The Golden State Warriors are set to take on the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, in a rematch of last year’s epic seven-game series, in which Stephen Curry turned in an iconic 50-point performance in the clinching game on the road, and Brandin Podziemski spoke about what he thought of Curry’s performance in the series and in Game 7.
“That’s for me kind of what solidified Steph as one of the best players ever, just watching his performance, specifically in Game 7,” Brandin Podziemski said, via NBC Sports Warriors. “Crazy stuff. But I know it gets loud in that building. I know the fans are gonna be crazy on Tuesday night, and I think we’re ready for it.”
Podziemski was not a member of the Warriors yet, as this is his rookie season. He played two years in college with Illinois and Santa Clara before entering the NBA Draft last year, where the Warriors selected him with the No. 19 pick. He has been in the starting lineup at times. Regardless of whether or not he comes off the bench, he plays a good amount of minutes in each game for the Warriors, and he could be a key piece to the team on Tuesday against the Kings.
"That's, for me, kind of what solidified Steph [Curry] as one of the best players ever."
Brandin Podziemski on watching the Warriors-Kings series in last year's playoffs 🗣️
(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/lAtL54afnF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 15, 2024
On the whole this season, Podziemski is averaging 9.2 points with 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, according to Basketball Reference. That is not bad for a rookie trying to establish himself on a roster that has a lot of veterans.
Warriors’ season and outlook heading into NBA Play-In Tournament
The Warriors finished the regular season with a 46-36 record, and that was good enough for the 10th spot in the Western Conference, which is the last spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Kings finished with the same record, but have the tiebreaker, so they finish ninth and have home court for the matchup on Tuesday. A few weeks ago, the Warriors were in danger and needed to hold off the Houston Rockets, and they ultimately did that down the stretch this season.
The winner of the Warriors and Kings matchup will move on to the game for the eight seed, and that would feature the winner of this matchup against the loser of the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers matchup that will take place on Wednesday.
The winner of the Pelicans and Lakers game will be the seventh seed in the Western Conference, and will face the defending champion Denver Nuggets. The winner of the eight seed game will face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Warriors hope to be that team that faces the Thunder in the first round. To do that, they will have to win two tough games on the road, starting with Tuesday’s matchup against the Kings.
