Notes from shooatround ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
- The Warriors, by their very nature, are an animated bunch. They like to have fun with each other, and never seem to have trouble doing so. That said, Tuesday’s shootaround seemed a bit more serious and took a tad longer than usual, which makes sense considering the task they have ahead of them tonight in Game 4.
- Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry both mentioned the fact that the Dubs have been in this position before, trailing 2-1 with Game 4 on the road against both the Grizzlies and Cavaliers last year. Kerr stated that while that experience can be helpful, by no means does it ensure a victory. Instead, they’re doing their due diligence to put forth as good of an effort as possible in Game 4 tonight. In commenting on re-watching the Game 3 film, Kerr said, “We saw what we needed to see.” Hear more from Kerr below:
- With the Warriors looking to bounce back and regain homecourt advantage and the Thunder dead set on putting Golden State on the brink of elimination, odds are that Game 4 is going to be a fight to the end. Perhaps that’s why Curry invoked his inner Apollo Creed, quipping, “There is no tomorrow!” While that may invoke a level of desperation that may seem a bit overblown, Curry doesn’t see it that way. He supported that by insisting, “That’s what championship teams do. That’s the mentality you have to have in the playoffs, that every game is the most important game.”
- At one point during shootaround, a group of Thunder employees that had been let in to the arena to begin dispersing t-shirts began an Oklahoma City cheer. That’s a bit unusual as far as typical procedure goes, but in any case, the Warriors momentarily took notice, then got back to their normal routine.
- Another thing Draymond Green took notice of – his team-worst minus-43 in Game 3. But while that might further inhibit those lacking self-confidence, Green is on the completely opposite end of that spectrum. With the game in the rearview mirror, he was able to have a bit of a laugh at himself, offering promise that he and the Warriors have wiped the slate clean heading into tonight’s pivotal Game 4.
- Despite the more focused tone of shootaround, that didn’t stop the guys from having fun with each other. Green, Luke Walton, and Player Development Coach Theo Robertson have an ongoing shooting contest that takes place at nearly every practice and/or shootaround. There are several iterations to the rules of the contest(s), but in essence, if you lose, you do pushups. Guess who lost today?