The Warriors shouldn’t need any more incentive to win Tuesday night’s Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
A trip to the NBA Finals — a sixth in eight years — is on the line, after all.
But the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics provided some additional value on Monday night.
Tied at 2-2, the Eastern Conference Finals are going to go at least six games. The way that series has been played to date, seven games seems highly plausible.
But the opportunity is clear: Boston is banged up. Miami is banged up. Meanwhile, the Warriors could go into the Finals with ample time to both physically recharge and mentally prepare for what will surely be an epic series.
That kind of advantage is worth its weight in gold — technically silver with a 24-karat gold overlay in the shape of a ball and net — in the postseason.
The NBA Finals will start on June 2. Unlike in other series in the postseason, there’s no flexibility there. ABC needs to carve out that prime-time weeknight programming.
The earlier the Warriors can end the Mavericks’ season — no team has ever blown a 3-0 lead in NBA playoff history — the more rest they will have going into the championship round.
If they can finish the Mavericks Tuesday, they’ll have an astounding eight days before the Finals tip.
For a veteran team that had to play the heavy-punching (in one case, literally) Memphis Grizzlies earlier this postseason; for a squad that has already lost two key contributors to injury, mitigating the risk of any more play and putting up their feet and watching two great teams on the other side of the bracket beat each other to a pulp has to be an attractive option.
The real advantage, though, is how much more rest the Warriors will have over that NBA Finals opponent.
If the Warriors can capitalize on this opportunity to end the West Finals in the swiftest manner possible, they’ll have at least a three-day rest advantage on their opponent. That could become a five-day advantage if the Eastern Conference Finals go seven games. Plus, the Warriors will host Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Add a cross-country flight to the East champion’s recovery schedule.
Given how inherently challenging the Finals are and how tricky a matchup both teams (but particularly Boston) will be, the Warriors are not in a position to turn down any edge.
As for the concept of rust, it’s far better to be a bit sluggish after some time off than battered, bruised, and broken, no?
The playoffs are a war of attrition, after all, and every game, every quarter, every possession carries risk. There’s not much risk if the Warriors all go into hyperbaric chambers for a very long Memorial Day weekend.
The irony is that to achieve this goal of a week-plus off, the Warriors must prioritize the here-and-now.
Focus has proven to be a huge issue for this Dubs team not just in the regular season, but in the postseason, too. A veteran team who has done it all, mixed with young players whose heads are clearly spinning? Yes, some nonsense is to be expected.
It’s on someone who has eight rings to help his team resist the temptations to coast.
“We can’t be thinking bout anything other than tonight’s game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday morning. “We have to be locked in and focus just like we were in game 3 when we got off to a good start.”
A fine message. We’ll see if it’s heeded. This team long ago lost the benefit of the doubt when it comes to taking care of business long time ago. Such intent will have to be seen to be believed.
And hey, if a week off isn’t enticing enough for these Warriors, a win on Tuesday night would also shut Charles Barkley up, sooner.
Now that should get the job done.
