Warriors reach 73 wins in blowout to set new single-season record
The biggest story of the NBA’s regular season has reached its resolution. It ends with the Golden State Warriors holding a 73-9 record, a new league record for wins in a single season.
The Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 at Oracle Arena on Wednesday to end the season on a four-game winning streak that puts them one win ahead of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the new mark. If the Warriors can repeat as champions, they will certainly be remembered as one of the greatest teams in NBA history and will be considered a budding dynasty.
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This final win concludes a thrilling regular season for Golden State in which they dominated the NBA landscape. They started the year with a record 24 victories in a row, continued a home winning streak that ended with an all-time high 54 straight at Oracle Arena, became the second team to win 70 games in one season and 65 games in consecutive seasons (and the only one to improve on a 65-win season), and avoided losing two games in a row for the first time in league history. They also did it with a style that won fans all over the basketball world, thanks in large part to the dominance of presumptive back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry.
Despite all those accomplishments, Golden State encountered more adversity than they did in their 2014-15 title-winning campaign, previously the best season in franchise history. Head coach Steve Kerr spent the first 43 games off the bench due to complications from offseason back surgery, key players such as Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes missed weeks due to injury, and most opponents gave them their best effort every night. The Warriors answered any questions about their resolve or will to win all season long.
They needed that commitment late in the year to reach the record. The pressure of chasing the Bulls appeared to wear on them late in the season, especially when they lost their only two home games of the season over a span of three contests in early April. Yet the Warriors beat the Grizzlies and 66-win San Antonio Spurs twice each (including the Spurs’ only home loss of the season this Sunday) to make history.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!