Golden State Warriors

10,000 Fans Pour Into Oracle Arena for Warriors Watch Party

About 10,000 Golden State Warriors fans piled into Oracle Arena on Saturday for a lively Watch Party, keeping their fingers crossed that the team would eke out a victory and stay on a path to the NBA championship. 

Fortunately, the Warriors did indeed defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder after a nail-biting game that saw Golden State down for most of it. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were able to snatch a victory with a final score of 108-101. 

For much of the game, subdued fans watched with worry as the Oklahoma City Thunder took an early lead. 

"I was nervous -- especially when they were down by five or 10 points," said Warriors fan Baran Mavi, who attended the screening. 

Some were able to keep the faith. 

"This team, they never doubt themselves," said Hilary Grubb, a fan from Berkeley. "They have hearts of champions, and they never give up, so they make us believe they can win." 

The Warriors had to win Saturday night's game in order to stay in the NBA Western Conference Finals. With the series tied 3-3, the Warriors will face off against the Thunder for a seventh game on Monday at Oracle Arena. 

Barbara Tengeri, who says she's been a fan since the 1960s, said she paid $20 for a ticket to the screening party "to be among the #DubNation folks" because it gives fellow fans an opportunity to "bond together." 

Jaden Dobbs, a Hercules resident, also showed up to support his team. He says he was going to watch it on TV, but couldn't resist the opportunity to see it at the arena. 

The arena was stocked with full concessions, and there was even a halftime show. Originally, it was reported that an estimated 19,000 would be attending the watch party. About 10,000 turned up. 

Contact Us