Warriors clinch NBA's best record ever over 5 seasons
The Golden State Warriors continue to cement themselves as one of the greatest teams ever.
The reigning champions defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night to improve to 54-18 on the season and 312-88 (.780) in 400 contests. The victory saw the Warriors clinch the record for the most wins and highest winning percentage over five seasons, per Elias Sports Bureau.
They eclipsed the mark set by the Boston Celtics, who boasted a 311-99 (.759) record from 1981-86 with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish leading the charge.
By this metric, Golden State's five-year range of dominance began in Mark Jackson's last season as head coach, when the club finished with 51 wins and was eliminated in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Since Steve Kerr took over that summer, the team has enjoyed consistent 60-plus-win seasons and set an NBA record with 73 regular-season victories in 2015-16. The Warriors have also made three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, capturing the championship last year and in 2015.
Though the Warriors have widely been regarded as title favorites again this year, recent events have put that into question. All four of their best players are nursing injuries, with two-time MVP Stephen Curry suffering an MCL sprain Friday night fresh off recovering from an ankle injury.
Golden State sits second in the Western Conference, four games behind the Houston Rockets with 10 matchups remaining on the 82-game slate.