SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Stephen Curry finally gave an open look, curled up around the screen, seized the momentum, and unleashed a crowd-silencing moonball into the night.
The bemused look on his exhausted face didn't symbolize the outcome of the shot going in, but the referee's whistle ended any thoughts that Curry's moment might turn into a move.
An offensive foul on Warriors rookie Brandin Podzemski gave him a chance.
This is what happens when a dynasty falls. The rookies are unable to grasp the rhythm of attacks with precise timing. An aging face that can't capture the championship form that has created an image etched in our minds over the past decade.
The Golden State Warriors wore championship jerseys, and this season at times conjured up a streak that created optimism, but it ended fairly, quickly and decisively at the hands of the bloodthirsty Sacramento Kings. It became a target.
Good night.
The Warriors needed two road wins to qualify for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but they fell short of meeting the first requirement and ended the season Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center. finished 118-94.
The offseason could match their play-in efforts, even if the ending was ugly and it was certainly a comedy of errors, mishaps, and slow moves. There's a clarity to this that wasn't there when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals last May.
The specter of the Draymond Green vs. Jordan Poole scandal haunted the then-defending champion's mind and spirit all of last season, and was not resolved until the summer when Poole was traded.
There can be no such excuses this time, and there is no way to justify the “what ifs” that many teams have convinced themselves of after being ejected from the competition earlier than expected. This is a team with a deep roster of players, and there were signs of hope. There was a good team somewhere among the mix of young and old, but it was impossible for the coach to find it – the perfect man to pull the Warriors out of the quagmire, restore their reputation, and restore them to perfection. I needed a job. Winning a championship multiple times is unrealistic.
Balancing the rise of the likes of Podzemski, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody with the needs of veterans is an impossible task.
The emotions that night were raw, but they did not obscure what we all saw and felt. All principles were aligned.
“Physically it brought it to us,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “They dominated us physically…complete domination, they deserved it tonight. Give them credit.”
For years, the Warriors didn't need to be bigger than anyone else. They were faster on the ball, had faster reflexes, and were ready to change momentum or take away hope when the inflection point came.
Curry himself understood that, noting that the Kings won every ball 50-50. It's almost a cliché at this point, saying that losing teams are only a fraction of the difference between the final result and their opponents. But on this night, it represented everything the Warriors no longer have, everything other teams saw and understood.
Every time the Warriors advanced to a championship, the team was clued in. Traces of championship DNA were left on the floors of defeated challengers, and other franchises pulled key figures from the Bay Area to give away their secrets.
That can be seen in the hug Curry shared with former teammate and member of the Kings coaching staff Leandro Barbosa after the final buzzer. Veteran Kings forward Harrison Barnes won a championship with the Warriors in 2015, but left on the way to Kevin Durant. Kings coach Mike Brown, who was Kerr's trusted assistant for years before taking the Kings job a year ago, watched Curry explode for 50 balls in Game 7 last year. I devised a game plan to prevent the same outcome.
Curry was facing a pass rush but couldn't find the lane. Even if it wasn't his one pair of hands, it was another. If it wasn't this Kings, it would be another guy, long-limbed, confident, and hell-bent on beating NBA royalty.
“Tonight was an extreme version. They remember what happened last year,” Curry said. “I know Mike B and the way he approaches defensive ends. It's no wonder there are bodies all over the place. Hats off to them. They brought it to us all game long. But I couldn't avoid it.”
Curry insisted he is fresh and ready for the playoffs, even if he has struggled in the last two months of the year, should the playoff game be played on Friday.
“I'm built for this, and I've put in a lot of time. There's no room for pity, 'Oh, you've been carrying this burden.'” I perform at the level I expect of myself. I did my best to make the most of it. Again, I just want to win and be in the best possible situation to make it happen. ”
It's been one hell of a ride, as the Warriors changed basketball forever. Dancing on their graves exists because of the broken hearts and broken spirits along the way.
In an era when dynasties should not exist in professional sports, the sport has lasted longer than expected. This Warriors team has gone through many transitions, with players going from young and fresh to old and deflated, and the team suffered the unexpected death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic in January. , I had to prepare myself for death.
It all comes at a cost, but the memories of great moments are still rich and the pain that happens behind the sweat equity is still fresh.
“We've been through some incredible highs and some pretty lows,” Draymond Green said. “But the common denominator is that we've been through every scenario together.”
Green was referring to teammate Klay Thompson, who faces unrestricted free agency in July. Thompson was glued to the floor, watching the aftermath of the disappointing loss, knowing full well that this could be his last game in a Warriors uniform.
Even if it were, the taste would never replace someone so proud and resilient. The 34-year-old, who came back from back-to-back ACL and Achilles injuries and bounced back after the All-Star break (18.9 points, 45 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range), was able to buy baskets during games. I couldn't do it. The Warriors needed relief from Curry. Thompson missed all 10 shots in 32 minutes, including six 3-pointers.
Still, there was recognition from Curry, Green and Kerr that Thompson was needed. It was the first time the trio failed to qualify for the NBA Playoffs despite being together and healthy.
“I don't think there's a scenario where Klay leaves, and that's the best decision for this team and this organization,” Green said. “They've shown nothing but respect, loyalty and trust. They've done right by me. They've done right by Steph and they've done right by all of us. Clay was He tore his cruciate ligament (in the 2019 NBA Finals). They paid him $160 million.”
“We need Klay back,” Kerr said. “I know he had a tough night tonight, but what he represents for us is that interval. He still has some good years left. I can speak for everyone. We know what he's doing and we want him back.”
“I couldn't see myself and not be with those two,” Curry said. “I understand that the league changes and we can't play forever. But they want to win, and I want to win too. That's all I'm worried about.”
NBA reality is beckoning, and salary cap restrictions are looming. Sure, the Warriors have deep pockets and unlimited resources, but players get more expensive as they get older, and veteran point guard Chris Paul has no guarantees the team must decide on. They have a $30 million option — which could save the books, but keep them out of contention.
They're below one of two restricted luxury tax aprons, but that's without Thompson or any draft picks.
And there is another reality related to finance. Equality is being talked about loudly there. Green acknowledged that in his postgame press conference.
Kerr said in a normal year, 46 wins would have been enough to make the playoffs.
However, this year is not a normal year. Not the NBA, and certainly not the Western Conference. And next year doesn't look all that appealing for a team like the Warriors. I feel this could put them even closer to the bottom of the table than they are now, 10th out of 15 teams.
“I see the league getting better. Either it's getting better or it's getting worse,” Green said. “Even if we get No. 46 next year, we don't necessarily think we're going to be a fourth or sixth seed. We've got to figure that out.”
Green snapped his fingers and said the team's six wins count — and to be honest, probably more. Green's early season suspension and subsequent time off due to an on-field incident certainly didn't help, and it's unreasonable to expect him to turn into a model citizen in the coming years, regardless of the circumstances. It's realistic.
Curry has long been a spokesperson for Green and expects to defend Thompson when the time comes. He kept that steely gaze as he repeated the phrase “I want to win,” but trying to play old hits while competing with natural time and an ever-evolving league is a difficult task.
