1990–91 Golden State Warriors season

(lost to Lakers 1–4)

• KPIX
• KICU
• Pacific Sports Network

The 1990–91 Golden State Warriors season was the 45th season for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association, and their 28th season in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors received the eleventh overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft, and selected power forward Tyrone Hill out of Xavier University.

The trio of Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond, and second-year star Tim Hardaway were given the name "Run TMC" during the regular season. In the opening game, the Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 162–158, the highest-scoring regulation game in NBA history; despite their scoring prowess, the team was limited defensively.

The Warriors got off to a solid start by winning seven of their first nine games of the regular season, but later on played around .500 in winning percentage along the way. On February 26, 1991, they lost 131–119 to the Orlando Magic, despite the "Run TMC" trio each scoring more than 30 points (the rest of the team totaled 21 points). At mid-season, the team signed rookie shooting guard Mario Elie after a brief stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Warriors held a 26–20 record at the All-Star break, and won their final five games of the season, finishing in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record, and earning the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Mullin averaged 25.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Richmond averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, and Hardaway provided the team with 22.9 points, 9.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game. In addition, second-year guard Sarunas Marciulionis contributed 10.9 points per game off the bench, while sixth man Rod Higgins provided with 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game off the bench, and Tom Tolbert contributed 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Alton Lister averaged 6.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, Hill provided with 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and Jim Petersen averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mullin and Hardaway were both selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was Hardaway's first ever All-Star appearance. In addition, Hardaway also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Despite a stellar season, Richmond was not selected for the NBA All-Star Game. Hardaway finished in fifth place in Most Improved Player voting, and also finished tied in 19th place in Most Valuable Player voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1991 NBA playoffs, the Warriors faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Midwest Division champion San Antonio Spurs, who were led by the trio of All-Star center David Robinson, Terry Cummings and Sean Elliott. The Warriors lost Game 1 on the road, 130–121 at the HemisFair Arena, but managed to win the next three games over the Spurs, including a Game 4 home win at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, 110–97 to win the series in four games; it was the second time in the last three years that the Warriors finished the season as the seventh seed, and defeated a second–seeded team in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 3rd–seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Magic Johnson, All-Star forward James Worthy, and Byron Scott. The Warriors lost Game 1 on the road, 126–116 at the Great Western Forum, but managed to defeat the Lakers in Game 2 on the road, 125–124 to even the series. However, the Warriors lost the next three games, including a Game 5 road loss to the Lakers in overtime, 124–119 at the Great Western Forum, thus losing the series in five games. The Lakers would lose in five games to the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals.