Category: Basketball

Have Warriors found perfect rest, rhythm balance entering playoffs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – Why the Warriors were in such pursuit of the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed and avoiding the NBA play-in tournament was obvious to everybody. 

First of all, the Warriors were 0-3 in play-in games before Tuesday’s win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Throughout a decade-plus of winning four NBA titles, the Warriors have thrived in making necessary adjustments throughout a series. Most of all, though, these guys needed a rest. 

The schedule was grueling down the stretch, and the intensity was as close to the playoffs as possible. Glimpses of fatigue naturally popped up over the last two weeks of the regular season with the Warriors fighting to climb up the standings, only for those around them to keep racking up wins.

Coach Steve Kerr shed a spotlight on the importance of Golden State not needing a second crack at making the playoffs after taking down Memphis, saying his team, led by a 37-year-old Steph Curry and two 35-year-olds in Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, “desperately” needed the four days off prior to their first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets. 

He also revealed how the Warriors might now find themselves in the perfect balance of rest, recovery and rhythm before that Grizzlies game.

“I don’t think you even want a week off in the NBA,” Kerr said. “I think four days off is kind of perfect.” 

That’s where the Warriors find themselves now, which is a much different place than how the Rockets’ regular season wrapped up. 

Houston secured the No. 2 seed on April 8 with three regular-season games remaining. There was no reason to risk injury and exert the energy of their top players, so coach Ime Udoka gave his top players – aside from 15 minutes for Jalen Green – the night off in each of the next two games. It didn’t matter in the standings for the Rockets, but the results were two blowout losses to Los Angeles’ two teams, the Clippers and the Lakers. 

In the final game of the regular season, Udoka used his usual starting five, but gave time to 14 players in a 15-point loss against the Denver Nuggets, ending the regular season with three consecutive defeats by an average of 21 points. 

Of all the days on the NBA calendar, Wednesday might have been Kerr’s favorite. He and his coaching staff get into their basketball lab and get to work. Clip after clip after clip of film is broken down. Numbers are dissected, and matchups are picked apart. 

Players had the day off physically, and then came to Chase Center later in the afternoon for a deep dive of all their installations from film study. Basketball brilliance without a camera is put on display without a camera in sight. 

Thursday was time for them to lace their sneakers back up and get their bodies moving before boarding a flight to Houston. The Warriors then practiced Friday at the University of Houston and feel like the last few days were the perfect balance of getting a breather and locking in. 

“I thought the last two, three weeks was an incredible test and our guys were amazing,” Kerr said Friday after practice. “Obviously did enough to get where we are, and then getting those four days I think allowed us to get our feet on the ground and we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.” 

Getting days off is a bonus every team desires. What a player, and a team collectively, does with that time can be the sign of true greatness. It’s where the Warriors’ championship experience kicks into gear, finding wins within the details. 

“Rest is one thing, but not all rest is created equally,” Curry said. “You have to be intentional about how you use the days. That doesn’t mean you don’t do anything. You’re priming yourself in the weight room, mentally, skills-wise getting your work in.” 

Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet, Green and others in the Rockets’ main cast haven’t played meaningful basketball since beating the Warriors two weeks ago. Meanwhile in that span, Curry and Butler kicked into playoff mode early and combined to score 272 points since the Warriors’ loss to the Rockets. 

Youth against experience. Rest against the rhythm. Every battle of contrasting teams will take center stage. 

The once-desired week off wasn’t in the cards for the Warriors. An even better balance might have struck the right chord for another playoff run.

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The Los Angeles Lakers slumped to a 117-95 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening game of their NBA Western Conference first-round play-off.

Jaden McDaniels top scored with 25 points for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, who were the only away team to win in the opening matches of the best-of-seven post-season series.

Naz Reid scored 23 points off the bench while Anthony Edwards added 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Minnesota, who led by 27 points at one stage.

Lakers star LeBron James, who is chasing a fifth title in his 22nd NBA season, failed to score in the opening quarter for the third seeds but went on to hit 19 points.

Luka Doncic, in his first post-season game with the Lakers after arriving from the Dallas Mavericks in February's high-profile trade, top-scored on 37.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team was "mentally ready" but failed to match Minnesota's physicality.

"I thought our spirit was right," he said. "I thought even when they made runs our huddles were great, the communication was great.

