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All-Star guard Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is very familiar with what success looks like, even at the highest level. With this in mind, the star guard knows the formula to postseason success, after accomplishing this multiple times. After two tough back-to-back losses, the two-time MVP opened up and gave his team an honest rating, and elaborated on his opinion of their playoff hopes.
Curry Rates His Team
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The Warriors were not able to add on to their three-game winning streak after suffering two consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers this week. After the first loss to the Lakers, Curry rated the play of his organization. “I think we’ve been average,” Curry admits after Sunday’s loss, via his postgame press conference. That’s a five out of ten rating coming from the two-time MVP, which isn’t exactly a rating that of a playoff team.
Curry and company have seemed to have gotten back to how they started the season off after going on a nice consistent run of winning. The Warriors got down by as much as 20 points in the first quarter against the reigning NBA champions. After falling behind so early, the Dubs were not able to catch up, even into the final moments of the game.
Even after finally winning three games straight this season, the Warriors lost to the Lakers in their second matchup in a somewhat tragic fashion. Curry put up 16 points in this matchup which is considered low for his MVP-like performance that he’s been putting up so far this season. Eric Paschall led the team in scoring with 18 points in a game where only three Warriors scored in double digits. Draymond Green didn’t make an appearance in the second half as it appeared that he tweaked his ankle during the first two quarters of the game.
Curry’s Playoff Hopes
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors directs a play during a 117-91 Los Angeles Lakers win at Staples Center on February 28, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE.
Although the Warriors have gotten acquainted with losing in tragic fashion, each loss still hurts just as much as the previous. In an interview per the Warriors’ SoundCloud, the Warriors’ star player went in-depth about the team’s realistic playoff goals.
“We just want to not be in the play-in situation, that’d be helpful,” Curry said elaborating on the Warriors playoffs seeding, per his postgame interview “Probably best-case scenario, with where we are right now, if we could sneak into the fourth seed, that’d be amazing.”
Amidst the changing atmosphere of sports due to COVID-19, the NBA changed this year’s seeding. The league has decided to extend the seedings to not only include the top eight teams in each conference but to have the top 20 teams across the whole league be included in the playoffs. Like other leagues, the last four seeds will play against each other to determine who will earn the last two spots in the playoffs.
In their 108-106 loss against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night Curry put up 35 points in a game that came down to the final seconds. If it weren’t for a clutch shot made by Damian Lillard with seconds left in the game, the Warriors would have ended on top.
The Warriors are currently sitting at 19-17 after these two back-to-back losses. However, the team isn’t many games away from obtaining a higher seed. Before losing to the Trail Blazers, the Warriors were only one game behind them who are the fifth-seeded team in the West.
With the first half of the season almost over the Warriors hope to win in one of their upcoming matchups and remain in their position as the eighth seed in a very competitive Western Conference.
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