Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 4 vs. Blazers
3. Closing Out In Game 5 Is Important
The Game 4 victory was brilliant, and it’d be easy to get lost in the ocean of awesome things that transpired in a come-from-behind win. But the Warriors still have a job to do, and as fun as Draymond Green’s postgame interview was, now it’s time to actually close the series out.
We saw this in the first round against the Houston Rockets, when the Warriors dropped Game 3, stole Game 4 and wound up closing the series back at home in Game 5. This time, however, there’s a greater sense of importance to closing this thing out in five games.
The reason? Affording this team as much rest as possible before the Western Conference Finals could be important later. Their next opponent will either be the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder, and with that series guaranteed to go at least six games, the Dubs can get some extra rest time before then if they wrap things up in Game 5.
Tonight was Stephen Curry's first game with more than 20 minutes played since April 13.
— Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) May 10, 2016
That’s great news not only for Stephen Curry, who played an awful lot of minutes in his return to action after missing two weeks, but for the rest of the key players who had to step up in his absence.
On the other side of the bracket, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had plenty of rest with their perfect 8-0 record, and they’re about to get more the longer that the Miami Heat-Toronto Raptors series lasts (currently tied at 2-2).
With the Cavs set to breeze their way into the Finals, the Dubs need to avoid prolonging a series that’s virtually in the bag by riding their Game 4 momentum and taking care of business at home.
Last two postseasons, the Warriors in Games 4 and beyond in each series: 10-1.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) May 10, 2016
Next: No. 2