"But when they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn't respond immediately to that."

• How do the NBA play-offs work?

In the other Western Conference first-round game, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and added nine rebounds, 12 assists and three steals as the Denver Nuggets edged past the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in overtime.

The Nuggets trailed by 15 points early on but Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook helped them back into contention.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers both went ahead in their Eastern Conference match-ups.

The Knicks scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter to pull away for a 123-112 win over the Detroit Pistons, who are in the play-offs for the first time since 2019 and have not won a play-off game since 2008.

Jalen Brunson scored 23 of his 34 points in the second half while Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby had 23 points apiece for the Knicks, who rallied after trailing by eight going into the final period.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo netted 36 points but it was not enough as his Milwaukee Bucks lost out 117-98 to the Pacers.

The Knicks’ defensive plan against Cade Cunningham was pretty straightforward.

“OG Anunoby,” Josh Hart said. “Just OG Anunoby, man.”

Anunoby was matched up against Cunningham for much of Game 1 -- and the results speak for themselves.

Anunoby was the point of attack for a Knicks defense that held Cunningham to 8-of-21 shooting from the field and forced him into six turnovers.

“Just tried to make it as difficult as possible,” Anunoby said after the game. “Make his catches difficult; pressure him, be aggressive -- just try to force him into tough shots.”

Cunningham finished with 21 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds. He was a driving force behind Detroit’s success over the first three quarters but was also on the floor for most of New York’s 26-3 fourth-quarter run.

With the game still very much up in the air, Cunningham had his shot blocked by Anunoby, turned the ball over on an in-bounds and threw it away out of a pick-and-roll thanks to a bump from Anunoby and fantastic defense from Karl-Anthony Towns.

The two live-ball turnovers led to easy transition layups.

After starting the fourth down seven points, New York now led by seven with under six minutes to play. Technically, the game was still up in the air -- but the defensive sequence against Cunningham seemed to take some life out of the Pistons.

“OG loves those kind of matchups, especially in the playoffs when you can be physical,” Hart said. “He’s a physical guy, able to get through screens and those kind of things. We need his offense obviously, but more important (was) his defense.”

The defense from Anunoby (five steals, two blocks) was part of what the Knicks envisioned when they re-signed him to a $212 million contract this offseason.

New York’s defense has been inconsistent -- at best -- this season.

But the Knicks and Anunoby delivered in key moments on Saturday night, leading to a tone-setting win -- and maybe they established a blue-print on how to deal with Cunningham, who averaged 30 points on 56 percent shooting against New York in the regular season.

“They sent bodies at me... They made sure that every time I came off, they were checking me,” Cunningham said. “They were sending bodies at me all the time trying to get the ball out of my hands. They were on the same accord today (as previous games). I just wasn’t able to pick them apart enough.

"But for 3.5 quarters of the game we were all comfortable -- we were getting shots that we wanted, so we just got to close out the game.”

KAT DELIVERS

Towns and Anunoby lifted the Knicks on both ends of the floor.

Anunoby had 23 points, helping the Knicks keep pace amid Jalen Brunson’s early shooting struggles. Towns had 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, 11 rebounds, four steals, five assists and 0 turnovers.

Towns was playing up against the pick and roll often against Detroit -- it will be interesting to see if the Knicks stick with that approach in Game 2.

New York was clearly well-prepared for the Pistons after a week of practices. Credit there goes to Tom Thibodeau, who pressed nearly all the right buttons on Saturday.

“We were really big on details,” Game 1 hero Cam Payne said after the win. “I feel like tonight we came out there and did what we’re supposed to do. There’s always room for improvement but I kind of feel like the guys were very locked in… made sure to lock in on the books they gave us; all the practice and walk-throughs, I feel like were pretty good (for preparation).”

The Knicks' Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs didn't come without its warts. And although the game will be remembered by New York's furious fourth-quarter comeback, it's also a reminder that the team still has a ways to go to reach its final destination.

Still, Saturday night's win was important for the Knicks who will be right back at it on Monday night for Game 2.

"It’s important, no matter what game it is," Jalen Brunson said. "When you get a win it does a lot for your confidence, but tomorrow will be a reset then we’ll refocus and then get ready for Game 2."

