The top five can’t-miss games of the Warriors’ 2017-18 regular season.
I would argue that any basketball game involving Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant,
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson is one that you wouldn’t want to miss. They’ve
proven on countless occasions that on any given night, they’re bound to do
something spectacular, and there’s nothing like the feeling of watching history
being made right before your very eyes. Factor in the rest of Golden State’s
championship-defending roster and the bountiful talent blossoming throughout the
rest of the NBA, and there are plenty of reasons to follow the Warriors all
season long. Still, out of the 82 games on the regular season schedule, some
stick out as more can’t-miss than others. With that, here are my top five
can’t-miss games of the Warriors’ 2017-18 regular season (in chronological
order):
Golden State’s championship defense begins with a big-time bang. They’ll host
the Rockets on Opening Night, in what will be Houston’s sole visit to Oracle
Arena for the entire 2017-18 regular season campaign. The Rockets made major
noise in the offseason when they acquired Chris Paul in a trade with the
Clippers, who will now join MVP runner-up James Harden in forming one of the
most star-studded backcourts in the history of the sport. Of course, the Splash
Brothers are certainly no slouch either, and it will be quite a sight to see
those two backcourt tandems go at each other in the first game of the season.
But before the game action commences, there will be some other business to
attend to first. Prior to tipoff, the Warriors will receive their Championship
rings, and Golden State’s 2016-17 NBA Championship banner will be raised to the
rafters.
In case you’ve forgotten, the games between the Warriors and Thunder last
season, particularly the ones in Oklahoma City, were action-packed and
emotion-filled. On November 22nd, the two sides will meet for the first time in
2017-18, and there’s likely to be even more star power involved than a year ago.
Russell Westbrook is now the reigning league MVP, meaning that the last four NBA
MVPs will all be involved in this game in Oklahoma City (Curry and Durant being
the others). Oh, and then there’s the matter of Paul George, whom the Thunder
acquired in an offseason trade with the Indiana Pacers. Just sit back, relax and
enjoy the fireworks.
Three seasons in a row, the Warriors and Cavaliers have met in the NBA Finals.
Come December 25th, the two sides will combine for their third Christmas Day
matchup in the last three years. It was Cleveland taking home the victory in
2016-17, but this time around, the Christmas Day game will take place at Oracle
Arena, where the Dubs hope to get a better result. The two teams have played so
many big games in recent memory, and this has the potential to be yet another.
Miss it, and you run the risk of getting a giant metaphorical lump of coal in
your stocking.
Paul George wasn’t the only star player to change teams and conferences this
offseason. The Boston Celtics finished with the best record in the East last
season, and could be even better in the year ahead after signing Gordon Hayward
(formerly of the Utah Jazz) in free agency. As an Eastern Conference team, the
Celtics only make one trip to the Bay Area each season, and January 27th will
offer Warriors fans and New England transplants their only chance to see the
Dubs and Celtics play at Oracle Arena in 2017-18. Boston has played Golden State
as well as anyone over the last couple years, and they’ve actually beaten the
Warriors at Oracle in each of the last two seasons. This could be one of the
best games of the entire 2017-18 NBA campaign.
Sensing a theme here? Each of the four aforementioned matchups features
Warriors’ opponents that seem likely to make it to the postseason in 2017-18,
and the Spurs are no different. The last time San Antonio missed out on the
playoffs, Stephen Curry was nine years old. So, yeah, it’s been awhile. The
Spurs were the second-best team in the NBA last season, and the only team in the
Association outside of the Warriors to top the 60-win threshold. Their season
came to an end after Golden State swept them in four games in the Western
Conference Finals, and February 10th will represent their first of two games at
Oracle Arena in 2017-18.
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/warriors/20170816/top-games-1718-season
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Golden State Warriors, Golden State Warriors
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Taxonomy: 2017-18 Schedule
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