Last season, the Heat came out of the “play-in” to create the big surprise of the playoffs with an NBA finalist place. A historic journey which obviously gives ideas to the… Heat itself, currently 8th in the East, but also to the other big teams who will have to go through the play-offs. This is the case for the Warriors.
“The Heat from last season, who went through two play-in matches before going to the NBA final, motivates us a lot” confesses Klay Thompson. “I think we are capable of an identical journey. We obviously can't anticipate, but whatever happens, we will be ready. We know it’s possible, and no obstacle is too big for us.”
Since their victory last night, among the Lakers, Stephen Curry's teammates have their destiny in their hands, and they can therefore leave this 10th place, and climb higher depending on the results in the last matches. But the idea of having a “joker” obviously interests them.
A few years ago, the Warriors were fighting for 1st place…
“The biggest difference between 8th and 9th places is that we have the possibility of having a second match to qualify, and that is very important” underlines Draymond Green. “It would be incredible to finish 8th. We would like to have two shots, two pieces of the pie.”
Whatever happens, the 2022 champions know that they will have to put in an exceptional run to regain their title. “We are no longer the team we used to be,” concedes Stephen Curry. “No matter how next week goes, it's difficult to compare with past years when we learned after a match that we had secured first place. But at least we're playing for something. »
