Notebook: Zaza’s heel is healed.
Cavaliers’ James says Warriors cause him to have ‘a lot of stress’
OAKLAND — Warriors center Zaza Pachulia, who missed Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals in San Antonio with a right heel contusion, returned to practice Thursday and coach Mike Brown said the big man appears to be fully healthy.
“I don’t know what he’s listed as, but he went through everything in practice without a hitch,” Brown said.
Pachulia suffered the injury in the first quarter of Game 2 when he came down awkwardly on a dunk. He played just six minutes in that game.
Backup center JaVale McGee started in Pachulia’s place in Game 3 in San Antonio, scoring 16 points in the Game 3 victory in just 13 minutes. In Game 4, the Warriors went with a smaller lineup with Patrick McCaw starting in Pachulia’s place.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue caused a bit of a national stir Wednesday when he said during an off day in the Eastern Conference finals against Boston that he couldn’t look ahead to the NBA Finals, in part because the Celtics’ freeflowing style and altered lineup made them “harder to defend” than the Warriors.
That comment immediately bulleted through social media, pinned up as bulletin board material out West. After the Warriors’ Thursday practice, Brown — who will be thrust into the spotlight by coaching against his former team in the Finals — was asked about Lue’s comment. Brown, usually longwinded with his words, had a short response.
“That’s his opinion,” Brown said. “It’s cute.”
About an hour after n LeBron James had disposed of the Celtics and won the East for an incredible seventh straight sea- son, he faced his first question about the Warriors.
James didn’t even want to think about the awaiting task and all that comes with it.
“I’m not in my right mind to talk about Golden State. It’s too stressful and I’m not stressed right now. I’m very happy about our accomplishment. Golden State has been the best team in our league for the past three years and then they added an MVP. That’s all I can give you right now because I’m happy. And I don’t want to be stressed. They cause a lot of stress.”
James has faced these Warriors twice in the Finals before. He’s also faced Kevin Durant. He’s never faced them together.
The Warriors will have had a nine-day layoff between their Game 4 closeout win against San Antonio and the start of the NBA Finals on June 1, but Kevin Durant said the team has gotten accustomed to dealing with extended layoffs after sweeping through the first two rounds.
Then again, the Warriors did start slowly against the Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, falling behind by as many as 25 points before rallying to win after Leonard left the game with his ankle injury.
“It had nothing to do with the layoff,” Durant said. “We were just sluggish mentally.”
Warriors general manager Bob Myers paid tribute to Travis Schlenk, his assistant the past five years, who was officially named the new general manager and head of basketball operations for the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
“I will miss him, we will miss him, but he’s on making the big decisions now in Atlanta,” Myers said. “I’m thrilled for him and wish him well.”
Myers said Schlenk played a large role in most of the team’s major decisions over the past several seasons.
“He’s good, and Atlanta got a great guy,” Myers said.