Here is the updated version of my hypothesis from about 12 years ago regarding teams with 3-0 series leads. I mean, what other team besides the last two to play in the last Finals are undefeated in the playoffs?
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The Warriors are seeking their fourth best-of-7 series sweep in franchise history.
“We have multiple defenders that can guard multiple positions”, Durant said. “We got so many guys who can defend and are smart defenders”. Jazz G Dante Exum scored 11 first-half points after totaling just 14 points in first three games of the series.
Kevin Durant added 18 points for Golden State, and Draymond Green chipped in 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He also was a dominating force defensively. The Warriors’ players will deny that they are playing the “monkey see, monkey do” game, but they are taking notice.
This Kerr-suggested strategy – targeting one of the league’s best defenders – served as a bulk of Durant’s monster night.
There are a lot of Duke players who have irritated opponents over the years – JJ Redick, Bobby Hurley, Dahntay Jones, most recently Grayson Allen and above all Christian Laettner. Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. He can switch out on them.
Jazz: G George Hill (L big toe sprain) is listed as questionable, G Alec Burks (L knee recovery) is listed as out.
Unfortunately for the Jazz, this problem probably won’t be going away anytime soon in this series. Maybe Spurs-Grizzlies Game 4 or something from the OKC-Houston or Utah-LAC series?
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder called timeout. “We’ve got to keep that going”.
Lost in the highlights has been a smothering defense allowing just 99.3 points per game – second-best among teams still alive in the postseason. “But what happened happened”.
The Warriors came out of the chute firing on all cylinders and blitzed the Jazz in the first quarter. Green primarily initiated the offense by pushing it up court before shot-blocking specialist Gobert could roam the paint.
Regardless of when he did it, Gobert clearly no longer believes that Golden State is going to have a hard time integrating Durant, and Saturday night was a prime example of that at his expense. “That’s what good teams do”.
The Jazz finally showed up in the second quarter and played desperate, but they were already behind the eight-ball. So I would have to determine whether Utah has enough fight to give Golden State a game and cover that number or whether the Warriors overwhelm the Jazz. Kevin Love missed seven and a half games, and dealt with post-concussion symptoms in four others. The momentum was the Warriors’, and it would not be relinquished.
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Gordon Hayward scored 25 points and Shelvin Mack added 18 for the Jazz. That’s our approach to every game. A barrier they struggled against last season and who’s to say they won’t, at least, wobble again. Of the 16 games that have been played thus far, only one has been decided by single digits.
