Losing the first game of the Finals is far from ideal, but it’s not something to freak out about either. This is exactly how the Warriors have taken what happened in Game 1 against Boston. They fell after a devastating last quarter in which they conceded a partial 40-16, but they understand that this is a long time and that the door is still open to get the ring.
“We will be fine. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41-42 minutes, so we’ll be fine. And you can see our history as we have always won a game on the road. So, you know, nothing has happened for us to panic about. It’s about the first team to win four games, not the first to win one,” says Draymond Green.
Of course, Golden State can still be a champion, but it’s harder than before they started playing. Statistics say that in 70.7% of the Finals the ring was worn by the team that won the first match. For Green none of this is a loss of confidence in the team.
“We have always accepted challenges. This situation is no different. We will tackle this. So no, it’s not a blow to confidence at all, not one bit,” he says.
San Francisco coach Steve Kerr agrees with Green that this is too long, so his only concern is how to improve in the next game no matter what happened before.
“It’s a seven-game series for a reason. I think you have to give Boston credit. They entered the match and took the victory. They played a great last quarter. We will focus on watching the video of the match and identifying where we can improve. You know, it’s just one match, so you just go on to the next one,” he explains.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
