The Golden State Warriors are like those evil characters in horror films. It’s really difficult to finish them off.
The young, fresh Sacramento Kings found out the hard way. They saw up close just how difficult it is to put away Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Curry set an NBA record for most points in a Game 7 with 50 in Golden State’s 120-100 victory over Sacramento in the finale of their first-round Western Conference series.
It was pure greatness on display, the league’s all-time best long-distance shooter knocking down shots from 3-point range, inside the paint with floaters and at the rim with a soft touch off the glass on layups.
A 50 spot in a Game 7: 10 points in the first quarter. 10 in the second, 14 in the third and 16 in the fourth. It was just too much for the Kings to withstand, an onslaught of points leaving the Kings helpless and hopeless. For Curry, it was also a playoff-career high.
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Now, it sets up another classic California matchup: the sixth-seeded Warriors and Curry against the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James in the second round. The winner goes to the conference finals against either fourth-seeded Phoenix or top-seeded Denver.
The Warriors knew better than to waste an opportunity. Their championship pedigree doesn’t allow that.
At the NBA’s 2022 All-Star Weekend, a reporter asked Golden State’s Draymond Green if the West was wide open. Not incredulous at all, Green said it wasn’t wide open. He said the Warriors were the favorites despite trailing first-place Phoenix by 6½ games at the time.
The Warriors won the title last season, their fourth championship in eight seasons.
Green’s bravado reinforces a point the 29 other teams know well. Until a Warriors team with a healthy Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are eliminated, they are capable of winning a championship.
That is the case this season as well.
Forget the Warriors’ No. 6 seed. Favorites, not favorites, it doesn’t matter.
Their talent, experience, institutional knowledge and late-game composure – from players and Coach Steve Kerr and his staff – negate a seeding issue. Remember, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II also were important contributors to last season’s title run.
Sacramento is good team with promise. But there’s a reason why teams wanted the sixth seed. The Kings are young and have minimal playoff experience. They were considered a beatable three seed.
Several teams in the league would trade place with the Kings and their roster that features De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray.
But in this series, the championship attributes the Warriors possess smothered what Sacramento doesn’t have. Looney had 11 points and 21 rebounds. Wiggins scored 17 points and Thompson 16. Green had eight points, eight assists and six rebounds. Sacramento had the No. 1 offense in the regular season, but the Warriors held it to 100 in a must-win game.
Golden State was just 11-30 on the road in the regular season. But what did that mean? Not much against the Kings. They won Game 5 and Game 7 in Sacramento.
Now, it’s the city by the bay vs. the city of angels.
The old guards aren’t ready to give way to the youngsters. James wants another title. Curry does, too. They have met in the Finals four times, but this is their first non-Finals playoff matchup.
The winner will get a chance to advance to another NBA Finals, and given the participants and everything at stake, the winner will have earned it.
Follow reporter Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steph Curry, Warriors set for NBA showdown with Lakers, LeBron James
