Golden State Warriors

58th Season First Game Played October 23, 1962
Logo 2019-Present
Alternate Logo 2019-Present

1962/63: Playing their home games at the Cow Palace, the San Francisco Warriors were coached by Bob Feerick. Once again Wilt Chamberlain was a monster inside, averaging 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds per game, league in both categories for a fourth straight season. However, the team couldn’t break the .500 mark and failed to reach the playoffs in the Western Division by finishing in fourth place with a 31-49 record.

1963/64: Their second season in San Francisco brought better results as a team coached by Alex Hannum and led by Wilt Chamberlain, Tom Meschery, Wayne Hightower, Guy Rodgers, Al Attles, Gary Phillips, and Nate Thurmond-rose to the top of the Western Division with a 48-32 record. Chamberlain led the league in scoring for the fifth straight season with 36.9ppg, and Thurmond was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. In the Western Division Finals, the Warriors edged the St. Louis Hawks in a hard fought seven game series to earn a trip to the NBA Finals. However, in the finals the Warriors were no match for the Boston Celtics who won their unprecedented 6th straight Championship by beating the Warriors in five games.

1964/65: After getting off to a rough start the Warriors decide to make a change by shipping Wilt Chamberlain home to Philadelphia in January 15th trade with the 76ers. Life without Wilt was hard the rest of the way as the Warriors plummeted into last place finishing with a woeful league worse 17-63 record.

1965/66: The Warriors showed dramatic improvement with the addition of Rookie of the Year Rick Berry. The Warriors would battle for the playoffs all season falling one game short while doubling their previous season win total at 35-45.

1966/67: The Warriors continued to rise winning the Western Division with a solid 44-37 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would beat the Los Angeles Lakers in three straight games, to advance to the Western Finals. In the Western Finals the Warriors would upend the St. Louis Hawks in six games to return to the NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals the Warriors met up an old teammate, Wilt Chamberlain who led the Philadelphia 76ers to a then best all time 68-13 record. The Warriors would prove a worthy adversary losing Game 1 in an overtime shootout. However, in the end Wilt was too much to overcome as the 76ers won the series in six games.

1967/68: The Warriors were dealt a blow before the season even started as star Forward Rick Barry signed with a team in the rival ABA. Without Barry Nate Thurmond would have one of his finest seasons picking up the slack, as the Warriors finished in third place with a 43-39 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would get back to the Western Finals by knocking off the lame duck St. Louis Hawks in 6 games. However, the Warriors would be swept in four straight games by the Los Angeles Lakers.

1968/69: With Nate Thurmond pulling down 19.7 rebounds per game the Warriors are able to get back in the playoffs despite finishing with a mediocre 41-41 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would be knocked out right away falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.

1969/70: With Nate Thurmond missing 21 games due to injury the Warriors fail to make the playoffs finishing in 6th place with a 30-52 record.

1970/71: With realignment the Warriors bounce back finishing second place in the Pacific Davison to qualify for the playoffs with a 41-41 record. However, in the playoffs the Warriors are no match for the Milwaukee Bucks led by Lew Alcindor who take the Warriors out in five games.

1971/72: After struggling in San Francisco the Warriors jump across the Bay to Oakland changing their name to the Golden State Warriors to draw a broader fan base. With the addition of Cazzie Russell who along with Jeff Mullins, and Nate Thurmond average 21.4 ppg the Warriors finish in second place with a 51-31 record. However, in the playoffs the Warriors would lose to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games for the second straight year.

1972/73: After tearing through the ABA for four years to the tune of 30.5 points per game, Rick Barry was forced by a court decision to return to the Warriors for the 1972-73 season. His homecoming suddenly gave the team a formidable team. Although the Warriors won fewer games at 47-35 they made the playoff again by finishing in second place. However, in the playoffs the Warriors would final get past the Milwaukee Bucks winning their Western Semifinals series in 6 games. In the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors run would come to an end as they fell to Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

1973/74: Despite a solid 44-38 record which had them in contention for a Division Title all season the Warriors fail to make the playoffs.

1974/75: After four seasons of second-place finishes, changes were needed. Nate Thurmond was traded to Chicago for Clifford Ray, a young defensive center, and Golden State drafted Keith Wilkes, a graceful 6-61/2 forward whose game was as smooth as his nickname “Silk”. Cazzie Russell had played out his option and joined the Lakers, leaving Rick Barry as the team’s undisputed leader. Coach Al Attles used this to his advantage, installing a team-oriented system that drew on the contributions of as many as ten players during a game, while emphasizing pressure defense, hustle, and passing. With Barry playing the starring role scoring 30.6 ppg the Warriors captured the Pacific Division title with a 48-34 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would get to the Western Conference Finals by beating the Seattle Supersonics in six games. In the Western Finals the Warriors looked like they were about to be done in by a former teammate again trailing Nate Thurmond and the Chicago Bulls three games to two. However, the Warriors rallied to win Game in Chicago and too k the series with a hard fought 83-79 Game 7 win in Oakland. In the NBA Finals the Warriors were in tight battles all series facing the Washington Bullets. However, they would win each game taking the series in four straight games, including one-point wins in Game 2 and Game 4. Rick Barry would be named the series MVP.

1975/76: Coming off their NBA Championship the Warriors were even better finishing with a franchise best 59-23 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would get back to the Western Conference Finals by beating the Detroit Pistons in six games. In the Western Finals the Warriors faced the Phoenix Suns leading the series two games to one. With Game 4 in overtime the Warriors were moments away from a 3-1 series lead. However, the Suns would rally to win the game 133-129. The Warriors would bounce back to take Game 5, but the Suns would not go away winning Game 6 and Game 7 to stun the defending Champions.

1976/77: With many of their stars aging the Warriors began to show signs of fading as they struggled to finish n third place with a 46-36 record. In the first round the Warriors would have one last hurrah beating the Detroit Pistons in hard fought three game series. However, in the Western Semis the Warriors would be eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

1977/78: The Warriors began to fall apart as they lost Jamal Wilkes, and Gus Williams to Free Agency. Despite finishing with a winning record for seventh straight season at 43-39 the Warriors would finish in last place in a tough Pacific Division missing the playoffs by one game. Following the season, the Warriors continued to fall apart as Rick Barry signed with the Houston Rockets.

1978/79: Without a true scoring star the Warriors struggled all season finishing in last place with a 38-44 record.

1979/80: The Warriors continued to plummet finishing in last place for a third straight season with a terrible 24-58 record. Making matters worse was the Warriors knack for bad luck, first Phil Smith’s season was ended by an Achilles injury then Coach Al Attles missed the final 21 games with same malady. In addition, the Warriors finished with an all-time worst 0-8 record in overtime.

1980/81: The Warriors unveiled several new faces and improved to 39-43, missing the playoffs by just a single game. However, not all of the changes were for the better, in a trade that would haunt the team for years to come, the Warriors swapped Robert Parish and their 1980 first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics for the first and 13th picks in the Draft. The Warriors used the Number one pick to select Joe Barry Carroll. The 7-foot center would ring up six seasons of at least 17.0 ppg, but Parish would go on to win three championships with the Celtics, teaming with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale on one of the best front lines in NBA history.

1981/82: The Warriors led by recent acquisitions Bernard King and World B. Free increased their win total by six games, to 45-37, finishing fourth place in the Pacific Division. However, for the second straight year missed the playoffs by just one game.

1982/83: Bernard King jumped to the New York Knicks, leaving behind a team decimated by injuries. Overall, the Warriors missed 238 player-games because of injury or illness, the most ever recorded by an NBA team at the time. A total of 19 different players donned the Warriors uniform during the year, as the team staggered to a 30-52 record, finishing in fifth place.

