Warriors cruise

There is likewise the unprecedented 10-day break that awaits the Warriors should they take care of business today. They’re keen on preparing for their anticipated rematch with the Cavaliers, and the rest should serve them in good stead. At the very least,

As expected, the Warriors the other day cruised to their third straight victory in the West Finals, and to a National Basketball Association record-tying 11th overall to start a given postseason. Up against the decidedly overmatched Spurs, they weathered an early challenge on the road and underscored their ascendancy once starter fatigue set in and substitutions became necessary. They had too many weapons at their disposal, especially with the competition missing All- Star Kawhi Leonard and vital cog Tony Parker, not to mention reserve David Lee midway through Game Three.

Creditably, the Spurs battled. As has been their wont under the Gregg Popovich dispensation, they remained resolute and steadfast in their desire to buck the odds. In the absence of their usual playmakers, they had the likes of Jonathon Simmons and Patty Mills jump-starting the offense. As an aside, they hoped for, and got, Manu Ginobili to turn back time anew. As Game Three progressed, however, they found themselves wearing down. And it didn’t help that number-two scorer LaMarcus Aldridge was again largely ineffective and, yes, invisible, outhustled and outplayed by one-time Shaqtin’ A Fool regular and now-certified sparkplug JaVale McGee in limited minutes. Today, the Warriors will seek to finish the job, and, with Leonard again out, they figure to hit the ground running. They realize the Spurs will not hand them victory in any case, and aim to act accordingly. They have no weaknesses, really, save for their inclination to get too cute and careless with the ball while in the midst of their controlled chaos. To be sure, even their missteps are made in their desire to have fun under pressure. And, no doubt, they will lean on extra motivation to succeed; following the Cavaliers’ stunning loss to the Celtics yesterday, no one else can boast of a pristine slate in the 2017 Playoffs.

There is likewise the unprecedented 10-day break that awaits the Warriors should they take care of business today. They’re keen on preparing for their anticipated rematch with the Cavaliers, and the rest should serve them in good stead. At the very least, they will wrestle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy without having had to go through the wringer, as they did last year. Then again, there’s a reason they’re the heavy favorites regardless of the makeup of the opposition, and they intend to show why no

matter what.