While the Golden State Warriors team was away from their home at Chase Center on Saturday, their fans were not. Thousands of Warriors fans camped out in front of the Dub's home court Saturday evening to watch Game 1 of the playoffs at Thrive City.
While the Warriors faced off against the Sacramento Kings more than 80 miles away Saturday night, this group of Warriors fans came to watch the game on the 3,108 square foot video board on the outside of Chase Center.
The playoff watch parties at Chase Center are free to attend, however, the Warriors ask fans to register ahead of time to secure their spots. Warriors officials said they expect that all the available spots at this watch party will be filled, meaning that around 2,600 fans packed into the outdoor plaza at Thrive City on the chilly, windy evening.
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Things at the watch party started off on a high note, as fans were energized by the Warrior's lead in the first two quarters.
“I feel like it's going good,” said Samuel Morgan of Union City, "I think with [Andrew] Wiggins back, it gives us a whole different dimension."
Morgan said he considered driving to Sacramento to watch Game 1 of the playoffs, "but then I looked at the ticket prices and I said I’ll just wait, I’ll wait 'til they come home."
Some families said the Warriors watch parties at Thrive City are becoming a family tradition for them.
"We wouldn’t be any other place in the world, we gotta come out here and show support,” said Andres Puebla of Suisun City.
"We always try to come to the watch parties, it's good to get the kids out," said Sheena Ortega of South San Francisco.
But in the third and fourth quarters of the game, the early optimism from fans turned to nail-biting stress. Fans kept their eyes glued to the Thrive City screen, hoping the Dubs could nudge the score back in their favor.
As Game 1 of the playoffs ended in a loss for the Warriors, fans sighed with disappointment and packed up their lawn chairs at Thrive City.
“I was disappointed I really thought they were gonna win, they were doing so good,” said Amalia Leamon.
But the Warrior faithful say they're still feeling good about their team in this series, they're still envisioning the Dubs as the 2023 champions.
“We got the next game, don’t worry,” said Adam Arzadon.
The Warriors will continue to host free watch parties at Thrive City throughout the team's postseason campaign.
