Golden State Warriors clinch playoff berth with win over Los Angeles Lakers
By Brad Rowland
With a relatively innocent, 17-point victory over the hapless Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors accomplished something that they haven’t been able to replicate in more than 20 years. They clinched a playoff spot for the second straight season.
The @Warriors have clinched a playoff berth in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991 & 1992.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 12, 2014
Although some people would categorize Golden State’s 49-30 record as somewhat of a letdown given their high level of talent, the Warriors are on pace for 50 wins and they have clinched (at the very least) the 8th spot in the West with 3 games to go. Fittingly, point guard Stephen Curry was their bright spot in this particular game, as the sharpshooting wizard went for a triple-double with 30 points (on 12 for 20 from the field and 4 for 5 from 3-point range), 12 assists and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes.
The Warriors have been widely criticized for some of their in-house issues in recent days, namely with assistant coaches being jettisoned seemingly on a daily basis, but in the midst of that, they find themselves in the driver’s seat for the #6 seed and a winnable match-up against the LA Clippers in round one. Things haven’t been perfect in the Bay Area, but if we take a step back, it is easy to see that the Warriors have reached heights of success that no one could have foreseen just a handful of years ago.