The Golden State Warriors have punched their first ticket to the NBA Finals in three years.
Last time they were here—facing off against the Toronto Raptors in 2019—star shooting guard Klay Thompson tore his ACL, which kicked off an injury-plauged two-season recovery process. Now he’s back on the court with his longtime foxhole partners Steph Curry and Draymond Green, as well as new additions like Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins (“a murderer from Canada,” according to our Hella News team), aiming to add another ring to the collection.
The Warriors road to the Finals ran through some of the NBA’s best young players, and acted as a firm reminder to the league’s up-and-comers, that the best team of the last decade weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Whether the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat emerge victorious from the Eastern Conference Finals, the Warriors will enjoy the benefit of home court advantage.
The format of the finals is 2-2-1-1-1, meaning the first two games will be played at Chase Center, as well as a prospective game 5 and game 7.
The games will be available to watch on TV and Streaming on ABC. You can also catch the game at Thrive City, the esplanade outside the arena, on a 3,108 square foot screen or at a number of venues across the city in this handy list we put together.
No matter who they face, the Dubs’ path to another league championship won’t be a cakewalk.
The Warriors beat the Heat 2-0 in their season series, but Jimmy Butler and his teammates’ never-say-die attitude has carried the team further than many prognosticators guessed.
The Celtics split their season series with the Warriors and have seen the emergence of Jayson Tatum as a legitimate superstar on one of the league’s most consistent teams.
Will the Dubs pull it out and officially christen Chase Center with its first taste of championship champagne? There’s only one way to find out.