The Golden State Warriors will begin their second straight NBA Finals series on Thursday at Oracle Arena, but, according to the Warriors, this time things feel different. As Game 1 of the series approaches, the team is calmer about playing for a championship this year than they were a year ago.
”I don't think anyone's going to be nervous out there like we were last year,” said Warriors guard, Klay Thompson.
And why should they be? The Warriors are coming off a historic comeback over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals that saw them down three games to one and counted out by just about everyone. Not to mention, they won more regular season games (73) than any other team in the history of the NBA.
Warriors' star Stephen Curry echoed Thompson's statement, stating:
”I know we're a better team than we were last year, just off experience and what we've been through in this postseason, better equipped to kind of handle the scene of the Finals and all that's kind of thrown at you when you get here,” Curry said. ”The first time, it's a whirlwind.”
While the Warriors remain calm and confident, they know they cannot underestimate a surging Cavaliers team that swept their first two playoff match-ups and now has two of their starters back that were out when the two teams faced off in the Finals a year ago.
”I think we're stronger at our core, but we're very similar as a basketball team,” said head coach, Steve Kerr. ”They are dramatically different. Obviously they're healthy, but not only are they healthy, they've changed their style. They tried to grind us to a pulp last year playing big, and they were slowing the ball down, slowing the pace down. … They've got shooting all over the place, and they're playing at a much faster pace. So it's really a much different team that we're seeing.”
Last year, the Cavs started the series with a 2-1 lead but ended up losing the next three games straight to the Warriors. This year, the Cavs will have Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love available, changing the entire dynamic of the series. For the Warriors sake, hopefully they are not too calm, or they may find themselves in a situation similar to the one they were in heading into Game 5 against the Thunder.
[button width=”full” button size=”bigger” color=”custom” align=”center” textcolor=”#ffffff” texthcolor=”#ffffff” bgcolor=”#8b0000″ link=”https://clutchpoints.com/steph-currys-tunnel-shot-actually-started-as-bet/”]NEXT: Steph Curry's tunnel shot actually started as a bet[/button]
Follow Us
Subscribe