Amid turbulent season, Warriors must make NBA history to escape Play-In gauntlet
SAN FRANCISCO -- Well, it's not going to be easy. And with the way this Golden State Warriors season has gone, why would it be?
Before their 123-116 regular season finale win over the Utah Jazz even hit the fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon, the Warriors knew their fate: A No. 10 seed in the Western Conference -- which wouldn't have even made the postseason four years ago. But now, thanks to the Play-In Tournament wrinkle that made the final day of the 2023-24 NBA season so exhilarating, Golden State is Lloyd Christmas trying to convince itself, as much as anyone else, that there is indeed still a chance.
To pull off the impossible, the Warriors will have to do nothing less than make NBA history. Not only has a No. 10 seed never won a title -- one has never even gotten out of the Play-In round. The journey begins on Tuesday with a trip across I-80 East to Sacramento to face a familiar but hobbled Kings squad. If they escape the raucous confines of the Golden 1 Center, it's on to New Orleans or Los Angeles.
"When this team's back is against the wall, I like how the group shows up," Warriors forward Draymond Green said after Sunday's win. "Not ideal, but it is what it is, and that's what we're faced with. We want to keep playing for much longer into the season, so just gotta go get a dub."