Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors talks with his team in the second half while taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 2, 2016 in Oakland, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP
NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors have found the NBA Finals are better the second time around now that they know what to expect.
The Warriors, who downed Cleveland 104-89 in Thursday’s opener of the best-of-seven series, can move halfway to a championship repeat by beating the Cavaliers in game two on Sunday.
“We have the ultimate confidence in ourselves because of all that went into winning a championship last year,” Curry said.
“It still means as much, if not more, this time around, but you just have a certain sense of comfort knowing you have been through it before and at the end of the day it’s just basketball and going out and having confidence in what you do.”
Curry won his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award this season and led the Warriors to a league-record 73 wins. He made an NBA record 402 3-point shots, also led the league in steals and was the NBA’s most accurate free throw shooter.
But in the Western Conference finals, the Warriors had to win three intense do-or-die games to eliminate Oklahoma City and return to the NBA Finals.
“Getting back to the playoffs, there’s a different kind of pressure you feel because you know the feeling of winning and you want to get back there,” Curry said.
“But there’s also a sense of expectation knowing through each round how to deal with the emotions, the environment of the playoffs themselves, the hoopla around it, especially when you get to the finals.
“I didn’t feel as much anxiousness as last year. The more experiences you go through, the better you are at handling anything that’s thrown at you.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who helped the Chicago Bulls win three titles in a row in his playing days, reflected on what it means to have already won a crown when seeking another.
“It’s an interesting dynamic when you’re trying to repeat because it’s a very difficult thing to do,” he said. “There’s a level of confidence and relief that comes with having a ring already. Especially these days. There’s such a burden and stigma on players and teams that have not won the big one.”
Draymond Green recalls that weight upon the Warriors last year, when they beat Cleveland in the opener but lost the next two games before winning three in a row to take the trophy.
“Last year, everybody was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. It took us a few games to settle in,” Green said. “We said we need to come out and get something going immediately to start this finals and try to set the tone.”
Green said it was more important knowing how to deal with off-court distractions and finals hoopla than so much on-court change.
“When it’s your first time in the finals, everybody is coming into town, you want to do this, you want to do that and then you realize, ‘Oh man I’ve got a game to play,'” he said.
“This year, you know how to handle all that stuff now, get it right out of the way and focus on the game. That was a huge difference for us. All that stuff weighs on you and it can sometimes affect the game but going through it before, you know how to settle in real quick.”