The Warriors punched their ticket to the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday with a Game 7 victory over the Kings.
They will face LeBron James and the Lakers in the next round, writing a new chapter in the long-running rivalry between James and the reigning champs.
MORE: Buckle up for another LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry showdown
The Lakers took care of the Grizzlies in six games, and the Warriors eliminated the Kings in a thrilling seven-game series. The veterans heard plenty of trash talk from the youngsters in those first-round matchups, as Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks and Kings guard Malik Monk both referred to their opponents as "old."
Following the Warriors' 120-100 win, Draymond Green pushed back on those comments.
"Stop trying to turn the page on us so fast. Stop trying to turn the page on [James] so fast," Green said. "We get so caught up in what's the next thing that we don't appreciate the current. And then, you get to the next thing, and looking back like, 'Man, I wish we still had that, I wish we could still see this.'"
Draymond isn't taking another series against LeBron for granted pic.twitter.com/rCkuFl6WOE
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2023
After facing James in the NBA Finals for four straight years between 2015 and 2018, Green understands the challenge of taking down a LeBron-led team better than anyone. And with the Lakers star in his 20th season, he isn't taking the opportunity for granted.
"You're talking about someone [who is an] ultimate competitor. LeBron is one of the ultimate competitors," Green said. "[Stephen Curry], Klay [Thompson], myself, [Kevon Looney], ultimate competitors, so to have these opportunities, we don't take [them] for granted. ...
"This series against the Lakers is going to be epic. You got [Curry], you got [James] doing it all over again. We've never played against the Lakers in a playoff series. We get to experience that."
Warriors vs. Lakers schedule
Here is the complete schedule for the second-round series between Golden State and Los Angeles:
| Date | Game | Location | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| May 2 | Game 1 | Golden State | 10 p.m. | TNT |
| May 4 | Game 2 | Golden State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| May 6 | Game 3 | Los Angeles | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| May 8 | Game 4 | Los Angeles | 10 p.m. | TNT |
| May 10 | Game 5* | Golden State | TBD | TNT |
| May 12 | Game 6* | Los Angeles | TBD | ESPN |
| May 14 | Game 7* | Golden State | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary