Sweep ng Warriors, mapurnada kaya uli?

CLEVELAND (AP) – Hindi pa tapos ang laban. Sa hangaring walisin ang karibal, hindi na kailangan pa ang paalala sa Golden State Warriors. Nasa pareho silang sitwasyon sa nakalipas na season, ngunit nabigo silang wakasan sa 4-0 ang Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sa target na back-to-back title at ikatlo sa huling apat na championship, walang puwang ang kumpiyansa sa Warriors. Sa panahon na kailangang tapusin ang Cavaliers, walang dapat na sayangin na pagkakataon ang Warriors. Maging sa estrangherong teritoryo nila ipagdiwang ang kampeonato.

“Anything can happen if you give a team confidence,” sambit ni Klay Thompson matapos ang ensayo ng warriors nitong Huwebes (Biyernes sa Manila). “Nothing is ever guaranteed in this league. So might as well leave it all out there on the floor, not think in the back of your mind [that] all we have to do is get one of the next four. Just play your absolute hardest, exert all the effort you’ve got, and we should be good.”

“Just understand the opportunity that we have,” pahayag naman ni Draymond Green. “You never know, crazy things that can happen, turn of events in a series that could take place. So you have the opportunity to close out, you want to do that. So you come in, take full advantage of the opportunity in front of us.”

Naunsiyami ang ‘sweep’ ng Warriors nang magwagi ang Cavaliers sa Game 4 ng 2017 NBA Finals, 137-116. Hataw si LeBron James sa kanyang tripledouble -- 31 puntos, 10 rebounds, 11 assists – habang kumana si Kevin Love ng 23 marker at Kyrie Irving na ratsada sa 40 puntos.

Para kay Kevin Durant, ang butil na aral na natutunan ng Warriors sa nakalipas na championship, higit ang makasaysayang 1-3 pagbangon ng Cavaliers sa 2016 series, ay sapat na para mas maging matatag ang Golden State.

“It’s different man. I keep telling people. It’s just a different vibe because we’ve already been through a season with each other already as champions.So we know exactly what we need to do in order for us to win,” aniya.

Inamin naman ni Stephen Curry na magiging mahirap para sa Warriors ang Game 4, ngunit handa silang suungin ang hamon ng pagkakataon.

“Game 4 is going to be the toughest game that we’ve played in the series, to close it out. We’re going to need energy, effort, focus from every guy that steps foot on the floor for 48 minutes.

“Whether shots go in or they don’t, or calls go your way or they don’t, no matter what the score is, you’ve got to keep fighting, keep playing. Because close-out games are the hardest thing that you can ever experience in the Playoffs,” sambit ng two-time MVP.

Ngunit, kung may dapat tanawin ang basketball fans sa kalalabasan ng serye, aminado si LeBron James sa bentahe na tangan ng Warriors.

“Obviously, from a talent perspective, if you’re looking at Golden State from their top five best players to our top five players, you would say they’re stacked better than us. Let’s just speak truth,” pahayag ni James.

“Kevin Durant,” aniya. “You’ve got two guys with MVPs on their team. And then you’ve got a guy in Klay (Thompson) who could easily be on a team and carry a team, scored 40 in a quarter before. And then you have Draymond (Green), who is arguably one of the best defenders and minds we have in our game. So you have that crew.

“Then you add on a Finals MVP coming off the bench (Andre Iguodala), a No. 1 pick in (Shawn) Livingston and an All-Star in David West and whatever the case may be. So they have a lot of talent.”

Sa sitwasyong, kinalalagyan, tila mas klaro ang kahihitnan ng career ni James – isa pang pamamaalam sa Cleveland.