1983/84: With Purvis Short, John Barry Carroll, and Eric “Sleepy” Floyd as the top scorers the Warriors tallied a 37-45 record, finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division and out of the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

1984/85: With Joe Barry Carroll choosing to play in Italy the Warriors struggled all season finishing dead last with an awful 22-60 record.

1985/86: The Warriors show signs of improvement, as Joe Barry Carroll returned, but still finish in last place in the Pacific Division with a 30-52 record, missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season.

1986/87: An ownership change and new Coach George Karl seem to be just the remedy as the Warriors make the playoffs for the first time in a decade by finishing in 3rd place with a 42-40 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would beat the Utah Jazz in a hard fought five game series. However, in the second round the Warriors would fall four games to one to the Los Angeles Lakers. In their Game 4 win versus the Lakers Eric “Sleepy” Floyd had the game of his life scoring 51 points.

1987/88: The success of the previous year evaporated in a season of transitions and transactions for the Warriors. Golden State took a step toward credibility when they lured Don Nelson away from Milwaukee to serve as the team’s General Manager. Nelson went to work immediately, engineering one of the season’s biggest trades in December when he sent Joe Barry Carroll and Eric “Sleepy” Floyd to Houston in exchange for Ralph Sampson and Steve Harris. The Warriors would go on to finish in sixth place with a disappointing 20-62 record. Following the season Don Nelson would assume coaching duties replacing George Karl who resigned in March.

1988/89: After struggling in his first few seasons on and off the court, Chris Mullin stepped out of rehab and became one of the league’s best players. With Mullin leading the way with 26.5 ppg the Warriors made the playoffs by finishing in fourth place with a 43-39 record. In the playoffs the Warriors would hit another gear stunning the Midwest Division Champion Utah Jazz in a three-game sweep. However, the Warriors run would end in the second round as they are knocked off by the Phoenix Suns in five games.

1989/90: The Warriors led the league in scoring (116.3 ppg) and compiled a franchise-record .809 free-throw percentage while setting an NBA record for the fewest offensive rebounds per game in a season (11.2). However, the Warriors would miss the playoffs by finishing in fifth place with a 37-45 record.

1990/91: The trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, collectively known as “Run TMC” came together as an explosive group, totaling 72.5 points per game and leading the Warriors to their best regular season record in nine years at 44-38. In the playoffs the Warriors would again pull of the upset beating the Midwest Champion San Antonio Spurs three games to one. However, in the second round they would fall to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Following the season Run TMC would be broken up as Mitch Richmond is traded to the Sacramento Kings for top draft choice Bill Owens.

1991/92: The Warriors were even stronger as the trade of Mitch Richmond enabled the defense to improve. Chris Mullin who was named to the original dream team continued to be the Warriors top player finishing 3rd in scoring at 25.6 ppg. However, in the playoffs the Warriors would be stunned in the first round by the Seattle Supersonics falling three games to one.

1992/93: The Warriors are severely bitten by the injury bug, as 14 players were sidelined for a combined 312 player-games. The four top players Chirrs Mullin who missed nearly half the season with a torn ligament in his right thumb, Tim Hardaway who sat out 16 games with a bruised right knee, Sarunas Marciulionis, who broke his right leg and dislocated his right ankle in a jogging accident before the season, returned to play 30 games, then sat out the rest of the year with Achilles tendonitis; and Billy Owens who missed 45 games with a knee injury were on the court at the same time for a total of two minutes and 37 seconds. The fragmented team managed just a 34-48 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

1993/94: The injury plague continued as the Warriors lost Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis for the entire season and Chris Mullin for the first 20 games. However, a strong Rookie of the Year season from Chris Webber, and the continued improvement of second year man Latrell Sprewell enabled the Warriors to finish in third Place with a 50-32 record. However, the young stars would falter in the playoffs as the Warriors are swept in three straight games by the Phoenix Suns.

1994/95: The Warriors made a number of deals to toughen the team in the middle acquiring Ron Siekly from the Miami Heat. However, before the season even started the team fell apart. Rookie of the Year Webber began the season by exercising his option to become a restricted free agent, claiming irreconcilable differences with Head Coach Don Nelson. He asked to be traded, and the Warriors obliged, sending the 1994 Rookie of the Year to the Washington Bullets in exchange for third-year forward Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft choices. Gugliotta would later be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for rookie forward Donyell Marshall, the Number four overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. Without Webber the Warriors would struggle leading to the resignation of Don Nelson. By season end the Warriors were in sixth place with a shattered team and a 26-56 record.

1995/96: The Warriors rode the young shoulders of guard Latrell Sprewell and rookie Joe Smith to post a 10-win improvement. However, their 36-46 record was not good enough for a spot in the postseason.

1996/97: While the Oakland Coliseum underwent a complete renovation, the Golden State Warriors headed south to San Jose, struggling to a 30-52 finish in their temporary home. The season would make the end of an era as Chris Mullin was traded following the season to the Indiana Pacers.

1997/98: A new era began in the Bay Area as the Warriors had new uniforms, a new logo, a new arena, and a new Coach P.J. Carlesimo. However, the Warriors stumbled out of the gate losing 14 of their first 15 games. Things would go from bad to worse as star guard Latrell Sprewell chokes Coach P.J. Carlesimo during an argument in practice. Sprewell would become a focal point in a league wide debate as he is suspended for the rest of the season. Without Sprewell the Warriors would struggle and would finish in 6th place with an awful 19-63 record. Following the season Sprewell would be traded to the New York Knicks, as the team and their star guard battle in the courtroom, and through the press.

1998/99: Newcomers and Rookies help the Warriors shown signs of improvement in a lockout-shortened season. Despite playing 32 fewer games the Warriors win two more games then the previous year. However, with a 21-29 record the Warriors would miss the playoffs for the fifth year in a row.

1999/00: In a season in which the Warriors hosted the All-Star extravaganza, the Warriors go through another year of transition and struggle again finishing with a terrible 19-63 record. During the season the Warriors would change coaches and establish a new foundation acquiring Larry Hughes to go along with budding second year star Antawn Jamison.

2000/01: With new Coach Dave Cowens the Warriors struggles continues as they finish in last place with a terrible 17-65 record, as Larry Hughes fails to live up to expectations.

2001/02: Another coaching change marks the Warriors eighth straight year without the playoffs. During the season Coach Dave Cowens would be fired and replaced by Brian Winters as the Warriors continue to be among the worst teams in the NBA finishing with the worst record in the NBA at a pathetic 21-61. Following another disappointing season, the Larry Hughes would be allowed to walk away and sign with the Washington Wizards.

2002/03: Under new Coach Eric Musselman the Warriors would begin to show signs of life after a slow start saw the Warriors win just four of their first 15 games, as their two young stars Gilbert Arenas, and Jason Richardson had breakout years. Richardson wowed the fans at the All-Star Game winning the Slam Dunk Contest, while Arneas was named NBA’s Most Improved Player as the Warriors made a second half run at .500, and a possible playoffs spot. For the first time in nearly a decade the Warriors reached the .500 mark late in the season, holding a record of 30-30 on March 4th. It would be the last taste of success for the Warriors as they struggled down the stretch winning just eight of their last 22 to finish in sixth place with a 38-44 record, which held them out of the playoffs for the ninth straight season. Following the season, the Warriors progress was all but erased as they were forced to trade leading scorer Antwan Jamison to the Dallas Mavericks, while Gilbert Arenas was swiped up by the Washington Wizards through Free Agency.

2003/04: Coming off a season in which the Warriors began to show they were turning the corner the Warriors got off to a relatively good start as they held a 14-13 record after 27 games. However, as the New Year began the Warriors began to struggle losing seven straight games. The Warriors would on to miss the playoffs for the 10th straight year posting a record of 37-45, while finishing 4th in the Pacific Division. Despite the poor record there were some individual bright spots as Jason Richardson continue to develop into a solid NBA player averaging a team high 18.7 PPG, while Erick Dampier pulled down 12.0 rebounds a game which was fourth best in the league. With hopes of bringing the Warriors back to the playoffs they looked to their past and named Chris Mullen as the new GM who would replace Coach Eric Musselman with Mike Montgomery who had turned around the Stanford Basketball Program in the NCAA. However, they will have to move forward without their top rebounder as Dampier was traded to the Dallas Mavericks after the Warriors were unable to re-sign him.

2004/05: The Warriors who were in a year of rebuilding and retooling got off to a slow start as they dropped their first six games on the way to an awful 3-12 start. The Warriors would finish December strong winning eight of their next 14, but when 2005 rolled around their struggles worsened as they won just one of their next 16. In last place with a 16-38 record the Warriors again retooled at the trade deadline acquiring Baron Davis from the New Orleans Hornets for Speedy Claxton. The deal would have an immediate impact as suddenly the Warriors became competitive, as Davis not only played well in his new surroundings he made everyone around him better too, as the Warriors went 18-9 the rest of the way to finish with a record of 34-48 tying the Los Angeles Lakers for fourth Place and avoiding the cellar all by themselves.

2005/06: After their strong finish there was renewed hope in the Bay Area for the Warriors, as they hoped to make the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Earlier on they would not disappoint as they off to a strong start thanks to the play of Baron Davis as they posted an 11-6 record in their first month. In December, the Warriors began to show some signs of trouble as they dropped five straight games, but thanks to a three-game winning streak to close the month they entered the New Year above .500 at 17-14 for the first time in 12 years. However, it would not last as the Warriors lost their first five games of 2006 and would never be above .500 again. In February with Baron Davis injured things would go from bad to worse as the Warriors won just four times in 13 games and ended up in last place, where they would remain for the rest of the season posting a record of 34-48 for the second straight season. However, unlike the previous year the good feelings of a strong finish were not to be found, as Coach Mike Montgomery was fired and replaced by Don Nelson, who was the Warriors Coach from 1988-1995, a period in which the Warriors made the playoffs four times, before a falling out with Chris Webber led to Nelson stepping down in the middle of the 1994/95 season, which marked the start of the Warriors 12-year playoff drought.

2006/07: Under Don Nelson things started well for the Warriors who won seven of their first ten games, as they got strong play from a healthy Baron Davis. However, the Warriors bad habits would once again arise, as they struggled over the next two months. On January 17th the Warriors sitting with a subpar 19-21 record decided to make a bold blockbuster trade sending Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod to the Indiana Pacers for Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Josh Powell. A week late the Warriors showed signs that the deal was a good one, as they beat the New Jersey Nets in dramatic fashion 110-109 on a 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer by Monta Ellis. Still it took time to adjust as the new players besides freeing up cap space allowed, Coach Nelson to employ a faster run and gun team. After struggling through much on February, Many point to the turnaround coming on March 4th following a frustrating 107-106 loss to the Washington Wizards at home that dropped their record to 26-35, as former Warrior Gilbert Arenas was awarded a technical free throw with less than a second remaining. Following that loss, the Warriors won six of their next seven games. After a brief bump in the road saw them lose three of four, the Warriors really threw into overdrive winning nine of their last ten games including five straight to close the season with a 42-40 record, sneaking into the playoffs with the eighth seed, as Monta Ellis was named the NBA’s Most Improved Players. A quick look at the Warriors first round match up against the 67-15 Dallas Mavericks, and it would have been easy to dismiss the Warriors as not having any shot at an upset, as they were making their first playoff appearance since 1994. However, in the regular season the Warriors handled the Mavericks well, winning all three match ups, as Don Nelson knew the Mavericks well coaching in Dallas from 1997-2005. In Game 1 the Warriors showed just how dangerous they were to the Mavericks winning 97-85, as they held MVP Dirk Nowitzki to just 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting. After the Mavs won 112-99 in Game 2, the series shifted to Oakland where a frenzied crowd hungry for playoff basketball lifted the Warriors to a 109-91 win, as Jason Richardson scored a game high 30 points. The Warriors magic continued in Game 4, as Baron Davis closed the first half with a three-point bank shot to close the first half. With the crowd seemingly going crazy threw halftime the Warriors rallied to win 103-99, as Davis led the way with 33 points to give the Warriors a stunning 3-1 series lead. The Mavericks would hold off elimination with a 118-112 win in Game 5. However, as the series returned to the Oracle Arena in Game 6 it was all Warriors as they completed the historic upset with a 111-86 win, powered by 36 points in the 3rd Quarter, led by Stephen Jackson who scored a game high 33 points. In the second round against the Utah Jazz the Warriors would stumble losing the first two games on the road, including a frustrating overtime loss in Game 2, where the Warriors scored just four points in OT. Coming home the Warriors were revived once again as Baron Davis scored 32 points with 9 assists and 6 steals to lead the way in 125-105 win in Game 3. However, in Game 4 the Jazz would run away at the end scoring 40 points in the 4th Quarter to take a 3-1 series lead with a 115-101 win, as they went on to end the Warriors magical run in five games winning the finale 100-87.

2007/08: Coming off their first playoff appearance in 13 years the Warriors stumbled out of the gate losing their first six games as Stephen Jackson was suspended for seven games for an arrest with a firearm. The Warriors would quickly recover winning eight of their next nine games as Jackson returned, to close the first month with an 8-7 record. The Warriors played solid basketball in December with an 11-6 record. As the New Year began the Warriors went into a mini slump losing three of their first four games in 2008. However, they would still post a 9-6 record for the month. However, in a Western Conference with eight teams on the way to 50 wins the Warriors were in a tough position in terms of making a return to the playoffs. To help the team make down the stretch the Warriors signed Chris Webber, whose career had come full circle returning to Golden State where he won the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, before a contract dispute led to him being traded to the Washington Bullets. The Warriors played well in February, but Webber could not give them the help they needed as continued knee issues led to the former All-Star playing in just nine games before he was released, as he announced his retirement shortly thereafter. Heading into April the Warriors were still in the playoff chase as they held a 45-28. However, down the stretch they would struggle, winning just three of their last nine games, as they fell just two games short of a return of the playoffs, despite a 48-34 record that was better than their 2007 season, when they reached the second round of the playoffs. Following the season, the Warriors would be stunned by the departure of Baron Davis, as their star point guard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

2008/09: For the Warriors who narrowly missed a second straight trip to the playoffs, things got off to a bad start right away, as they were without Monta Ellis, who was injured while riding a moped during the off-season. The Warriors would suspend Ellis for 30 games for participating in a dangerous activity that would force him to miss the entire first half the season. While the team signed Corey Maggette to replace Baron Davis, things did not start of well for the Warriors, as they lost 15 of their first 20 games. When Ellis finally returned on January 23rd the Warriors were already out of the playoff picture at 13-30. Ellis would have a strong game scoring 20 points in his return, but the Warriors would lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-105. Ellis would struggle in the early going and would miss several more games, before finishing the season strong with 23.5 ppg. However, the Warriors suffered through another lousy season, finishing in third place in the Pacific Division with a record of 29-53.

2009/10: Change was in the air by the bay as the Warriors declined to renew the contract of General Manager Chris Mullin, as Larry Riley took over. Changes would also take place on the court, as Jamal Crawford was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton. The deals would continue into the season as Stephen Jackson and Acie Law were traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic in November. Not much could be expected for a team in transition like the Warriors as they started the season with a 6-10 record through November. Things would only get worse in December, as they went through a 12-game stretch, where they won just one game, and it was against the lowly New Jersey Nets. Long slumps would be common for the Warriors as they had another 1-10 stretch in January, once again their lone win came against the Nets. The Warriors would never factor in the playoff race as they posted a terrible 26-56 record. One bright spot was the play of Stephen Curry, who was selected with the seventh overall pick in the NBA Draft. Curry would finish second in Rookie of the Year voting, while posting 17.5 points and 5.9 assists per game. While Curry provided a vision of the future, Coach Don Nelson reached new heights in the coaching fraternity as he became the NBA’s all-time winningest coach on April 7th with a 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. The win was the 1,333rd of Nelson’s career moving him past Lenny Wilkens. Nelson would finish the season with a career record of 1,335-1,063.

2010/11: It was back to the future for the Warriors as they returned to the classic blue and gold, while featuring a logo and uniforms inspired by the classic city look with the new eastern span of the Oakland Bay Bridge instead of the Golden Gate Bridge. As the season began the Warriors also had new owners as a 19-person group led by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber took over management, while the team also had a new coach in the name of Keith Smart, as Don Nelson retired before training camp. With Monta Ellis scoring 46 points the new look Warriors started the season with a win at home, beating the Houston Rockets 132-128. The Warriors would get off to a good start, winning six of their first eight games. However, with a tough road schedule in November, the good start would not last as they would lose 16 of their next 19 games. After entering the New Year with a record of 13-19, the Warriors struggles continued in January as every time they appeared to be ready to turn things around, they went back into a slump. Heading into the All-Star Break the Warriors would get hot again, winning eight of ten to get within three games of .500. However, the momentum was quickly lost as they dropped their first four games after the break. The Warriors would never again be able to get that type of momentum as they went on to finish the season with a record of 36-46, which was a ten-game improvement. However, it was not enough to impress management as Coach Keith Smart was fired and replaced by Mark Jackson after the season.

2011/12: In their 50th season by the bay, frustrations began to boil over for Warriors fans, whose best news came off the court as they began to make plans for a new arena in San Francisco, near the bay bridge. The season which was delayed by a lockout saw yet another new coach for the Warriors as Mark Jackson was hired to turn things around. The Warriors started the season with four straight games at home, which they managed to split. As the New Year began the Warriors stepped on the road and struggled as they dropped six of their first seven games in2012. The Warriors would struggle through January, as they closed the month with a record of 7-12. The Warriors would show some signs of life in February as they posted a 7-6 record and were on the fringe of the playoff chase. The Warriors continued to ply well until March 13th, when they stunned and angered their fans by trading leading scorer Monta Ellis, who was averaging 21.9 ppg along with Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Stephen Jackson and Andrew Bogut, who was injured and out for the remainder of the season. The Warriors than traded Jackson to the San Antonio Spurs for Richard Jefferson, T.J. Ford and a conditional draft pick. Ford retired before ever playing a game with the Warriors. The Warriors would lose their next four games as Owner Joe Lacob was booed on the night the team retired the number of Chris Mullin. The Warriors would play terrible basketball the rest of the season, as they finished the season with a record of 23-43.

2012/13: Change was in the air all through the Bay Area, as the Warriors coming off a year that saw them remake their roster, announced plans to build a new arena in San Francisco that would open in 2017. All Warriors fans wanted was to see a team that could compete, as anger over the team’s losing ways were the first thing the Warriors needed to overcome. The Warriors showed signs early that they were going to be more competitive as they, posted a winning record in November, which included road wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors would be even better in December, as they won 12 of 16 games, including a 97-95 win over the Miami Heat on December 12th, as they won six of seven on a Eastern Road swing. A driving force for the Warriors strong start was Stephen Curry who became the face of the franchise, leading the team with 22.9 ppg as he became one of the top three-point assassins in the league. Meanwhile David Lee was named to the All-Star team with 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, ending Golden State’s 16-year drought without a representative in the All-Star Game. The Warriors also had a breakout season from Klay Thompson another second-generation player, who in his second NBA season averaged 16.6 ppg, and stated all 82 games. The rigors of a long season would wear on the Warriors in January as Curry dealt with injuries as the Warriors lost five of six games but kept their heads above water with a winning record in the month at 8-7. The Warriors continued to have their struggles in February, losing six straight around the All-Star Break. However, as the month came to an end, Curry had one of his best efforts, scoring 54 points during a 109-105 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 27th. Despite the struggles the Warriors remained above .500 and began to get back on track in March, with a 9-7 record. The Warriors would go on to make the playoffs with the sixth seed as they finished with a solid record of 47-35.

2013 Playoffs: Making just their second playoff appearance in 19 years, the Warriors faced the Denver Nuggets in the opening round. The Warriors gave the Nuggets all they could handle in the opener, as they led most of the game. However, late in the fourth quarter David Lee suffered a torn hip flexor as the Nuggets rallied to win the game 97-95. Without Lee, the Warriors rallied around Stephen Curry in Game 2, as he led the way with 30 points as the Warriors gained the split in Denver with a 131-117 shootout win. Curry would lead the way again with 29 points and 11 assists in Game 3, as the Warriors edged the Nuggets 110-108. Stephen Curry continued to carry the Warriors, scoring 31 points to lead Golden State to a 115-101 win in Game 4, for a 3-1 series lead. After the Nuggets stayed alive with a 107-100 win in Game 5, the Warriors go an unexpected boost for Game 6, as David Lee who was expected to be lost for the rest of the season returned to the lineup. The emotional boost was enough as Andrew Bogut had 21 rebounds as the Warriors won 92-88 in Oakland to reach the second round. Things would be tougher in the second round, as the Warriors faced the San Antonio Spurs. Heading into the series the Warriors had not won in San Antonio since 1997. The Warriors appeared to be heading for a breakthrough in Game 1, as they held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Spurs rallied to tie the game and would go on to win in double overtime 129-127. Rather than be defeated by focusing on the one that got away, the Warriors again outplayed the Spurs in Game 2, this time they would get a 100-91 win as Klay Thompson scored 34 points and 14 boards. However, with a chance to take control of the series in Game 3 in Oakland, the Warriors came out flat as the Spurs built a 32-23 lead and never looked back, winning the game 102-92. Game 4 would be a must win for the Warriors and would be tight battle all the way, going into overtime tied 84-84. In overtime it would be all Warriors, as Golden Stat evened the series with a 97-87 win, as Harrison Barnes had a game high 26 points, while Andre Bogut had 18 boards. Barnes would have another big game, with 25 points in Game 5 but it would not be enough as the Spurs won 109-91. The Spurs would go on to win the series in six games, winning the finale 94-82. Despite the loss in Game 6, the Warriors received a standing ovation from fans at the Oracle Arena as their season came to an end, as for the first time in years there was genuine hope in bay.

2013/14: After making it to the second round in the playoffs, the Warriors hoped to get even better and signed Andre Iguodala to a four-year, $48 million deal. The Warriors started the season on a positive note, blowing out the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena 125-94 with Klay Thompson leading the way with 38 points. Thompson was strong early as Golden State started 8-3. A late November road trip blunted the Warriors strong start, as they finished November with a record of 9-8, while dealing with some key injuries including Iguodala who missed nearly a month with a sore hamstring. However, December would see the Warriors play like them team from the first two weeks more often, as they won 11 games, including starting a ten-game winning streak that carried into the start of 2014. The winning streak was the longest in nearly 40 years for the Warriors, as they even excelled on the road, winning six straight on the road, including against the Miami Heat. The Warriors continued to play well the remainder of the season, as they won 50 games for the first time in two decades, with a record of 51-33. It also marked the first time since 1992 the Warriors made two straight trips to the playoffs grabbing the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors were again led by the Splash Brothers, as Stephen Curry made his first All-Star Team leading the team with 24.0 points and 8.5 assists per game; both of which were career bests. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson averaged 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on the year. Thompson and Curry combined for a record 484 three-point shots giving the Warriors perhaps the best backcourt in the league. The Warriors also did well in the front court as averaged 18.2 ppg and had 9.3 rebounds per game. The Warriors leading rebounder was Andrew Bogut with 10 boards per game. Even as the Warriors rolled towards the post-season, signs of trouble in the locker were all around, as the team reassigned assistant coach Brian Scalabrine to the team’s NBA Development League Affiliate in Santa Cruz on March 25th after clashing with head coach Mark Jackson. Fewer than two weeks later, assistant coach Darren Erman was fired for secretly recording conversations between coaches, staff and players, as reports of a dysfunctional team seem to cloud their trip to the playoffs.

2014 Playoffs: The Warriors would get even more bad news as they prepared to face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, as Andrew Bogut was lost with a ribcage injury. In the opener the Warriors would put forth a stellar effort, as Klay Thompson led the way with 22 points, while David Lee had 13 boards in a 109-105 win. However, the Clippers would roar back in Game 2, winning 138-98 to even the series. As the series shifted to Oakland the Clippers raced out to an early 18-point lead, with Blake Griffin leading the way. The Warriors would rally but fell just short of winning as Stephen Curry missed a three pointer at the buzzer with LA holding on to win 98-96. The Clippers would experience great turmoil between Game 3 and Game 4, as tapes with their Owner Donald Sterling making racial comments went public. Before the game the Clippers would stage a protest and appeared distracted as the Warriors evened the series with a 118-97 win. Sterling would be disciplined by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver prior to Game 5, and the Clippers responded, winning 113-103 to regain control of the series. Back in Oakland for Game 6, the Warriors got a big game from Stephen Curry to stave off elimination with a 100-99 win, as Matt Barnes potential game winning shot was too late. Game 7 at the Staples Center would be close throughout as Curry had another big game, scoring 33 points, but in the end the Clippers would get the biggest shots, winning 126-121. Following the series, the Warriors would fire Coach Mark Jackson, as clashes with assistant coaches, and the front office outweighed the team’s success on the court.

2014/15: Despite making the playoffs in back to back season and enjoying their first 50-win season in two decades the Golden State Warriors felt they could do better and Mark Jackson was replaced by Steve Kerr as the head coach. Right from the start the move proved to be the right one for the Warriors, as they won their first five games. After suffering back to back losses to the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, the Warriors found another gear and ran off the best stretch in franchise history with 16 straight wins. Driving the Warriors early season success were the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson who seemed to make every shot they took even from beyond the three-point line. Curry set a single season record by making 276 three pointers, breaking his own record set three years earlier by four. Curry and Thompson combined made 525 three-point shots the most ever by a pair of teammates breaking the old record of 484. After going into the New Year with a 25-5 record, the Warriors continued to stand atop the basketball world, setting a franchise record with 17 straight home wins. On January 23, 2015, Klay Thompson broke the NBA record for most points scored in a quarter with 37; he finished the game with a career high 52 points, in a 126-101 win over the Sacramento Kings. In March with home court all but sealed, the Warriors ran off another 11 game winning streak on the way to posting a record 67-15, by far the best season in franchise history as Curry was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player as he ranked first in steals per game (2.0) and free throw percentage (.914), third in three-point percentage (.443), and sixth in points (23.8) and assists per game (7.7).

2015 Playoffs: The Golden State Warriors opened the playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans, in the opened the Warriors held off a late surge from New Orleans to win 106-99 as Stephen Curry led the way with 34 points. The Pelicans came out firing in Game 2 and took an early lead. However, the Warriors led by Klay Thompson’s 26 points pulled away late to win the game 97-87. Leading 2-0 the Warriors continued to be put to the test by the Pelicans as the series shifted to New Orleans. In Game 3, the Warriors rallied from a 20-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to win the game in overtime 123-119. The game was highlighted by Stephen Curry’s game high 40 points, which featured a game tying three pointer in the final second of regulation and a go ahead three-point bomb to start overtime. Stephen Curry would go to score another 39 points in Game 4, as the Warriors completed the sweep with a 109-98 win. In the second round the Warriors would face the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round. Game 1 was all Golden State as the Warriors shutdown the Grizzlies for a 101-86 win at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies got a boost from Mike Conley returning from facial fracture, stunning the Warriors 97-90 to even the series. As the series shifted to Memphis, the Grizzlies got a big game from Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to take the series lead with a 99-89. Facing their biggest test of the season the Warriors got a big effort from their MVP Stephen Curry who scored 33 points to help even the series with a 101-84 win. Back in Oakland it was the Warriors defense that took over forcing 16 turnovers as Curry made all his 18 points from beyond the arch in a solid 98-78 win to regain control of the series. The Warriors would go on to close out the series in six games, beating the Grizzlies 108-95in Game 6, with Curry scoring 32 points with ten assists. In the Western Conference Finals for the first time in nearly 40 years the Warriors would face the Houston Rockets. The series would be a battle of the two vote getters in the MVP race Stephen Curry and James Harden. The two players were key in Game 1, with Curry outscoring Harden 34-28 as the Warriors won the opener 110-106. The two again would duel in Game 2 as the Rockets overcame an early 17-point deficit with James Harden’s 38 points leading the way. However, with the game on the line Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were able to trap Harden on the baseline forcing a turnover as time expired to allow the Warriors to hang on to a 99-98 win. Game 3 in Houston would be all Curry, as the NBA MVP scored 40 points to lead the Warriors to a 115-80 blowout win. The Rockets would rebound with a 128-115 win in Game 4 as Harden scored 45 points to prevent a Warriors sweep. It would only delay the celebration temporarily and give fans in Oakland their chance to blow off 40 years of frustration in one night as the Warriors finished the Rockets with a 104-90 win in Game 5 to win their Western Conference Championship for the first time since 1975.

2015 NBA Finals: The Warriors would take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. The Warriors were heavy favorites with the Cavaliers limping into the Finals with LeBron James nearly doing it all himself. In Game 1 at Oracle Arena, LeBron nearly was enough as the game went into overtime. The Warriors would get off to a quick start in OT, running off a 10-0 run to seize control of the game on the way to winning 108-100. Game 2 would also go to overtime. However, with Iman Shumpert hitting a big three point shot and LeBron James nailing clutch free throws the Cavaliers would even the series with a 95-93 win. As the series shifted to Cleveland the Warriors continued to have no answers for LeBron, as the Cavaliers took control of the series with a 96-91 win. Following the Game 3 loss, the Warriors would make a big adjustment putting Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup in place of Andrew Bogut while moving Draymond Green to Center. The move would pay off as Iguodala scored 22 points with eight rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 103-82 win to even the series. Back in Oakland in Game 5, LeBron James carried the Cavs, scoring 40 points while adding 14 rebounds and 11 assists, but it was not enough as the Warriors regained control of the series with a 104-91 victory thanks in part to Stephen Curry’s 37 points, and the defensive pressure supplied by Iguodala. IN Game 6 in Cleveland, Curry and Iguodala each scored 25 points as the Warriors again overcame a big night from LeBron to clinch the NBA title with a 105-97 win. Andre Iguodala whose strong play in the final three games spurred the Golden State Warriors to their second NBA Championship since moving to the bay area would be the named the NBA Finals MVP.