Before the series began, one of the biggest questions was how would New York be able to contain Cade Cunningham who torched the Knicks in four regular season games this year.

OG Anunoby got the first crack at the 23-year-old and held Cunningham to 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting after the guard averaged 30.8 points against New York this season and 26.1 points overall. Cunningham did well to involve others with 12 assists, but it was far from his best showing on the court.

But even with their superstar held in check slightly, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead -- one that evaporated thanks to the Knicks' 21-0 run showcasing the team's grit as well as playoff experience (and Detroit's lack thereof).

"I think we’ve done a great job of fighting through adversity all year," Karl-Anthony Towns said.

As important as a win Saturday was for New York, head coach Tom Thibodeau knows it's now on to the next one. He also knows what the Knicks need to work on to finish the best-of-7 series out on top.

"It’s one win and then we gotta reset and get ready for the next one," he said. "… There’s a lot of things that we can do better."

Towns understands and echoed his coach's sentiment after playing in his first postseason game at Madison Square Garden, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

"Of course you want to throw the first punch, but it’s only one game," Towns said. "We gotta continue to execute at a high level and we gotta continue to stay connected if we want to beat a great team."

The Pistons will make adjustments of their own and it'll be interesting to see if New York sticks with Anunoby on Cunningham and if Cunningham will be able to respond.

As for role players who stepped up for Detroit that the Knicks should keep an eye on, Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 64 points. In fact, the Pistons were one bad quarter away from being up 1-0 in the series.

"Gotta give them a lot of credit, they pushed us," Brunson said. "We just found a way in the fourth quarter to get stops and find a way to win."

For 12 minutes to begin the 2025 playoffs, Luka Doncic rewarded the Lakers fans in the packed arena, showing that all the hopefulness that they entered Crypto.com Arena on Saturday wasn’t just some foolish dream.

It could really happen; he’s that good.

But for as much as a brilliant Doncic start can be the opening paragraphs in the story of a Lakers win, it can also be a bit of a mask. Because while Doncic got whatever he wanted, Austin Reaves struggled against Minnesota’s pressure, missing easy shots at the rim and struggling to get the Lakers into offense. LeBron James, who we last saw on the court grimacing after a hip flexor strain, didn’t have much burst to the basket or much touch on his shot.

And with Doncic on the bench after a 16-point first quarter, that mask came off.

The Lakers couldn’t score. They couldn’t match Minnesota’s energy. They couldn’t out-run ball movement or chase down rebounds. Opposing shooters were open. Driving lanes on the other end were closed.

And they couldn’t stop an avalanche that hit them with the kind of force that knocked all the energy out of the building.

The game, which Minnesota won 117-95, didn’t end during that stretch, at least not in an official sense. But everything that followed as the Timberwolves scored 64 of the game’s next 90 points should be a reminder of just how easily hopefulness can be punctured.

It wasn’t that the Lakers needed less of Doncic, who glibly said “I guess I gotta pass more” when asked about his teammates’ early lack of rhythm. It was that they needed to be better in the areas of the game other than the ones Doncic crafted in the first quarter.

Read more:'Everybody had my back.' Lakers forge tighter bond supporting Luka Doncic in Dallas

Because while he cracked the Timberwolves’ defense open, the Lakers flew around the court. The Lakers contested shots. The Lakers sprinted to secure every available possession.

It took 19 minutes of court time for the Lakers’ moment — the first time they’ve hosted a Game 1 since 2012 — to unravel, for it fall out of reach, for the season to feel in jeopardy for the first time since well before Doncic was a part of it.

“They did all the things that we wanted to do,” Reaves said of Minnesota.

The concerns for the Lakers moving forward can be found all over the final box score, the 19-point edge in fast-break points showing how much faster Minnesota played. The 21 second-chance points the Lakers allowed showed Minnesota’s determination. The 48 combined points for Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid showing how capable Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle’s co-stars are.

The Lakers held Edwards to just 22 points on 22 shots. And lost. The Lakers kept Randle to 16 and Rudy Gobert to just two. And lost. The Lakers got 37 points (but only one assist) from Doncic. And lost.

“They're a great opponent. They're one of the best teams in basketball,” JJ Redick said. “It’s not to say our guys weren't ready to withstand a playoff-level basketball game. We were mentally ready. I thought our spirit was right. I thought even when they made runs, our huddles were great. The communication was great.

