Facing elimination and returning home, the Golden State Warriors were able to stay alive with a Game 5 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. One of the main reasons the defending champs have struggled his series has been the play of Draymond Green. After multiple questionable contact plays, Green seems to have been affected by critics unlike ever before.

Although Green did contribute a double-double in the Game 5 victory with 11 points and 13 rebounds, plus four assists and four blocks, he hasn't quite returned to his former self. And he knows it.

Green said in his The Undefeated journal entry on Friday:

“I don't feel like I got my mojo back, but I feel like I'm heading in the right direction. All I can do is battle. Everything else will take care of itself. I feel better. I feel good. But I feel like I have a way to go to being myself. You can't control how a game goes. But I can control how hard I play.”

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How did the Warriors power forward go from making just two total shots in Game 3 and 4 to his improved play in the most recent match? Just staying the course, apparently. Green added:

“I haven't really been doing no soul-searching. I'm just being myself. Be you. I'd call it keeping it real with myself. I've been doing that for the last couple of days. I told myself that I can be me better than anyone else in this world.”

With the Cleveland Cavaliers now having defeated the Toronto Raptors 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, they'll have a date with either the Warriors or Thunder in the NBA Finals. But if Golden State wants a shot at the Cavs and an opportunity to defend their title, they'll have to win two more against OKC, and they'll likely need Green to find his “mojo” to do it.

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