Oakland, California— Kevin Durant drove coast-to-coast just before halftime for a monster two-handed slam.
Klay Thompson swished a turnaround fadeaway as the halftime buzzer sounded and scurried for the tunnel hands raised high in triumph. Stephen Curry, in street clothes, hopped up and down on his injured left knee celebrating wildly with his Splash Brother.
Draymond Green pounded the glass at every chance for another spectacular rebounding night.
The defending champions are back, all right. They are rolling. And Curry could be close to putting on a uniform again.
“I hope, but I’m not going to expect it because I don’t want to get my hopes up and not have them fulfilled,” Thompson said. “If he doesn’t play, we’re prepared. If he does play, hallelujah.”
Golden State has endured barely a blip so far, losing only Game 4 of its first-round series against San Antonio before closing out the Spurs with Tuesday night’s 99-91 victory.
They will open the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals against New Orleans in Saturday’s Game 1 at Oracle Arena. Former Warriors top assistant Alvin Gentry coaches the Pelicans.
“Well, fortunately, Alvin Gentry really doesn’t know what he’s doing,” coach Steve Kerr cracked. “That’s a joke.”
For weeks ahead of the playoffs, the Warriors hardly looked like the super team that dominated through last year’s postseason. Yet Kerr and his players insisted all along they would find another level and groove when the stage got bigger in April — and they were spot on in those sentiments.
The defense has been stellar.
And the Warriors could be at full strength again soon, with Curry ready to lead the show once he’s healthy from a sprained medial collateral ligament.
The three other All-Stars and a cast of reliable role players have handled things beautifully without him.
“We’re a championship team. We know what type of defense we need to play,” Green said. “I think throughout the regular season, you want to get there every night, but it’s just not realistic, especially coming off a championship.”
Sure, Golden State might not make another remarkable, record-setting 16-1 run through the postseason again, but Kerr’s pass-happy bunch sure looks to be back in top form going into the next round.
And Green is leading the way by doing everything on both ends as usual. He grabbed a playoff-career high 19 rebounds in Game 5 after getting 18 his previous outing.
“We expect him to continue to play with this edge because when he does and he’s played with great emotion and passion, that’s when he’s at his best,” Thompson said.
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