‘Fight of champions’
a statement.
Curry averaged 26.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Warriors, who have played without several top players during the season due to injuries.
Despite the setbacks, Golden State won 58 games and are solid contenders for a third title in four seasons and fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.
“We’re a championship ball club. We know what it takes this time of year in order to win,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green.
“We want to get back to that, regardless of what everyone’s saying, you know, ‘The Warriors have lost it. They’re not together. They can’t win without Steph. They’re not the same team. Blasé, blasé, blasé blah blah blah.’ We know what we’re capable of.
“There have been games and series that we’ve won without Steph. We’ve won games without Kevin, without myself, without Klay, without our head coach.
“We’re primed for this. A lot of people have tended to forget what we’re capable of. But we know, and we intend to show that.”
The Warriors struggled down the stretch of the regular season and finished with only the third-best record in the NBA behind Western Conference leader Houston and Eastern Conference pace-setter Toronto.
“Everybody kept our individual games on point,” Durant said. “At the end of the season, our minds weren’t on it. They were on the playoffs. AFP
WORLD Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas Martin Matthysse is set to arrive in Manila on April 18 to formally accept the challenge of eight division champion Manny Pacquiao at the City of Dreams Grand Ballroom here.
Pacquiao, the challenger, expressed his elation as his MP Promotions company has completed preparations for the two-city press conference and media tour ending in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 20.
Dubbed “Fight of Champions,” the mega-fight will usher in Pacquiao’s debut as a fight promoter at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur featuring three other world title fights in the undercard.
“It is all systems go for the Pacquiao vs. Matthysse fight,” said Pacquiao, who is hoping to equal if not surpass the expectations leading to the grandiose Muhammad Ali-Joe Bugner fight which was also held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July 1975.
“We have assembled the biggest fight card Malaysia has been waiting for in the last 43 years since Ali-Bugner,” added Pacquiao.
Matthysse, the dangerous 36-year-old champion from Argentina who tallied 36 knockouts out of his 39 wins, and against only four losses, has started training with Joel Diaz.
Diaz also trained Timothy Bradley, whom Pacquiao has faced twice in the past.
“This is the fight I have always wanted. The opportunity to fight a future Hall of Famer such as Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao inspires me to work harder than ever to earn a victory for my fans. I know that it will not be easy. But I will defend my title with honor and represent my country Argentina with pride,” said Matthysse.
Pacquiao is also set to welcome Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar Dela Hoya, the promoter of Matthysse. (PR)