Green has always risen to occasion
‘Different mind-set’: Game 1 on the road a new experience for Kerr’s Warriors
That’s not the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s the Hockey Hall of Fame. That’s not a mural of LeBron James with outstretched arms. It’s Graffiti Alley.
And this won’t be Game 3 on the road. It’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals. In enemy territory for the first time.
To paraphrase the Talking Heads, “How did the Warriors get here?”
By being skilled and motivated enough to make it to their fifth consecutive NBA Finals. But also by being uninspired enough for most of the regular season as teams in the East, including Toronto, surged ahead of them for the best overall record.
But perhaps this new experience is
the best thing for the Warriors. It’s exciting. It’s fresh.
“I love it,” said guard Stephen Curry, who spent a year and a half of his childhood in Toronto when his father, Dell, played for the Raptors. “It’s hard to find that edge ... so, getting on a plane to go to Toronto, different energy, different city, different views. Everything should prepare us to lock in.
“I like the challenge and the unfamiliarity of this schedule.”
There was beginning to be a dreary monotony about another June trip to Ohio, and not just for those of us in the media who liked to joke that we “summered” in downtown Cleveland.
Last year, on trip No. 4 to Cleveland in June, guard Klay Thompson called it “a second home. There’s definitely a comfort level.”
These Warriors haven’t known what it’s like to play a Finals road game outside of Quicken Loans Arena.
So, this will be invigorating. A new venue at Scotiabank Arena. Fired-up fans who represent more than a city, but an entire country. Jurassic Park filled with people outside the arena. Poutine on the menu. Different money. Passport stamps. The CN Tower. St. Lawrence Market. Royal Canadian Mounties. Drake, of course.
And strangest of all: a land where the Stanley Cup Finals could outdraw the NBA Finals. It’s all very different. As we know, these are Road Warriors, who seem to thrive off the challenge of playing away from home. This spring alone, the Warriors have won six playoff games on the road: all three in Los Angeles against the Clippers, a clinching Game 6 in Houston without Kevin Durant, and both games in Portland, also without Durant.
The road presents a different challenge. And requires a different attitude.
“I’m looking forward to it,” forward Draymond Green said. “It’s a completely different mind-set. When you start at home, you’re protecting against everything and trying to do whatever you can to win those first two games.
“When you start on the road, you just go play loose and try to win one game. It’s an opportunity we’re looking forward to . ... We usually do well with different challenges.”
The Warriors have recent road experience to draw upon, having gone seven games against Houston in last season’s Western Conference finals. Without homecourt advantage, they had to win the seventh game on the road.
“It’s similar to what we did last year with Houston, starting on the road with that sense of urgency,” guard Shaun Livingston said. “It’s something different that we haven’t done in the last four years, being the top seed. It’s a challenge we haven’t had to face yet, so this is good for us.”
Head coach Steve Kerr has spent a lot of his time the past two years trying to figure out a way to keep his team challenged and stimulated. This unfamiliar situation will do that work for him.
“It’s a different vibe,” Kerr said. “I think there’s an excitement about playing someone other than Cleveland. There was an excitement about playing them, too, but this is different. Different city, different group of players, a big challenge ahead.
“I think everyone’s excited about it.”
Canada is excited. The Warriors are excited. Drake is excited.
But don’t forget: There are at least two more games at Oracle Arena. That’s also pretty exciting.