Location: Evergreen Ave. Personnel: Me, KT, Johnny the cat, Olive the cat T-shirt: Strength in Numbers
It was of course foolish of me to say that there would be “no more (emotional) rollercoaster for a while,” as immediately on the heels of the news that the Lakers’ Anthony Davis would be playing Game 6 after all came reports that the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins had sustained a rib cartilage fracture and was listed as questionable. Wiggins was absolutely crucial in Game 5 and the prospect of playing without him was not an appetizing one.
And right after that we learned that ex-Warrior Kevin Durant and his new team the Phoenix Suns — considered title favorites by many — had been eliminated by the Denver Nuggets. Possibly I experienced an emotion akin to schadenfreude in that moment, though in theory I have nothing against KD, a massive talent who often seems confused about his direction in life. I can certainly identify with the latter, if not the former.
In the end Wiggins did play and it mattered not. “It’s a make or miss league” is something you’ll often hear NBA talking heads say, and it’s the truth. Last night the Warriors shot 39-for-103 (37.9%) from the field and 13-for-48 (27.1 %) on three-pointers. You’re not going to win doing that.
Location: Evergreen Ave. Personnel: Me, KT, Johnny the cat, Olive the cat T-shirt: Strength in Numbers
As I was laying in bed Tuesday night, thinking vaguely about sheep but too lazy to count, I realized that a part of me was ready for the emotional rollercoaster that has been this year’s postseason to be over. It’s been a struggle from the drop and after the high of Game 7 against the Kings, the slow-motion horror of losing three out of four to the Lakers — who weren’t even supposed to be here — had depleted my last reserves of optimism.
But then yesterday I grokked that there will be no more rollercoaster for a while. Either the Warriors will win three in a row or the season will be over — no middle ground remains. So I was back in front of my TV at 7, eating delicious cod and drinking Lalande-de-Pomerol (whatever that is), and on the whole feeling pretty good about the world.
Location: Evergreen Ave. Personnel: Me, KT, Johnny the cat, Olive the cat T-shirt: Keep Calm and Curry On
This was a hard-fought nail-biter of a game, and though obviously I am not pleased with the result, I can’t complain about the entertainment value. The lead changed hands about 50 times and in the end, My Personal Savior had a good look at a 3 that would have won it, then inexplicably threw the ball out of bounds with a second and change left on the clock.
Though the Lakers’ stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, both had decent nights, the game was won for them by someone named Lonnie Walker IV — who, after not scoring in the first three quarters, somehow poured in 15 points in the 4th. Several times I was seen to leap up from my couch and yell, “Who the fuck is Lonnie Walker?”
Fortunately Olive the cat was there radiating calm, which kept me from getting too exercised. She did a good job of closing the game after Old Man Johnny covered the first half. Next time I attend a game in person, I may take a personal comfort animal along.
So Tuesday morning dawns on a 3–1 series deficit. Teams have come back from 3–1 before — in fact, in 2016 it happened two series in a row. The Warriors trailed Oklahoma City 3–1 in the Conference Finals before coming back to win, then went up 3–1 over LeBron’s Cavs in the Finals before snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
But you can’t win three games at a time. Tomorrow night’s Game 5 now becomes an elimination game, and fortunately is at Chase Center. Home cooking is best; just ask Gary Payton II, who in the first quarter last night ran straight off the court into the locker room without checking out of the game, apparently in some sort of distress. Some of us watching guessed he had to go #2, but today word is he threw up in his mouth. In any case, on the next Warriors possession, Draymond Green fired a pass to where Payton was supposed to be and the ball was caught by a bemused Lakers coach.
That possession might have come in handy at the end of the game. But there are always so many could-have-beens and might-have-dones and what-the-fucks. Today’s mission: leave all that behind, clear the ol’ noggin, and look to the future.
For those of you keeping score at home, that’s a 57-point turnaround from Game 2 to Game 3. There’s not a lot to say about last night’s fiasco except that everything went right for the Lake Show and wrong for the Dubs.
How bad was it? Steph Curry, normally the most automatic of free-throw shooters, missed two of his three attempts. The Warriors committed 19 turnovers and it felt like 90. Draymond Green and JaMichael Green, who both started, combined for all of 4 points versus 7 personal fouls and 2 technicals. It was ugly.
Many years ago the Starland Vocal Band, best remembered for “Afternoon Delight,” had a tune where they sang about being “blessed with forgetfulness.” And that is my mantra for today — have a good Sunday, forget about the horror, wake up Monday with a clear head and full heart.
Location: The Pub at the Creamery, Arcata Personnel: Me, KT, a barful of strangers T-shirt: Keep Calm and Curry On
Sometimes I crave the noise and chaos of a sports bar, It calms the nerves somehow.
In years past I watched a lot of big games at the Sidelines on the Arcata Plaza, which was shut down a while back for drug dealing. In all the time I spent there, no one ever once offered me dope; not that I wanted it, but it would have been nice to be asked.
My new spot is the Pub at the Creamery, which has food as well as drink and is much less divey, for better or worse. As I sat in my stool waiting for the game to start, the guy next to me was telling me that he grew up in LA as a Lakers fan but has been a Warriors fan as an adult. So he was conflicted. Not so your humble scribe. I have never like the Lakers nor LeBron James, so I find them easy to root against. Even so LBJ is not the compelling villain that Kobe Bryant was — I lived through what seemed like a century of Kobe torturing hapless Warriors teams.
Location: Evergreen Ave. Personnel: Me, KT, Johnny the cat (special guest appearance), Sid the cat T-shirt: Basic Black
The downside of winning a seven-game series is that you get stuck with a quick turnaround to the next game. The Warriors have only themselves to blame for this: They could have won Game 6 against the Kings, but noooooooo, they have to do things the hard way.
It seemed like no one was ready for the game last night — not the players, not the Chase Center crowd, not yours truly. Who was ready was Anthony “Street Clothes” Davis, who spent 44 minutes in uniform and tortured my team for all of them, ending up with 30 points, 23 rebounds, and 4 blocks. His buddy LeBron James added three blocks and ultimately I think that was what made the difference in the game — repeatedly the W’s waltzed into the lane, which had been such a friendly environment during the Sacramento series, only to see their shot attempts flying back over their heads.
The block is somewhat underrated as a stat — not only does it save a basket on one end, it often ignites a fast break on the other end, and is just plain demoralizing to an opponent. Keeping away from those long arms is an adjustment the W’s will have to make in Game 2, which is tomorrow, when I assume the sense memory of all those swats will be fresh.
