Tag: Warriors Playoff Rewind

Warriors Playoff Rewind: Steph Curry nets Finals record 9 triples in Game 2 vs. Cavs in 2018

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combine for 79 points against LeBron James and the Cavs in game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals.

As 22 teams are preparing for the NBA season to kick back into action, the Golden State Warriors will be watching from home. With a league-worst 15-50 record, the Warriors were eliminated from playoff contention prior to the league shutting down due to the coronavirus.

With no playoff hoops on the calendar for the first time in seven years, Warriors Wire is digging back through Golden State’s history. Warriors Wire is rewinding through Golden State’s playoff catalog to highlight memorable moments, standout performances and matchups worthy of a rewatch.

For the latest edition of Warriors Playoff Rewind, we look back at Golden State’s last run to a championship.

June 3, 2018

During their time together, the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant have strung together a bevy of notable performances. In-game two of the 2018 NBA Finals, Golden State’s All-Star group added another superb combined effort to their resume.

After a tight overtime battle in the opening game of the Finals, the Warriors cruised to a victory at Oracle Arena behind big numbers from Curry, Thompson and Durant.

Curry notched a game-high 33 points with a record-setting nine 3-pointers in the Finals. The sharpshooting point guard swished 9-of-17 against the Cavaliers from beyond the arc.

After only shooting 9-of-27 as a unit, Curry matched the entire Cavaliers roster from beyond the arc in game 2. The two-time Most Valuable Player added eight dimes and seven boards.

Durant and Thompson rounded out Curry’s record-breaking performance, with each scoring 20 or more, respectively. Durant tallied an efficient 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting with nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

Thompson tacked on 20 points to move Golden State’s trio to 79 combined in their 122-103 victory against the Cavaliers at Oracle Arena.

LeBron James led the Cavs with a near triple-double on 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the file with 13 assists and nine board. Kevin Love added a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. However, it wasn’t enough against Golden State’s high powered offensive attack.

Watch highlights from Curry’s historic Finals performance via YouTube:

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Playoff Rewind: Warriors hold off 51 points from LeBron James in Game 1 of 2018 Finals

In the opening game of the 2018 NBA Finals, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant were able to hold off a career-high 51 points from LeBron James.

Over the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors have used May to prepare for another NBA Finals series. However, in 2020 the Warriors playoff future is already decided. With a league-worst 15-50 record, Golden State became the first team to be officially eliminated from the 2020 playoff dance.

With no hoops on the docket, Warriors Wire is looking back into Golden State’s playoff history for standout performances and matchups worthy of a rewatch.

The last day of May marks the anniversary of the start of another Golden State series against LeBron James. In 2018, James kicked off the Finals with a career-best performance.

May 31, 2018

For the fourth consecutive season, the Golden State Warriors matched up with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. In game one of the 2018 series, the Warriors and Cavaliers battled for 48 minutes, but it wasn’t enough.

With four seconds remaining, George Hill missed a free throw that would’ve given the Cavaliers a one-point lead. Even with Hill’s miss, the Cavs had another shot at winning the game when Cleveland’s J.R. Smith came down with the rebound. Instead of attempting a putback at the rim, Smith dribbled the ball out towards halfcourt as time expired. Smith appeared to believe the Cavs had the lead instead of a tie game.

Behind a pair of 3-pointers from Klay Thompson, the Warriors were able to steal the game in overtime, outscoring the Cavaliers 17-7 in the extra period to win the game, 124-114.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 29 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. The two-time MVP added nine assists and six rebounds. Kevin Durant was right behind Curry with 26 points, nine boards and six assists.

In Golden State’s victory, James turned in a postseason career-high scoring night. The four-time MVP tallied 51 points on 19-of-32 shooting from the field with eight assists and eight rebounds. James became the sixth player in Finals history to drop 50 or more points and the first to do so in a loss. Kevin Love (21) and Smith (10) were the only Cavaliers to score in double-figures.

Watch highlights from the Warriors game one win via YouTube:

The Warriors went on to sweep the Cavaliers in four games to earn their third Finals banner in four years.

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Warriors Playoff Rewind: Rockets miss 27 straight 3-pointers during Game 7 vs. Warriors in 2018

On May 28, 2018, The Golden State Warriors knocked out the Rockets behind an improbable 27-consecutive missed 3-pointers from Houston.

League practice facilities are prepping plans to reopen their doors for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to game-action. Yet, the Golden State Warriors season still is likely over. The Warriors league-worst 15-50 record has already eliminated them from the playoff picture with 17 games remaining on the slate.

With Golden State’s playoff hopes already sealed, Warriors Wire is digging back through Golden State’s archive of postseason moments. Warriors Wire has highlighted standout performances and matchups worthy of a rewatch. However, today’s edition of Warriors Playoff Rewind is highlighted for a different reason.

May 28, 2018

As the Golden State Warriors punched a ticket for their fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearance, Kevin Durant led all scorers with 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field. The back-to-back Finals MVP added five rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Stephen Curry followed his teammate with 27 points on 7-of-15 from 3-point range with 10 assists.

When discussing game seven of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, instead of scoring totals, eyes tend to shift to a different area of the boxscore. The Houston Rockets finished the game shooting just 7-of-44 from long distance.

The Rockets missed an improbable 27 consecutive 3-point attempts. Houston went cold from beyond the arc, missing all attempts from midway through the second quarter until PJ Tucker hit a 3-pointer with 6:28 remaining in the game.

Watch the Rockets cold streak in game seven via YouTube: 

With the Rockets’ poor shooting, the Warriors quickly erased an early 15-point Houston cushion. James Harden went 2-of-13 from long range, with Eric Gordon making 2-of-12. In 41 minutes, Trevor Ariza tallied zero points on 0-of-12 shooting with nine missed triples. The trio of Harden, Ariza and Gordon all shot over 35% from deep in the regular season.

Behind Houston’s disastrous cold streak, the Warriors were victorious, 101-92. Golden State advanced to the NBA Finals for a matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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