Back in February, the Golden State Warriors sat at 11th in the Western Conference, stuck in NBA limbo—not strong enough to be true title contenders, yet not weak enough to warrant a full rebuild.
It seemed likely that franchise icons Stephen Curry and Draymond Green might end their careers playing out forgettable regular-season games.
But just two months later, Curry, Green, and the rest of the Warriors were firing up a roaring Chase Center crowd during a statement 118-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The win not only pushed them closer to securing home-court advantage in the first round but also embodied what Curry and Green have always stood for—pouring everything into the pursuit of winning.
Following another standout performance that reinforced his case for Defensive Player of the Year, a visibly exhausted Green admitted in the post-game press conference that all he could say was how tired he felt.
“I’m sorry I’m giving you all the lowest energy ever. I’m exhausted. I sound like Klay Thompson up here,” Green said with a smile.
Green was all over the court against the Nuggets—halting Denver fastbreaks on his own and taking on the challenge of guarding Nikola Jokic. He left it all out there, capping what appears to be a stretch of three standout defensive performances. “I just wanna go home. Relax. Go to sleep. I’m tired,” he said after the game.
The Warriors’ win marked their 21st victory in the 25 games since acquiring Jimmy Butler, a turnaround that has completely reshaped what once looked like a lost season.
Now, the team’s sights are firmly set on a championship. In his post-game remarks, Stephen Curry weighed in on whether the Warriors are playing at a championship-caliber level.
“We’re playing like that. But I’ve been saying from the start that we have a lot of work to do. You are seeing our identity, night to night. We know how to win games,” Curry said.
“All the things that championship caliber teams do, we’ve been doing. It’s clearly different than two months ago. So it’s just the idea of ‘hold onto that energy.’ For us to be able to just get into a playoff series, we understand what we’re capable of.”
