Kooky Factoid

The Warriors only played 2 OT games this season: W at Pelicans, L to Bulls at home (2nd and final regular season home loss for the Warriors). In both cases they lost their next game, both on the road. They've now played 2 OT games in the Finals: W the 1st, L the 2nd, L in the next game (which just happens to have been on the road). See: numbers! Pile up enough history and you'll be able to pretend like you can see the future. Vegas still thinks the Warriors are winning it all even though the most recent statistics don't look so Golden State favorable; I do too.

I expected the Warriors to win Game 1 (they struggled but they pulled it out), Game 2 (they did not win), Game 3 (they did not win) and I expect them to win Game 4. If they lose Game 4, I expect the Warriors to pull off the greatest comeback in NBA history. I just don't believe the Cavs can keep the Warriors playing all wrong for 2 more games, the Warriors are just too good, too deep, too varied to be held in check by anyone for too long.

Why do I have such faith in the Warriors? Haven't the first 3 games, where the ragtag Cavs dominated the possession (like a classic Real Madrid squad) and dictated the tone and tempo (like Peyton Manning in his prime), shown that the Warriors just can't beat the Cavs? Nah, I don't think so. I think what we've witnessed is the will to live, that last drop of life force that demands to continue in the face of impending doom; the Cavs hit that clinging-to-life phase a coupla games ago, the Warriors aren't quite there yet. But when the Warriors get to that fingernail edge of existence, they'll play with a Dellavedov-ish desperation that will floor what the Cavs can bear.

The Warriors are 2-3 in their last 5 games. They lost 3 out of 5 only once before this season: Dec 16 (lost at Grizzlies), Dec 18 (beat Thunder at home), Dec 22 (beat Kings at home), Dec 23 (lost at Lakers), Dec 25 (lost at Clippers); this also encompasses their only 3-game road losing streak of the season. They followed that by winning their next 8 games, 13 of the next 14. Are the Cavs the better team or have we just seen a Xmas miracle?