After taking five straight trips to the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season took a turn in the opposite direction. With 17 games remaining on the calendar, the Warriors became the first team in the association to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Although the Warriors won’t be taking place in the NBA’s postseason dance this year, they’ve built a steady log of memories in the playoffs of the past. With no hoops currently on the calendar, Warriors Wire is digging back into Golden State’s playoff history for top-tier performances and matchups worthy of a rewatch.
Before Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson pinned banners in Oracle Arena, a different trio ruled over Bay Area basketball.
Don Nelson’s “Run TMC” squad streaked to a playoff appearance in 1991 with a 44-38 record. After eliminating the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, Golden State linked up with the Los Angeles Lakers in the next round.
May 8, 1991
After dropping the opening game of the series, Run TMC arrived for game two. The triumvirate combined for 91 of Golden State’s points with Chris Mullin matching his postseason career-high. The five-time All-Star recorded 41 points on 16-of-21 shooting from the field with four triples. Mullin filled the box score with assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block against the Lakers.
Behind Mullin, Tim Hardaway registered a double-double performance with 28 points and 14 dimes. Hardaway was active on the defensive end of the floor, swiping eight steals — a playoff career-high. Mitch Richmond rounded out the Run TMC trio with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
While the power of Run TMC could overwhelm a bevy of teams, Magic Johnson fired back with help from James Worthy and Sam Perkins. Johnson ripped off a near triple-double performance with 44 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Perkins tallied 24 points with three boards as his teammate, Worthy recorded 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Despite a nine-point lead for the Lakers at halftime, the Warriors exploded in the third quarter for 41 points to get back into the game. Mario Ellie buried a pair of free throws with 3.1 seconds remaining as the Warriors squeaked by the Lakers in the Forum, 125-124.
Watch highlights from Mullin and Johnson’s battle via YouTube:
The Lakers went on to win the next three games of the series, eliminating the Golden State Warriors in five games. Johnson and the Lakers advanced through to the NBA Finals before getting knocked out by the Chicago Bulls in Michael Jordan’s first championship run.
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