Of the 232 teams in NBA history that have gone down 3-1 in a playoff series, only nine have advanced. Whether it was Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain's 1970 Los Angeles Lakers, Robert Parish and Larry Bird's 1981 Boston Celtics, or — most recently — the 2015 James Harden-led Houston Rockets, adversity came, but it didn't conquer.
The Golden State Warriors are on a quest to be No. 10.
After unexpectedly falling into a 3-1 hole in the Western Conference finals at the hands of the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions were dealt a daunting task that only 3.8% of teams have ever been able to accomplish in year's past. But with their first of three must-wins off the checklist after an emotion-packed Game 5 on Thursday night, the NBA's golden boys are one step closer to their ultimate goal.
While the finish line is still a long ways away, and with a second elimination game set for Saturday night in Oklahoma City, the question remains: Are we nearing an imperfect ending to a near perfect season?
Despite their recent bumps in the road, one mustn't forget the brand of basketball the Warriors play when they're at their best. This is the team that re-wrote the NBA's record books by winning their first 24 games of the season. This is the team that won three or more consecutive games nine times on their way to a 73-win season. This is the team that saw a 2-1 deficit twice in last year's playoffs but prevailed. This is the team that has been zeroed in on a repeat championship from the get-go, and will stop at nothing to defend their title.
"They don't want it to end," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Game 5. "And no matter how you look at it, if you're not the last team standing, it's tough. It's a disappointing way to go out. So we want to hang in there. We want to win the next two and get back to The Finals. We know how difficult it's going to be, but we'll give it a great shot."
After discouraging defeats at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Games 3 and 4 by a total of 52 points, the Warriors must fend off an Oklahoma City squad that has their eyes set firmly on an NBA Finals trip of their own. With the two-headed monster of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the postseason's breakout player in Steven Adams, and one of the league's most raucous arenas, Game 6 will be Golden State's toughest test yet.
A test, however, that Warriors forward Draymond Green says the team is well equipped for.
"(The Thunder) are always in attack mode (at home), so we've got to make sure that we go in there and exceed their intensity level and try to take the crowd out the game," he said. "We've done it before (in the regular season). We know what it takes to do it. So we've just got to make sure that we use that experience. Obviously it's a different team, different challenge, but same formula."
If the formula holds true and the defending champs are able to take care of business in Oklahoma City, the Thunder will be forced to travel back to the hallowed grounds of Oakland's Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have lost just three times all season.
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