Before the playoff field could be officially set in the Western Conference, the final day regular season carried heavy playoff implications for multiple teams, including the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors needed a win over the Portland Trail Blazers to lock up with the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture. With the pressure of falling into the play-in tournament, the defending champs handled business against the Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon.
A record-setting 55-point first quarter with 12 made 3-pointers set the tone for a blowout win in favor of the Warriors in Portland. Four members of the Warriors notched 20 or more points on the way to a 157-101 win over the Trail Blazers.
Steph Curry notched a game-high 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field with seven assists and five rebounds in 22 minutes. Second-year guard Moses Moody added 25 points with four assists and four rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.
Following the Warriors’ season finale win, their attention shifted to the Los Angeles Clippers game against the Phoenix Suns. If the Clippers won, the Warriors would lock up the No. 6 seed. A Clippers loss would shift the Warriors up to the No. 5 seed.
The Clippers edged out the Suns with a 119-114 win on the road, locking the Warriors in at the No. 6 seed in the West. With the playoff seeding official, the Warriors are set to meet their Northern California rival Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
Following the regular season finale, the NBA community on Twitter exploded with different reactions. Here’s a look at what fans and analysts were saying on Sunday afternoon.
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#NBAPlayoffs First Round, Game 1 dates.
More information will be provided as it is finalized. pic.twitter.com/sBcjzZVLKq
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 9, 2023
Playoff Twitter Game has arrived too, we're not ready
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) April 9, 2023
Warriors rout Blazers 157-101, now spend the next few minutes waiting and watching to see which old friend they will visit next week.
Will it be Mike Brown and the Kings?
Or will it be Kevin Durant and the Suns?— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) April 9, 2023
Golden State cruises to a 157-101 win over the Trail Blazers, securing them a spot in the playoffs. Which seed they''ll be in is still up in the air — Clippers are up one on the Suns with 8:51 to go.
If the Clippers win, Warriors will be in sixth. If LAC loses, GSW to fifth.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) April 9, 2023
Moody a team-high +42 lol
— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) April 9, 2023
Steph and the @warriors poured it on in Portland (27 3PM), becoming only the 4th team in NBA history to record 4 games with 25 or more 3PM in a single season!
They picked up the W to lock down #6 in the West.
Moses Moody: 25 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 4 3PM
📲 https://t.co/WFdLNEjikq pic.twitter.com/toJJtIpLMs
— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2023
The Warriors will open their First Round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, April 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. It marks the team's ninth playoff appearance in the last 11 years. pic.twitter.com/FoVfwWoK6J
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 9, 2023
The Warriors’ first-round pick in the upcoming draft will fall somewhere between the No. 18 and No. 20 overall selections. A coin flip will determine exactly where.
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) April 9, 2023
The regular season is over…
Time for the Play-In Tournament 🍿 pic.twitter.com/VCe00DXGoL
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
Klay 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/rKvbxXopeH
— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) April 9, 2023
No. 6 seed Warriors vs. No. 3 seed Kings in the first round. Not only will it be the first time the two NorCal teams have faced each other in the playoffs — first time both teams have been in the playoffs in the same season.
— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) April 9, 2023
Warriors vs. Kings in Round 1 🍿
Who ya got advancing? 👀 pic.twitter.com/TukUKpzQIn
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 9, 2023
Game 1 is Saturday night at 5:30 pm. Golden 1 Center. Gonna be a sick atmosphere.
— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) April 9, 2023
Lead the league in 3-pointers ✅
First time making 300 threes ✅What a season for Klay 👏 pic.twitter.com/7jApNagqsG
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 9, 2023
First instinct: Warriors in 6, but after that regular season, nothing would surprise me
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) April 9, 2023
Warriors secure a playoff spot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BN7eSrY2Wm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
Warriors 44-38 Regular Season
Pretty good considering:
Steph missed 27 games
Wiggins missed 45 games— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 9, 2023
https://t.co/qwC5C73NG9 pic.twitter.com/eSHjRtaalR
— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 9, 2023
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 9, 2023
See you soon, @SacramentoKings @kpthrive || 2023 Playoffs pic.twitter.com/fihASSYFct
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2023
Warriors vs Kings in the 1st round 🍿
Who wins and in how many games? #DubNation #BeamTeam pic.twitter.com/HE8lTdLEyJ
— ³⁰ (@StephMuse_) April 9, 2023
Final 📊
Stephen – 26p/5r/7a
Moses – 25p/4r/4a
Jordan – 21p/4r/2a
Klay – 20p/5r/1a
Jonathan – 15p/7r6a/1s/2b
Donte – 10p/6r/8a/5s
Draymond – 9p/3r/4a/2s/2b
Lester – 9p/1r/1a/1s
Patrick – 8p/3r/2a
Kevon – 4p/8r/4a
Gary – 4p/8r/4a/4s
Anthony – 4p/3r/3a/1b
JaMychal – 2p/1r/1a/1b pic.twitter.com/yps5OoXrEE— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2023
Locked into the 6⃣ seed.@kpthrive || 2023 Playoffs pic.twitter.com/vmBTNQtT0G
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2023
Warriors-Kings it is
Golden State and Sacramento has never been in the playoffs at the same time as each other, and now the NorCal rivals will square off to start the first round
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) April 9, 2023
Kings vs. Warriors will feature the most beautiful offense in a first round playoff series of all time.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 9, 2023
The reigning champs have punched their ticket to the 2023 NBA Playoffs! 🔥🍿 pic.twitter.com/PlUwbsYZ51
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 9, 2023
So if the Clippers win today it’s Warriors vs Kings. If Clippers lose its Warriors vs Suns in the opening round. pic.twitter.com/xevr8Z0ee2
— Damon Bruce (@DamonBruce) April 9, 2023
Warriors’ opponent 3PT% this season:
First 36 road games: 41.0%
Final 5 road games: 30.6%
Regression to the mean, perhaps? 🤔
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) April 9, 2023
“That’s a wrap” on the regular season pic.twitter.com/npxCnhG1Am
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2023
DUBS WIN pic.twitter.com/E9HivMsNft
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2023
Moses Moody 💪 pic.twitter.com/VpBuvEvBeX
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 9, 2023
