By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Golden State Warriors made sure they’ll end their final regular season game in style after demolishing the Portland Trailblazers by 56 points, 157-101, to grab the 6th seed in the Western Conference last April 10, 2023.
It was a record-setting first quarter for Golden State after putting up 55 points on board, the most markers scored in NBA history.
Golden State edged Memphis, Charlotte, and Dallas for the record with all those teams scoring 51 points during the 2022-2023 season.
After the momentum-clinching first quarter, the Warriors never looked back and continued their onslaught led by superstar Stephen Curry who delivered 26 big points in just 22 minutes of action alongside seven assists and five rebounds.
Curry drained five of his 10 attempts from the three-point line and finished with an efficient 9/15 shooting from the field.
Meanwhile, his backcourt buddy, Klay Thompson, put up 20 points in 21 minutes built from a 6/11 shooting from downtown.
Role player Moses Moody also stepped up for the Warriors after finishing the game with 25 points on 10/14 shooting from the field.
“We’ve played really well the last couple of weeks. I think we’ve won eight of 10. 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,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
With the win, the Warriors avoided the play-in tournament and will face the young and upcoming Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
Led by De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the young Kings squad finished with an impressive 48-34 win-loss record and made their return to the NBA playoffs after a 16-year drought.
