Heading into Game 4, the Golden State Warriors’ words can’t save them any longer. This team is on the ropes in the NBA Finals.
I’m not buying the bravado that the Golden State Warriors, now wounded, are selling. After two losses in the NBA Finals, all you hear in the postgame press conferences is confidence from the core. Something doesn’t seem right.
And through three games in the Finals, the Boston Celtics hold a 2-1 series lead over the Warriors. In the waning minutes of Boston’s Game 3 win over the Warriors, Stephen Curry appeared to injure his foot.
Since he’s said all the right things and that he’s all right. At this point, it would be surprising if he missed what may be a must-win for the Warriors in Game 4, but at the same rate, it would be almost equally surprising if he was anything close to 100 percent by game time.
But it’s Golden State’s confidence that seems a bit fraudulent to me.
Klay Thompson: "We've been in this situation before. I'm getting 2015 vibes."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 9, 2022
The Warriors have the pedigree. They have the titles. They have the ability. But, for one reason or another, this team has had difficulty translating all that to success against the Celtics through three games in these Finals.
So where does that leave Golden State? Well, it leaves them talking loud in hopes that one night their game will actually translate to what they’re speaking. Listen, I’m not against being confident. The Warriors should be confident.
But there is something to the notion that the team with the loudest barks sometimes doesn’t have the most ruthless of bites.
And we could be seeing that taking place in these Finals.
I’m sure the Warriors truly believe in their ability and that’s probably why they’re so confident after each loss. But the Celtics’ quiet confidence should be telling as well.
Boston has beaten quite the gauntlet so far in these playoffs. They’re not going to be intimidated by the Warriors, much less by what they say.
Game 4 could go a long way in defining this series. The Warriors need to strike back, and not just with their words this time.