As if anyone needed reminding which team enters the play-offs as the NBA’s most convincing favourite, the Golden State Warriors offered fresh perspective. They won 15 of their final 16 regular season games.
Most of those victories also came without their special new buddy, Kevin Durant, who only returned last Saturday from a late-February knee injury.
And how does Durant look after playing in three games? A 29-points-in-27-minutes performance in the Warriors’ final regular season game, against the Los Angeles Lakers, ended that mystery.
The NBA does offer a surprise every now and then, but as the post-season begins this weekend, it is headache-inducing to imagine anyone taking down the Warriors in a seven-game series.
They locked up the Western Conference’s No 1 seed by six games over the San Antonio Spurs, and became the first team in history to win at least 67 games in three consecutive seasons.
They continued to hone their reputation as the league’s prototypical, modern winning machine, outscoring everyone at 115.9 points per game.
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Read more
■ NBA Playoffs preview: Raptors to make Finals but Warriors favourites
■ NBA Playoffs schedule: Dates, matchups and game times in the UAE
■ Boston Celtics: Proof that NBA teams do not need to 'tank' to rebuild
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Despite all those three-point shots, they also led the league in field goal percentage. And, oh by the way, they led the league in a pair of defensive categories — blocks and steals — that adds critical possessions to their All-Star shooters, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Durant.
Golden State’s hardest work on the way to their second championship in three years will likely come inside their own conference.
Their first-round series against the Portland Trailblazers is considerably more treacherous than a 1-8 seed match-up should be.
The Blazers were a listless, losing non-contender before trading for centre Jusuf Nurkic in late February and riding his elevated game into the final play-off spot. Nurkic missed the last seven games of the season with a leg injury, but presumably will be ready for Golden State. Will it matter? Probably not.
The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets also presumably lie in wait for Golden State. The Spurs always play smart and Kawhi Leonard will be quietly spectacular.
For Houston, Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden will have the ball in his hands so much you would think it was attached with a rubber band.
The Warriors will not care. They should be doubly on task after letting the Cleveland Cavaliers swipe their title away last spring.
Golden State also will have Durant doggedly seeking his own, first championship ring. Durant, 28, did not leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he was the face of the franchise for nine years, for any reason other than crying like a baby in a mid-June celebration.
After his 11-for-16 shooting night on Wednesday, including five-of-seven from three-point range, Durant told reporters” “I feel like I can go to another level.” Uh-oh.
Once the Warriors’ work is done in the West, they should be home free in the Finals. The Eastern Conference appears under-manned, and oddly with the Cleveland Cavaliers, under-inspired.
Last year’s champions have been sleepwalking for the past month. After beating the Celtics in Boston to recapture the No 1 seed, the Cavaliers dropped their final four games and finished second in the conference.
Perhaps they believe they can turn their skills on when they want. If so, they would not have surrendered a 26-point fourth-quarter lead last Sunday to the Atlanta Hawks and lost in overtime with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all playing.
Then there is top-seeded Boston, who do not have a winning record this year against any team they would likely face in the post-season.
The NBA champions will come from the West in June, and the Warriors will make it look easy.
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
ASHES FIXTURES
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5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
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4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
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Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
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Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
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Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
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Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
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Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
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Lightweight
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Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
