After a tumultuous season with wild ups and downs, it’s time for the Golden State Warriors to get back on track. In their showdown with the Orlando Magic, barely four minutes into the game, Warriors big man Draymond Green was ejected, a move labeled as an ’embarrassment’ by multiple critics and analysts. But tonight, in their hard-fought 117-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Draymond Green came out with a vengeance. He put up a staggering double-double with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists. If that performance wasn’t enough to silence the haters, then his teammate Brandin Podziemski sure did!

After the controversial ejection against Orlando, NBA analyst Seth Greenberg went on a rant, blaming Green for “ruining the team’s culture, identity, and basically everything they built.” However, in the post-game presser, rookie Podziemski backed Green and acknowledged how “he’s (Draymond) a big reason why we’ve won 14 to 17 on the road.” Brandin continued, “He just impacts the game in so many ways and his influence outside the basketball lines is tremendous to all the young guys and he breathes confidence on us and tonight he was playing like he was in Michigan State you know he was doing everything.”

In the closing seconds of their Easter Sunday showdown with the Spurs, Draymond Green threw down a textbook boxout on rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. The refs blew the whistle for a loose-ball foul, much to the Spurs’ dismay. With ice in his veins, Green stepped to the line and calmly sank one of two free throws to secure a narrow 117-113 victory for GSW. Warriors superstar Curry chipped in a staggering 33 points along with 1 rebound, and 8 assists. Their next matchup is against the Dallas Mavericks. Even though it’s at home, can the Warriors overcome their home losing streak?

Jekyll and Hyde Warriors: Dominant on the Road, Disappointing at Home

This clutch play capped off a 4-1 road trip for the Warriors (40-34).  They’re now finally and firmly in 10th place in the Western Conference, and their playoff hopes got a big boost. The 11th-place Houston Rockets lost their game on Sunday to the Dallas Mavericks, giving the Warriors a 2-game lead in the standings.  On top of that, Golden State holds the tiebreaker advantage, making their position even more secure.

The most interesting stat might be this, the Warriors have been on a heater on the road lately, winning a whopping 14 out of their last 17 games away from home. As opposed to this year, last season the Warriors’ home court was practically a fortress, with a 33-8 record in the regular season and a 4-2 showing in the playoffs.

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But away from Chase Center, things weren’t so rosy, with an 11-30 record during the regular season and a measly 2-4 showing in the playoffs.  The 2021-22 season followed a similar script, a strong home record of 31-10 contrasted with a mediocre 22-19 mark on the road. Even during their play-in year in 2020-21, they were significantly better at home (25-11) compared to their struggles on the road (14-22).

Draymond’s absence (mostly on account of ejections) for a quarter of their home games has potentially cost the Warriors a top-6 seed, leaving them in a fight for a precious play-in spot. However, with their recent dub, things may finally be turning around for the Golden State Warriors. Is Draymond really the key to GSW’s on-road success? Share your thoughts below!

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