On the verge of advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, the Warriors will travel to Dallas on Tuesday for Game 5 of the best-of-seven First Round Playoff series.
The action will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on TNT and heard on KNBR 1050.
The Warriors took a 3-1 advantage in the series after Sunday’s thrilling 103-99 win over the Mavericks. That contest was played at Oakland’s ORACLE Arena – as was Game 3 – where the team clearly fed off of the hometown fans’ energy.
Now the series shifts back to Dallas, where the Mavericks faithful are sure to present the Warriors with a hostile environment. Golden State split the first two games of the series in Dallas and has now won five of its last six games at the American Airlines Center.
The Warriors are in unfamiliar territory, having never been ahead 3-1 in a best-of-seven series in franchise history. However, that shouldn’t slow this team, as it is playing its best basketball of the season. Since March 5, the Warriors have gone 19-6 and the team has showed no signs of slowing down.
Should the Warriors notch one more win in this series, they would become just the third No. 8 seed in NBA history to knock off a No. 1 seed, and the first to do so in a best-of-seven format.
With a chance to make basketball history at stake, the Warriors are focused and ready to go. Perhaps no one is more aware of the task at hand than Baron Davis. The star point guard has taken his game to another level in this series. While the rest of the team was struggling with their shot, Davis stepped up in Game 4 and went 12-for-17 from the field for 33 points, his second 30-plus point outing of the series.
Also stepping up on Sunday was Mickael Pietrus, who came off the bench to play his best game of the series. He finished Game 4 with 16 points, but his defense and rebounding proved most vital. If Matt Barnes, who has made his presence felt throughout the series, and Pietrus excel again in their reserve roles on Tuesday, then the Warriors could possibly start shifting their attention to the Houston/Utah series come Wednesday.
Should Game 6 become necessary, it will be played at ORACLE Arena on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. If the Mavericks then force a seventh and deciding game, it will be played back in Dallas on May 5.
Extras: WARRIORS PLAYOFF BLOG | SERIES MATCH-UP BREAKDOWN | MULTIMEDIA
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