Episode 4: Cavaliers, Warriors faced similar journey to Finals
Both squads forced to win clinching Game 7s on road
OAKLAND, Calif. — Cleveland and Golden State were stretched to their limits in the conference finals this time around, leaving little time to recoup and prepare for their latest date in the NBA Finals.
“Splintered” is how Stephen Curry described what he feared could happen in the second quarter of Game 7 at Houston with the Warriors pushed to the brink by the Rockets in a thrilling West showdown.
So, Golden State held a serious team chat and got it together at last. Lebron James willed his Cavaliers back to the big stage with another spectacular performance as Kevin Love sat out.
“It was a special moment for us. And I think one that we’ll look back, if we get the job done over these next two weeks, where, again, as an appreciation of all that goes into winning a championship,” Curry said Wednesday, “and doing it by committee and making sure every guy, whether you’re playing well or not, or things are going your way or not, that we all bring something to the fold that have gotten us to four straight Finals.
“And we’ve done it by appreciating everybody that’s a part of that group. I think that two and a half minutes was a special moment for us, and it should give us great momentum going into the series.”
Now, James and the Cavs and Curry and the defending champions find themselves in familiar territory facing off in a fourth straight NBA Finals — just with far less prep time given both faced new, daunting challenges and played furious Game 7s on the road to get back here.
Cavs-w’s, Act IV is a little bit different, indeed.
King James stands in the way of a Warriors repeat, just as he did in spoiling that quest for Golden State and leading the Cavs to a championship two years ago with a Game 7 win on the Warriors’ home court, where they have currently won 17 of the past 18 postseason games.
James never counted out Golden State.
“Just going against the Warriors in the last three years in the Finals, I kind of figured or thought that they could get it done,” he said. “Just because of the 18 of a possible 21 Finals games that I’ve played against them in the last three years, I figured out that they could make it happen.”
Iguodala out again
Golden State forward Andre Iguodala