“I'm not sure physically we were ready, if that makes sense. And really when they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn't respond to meet that.”

They should’ve known it was coming. No one has guarded the Lakers quite as well as the Timberwolves have this year. Nine times this season, the Lakers have been held to under 100 points — and, now, three of those times have been because of the Minnesota Timberwolves' defense.

Read more:How do the Lakers match up against the Timberwolves entering their playoff series?

“Obviously we gotta do a better job of controlling the controllables,” James said after. “And I don't think we did a good enough job after the first quarter.”

And while the makeup of the Lakers’ roster has changed significantly in their offensive clunkers, the challenges the Timberwolves give — their size, their long arms, their quick feet and their active hands — haven’t really been solved by Redick and the players.

“You know this Minnesota team, they're gonna be physical,” James said. “That's what they bring to the table. Maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for it and know what type of intensity, the type of physicality is gonna be brought to the game. But that's just the way they play. So we should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday night.”

Maybe more force will be the difference; no one on the Lakers thought that it wouldn’t. But maybe, it’s even simpler than that.

“Just be physical. Play like we played in the first quarter,” Doncic said. “I think when we played in the first quarter, we were at our best. Just limit their threes. Limit transition and second-chance points. And play our game.”

Saturday, they squandered an opportunity to sustain things long enough to take one stop closer to their goals. And, even if there are bigger signs for concern, the focus can’t change.

“You’ve gotta get beat four times; you’ve gotta win four times. So, that’s the outlook,” Reaves said. “We know we didn’t play very well. We didn’t play to our standards. And we’ll get better.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Things weren’t looking good for the Knicks in Game 1. 

After a back-and-forth first two quarters, the Pistons came out of the locker room resurged and they began taking things over -- suddenly New York found themselves trailing by eight points heading into the final frame. 

Then, everything changed in a hurry.  

The Pistons opened the fourth taking a five-second violation and the Knicks were able to build off of the energy from the fired up Madison Square Garden crowd, as Karl-Anthony Towns knocked down back-to-back baskets. 

New York ran with the momentum, scoring the next 21 points before Detroit’s Malik Beasley knocked down a three, pushing themselves back in front and re-establishing the double-digit advantage in less then five minutes. 

The Pistons made a push down the stretch, but the Knicks never looked back, holding on for the Game 1 victory. 

“We didn't end the third quarter the way we wanted to," Jalen Brunson said. "But there was never a doubt that we were just going to lay down without a fight -- we just had to figure things out and just keep battling, and it turned rather quickly."

Brunson was in the middle of the surge as always, but easily the biggest boost came from veteran reserve Cam Payne, who stepped up tremendously after a quiet first half showing. 

Payne had just three points over the first three quarters -- but during that stretch in which the Knicks completely turned things around he simply couldn't miss as he knocked down 4-of-5 shots including a pair of threes to give him 11 of his 14 points during the final frame.

He was also a key factor in forcing the momentum changing five-second turnover.

“We all know what Cam is capable of -- that’s what he does,” OG Anunoby said. 

“He’s a catalyst, he gets in there and makes things happen,” head coach Tom Thibodeau added. “The thing about him is he knows exactly who he is. He comes in with great energy every game, and he prepares himself well -- he gave us a huge spark, but that’s who he’s been all season.”

Payne, who averaged 6.9 points during his first year in New York, received a rousing ovation from the MSG faithful as he was subbed out late in the fourth quarter -- it was an ovation and performance he's been waiting for all season.

"It's fun man," he said. "It's a hell of an atmosphere. I was on the opposing side of it last year and it was tough, it was loud as s--t in there. Being on the flip side of it felt good, that ovation felt good. I've been waiting on that all year, how I played today all year, so I'm just grateful.

"I thank God for everything that happened tonight, I'm just grateful to still be playing in this league."

The Knicks pulled out a huge 123-112 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their first round matchup on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Garden was rocking and the Knicks responded with a strong start on both ends of the floor. New York did a good job suffocating Cade Cunningham defensively, and three of their starting five found the bottom of the basket to open an early advantage.

- Landry Shamet was the first man off the bench, subbing in after Josh Hart picked up two early fouls.

