The Golden State Warriors will be the first to tell you that they are not looking ahead, they are only focused on the next game and nothing else. History, however, overwhelmingly tells us that they are almost certainly heading to their sixth NBA Finals in eight seasons.
The Warriors’ 109-100 Game 3 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday gave them a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals, and no NBA team has ever – already – come back from that deficit in a playoff series. It’s not a small sample either. Teams that are 3-0 have gone 146-0 in their playoff series in NBA history. Given the way the Warriors have played against the Mavericks, and in the previous two series, it’s almost impossible to imagine them becoming the first to take such a lead.
That said, Golden State is not a franchise likely to take the lead for granted. They sadly lost the 2016 final after holding a 3-1 advantage, leading to years of mockery and viral memes. So you can expect Golden State to come out looking for the kill Tuesday in Game 4 against a Mavericks team that looked frustrated and crestfallen near the end of Game 3.
“Obviously we know the job isn’t done, but it’s a good feeling to know we came in and got a win,” Stephen Curry said after Game 3. “We can play with the money from home on Tuesday and try to do it.”
Finishing a streak quickly is always valuable – it allows players to rest, injuries to heal and coaches to prepare – but it seems even more crucial for the Warriors given what’s happening on the other side of the bracket. . The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are in the midst of a bloodbath, with both teams trading vicious blows like Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago. Here is a small overview of the injuries that have already affected the series:
- Jimmy Butler was only able to play the first half of Game 3 due to knee pain.
- Jayson Tatum suffered a nerve pinch in the shoulder and briefly made it to the locker room in Game 3.
- Marcus Smart missed Game 1 with a sprained foot, then suffered what looked like a serious ankle injury on Saturday and is questionable for Game 4.
- Kyle Lowry missed the first two games of the series with a hamstring injury.
- PJ Tucker left Game 2 early with knee inflammation.
- Robert Williams missed Game 3 with knee pain.
- Al Horford missed the opener due to health and safety protocols.
That’s not even mentioning Tyler Herro, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent, all of whom have appeared in the heat injury report throughout the series. With the physique on display and the fact that the battle seems destined for seven games, it’s hard to imagine either team coming out with a complete and healthy roster.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have two key bench players, Andre Iguodala and Gary Payton II, who are out for at least another week while Otto Porter Jr. left Game 3 with a foot injury, but for the most part, they were able to stay healthy. It’s no easy task when your team’s main players – Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green – are all over 32 with playoff mileage approaching the circumference of Jupiter and recent injuries they’re still working through. .
“It’s very important,” Thompson said of a possible extra rest before the NBA Finals. “We want to be whole for the next round.”
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is June 2, so if the Warriors complete the sweep on Tuesday, they’ll have eight full days off. Meanwhile, if the Eastern Conference Finals goes to seven games, the winning team will only have three days off before the Finals start.
The Warriors have already shown what they can do with a rest advantage in the playoffs. They dispatched the Memphis Grizzlies in six games, giving them four days off before the start of the Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks had just two days off after a thrilling Game 7 win over the Phoenix Suns, and were ejected from the field by a rested Golden State side in Game 1 – yet more evidence to suggest the Warriors would benefit greatly from a scan.
First thing is first, though – the Warriors must win on Tuesday. With a group of veterans, they surely know how valuable those extra days off would be, so they’ll likely come out with a single goal in Game 4.
“Being one win away from the final means absolutely nothing,” Green said after Game 3. “You have to win one more game, and this game is not going to be easy. concentration even better than what we did tonight. … Closing games are always the hardest. We have to go out and win the game. They’re not going to give it to us.