2015/16: After winning the NBA Championship, people wondered if the Golden State Warriors could make another run, while the team looked to have an even greater season. However, when the banner rose to the rafters at Oracle Arena and the Warriors received their rings, Coach Steve Kerr was not there as he was suffering from a painful leak of spinal fluid, that would force him to miss the first half of the season. While Kerr recovered, it was Luke Walton’s job to run the team on the bench. The Warriors would beat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-95 to open the season, as Stephen Curry scored 40 points. Two games later Curry was even better, scoring 53 points as the Warriors beat the Pelicans on the road 134-120. With Stephen Curry setting records in three-point shooting and playing an even bigger role in the offense, the Warriors rolled through the early part of the season, winning each game by nearly double digits. On November 27th, the Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns 135-116 on the road, with Curry scoring 41 points. With the win, Golden State was off to the best start in NBA history at 17-0, also setting a new franchise record for longest winning streak. The streak would continue into December, finally ending at 24 games with a 108-95 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 12th. The loss came the night after a tough 124-119 win over the Boston Celtics in double overtime and the end of a six-game road trip. Combined with four wins at the end of the previous regular season the Warriors 28-game winning streak was the best start ever among any of the four major leagues and the second largest overall winning streak in NBA history. After their setback in Milwaukee, the Warriors wasted no time getting back on track as they won their next five games in Oakland, including an 89-83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a Christmas Day rematch of the NBA Finals. In the win over the Cavs, Draymond Green was the big man for Golden State, scoring 22 points with 15 rebounds. Long winning streaks became routine for the Warriors as they found themselves on a record pace, entering the New Year with a record of 30-2. Steve Kerr returned to the bench on January 22nd, as the Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 112-110 as Stephen Curry had another big night scoring 39 points. During Kerr’s absence, the Warriors had posted a 39-4 record under interim coach Luke Walton. Golden State would win their first nine games after Steve Kerr returned to the bench, part of an overall 11-game winning streak as they went into the All-Star Break holding a stunning record of 48-4. The Warriors would come out flat and lost their first game after the break to the Portland Trail Blazers 137-105. Such games were few and far between for Golden State as rebounded to win their next seven games to stay ahead of the 1996 Chicago Bulls record pace, holding a record of 55-5 on March 3rd. Lucky sevens seemed to be the magic number for the Warriors as they rolled another seven-game winning streak after a 112-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The streak ended with an 87-79 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on March 19th, who were nearly as good as the Warriors and would have been getting all the attention if not for the Warriors unreal winning ways. The Warriors would follow it up by winning their next six games as they ended March with a record of 68-7. At the same time the Warriors had not lost at home, setting a record for 54 straight home wins at Oracle Arena. The Warriors home winning streak would end with a 109-106 loss to the Boston Celtics on April 1st. The Warriors would lose two of three at home to begin April but recovered to win the final four games and set a record by winning 73 games. The 73-9 record topped the 1995/96 Bulls previous best of 72-10. Ironically Warriors Coach Steve Kerr was a member of that team, being the team’s three-point assassin. Despite missing 43 games Steve Kerr would be named Coach of the Year for the Warriors record break season. Stephen Curry meanwhile won a second straight MVP Award, this time winning unanimously. It could be argued that Curry had one of the greatest regular seasons in NBA history as won the NBA’s scoring title averaging 30.1 points per game. Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 400, three-point shots in a season, finishing the year with 402, while shooting 45% from downtown. Other Warriors having stupendous seasons, included Klay Thompson who averaged 22.1 points per game, while Draymond Green led the team in assists with 7.4 per game and rebounding at 9.5 per game.

2016 Playoffs: After a 73-9 season, the Golden State Warriors had all the pressure and focus on them as they attempted to cement their legacy as the best one-year team in the history of the NBA. The Warriors would face the Houston Rockets in the opening round. Game 1 would see the Warriors jump out to a big lead as they outscored the Warriors 60-33 in the first half. Late in the game, Golden State would get a scare as Stephen Curry turned his ankle. Curry would score a game high 24 points as the Warriors won 104-78. Stephen Curry would miss the next two games recovering from his injury. In Game 2, Klay Thompson picked up the slack and scored 34 as the Warriors won 115-106. In Houston, however Stephen Curry’s absence was a problem as the Rockets scored a 97-96 win in Game 3 on James Harden’s bucket with 2.7 seconds left. Stephen Curry would return in Game 4, but ended up limping off the floor again, this time spraining his knee on a wet spot on the floor of the Toyota Center. Despite losing Curry again, the Warriors won going away 121-94. Without Stephen Curry the Warriors still won the series in five games, winning the finale 114-81 at the Oracle Arena. Stephen Curry was still on the sidelines as the Warriors began their second round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. In the opener Klay Thompson continued to provide scoring in Curry’s absence scoring a game high 37 points as the Warriors won the opener 118-106. Thompson added 27 points in Game 2 as the Warriors won 110-99, keeping their home court edge. Stephen Curry returned in Game 4 after the Blazers scored a 120-108 win in Game 3 in Portland. Originally expected to play just 25 minutes, Curry ended up playing key minutes in overtime hitting the go ahead three-pointer and scoring 40 points as the Warriors won the game 132-125. The Warriors would close out the Trail Blazers with a 125-121 win in Game 5 back in Oakland to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Most anticipated a showdown between the 73-win Warriors and 67-win San Antonio Spurs, but the Spurs were upset by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. Looking for another upset, the Thunder stunned the Warriors in the opener of the Conference Finals 108-102. The Warriors would rebound with a 118-91 win in Game 2. However, as the series shifted to Oklahoma City, the Thunder struck down the Warriors in the next two games 133-105in Game 3 and 118-94 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. It was the first time all year the Warriors lost consecutive games, and the first time they would face any adversity. Returning home, the Warriors scored a 120-111 win in Game 5 to stay alive, despite Kevin Durant dropping 40 points for OKC as Stephen Curry had a big night with 33 points. Down 94-87 with just under six minutes left, in Game 6 on the road the Warriors turned to Klay Thompson to keep their record season alive. Thompson who set a NBA record with 11 three point shots, scored 19 of his game high 41 points in the fourth quarter as Golden State rallied to win 108-101. Stephen Curry also had a big game just missing a Triple Double with 31 points, ten rebounds and nine assists. In Game 7 at Oracle Arena the Warriors fell behind again as they trailed by as much as 13 points in the first half. After trailing 48-42 at halftime, the Warriors took over in the third quarter outscoring OKC 29-12. That would be the difference as the Warriors went on to win the game 96-88 and became the first team in 35 years to win a Conference Finals after trailing 3-1 in the series. Stephen Curry finally getting back to full strength was the big man on the floor in the finale, scoring 36 points.

2016 NBA Finals: For the second straight season the Golden State Warriors would take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. In the opener, the Warriors broke the game open late in the third quarter, with a 29-8 run that ended in the fourth to win the game 104-89, despite Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each having off nights. While their two stars struggled the Warriors bench excelled, outscoring Cleveland’s bench 45-10, as Shaun Livingston was the player of the game with playoff career high 20 points. In Game 2 it was Draymond Green that led the way scoring 28 points as the Warriors dominated the Cavs 110-77, as they put the game away early with a 20-2 run in the second quarter. The Cavaliers would come out strong in Game 3 as the series shifted to Cleveland, scoring the game’s first nine points. The Cavaliers would win the game 120-90 as Golden State never could get anything going. Game 4 would be a different story as the Warriors had the long-range shot working with a record 17 made three pointers. Stephen Curry led the way with 38 points as the Warriors won the game 108-97. However, in the closing moments the Warriors would lose Draymond Green when he got tangled up with LeBron James. Green would earn a flagrant foul for throwing a punch at LeBron’s groin. Green who had similar incidents earlier in the postseason would earn his fourth flagrant foul and was suspended for Game 5 in Oakland as the Warriors looked to seal the championship. While Draymond Green was in a luxury box at the nearby Oakland Coliseum watching the Oakland Athletics face the Texas Rangers, the Warriors could have really used him as both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving scored 41 points as the Cavaliers won the game 112-97. Making matters worse, the Warriors lost Andrew Bogut for the remainder of the series with a knee injury. Draymond Green returned for Game 6 but could not stop LeBron James from scoring another 41 points as the Cavaliers won the game 115-101. The game was particularly frustrating for Stephen Curry who fouled out for the first time in his career and threw his mouth guard into the crowd hitting a fan. Fortunately for the Warriors, Curry would only be fined for his reaction as the series returned to Oakland for the decisive seventh game. Game 7 in Oakland would take on the feel of a Rocky movie as the two teams slugged it out with neither giving an inch with 20 lead changes and 11 ties. This was the only game in the entire series to have a final margin of fewer than 10 points after six blowouts. The game was tied 89-89 with 4:39 left from there it would turn into a battle of defense as neither team scored for more than three minutes. The Warriors appeared to be on the verge of taking the lead as Andre Iguodala went for a layup on a breakaway steal with 1:50 left. However, LeBron James came up from behind to make the block to keep the game tied. A minute later Kyrie Irving broke the tie with a three-point shot over Stephen Curry. Curry would attempt to tie the game but missed from downtown, as LeBron James extended the Cavs lead to 93-89 by making one of two foul shots. The Warriors would simply run out of time after that as the Cavs won the title, spoiling Golden State’s record-breaking season.