- OG Anunoby's offensive surge continued in the first quarter, knocking down five shots including a pair of threes for 12 points. New York limited Cunningham to just two points but his teammates stepped up and made baskets around him, evening things up at 27.

New York-native Tobias Harris had nine points and Malik Beasley drilled a pair of threes off the bench.

- Karl-Anthony Towns was held scoreless in the first, but he led the way for the second unit early in the second. The big man knocked down his first three field goals of the quarter and a technical free throw for defensive three seconds, to help the Knicks jump back in front.

- With Hart picking up his third foul early in the quarter, Towns received minutes alongside Mitchell Robinson, who provided a nice spark with a monster putback jam. The duo struggled defensively, though, as KAT lost Harris at times and the Pistons were able to keep things within shouting distance.

- Anunoby continued leading the way for New York with 19 first-half points, but Harris was just as good as he knocked down 7-of-10 from the field to lead all scorers with 22 points, making it a three-point game heading into the break.

- Former Knick Tim Hardaway Jr. stepped up for Detroit coming out of the break, helping them open the quarter on a 7-0 run to jump back in front. The Pistons continued finding different ways to get to the basket and they opened their largest lead of the game -- before the Knicks came storming back.

- The rest of the quarter was back and forth, but back-to-back blocks from Dennis Schröder and Isaiah Stewart resulted in a five-point swing towards the Pistons, and suddenly the Knicks found themselves trailing by eight heading into the fourth.

- Desperate for a spark, Towns started the quarter knocking down back-to-back baskets. The Knicks used that to help push them back in front, regaining all of the momentum with an incredible 21-0 run, which helped them reopen a double-digit advantage.

Detroit was able to close the gap, but big buckets down the stretch helped the Knicks close out the Game 1 victory.

- Brunson led all scorers with 34 points on 12-of-27 shooting while dishing eight assists. Anunoby and Towns both finished with 23 points, Cameron Payne knocked down three threes and contributed 14 points off the bench (11 in the fourth), while Robinson had six points and six boards.

Bridges sat the entire fourth quarter and was a non-factor, finishing with just six points.

- New York did a really good job on Cunningham, holding him to just 21 points but he had 12 assists. Big man Jalen Duren was limited to just seven points and six boards. Harris stepped up with 25 points, Beasley had 20 points, and Hardaway Jr. had 19.

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby was tremendous on both ends of the court, helping New York grab a Game 1 victory.

Highlights

Mikal’s mid-range 👀

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/yepLJ5M6Oo

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 19, 2025

Mitchell Robinson with the putback slam 🔥

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/v8VNejpALK

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 19, 2025

Brunson nails the triple! 🎯

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/oEBEJe8rX5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 19, 2025

Hart ➡️ KAT

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/5e4n1vIDqn

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 20, 2025

Whats next

The Knicks and Pistons meet in Game 2 of the series on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

The Clippers dropped a 112-110 overtime game to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Ball Arena to open the playoffs.

They are down 1-0 in the best-of-seven series because Russell Westbrook was as a menace against his former team and supplied the Nuggets with the energy and big plays they needed to get the win.

Westbrook’s last big play was knocking the ball off of James Harden’s hand with 9.6 seconds left in the overtime.

Nikola Jokic made two free throws for a 112-107 lead with 6.5 seconds remaining that sealed the victory.

We’re in good shape,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We just got to do what we’re supposed to do and what we talked about. We can’t turn the ball over 20 times…We just got to be better with our execution. I think defensively understanding what we’re doing and then offensively understanding how we want to attack them.”

Jokic finished with 29 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.

Read more:Clippers' Kawhi Leonard still has 'love' for the game of basketball

Harden led the Clippers with 32 points and 11 assists.

Westbrook had 15 points, including two big threes, and eight rebounds and two steals.

The Clippers turned the ball over 20 times.

Jokic not only picked up his fourth foul by getting a double-foul with Ben Simmons in the fourth, he was also hit with a technical foul with 6:41 left.

Jokic felt he was struck in the face by Derrick Jones Jr., knocking him to the court. But no foul was called, drawing the ire of Jokic toward an official who issued the technical foul in a game that was getting tense and tighter as it went along.

Then with 1:27 left and the Nuggets leading by one, Jokic got an offensive rebound and was fouled but he missed both free throws, leaving the Clippers down 95-94.

