NBA: Golden State Warriors make history to seal playoff spot
Defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors earned a new slice of history to confirm their spot in the playoffs with a 157-101 success against the Portland Trail Blazers on the final day of the regular season.
Steve Kerr’s side racked up a monumental 55 points in the first quarter of the match, sealing a sixth-placed finish in the Western Conference in the process.
Steph Curry led the way for the Warriors with 26 points, five rebounds and seven assists, while Klay Thompson ended the regular season with over 300 three-pointers – becoming just the third player in NBA history to do so after Curry and James Harden.
Skylar Mays finished with 21 points and 12 assists for the Trail Blazers, who finished 13th in the Western Conference and missed out on a spot in the post-season.
“Today guys were locked in right from the beginning. Guys knew what was at stake and controlled the game from the opening tap so hopefully that carries over to next week,” Warriors head coach Kerr told the media after the playoff-clinching win.
A tie with third seed Sacramento Kings now awaits the defending champions, prior to which the play-in tournament will determine the seventh and eighth seeds for the playoffs.
The play-in tournament begins on Tuesday with the Miami Heat facing the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern path, while the Los Angeles Lakers will battle the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference section.