2016/17: After their collapse in the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors got even stronger, signing free agent Kevin Durant away from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The season opener at the Oracle Arena would not go as planned, as the Warriors were blown out by the San Antonio Spurs 129-100. The Warriors would rebound quickly and held a record of 16-2 at the end of November. While Golden State was once again racing out to the top record in the NBA, at times the addition of Durant created difficulties in the Warriors ball distribution. Golden State continued to play well to roll in December, as they went into the New Year with a record of 29-5. On Christmas in a rematch of the NBA Finals, the Warriors again came up short, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-108 on the road. The Warriors would post a 12-2 record in January as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all were selected to appear in the NBA All-Star Game. As March began the Warriors hit a small bump in road, losing four of their next six games as Kevin Durant suffered a knee sprain. Durant missed most of March but returned in April in time for the playoffs. The Warriors came out of their slump and won their next 14 games, losing just one more regular season game as they finished 67-15, once again the best record in the NBA. Earning individual accolades was Draymond Green who was named Defensive Player of the Year.

2017 Playoffs: The Golden State Warriors first playoff opponent was the Portland Trail Blazers; in the opener the Warriors slammed the Blazers 121-109 as Kevin Durant led the way with 32 points. In Game 2, the Warriors again dominated Portland 110-81. The Trail Blazers had their one chance to break through in Game 3, as the series shifted to Portland, but Stephen Curry led a big fourth quarter effort as the Dubs won 119-133 to take a 3-0 series lead. Golden State would complete the sweep with a 128-103 win as Curry scored 37 points. In the second round the Warriors would face the Utah Jazz, winning the opener 106-94. The Jazz presented defensive problems for the Warriors throughout the series, but Golden State did just enough to keep them at arm’s length record 115-104 win in Game 2. In Game 3, the series shifted to Utah, with the Warriors continuing to find a way to win each game, with a 102-91 victory as Kevin Durant had 38 points and 13 boards. The Warriors would complete the sweep with a 121-95 win in Game 4, with Stephen Curry scoring a game best 30 points. At 8-0 in the playoffs the Warriors were matched up against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. In the opener, the Spurs jumped out early building a 25-point lead at the Oracle Arena in the first half. The Spurs than suffered a blow when Kawhi Leonard suffered an ankle injury. Without Leonard, the Warriors took full advantage rallying to win the game 113-111 as Curry led the way with 40 points. Leonard would miss the rest of the series as the Warriors continued their dominating sweep the series to hit go into the NBA Finals with a record of 12-0. The Warriors final three wins over the Spurs were all blowouts, as they took beat the Spurs 136-100 in Game 2. In Game 3 in San Antonio the Warriors beat the Spurs 120-108 and completed the sweep with a 129-115 win in Game 4.

2017 NBA Finals: For the third straight year the Golden State Warriors would face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. The Warriors dominance continued as they opened the second half with a 13-0 run on the way to taking the opener 113-91 as Kevin Durant netted a game best 38 points. Game 2 was more of the same, as the Warriors record breaking postseason winning streak reached 14 games, with a 132-113 win as Durant again lead the way with 32 points. In Cleveland for Game 3, the Warriors streak was in jeopardy as they trailed 113-107 with 2:32 left in regulation. Golden State would end the game on an 11-0 run, winning 118-133 to improve to 15-0 in the playoffs. Kevin Durant again led the way with 31 points as the Warriors were just one win away from a historic 16-0 playoff run. Another sweep would not be in the cards, however as the Cavaliers broke through with a 137-116 win to avoid a four-game whitewash. Back home in Game 5, the Warriors made sure that Cleveland would not get any more hope of a comeback, winning 129-120 to secure their second championship in three years. Kevin Durant who averaged 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, while shooting 55.5% from the field was named NBA Finals MVP.

2017/18: After winning back the NBA Championship with a 16-1 run in the NBA Playoffs, the Golden State Warriors looked to make it three titles in four years as Kevin Durant looked to continue to establish himself as the second-best player in the NBA. Opening Night would see a banner rise and the Warriors fall, as a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter evaporated as the party was spoiled with a 122-121 loss to the Houston Rockets, as Durant’s potential game-winner was waived off as it left his hand after the buzzer. Golden State had its ups and downs in October, finishing the month at 5-3. As November began, the Warriors started to hit their stride in November, as they went on a seven-game winning streak and posted a record of 11-3. Golden State began December with an 11-game winning streak, as they became road Warriors winning all six away from Oracle Arena, as they went into the New Year with a record of 29-8, including a 99-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas. The Warriors continued to win at the same pace in January and February as they began focusing on the postseason. March would be a rough month for Golden State as Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry each missed a significant amount of time due to injuries. The 7-7 record cost them a chance to get the top seed in the Western Conference, but at 58-24, they still posted one of the best records in franchise history. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry each averaged 26.4 points per game to lead the team in scoring, while Klay Thompson put up 20.0 ppg.

2018 NBA Playoffs: The Golden State Warriors’ postseason journey began against the San Antonio Spurs. When the bell rang, Stephen Curry was not ready to return as he was dealing with severely sprained MCL in his knee. They would not need him, as they jumped all over the fading Spurs, easily winning the first two games in Oakland, 113-92 and 116-101. As the series shifted to San Antonio, the Warriors continued to impose their will on the Spurs, winning Game 3 by a score of 103-90 as Kevin Durant scored a game-high 26 points, with nine rebounds. The Spurs were able to get a 103-90 win in Game 4 to avoid a sweep, but return to the Oracle would see the Warriors finish off the series with a 99-91 win. Curry was able to get back on the floor for the second round, as the Warriors again won the first two games of the series at home, taking the opener 123-101 and recording a 121-115 win in Game 2. In both games in Oakland, the Warriors had no answers for Anthony Davis, who had significant individual efforts for New Orleans. Davis again had a big game in Game 3, leading the Pelicans to a 119-100 win in New Orleans. However, with Durant scoring 38 points, the Warriors were able to take a stranglehold of the series with a 118-92 win. In Game 5, it was Curry leading the way as he slowly began to get his legs and range back with 28 points, leading the Dubs to a 113-104 victory to close out the series in five games. In the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors would face the Houston Rockets in a battle of the teams with the two best records in the NBA. With Durant scoring 37 points and Draymond Green narrowly missing a triple-double with 19 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, the Warriors managed to steal the opener in Houston 119-106. Houston would rebound to take Game 2 by a score of 127-105, spoiling a game-high 38-point night from Kevin Durant. As the series shifted to Oakland, it was Stephen Curry lighting with a game-high 35 points to lead the Warriors to a 126-85 win. Looking to go up 3-1, the Warriors suddenly went cold in the fourth quarter, scoring just 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets evened the series with a 95-92 win. Back in Houston for Game 5, the Warriors backs were pushed against the wall as the Rockets took a 3-2 series lead with a 98-94 win. Needing a win to stay alive, the Warriors came out flat at Oracle Arena in Game 6, as the Rockets blasted off to a 17-point lead at the end of the first quarter with 39 points. The Warriors began to work their way back in the game, cutting the deficit to ten points before the half. In the third quarter, Golden State came out smoking as the Rockets suddenly could not throw in the ocean on the edge of a pier, as they outscored the Rockets in the second half 64-25 to win the game 115-86 to force a seventh game. Like Game 6, the Rockets got off to a strong start and led at the half 56-45. However, in the third quarter, the Warriors to over, outscoring Houston 33-16 to take the lead for good, winning 101-92 to reach the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row. Leading the way in Game 7 was Kevin Durant, who had 34 points and Stephen Curry, who had 27 points.

