Let’s talk about coming home, Dub Nation. The Warriors (9-8) just survived what Steve Kerr called the toughest early-season stretch of his entire NBA career. Seventeen games in 29 days. Five back-to-backs when no other team has played more than three. Zero practices during a six-game road trip that ended Wednesday in Miami.
They went 3-3 on that final swing, which sounds pedestrian until you realize they rested Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Al Horford in that last game rather than
risk anything on a back-to-back.
Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers
When: November 21st, 2025 | 7:00 PM PT
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: 95.7 The Game
Now they get Chase Center, where they’re 5-0 this season. They get their next five games at home. They get to practice. They get the Portland Trail Blazers, who beat them 139-119 back in October but arrive on a four-game losing streak. That October loss stings. Deni Avdija dropped 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists while the Blazers shot the Warriors off their home court. It was Golden State’s worst home loss of the young season, a 20-point beatdown that sent a message.
But that was then. Portland is 6-9 now and spiraling. They started 4-2, looking competitive, then lost four straight. Interim coach Tiago Splitter is navigating his first NBA head coaching job without Chauncey Billups, learning on the fly with a roster that’s been decimated by injuries to their entire point guard rotation. This is the kind of game Golden State needs to dominate. Not just win, but dominate. Portland beat them once already this season. The Warriors have been playing survival basketball for a month. Now they’re home, getting healthy, and facing a team in crisis.
But first, they need to handle Portland. The Blazers proved in October they can compete when things break right. This isn’t a pushover team, even if they’re struggling. For the Warriors, this is about establishing what comes next. They survived the gauntlet. They’re home. They’re in the NBA Cup group play at 1-1, same as Portland and everyone else in West Group C.
The question isn’t whether Golden State can win. It’s whether they can show they’re ready to capitalize on the easier stretch ahead. Who knows whether they can prove the brutal schedule wasn’t an excuse but an obstacle they’ve cleared? I’m betting on it. Not literally though!