The Clippers took advantage when Ivica Zubac scored on a goaltending call on Aaron Gordon, giving the Clippers a 96-95 lead with 1:11 left.

But the Clippers turned the ball over after Kawhi Leonard had it bounce off his hip with 33.5 seconds left and the Clippers still up by one.

The Nuggets called a timeout to call an important play after the Clippers’ challenge was unsuccessful.

Jokic, unafraid to make the right pass, and Westbrook, unafraid to take the big shot, combined to make the play. Jokic hit Westbrook in the corner for a three-pointer and a 98-96 Nuggets lead with 23.4 seconds left.

But Harden drove inside for a floater to tie the score at 98-98 with 18.7 seconds left.

That left the ball in Denver’s hands for the final shot.

But the Clippers played great defense and eventually Westbrook intended to put up the ball but could not get off a shot, sending the game into OT tied 98-98.

Harden picked up his fourth foul with 9 minutes and 10 seconds left in the third quarter, but played all 12 minutes in the quarter. Harden didn’t pick up another one before it was over.

Along the way in this game, Harden established himself as one of the NBA’s playoff greats.

He has scored (3,796) career points in the postseason, pushing him past John Havlicek for sole possession of 14th place on the NBA’s all-time playoff points list. Harden has (1,072) assists in the postseason, pushing him past Larry Bird for sole possession of eighth place on the all-time playoff assists list.

When Harden picked up his second foul with 4:55 left in the first quarter, the Clippers had a decision to make. They left him in the game and he immediately attacked with three consecutive drives to the basket — one turning into a three-point play — resulting in an early 12-point lead for the Clippers.

Harden didn’t waver in his play, staying aggressive the rest of the way in playing all 12 minutes in the first, finishing it off with a three-pointer at the buzzer that gave him 15 points on six-for-11 shooting.

Harden’s play seemed to ignite the Clippers, as they built a 15-point lead in the second quarter.

But the Clippers got sloppy with the basketball as the quarter continued, turning it over eight times in the second, leading to the Nuggets trimming L.A.’s lead to 53-49 at the half.

By the end of the third quarter, the game was still close.

But the Clippers still had the lead at 75-72.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Santos provides Warriors with energy that embodies all of Brazil originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Gui Santos’ first view of Chase Center was a sea of yellow shirts covering seats all throughout the stands. 

It was the 2022 NBA Finals and Santos was going through his pre-draft workout down below on the Warriors’ practice court prior to one of their games against the Boston Celtics. Winning was what the Warriors were known for, even in Brazil. The sight of those bright shirts to create a home-court advantage wasn’t as eye-opening for Santos as it is now that he can reflect on the moment. From the outside, everything felt routine. 

“I didn’t have the understanding of how big and how hard it is to get there, because Golden State always was in the Finals the last couple years,” Santos says to NBC Sports Bay Area. “I was like, ‘OK, maybe that’s normal for them.’ But then when I got here the season after they were champions, I saw how hard it is to make the Finals, how hard it is to go to the playoffs. But to make the Finals, it’s even tougher.

“Now I know why they got so much respect in the whole league, and now I want to be part of that for sure.”

Just one week after winning their fourth championship in eight years, the Warriors were on the clock and used three draft picks, first taking Patrick Baldwin Jr. with the 28th overall pick and then trading up to select Ryan Rollins in the second round (No. 44 overall). With a third pick at their disposal, the Warriors went the developmental route and added Santos as the third-to-last pick in the draft.

Everything was foreign territory for someone who was 20 years old one day before the draft. Santos was stepping into a team full of stars celebrating another championship. Patience wasn’t an option. Feeling forgotten would have been easy. Luckily for Santos, he had a north star to guide his leap to Golden State.

Former Warriors champion Leandro Barbosa was a longtime mentor of Santos in Brazil, even serving as his veteran teammate for Brazilian club Minas when he still led the league in scoring at 37 years old in the 2019-20 season. He posted a picture to his Instagram story of Santos after his pre-draft workout as the Warriors were on their way to getting fitted for rings, and having his idol around him for the draft process slowed everything down for Santos.

Barbosa then left his post on the Warriors’ coaching staff two months later to follow Mike Brown to the Sacramento Kings for a larger role. Santos now finds himself as the one and only current NBA player born in Brazil.