2018 NBA Finals: Once again, the Golden State Warriors would face the Cleveland Cavaliers with the NBA’s ultimate prize on the line for the fourth year in a row. The opener would be an instant classic as the Warriors and Cavaliers battled back and forth with LeBron James scoring 51 points. Late in the game, the entire tone of the series changed as J.R. Smith, confused to the game’s score, dribbled out the final seconds of regulation, failing to get off a quality shot to win the game. LeBron was visibly angry, creating a meme that would live beyond the series. As LeBron James fumed, the Warriors soared outscoring Cleveland 17-7 in overtime to win the game 124-114, as they got big games from Stephen Curry with 29 points, six rebounds and nine assists, Kevin Durant who had 26 points with nine rebounds and six assists and Klay Thompson who had 24 points. Meanwhile, Draymond Green narrowly missed a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.
Following the loss, LeBron James suffered a hand injury punching a whiteboard following the game. That injury seemed to affect the Cavaliers the rest of the way, as the Warriors cruised to a 122-103 win in Game 2. Moving to Cleveland for Game 3, Golden State got a big game from Kevin Durant, who had 43 points and 14 rebounds as the Warriors won 110-102 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. In Game 4, Curry had a game-high 37 points, while Durant had a triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists as the Warriors completed the sweep with a 108 -85 win. The four-game sweep would see Kevin Durant win the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight season as the Warriors became a certified dynasty with three titles in four seasons.

2018/19: As the Golden State Warriors began play in the final season of basketball at Oakland’s Oracle Arena, they could take pause at what an amazing run it had been. Less than a decade after team owners were booed and the franchise seemed hopeless, the Warriors had become a true dynasty winning three NBA Championships, while playing in the NBA Finals four straight years, all against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors now had to deal with LeBron being closer, as he signed in the off-season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Though if the Lakers were to take the Warriors’ crown, they would have their work cut out for them. Once again, the Warriors got off to a fast start, winning 10 of their first 11 games. On October 28th, Klay Thompson set a record with 14 three-pointers in a 149-124 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center, breaking the record of Stephen Curry. Curry, meanwhile, moved up to third on the career three-point shooting list, behind Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. November would show that the league was catching up with Golden State, as they suffered a four-game losing streak for the first time since 2014. After starting the New Year with a record of 25-13, the Warriors found their stride in January, as they went on an 11-game win streak as they again rose to the top of the Western Conference. At the All-Star Break, the Warriors were a big part of the festivities, as Kevin Durant was named the game’s MVP. The Warriors would again finish the season at 57-25, earning the top seed in the Western Conference.

2019 NBA Playoffs: The Golden State Warriors would begin the postseason against the Los Angeles Clippers. With Stephen Curry leading the way, with 38 points and 15 rebounds, the Warriors won the opener 121-104. Golden State looked to be on the way to another easy win in Game 2, as they held a 31-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Clippers would stage a stunning comeback, winning 135-131 to even the series. It was the biggest comeback in the history of the NBA Playoffs. Moving on to Los Angeles for Game 3, the Warriors rebounded, winning 132-105 as Kevin Durant had 38 points to lead the way. Durant had 33 points in Game 4, as the Warriors won 113-105 to take a 3-1 series lead. However, the pesky Clippers would not go away, stealing Game 5 in Oakland 129-121. The Warriors again turned to Kevin Durant in Game 6, as he scored 50 points for the first time in a playoff game in Game 6, while Draymond Green added a triple-double as the Warriors won 129-110 to close out the series. The second round would bring a showdown with the Houston Rockets, Game 1, would see Kevin Durant match James Harden with 35 points, as the Warriors earned a 104-100 win at the Oracle Arena. Game 2 was nearly a replay, as the Warriors won 115-109 to take a 2-0 series lead. Looking to take a stranglehold of the series, the Warriors got 46 points from Durant in Game 3, but it was not enough as the Rockets won the game 126-121 in overtime. The series continued to be tight in Game 4, as the Rockets won 112-108 to square the series at two games apiece. The Warriors would earn a 104-99 win Game 5, to regain control of the series but lost Kevin Durant to a calf strain. Without Durant, it was back to Stephen Curry leading the way as he scored 33 points to help Golden State close out the Rockets 118-113. All six games in the series were decided by six points or less. The Warriors would face the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals without Kevin Durant, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP was still nursing his calf injury. Without Durant, it became the Stephen Curry show, as the Warriors guard scored at least 36 points in all four games, with the Warriors sweeping the series to reach their fifth straight NBA Finals.

2019 NBA Finals: Playing in the NBA Finals five straight years, takes a toll on a team. Besides dealing with the Kevin Durant calf injury, the Golden State Warrior was dealing with several other aches and pains as they prepared to face the Toronto Raptors. DeMarcus Cousins was playing with a strained quad suffered in the opening round. Stephen Curry meanwhile was dealing with a hand injury suffered when he dislocated a finger at the end of the sweep of the Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. Durant was unable to play in the opener in Toronto, while Andre Iguodala nursing a similar injury was able to play but did not last long, limping off the court as the Raptors took the opener 118-109. The Warriors would bounce back to take Game 2 by a score of 105-92, but the injuries continued to mount as Kevin Looney suffered a broken collar bone. As the series shifted to Oakland for Game 3, Klay Thompson added to their injury woes, as he was sidelined with a tender hamstring. With the mounting injuries, the Warrior suffered 123-109 loss. Thompson returned for Game 4, but it was not enough as Toronto took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 105-92 win. Resembling a MASH unit, the Warriors faced elimination in Game 5, with Kevin Durant returning against doctor’s advice. Durant scored 11 points in the first quarter and seemed to be carrying the load again when disaster struck. A torn Achilles in the early stages of the second quarter, further taking the steam out of the Warriors engines. Though the Warriors showed champions resolved and fought valiantly to win 106-105, spoiling the Raptors hopes of winning the first title at home. Back in Oakland, the Warriors hoped to make one more trip to Toronto, to get a shot at winning a Game 7 against all odds, against their bodies breaking down as they played their final game in Oakland before moving across the bay to San Francisco’s Chase Center. Injuries continued to plague Golden State, as Thompson landed awkwardly and tore his ACL. Thompson had a game-high 30 points and was doing yeoman’s work in keeping the Warriors hopes alive. Once Thompson was gone, the Warriors began to seem resigned to the fact that five straight NBA Finals runs had taken a physical toll that was now impossible to overcome. Toronto would win the game 114-110, closing out the series in six games.

 

 

 

©MMXX Tank Productions. Stats researched by Frank Fleming, all information, and team names are property of the National Basketball Association. This site is not affiliated with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. This site is maintained for research purposes only. All logos used on this page were from Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos Page.
Page created on October 4, 2002. Last updated on February 18, 2020 at 11:30 pm ET.