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Warriors' Draymond Green After Going Down 3-1: 'Why Not Make Our Own History?'
June 8, 2019
The Golden State Warriors don't appear to be in panic mode after falling behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
Following Friday's 105-92 loss, Draymond Green brought up the Warriors' infamous 2016 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in an apparent motivational tactic.
"I've been on the wrong side of 3-1 before," Green told reporters. "Why not make our own history?"
That seems to be a rallying cry within the Warriors' locker room since Stephen Curry echoed Green's sentiment:
This is as vulnerable as Golden State has looked in five seasons under head coach Steve Kerr. Last year's Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets was the last time the Warriors trailed in a series. That worked out well for them, though they had Kevin Durant healthy for those games.
The Warriors didn't play Game 4 completely shorthanded. Klay Thompson (hamstring) and Kevon Looney (collarbone) returned Friday and played well. Thompson had his best scoring game of this year's NBA Finals with 28 points.
There would be a sense of poetry to the Warriors pulling off a 3-1 comeback in the NBA Finals after their loss to the Cavs three years ago may have changed the trajectory of the league.
If Golden State won that series, perhaps Durant doesn't sign with the team one month later.
It's all fascinating to think about, but the bottom line is the Warriors must win out if they want to be the first team to three-peat as NBA champions since the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999-2002.