Getty Golden State Warriors stars Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson celebrate during a playoff game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Golden State Warriors took care of business back at Chase Center and eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in Gave 5. The Dubs never trailed at any point in the game, as they made a point to end the series and get a full week of rest before they tip off the NBA Finals on June 2.
Klay Thompson channeled ‘Game 6 Klay’ and knocked down 8-of-16 three-pointers to finish with 32 points in 37 minutes. Kevon Looney showed again that the team could trust him with center minutes as he grabbed 18 rebounds. Jordan Poole led the bench with 16 points on 8 shots. He also chipped in with 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
All five Warrior starters finished in double figures. When the core of the Dubs is firing on all cylinders like this, it is tough for any opponent to beat them.
After the game, Jordan Poole spoke about what exactly it was that helped the squad get back to the Finals after two seasons of missing the playoffs.
“We always knew we had championship DNA,” Poole says emphatically as he pauses to make a point during his Game 5 postgame conference.
“Maybe the pieces didn’t fit at first,” Poole continues. “The first two years…everything we did from practice to preparation was all championship-based. These guys have so much experience and so much knowledge that they are willing to share. These two years were tough, obviously, it built up to this.”
Just two seasons ago, the Warriors finished with an NBA worse 15 wins in a season that followed five straight appearances in the Finals. Then last year, the Dubs failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing out in the inaugural Play-In tournament.
Poole Admits Steph Curry Only Teammate He’d Let Shoot Free Throws
The free throw competition of the Warriors is alive and well.
After Poole edged out Steph Curry in free throw percentage this season at 92.5%, Poole was asked if there was a conversation between Curry and himself about who would shoot a technical foul free throw during Game 5.
“There are very few moments if ever I’m passing up free throws,” Poole replies with a smirk. “And if it’s to anyone, it’s him [Curry]. He’s a Western Conference MVP, I guess I’ll give him a free throw.”
JP isn’t going to argue with Steph over who’s shooting a free throw 🤣
It’s a good problem to have when two of your better players on a team lead the league in free throw percentages, and they are having a friendly rivalry within that. Other teams would beg to have a problem like that to deal with.
Golden State Warriors Join Elite Group of NBA Franchises
The Finals berth will add on to the Warriors’ franchise accolades. According to Warriors PR, the Dubs join an elite trio of stories NBA franchises (Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and LA Lakers) as the only teams to participate in six finals in eight years. Golden State also becomes the 12th franchise in North American sports history to only miss the championship series twice in eight years.
If people were still wondering if these Dubs were a legitimate dynasty, this should drop that debate already. To make the Finals consistently for over five years is noteworthy, and the trio of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green coached by Steve Kerr will forever be remembered as a dominant era in NBA history.