3-0 target ng Warriors

CLEVELAND – Naipanalo ng Golden State Warriors ang unang dalawang laro ng 2016 NBA Finals sa pamamagitan ng double digit victories laban sa Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ngunit tila hindi sanay dito ang Warriors.

Alam ng nagdedepensang kampeong Golden State kung gaano kabilis magbago ang isang serye matapos silang makabangon mula sa 1-3 pagkakabaon para resbakan ang Oklahoma City Thunder sa Western Conference finals.

Sa kabila ng hawak na 2-0 bentahe, ayaw pa ring isipin ng Warriors na tapos na ang kanilang serye ng Cavaliers.

“That’s a great ana-logy, one that we’ve already used,” sabi ni Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “It doesn’t matter what the scores are, doesn’t matter if you win by 25 or lose by 25, it’s one game in the series. And we got blown out twice in a row in OKC, down 3-1 and we were able to come back. We know we’re playing against a great team. They’re coming home. They can change the momentum around with just one win.”

Umaasa naman ang Cleveland na tama si Kerr.

Maaaring maglaro ang Cavs na wala si Kevin Love sa Game 3, ngunit may 7-0 record sila sa kanilang balwarte sa playoffs sa likod ng winning average na 20.9 points.

“It’s a do-or-die game for us,” wika ni Cavaliers forward Le-Bron James. “We can’t afford to go down 3-0 to any team, especially a team that’s 73-9 in the regular season and playing the type of basketball they’re playing.”

Nang malamangan ng Thunder ang Warriors sa 3-1 sa conference finals, sinabi ng kasaysayan na mayroon lamang 3.9 porsiyentong manalo sa serye ang Golden State kung saan siyam lamang sa 232 NBA teams ang nanalo sa best-of-seven series makaraang maiwanan sa 1-3.

Kumpiyansa ang Cavaliers na mas ma-lakas ang kanilang tsansang makabalik sa serye.

“We’re not in that bad of shape as they were, 3-1 is worse than 2-0,” wika ni Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. “And they came back and took it one game at a time, like we have to do.”

May 31 koponang naiwanan sa 0-2 sa NBA Finals ang nakabangon para manalo  ng titulo.

Naisuko ng 1969 Boston Celtics, 1977 Portland Trail Blazers at 2006 Miami Heat ang unang dalawang laro sa NBA finals bago angkinin ang kampeonato.

“History is something that’s made to be broken,” sabi ni Lue.