The Golden State Warriors weren’t supposed to be here.
The team’s regular-season record had it hovering around the bottom end of the NBA’s play-in tournament range for much of the year, until general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was able to execute a franchise-changing trade with the Miami Heat for Jimmy Butler.
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The Warriors went on a tear after that, but a couple of untimely losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers right at the end of the run dropped Golden State into the No. 7 seed. That forced an older team — led by Stephen Curry (age 37), Draymond Green (age 35) and Butler (age 35) to play an extra game before the first round — which it nearly lost at home to the Memphis Grizzlies.
That development also cost Golden State an extra few days of valuable rest and recovery time before a first-round series against a much younger and more athletic Houston Rockets squad, which had home court advantage as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Houston Rockets center Steven Adams.© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Houston came out from the jump in Game 1 with a defensive focus geared entirely toward Curry and a physical brand of basketball intended to wear the Warriors down over the course of a long series. That proved to work, for a while anyways, as Houston fell down 3-1 but captured consecutive victories in Games 5 and 6 to force a decisive Game 7 on its home floor.
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And as much confidence as the pundits had in Golden State to win Game 6 in San Francisco, there was equally as much trepidation heading into Game 7 that the Warriors’ older core of stars could rise to meet the challenge.
They did exactly that, however, shutting down the Rockets’ offense and holding Houston to just 89 points in a 14-point victory. Following the game, team cameras caught Curry and Green heading down the tunnel to the locker room.
The Warriors’ social media administrator asked the two men what the victory said about their character on the road.
“Just know what it takes baby,” Curry replied.
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Green’s response was even more succinct, doubling as both a celebration and a message to all of the non-believers.
“Surprise!” Green exclaimed.
Golden State will travel next to Minneapolis for Game 1 of its second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which tips off on Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET — less than 48 hours after the final whistle blew in the Warriors’ first-round win over the Rockets.
Related: Steph Curry Describes Feelings in 1 Word After Epic Warriors-Rockets Series
