconds
of the third quarter extinguished a little Kings momentum at the right time.

“I’ve been in this league long enough to know that if you don’t have a
great shooting night, you can do other things to impact the game,”
Thompson said. “I pride myself on being a basketball player and can
always control your attitude and effort.”

>Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) shoots past Sacramento
Kings' De'Aaron Fox (5) during the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA
Western Conference first-round playoffs at Golden One Center in
Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday, April 30, 2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay
Area News Group)

They don’t win on Sunday without Kevon Looney, who collected 21 rebounds
for his third 20-plus rebound game of the series. Golden State finished
the first half with 22 rebounds, two of which were offensive boards.
Looney had nine offensive boards in the second half and the Warriors
finished with 24 second-chance points to the Kings’ 18.

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Steph Curry built the Warriors dynasty. He refused to let it end in
Game 7.

“I think Loon is one of the best centers in the league,” Kerr said.
“People don’t recognize it because he’s not dunking and shooting 3s, but
he’s a flat out winner.”

Fuel came from all corners. Gary Payton II had four blocks despite
playing in foul trouble all game. Andrew Wiggins had 16 points with
seven rebounds, playing the entire dominant fourth quarter along with
the rest of the game’s starters until the result was secured.

It took all seven games and heavy workloads for the core to win this
series. And yes, the wear and tear might become an issue as this
playoff run steams along.

But with Kerr as head coach, the Warriors have still never lost in the
West. And now, they will get another round to try to keep that factoid
true. It’s another opportunity to prove this dynasty is alive and well.

>Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (8) tips in the ball for a
basket after Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) collided with
Sacramento Kings’ Trey Lyles (41) during the first half of Game 7 of the
NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs at Golden One Center in
Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, Sunday, April 30, 2023. The Golden
State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-100. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

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Shayna Rubin | General Assignment Sports Reporter
Shayna Rubin is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter for The Mercury
News and East Bay Times. She covered the Oakland A's from 2019 to 2021
and, most recently, the Golden State Warriors' championship run in 2022.
Shayna is a San Francisco native. She is a graduate of San Francisco
State University with a BA degree in journalism and a MA degree in
broadcasting and electronic communication arts.