"After getting our a** kicked the past two years" - Draymond Green describes his mindset after Golden State Warriors make it 50 wins for the season
The Golden State Warriors confirmed their playoff spot after their win against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. The guaranteed playoff position means that the Warriors are back in the NBA's postseason for the first time since 2019.
The Golden State Warriors hit another milestone in their strong 2021-22 campaign on Sunday. The Dubs reached the 50-win mark with a 109-90 victory against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
The victory improved Golden State's record to 50-29, making it the first time they have hit the landmark in three seasons.
The Dubs knock the Kings out of playoff contention https://t.co/paQIR2UHvd
Draymond Green, who saw the Warriors post a 50-win season for six straight campaigns between 2013 and 2019, was happy with the achievement after the team's 19-point road victory.
Having endured the ignominy of a 15-50 record in 2019-20 and narrowly missing the playoffs after a 39-33 season in 2020-21, Green told the media in his post-game interaction:
“It’s always great to win 50 games. I don’t take that for granted especially after getting our a** kicked the past two years.”
Draymond Green on 50 wins: “It’s always great to win 50 games. I don’t take that for granted especially after getting our ass kicked the past two years.”
Green, who finished with six points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks on Sunday, elaborated on why he felt it was a "great" achievement to get to 50 wins. He said:
"It does mean something. It's a great feat for such a young team. This is still a young team, a very inexperienced team. We have a few guys with experience but beyond that, there's not much. Moreso than for myself or Klay [Thompson] or Steph [Curry] or coach [Steve Kerr], Andre [Iguodala], for these young guys to feel that and now understand how hard it is."
He concluded:
"It hasn't been easy to get to 50 wins for us. All the things that can go wrong, how you got to stay the course. I think it does mean a lot. It's great to be back where we are and now we got to continue to build and try to roll into these playoffs."
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"50 wins is not easy in this league" - Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr echoed Draymond Green's sentiments about the team's 50th victory being an important milestone. He told the media:
"50 wins is not easy in this league. I told the guys in the locker room afterwards, 'I don't care how we got here. We got here.' If you can win 50 [games], you've had a hell of a year. I'm really proud of them."
Kerr added:
"We have had all kinds of adversity, injuries, absences. Our guys have stuck together and competed and here we are. Now the key is can we keep it going and build some momentum going into the playoffs. That's the plan."
Kerr: "If you can win 50 [games], you've had a hell of a year" https://t.co/NRyzbEAFyX