The honor can be a blessing and a curse. As Santos’ star has shined brighter the longer the Warriors’ season has gone on, he has been an advocate of Brazilian basketball and the talent the country can produce. Representing all of Brazil for the most internationally known NBA team also is pressure unknown to almost anybody else.

“It’s amazing,” Santos says. “Especially being the only one right here, right now, and having all the attention from everybody. It’s good when you’re playing well, but it’s tough when you’re not playing well.”

Santos has heard it all from outsiders, telling him to shoot more and be more of a scorer, without understanding the importance of what he does for a team led by Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

The positivity, Santos says, far outweighs any negativity.

“I’m very, very happy, very proud of that, because the biggest part of Brazil is cheering for me, sending good vibes,” he continues. “I love that. Everything I do, I try to mention Brazil because that’s where I grew up, that’s where I was born, that’s where I learned everything.”

Santos spent his entire first season playing in Santa Cruz for the Warriors’ G League affiliate, refining his body and basketball skills as he learned to play within Golden State’s system. He only played 23 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 8.3 minutes. His contract wasn’t even guaranteed going into this season, and he played another five games for Santa Cruz, but none since Dec. 15, 2024.

That’s the kind of winning impact Santos has had on Golden State with more opportunities. 

Though Santos ranks 17th in points per game (4.1) among those who have played for the Warriors this season, he has become one of their most trusted players. Santos played in 56 of the Warriors’ 82 regular-season games, yet still ranked fifth on the team in cumulative plus/minus (165) behind only Curry, Green, Brandin Podziemski and Butler – in that order. Steve Kerr, for months no,w has mentioned Santos’ plus/minus numbers multiple times.

But with the Warriors’ playoff hopes on the line, Kerr didn’t play Santos against the LA Clippers in the regular-season finale, a loss that dropped them to the play-in tournament. Unprompted ahead of their play-in tournament game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Kerr admitted the Warriors missed Santos’ presence on the court. In the locker room, Santos was the same as he always is. 

Jovial. Upbeat. Impossible to wipe the smile off his face. Santos puts in his blue earbuds, cranks up his Brazilian funk music and finds a zone only he can tap into. 

“It’s to get into the mood for the game,” Santos explains. “It’s not slow. It’s very fast. I put it on before the game to get ready to go out there and bring some energy.” 

Which is exactly what Santos does once his foot crosses the line and it’s his time to bring the home crowd to life. Whenever Santos enters a game, he challenges himself to grab two offensive rebounds. He came down with three in the six minutes he played to help push the Warriors back into the playoffs against the Houston Rockets. 

“Our points per possession when we get offensive rebounds is through the roof,” Podziemski says. “Any extra possession we get, it’s going to benefit us, especially against a defensive team like Houston.” 

On the Warriors’ first offensive possession with Santos on the floor against the Grizzlies, he misses a 3-pointer from the left corner. But the next time down, Butler misses from the right wing, only to see Santos soar to secure a rebound over Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. His elbows go flying to clear space and throw the ball to Kevon Looney at the top of the arc. What Santos does next is the second phase of why Kerr knows the game flows with him on the court. 

After Santos keeps the play alive, the ball gets swung back to Butler. Santos backpedals a few steps and goes unnoticed before cutting to the basket, catching Butler’s entry pass, flipping his hips and making a contested layup through Jackson and Desmond Bane for a three-point play that gave Golden State a 13-point lead in the second quarter. 

His right hand punches through the arena air, and Santos’ lion’s roar matches the volume vibrating through Warriors fans. 

“Me and Gui, we’re international,” Quinten Post says. “Different upbringing. You need it. Me and Gui, maybe we don’t have that swagger, but we’re just raw energy out there. I think you need that. For Gui, sometimes it’s shorter stints. The way he came in against Memphis and grabbed offensive rebounds, those weren’t rebounds that belonged to him, but he just forced his way in there. 

“It’s important to have some guys who play with emotion and get the crowd going.” 

There’s the way his curls flop over a headband like Anderson Varejao, and the spirits he plays with that match Brazil’s samba music. Gui Santos brings every ounce of energy he has every day to the Warriors and Dub Nation, embodying all of Brazil.

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