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Golden State Warriors: 3 keys for Game 4 vs. Cavaliers

By Simon Smith

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate with Kevin Durant #35 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate with Kevin Durant #35 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Don’t take the foot off the pedal

While no team in NBA history has recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the Finals, the Warriors will be under no illusion of taking their foot off the pedal.

In 2016, there was the Draymond Green suspension, which completely turned the series on its head despite the Warriors going home with a 3-1 lead under their belts. Furthermore, after leading 3-0 last season, the Cavaliers responded with a 49-point first quarter explosion in Game 4 on their way to a 137-116 trouncing.

Over the course of the regular season, the Warriors did not completely dominate the league in the manner in which they had demonstrated over the past three years. However, as Steve Kerr noted in his press conference leading up to Game 4:

"“Now that we are one game away, we’d like to eliminate that inconsistency, put forth our best effort in the game tomorrow and that’s the plan.”"

Furthermore, Stephen Curry probably summed it up best in the lead up to Game 4:

"“Closeout games are the hardest thing you can experience in the playoffs.”"

So on the verge of a historic third title in four seasons, the Warriors simply need to take care of business for a further 48 minutes to cement their spot as one of the all-time great teams in league history.

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Therefore, if they can simply learn the lessons of the past couple of seasons, there’s a great chance they’ll again be crowned NBA champions come Friday night.

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