Preview: Warriors ready to battle Kings in Game 3 despite no Draymond

Finally, the #6 seed Golden State Warriors get their first playoff home game since winning the championship last June. The catch? They’ve lost the first two games of their 7-game series to the #3 seeded Sacramento Kings.

Oh yeah, and they won’t have Draymond Green for this one. Hmmmm!

Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings

April 20th, 2023 | 7:00 PM PT

Watch: NBC SPORTS BAY AREA, TNT | Listen: 95.7 The Game

The champs have been credited with rejuvenating several careers during their dynastic reign. JaVale McGee was widely recognized as a perpetual Shaqtin’ A Fool nominee before becoming a key player and champion with the Warriors. Nick Young went from Swaggy P to Swag Champ with the Dubs. Shaun Livingston and Marreese Speights went from journeymen to dominant fan favorites in the old Oracle Arena. Kevin Durant went from being the star of “Thunderstruck” to becoming arguably the greatest player alive as Finals MVP in Golden State.

And now Mike Brown has gone from being the guy who couldn’t win with LeBron James and got fired from Cleveland twice (and receiving ultra mean mugs from Kobe Bryant)...

...to a beloved and well respected coach on Steve Kerr’s staff in Golden State, and now the first ever unanimous Coach of the Year with the Sacramento Kings!

He’s also led his team to a 2-0 lead over the defending champs, further proof that the Warriors’ rejuvenation program is truly spectacular. And he’s also been a helluva coach, inspiring this franchise to fresh heights, capturing the #3 seed this season and bringing the Kings their first berth since 2006.

The Warriors will be more than happy to return to the friendly confines of the Chase Center where they went a ridiculously good 33-8 over the regular season. Also that Kings crowd was impressively raucous and didn’t warmly welcome their NorCal neighbors turned Pacific Division rivals.

Unfortunately they won’t have the superpowers of their enforcer and quarterback Draymond Green, who was suspended for Game 3 after being ejected at the end of Game 2 by the refs.

Craziness. The Warriors will have to go on without Green in a must win game that will affect the series heavily. If the Dubs win, it’ll bolster their confidence after narrowly letting the first two games in Sacramento slip through their fingers (the Kings won by a combined 11 points).

If the Kings win, the Warriors will face a 3-0 deficit that is as daunting as any playoff scenario gets. Nobody in Dub Nation wants that, but you can bet Coach Brown is telling his players to get greedy.

It’s time for the Warriors to band together and protect their house. And you better believe I’ll be inside Chase Center for this pivotal contest. LOCK IN, DUB NATION!