Warriors hurdle over Lakers 109-94, are ready for playoffs

Warriors hurdle over Lakers 109-94, are ready for playoffs

Warriors hurdle over Lakers 109-94, are ready for playoffs
NBA

Warriors hurdle over Lakers 109-94, are ready for playoffs

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The Warriors gave us a taste of what we can look forward to with a healthy roster of stars as we roll into the 2017 playoffs.

The Golden State Warriors closed out the regular season tonight with a 109-94 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. They finish the season with 67 (or more) wins for the third season in a row, the only team ever to do so.

We are truly living in the golden age of this franchise and don’t you once forget that. Never take even games like this for granted. This is exceptional basketball we’re watching on a nightly basis and it’s important to take stock of that as we prepare to move forward into the playoffs.

Though this game technically meant very little, with both teams’ playoff fates long since decided, it was a taste at what a fully healthy group of stars on this team may accomplish over the next few weeks. Something we still haven’t seen in a game since February 28th, when Kevin Durant was injured, because Draymond Green did not play tonight (nor did Andre Iguodala.)

Durant had a game-high 29 points, with eight rebounds and five assists - most notably he shot 5-of-7 from downtown, having been 0-of-9 in his last two games. Stephen Curry also had five three-pointers with 20 points overall, five rebounds and eight assists, and JaVale McGee scored in double figures yet again, with 11 points and five rebounds.

In the first quarter, the Warriors put on a master class in offense, scoring 43 to Los Angeles’ 28, and they had fun doing it. I keep scoring notes during the game and this is the first time all season I had to extend a quarter to a second page. It featured raining threes, with Curry, Durant and Klay Thompson combining for eight of them. Durant had two in a row on his way to 15 points in the quarter.

Things slowed down early in the second quarter as they were held to four points in the first five minutes, but the Lakers weren’t able to get it within fewer than 10 points before the Warriors got rolling again.

The threes continued to fall in the third, as the Warriors built the lead back up to 25 to end the quarter and that was really all she wrote for the Lakers, who didn’t really want to win this game anyway. And we never want the Lakers to win, so for once I am happy to give them what they want.

And with that, we say goodbye to the regular season and get ready to start the playoffs this Sunday at 12:30pm PST on ABC. Be there, be proud, and be loud.