Down 1-3 in the NBA Finals 2019 and losing 2 back to back games at home in the playoffs, it doesn't happen that often with the Golden State Warriors - the last time that happened, the Cleveland Cavs came back under similar circumstances to take the NBA Finals in 2016. That's where the Warriors find themselves now - having it all to do at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto to take the game back to the Bay Area for one final time at the Oracle Arena.
But what has gone wrong with the Warriors? They dominated the Western Conference Finals whitewashing the Trailblazers albeit they were double digit comebacks in every game. Have opponents like the Raptors cracked their high-intensity 3rd Quarter play? Or did they lose their groove when they had all that rest when Toronto toiled hard to get their wins in the Eastern Conference? The Warriors have indeed come back from a deficit before. That Oklahoma City team posed similar challenges as these Raptors side - both teams used their disruptive defense with ferocity and attack the ball on a won possession - both teams possessed a superstar that they could rely on - Durant and Leonard respectively. There is a major difference though - the Warriors had homecourt in that game. After 5 consecutive NBA Finals appearances, these are the sort of odds that the Warriors thrive on! Warriors are really a road team and that's what makes them the 2-time defending champions - remember, they have already stretched their incredible streak of 23 consecutive playoff series with a road win.
Are the Warriors missing Durant? Is that the real issue here? Even when Durant returned in Game 5, we saw what happened - they seemed to have rushed him into the series since they needed someone to sharp shoot. This has clearly been a serious calf injury, but starting him for a very important game 5 is something Steve Kerr really needed to do - even with a 25% fit KD. The Warriors built their dynasty on small-ball lineups and they haven't been able to play a single minute with Draymond at Center in these Finals series. This was the move that really won them their first title after 44 years in 2015. Whatever hope they now have largely rests on the lineup their dynasty has always relied on - the Splash Bros. and Draymond.
Is this the end of the road? Losing this series and joining the Elite and exclusive club of NBA teams to have won 3 consecutive championships would be a bitter blow for sure. Free agency is ticking and if they lose, it could turn out to be time-bomb. Everyone knows KD is almost on his way out. What we have seen in this series is that the Warriors need KD; however, there are reports that if the Warriors lose, KD stays. Is that something the Warriors can risk? Note that the one season that the Warriors didn't win, they signed KD. For history to repeat itself would now be ironic.
The focus now is just Game 5 - which the Warriors are currently leading in the 4th with 9:10 to play - this is a huge playoff road game and they NEED to win this one. They certainly do not want to go out at Oracle the way they did in Game 4. If they can force a Game 7 in Toronto, they can lean a lot on experience. They've won and lost Game 7s on the road and at home - they know more than most on how to handle the situation. Coach Kerr has been defiant and so has Steph. Whatever happens, they'll still go on to be the best team to have ever played in the NBA - with their 73-9 season!
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