Warriors' NBA playoff past with series tied at 2 bodes well vs. Kings
Why history is on Warriors' side in tied series vs. Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors have been here before.
But for the Sacramento Kings, an NBA playoff series -- let alone one against the defending champions -- is entirely new ground.
So, with their opening-round series tied at two games apiece heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, recent history bodes well for Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his squad when it comes to earning two more wins and advancing, as The Associated Press' Josh Dubow highlighted.
Every Warriors team Kerr has coached has gone on to win playoff series that were tied at 2. More specifically, Golden State has won four of its last five Game 5s under Kerr when the series was tied.
While none of those instances took place during the opening round, the Warriors know what it takes to pull ahead in a playoff series with incredibly high stakes.
One major factor will play into Game 5, though: Golden State is on the road. The Warriors notoriously have played worse in away games than they have at Chase Center this season, and their sole Game 5 loss in a series tied at 2 under Kerr came during the 2018 Western Conference finals in Houston against the Rockets. The other four were at home.
RELATED: Revenge: Warriors welcome chance to quiet G1C's rowdy Kings fans
Kings fans at Golden 1 Center certainly will be just as rowdy as they were in Games 1 and 2 of the series, both of which the Warriors lost in Sacramento. And with Kings star guard De'Aaron Fox vowing to play in Game 5 despite a broken finger on his shooting hand, the Warriors face a sure challenge.
But if their past success means anything, the Warriors have a good chance at eliminating their Northern California counterparts in their quest to defend their NBA title.
