It바카라s LeBron vs. Steph on the big stage, Take V.
With a slightly different look in the playoffs these days for two of the game바카라s greatest players.
바카라Just two of the most competitive players that have ever played this game,바카라 James said Monday. 바카라We want to etch our name in the history books as much as we can, and we바카라re playing our own way. I바카라ve got nothing but the greatest admiration and respect for Steph.바카라
Curry and Draymond Green reflect back on Golden State바카라s many memorable NBA Finals battles with James and marvel how they바카라re all still playing such high-level basketball so many years later.
Yet this Western Conference semifinal matchup starting on Tuesday is new for everybody: Curry, Green, Klay Thompson and these Warriors have never faced LeBron바카라s Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs 바카라 even if they바카라re plenty familiar with James himself.
바카라It is special to know the first series we played him in Cleveland in the 바카라14-15 to now, we바카라re blessed to be playing at this level,바카라 Curry said. 바카라Excited about a new chapter, two teams trying to keep their season alive and chase a championship. That바카라s what it바카라s all about.바카라
It바카라s LeBron vs. Steph on the big stage, Take V.
With a slightly different look in the playoffs these days for two of the game바카라s greatest players.
바카라Just two of the most competitive players that have ever played this game,바카라 James said Monday. 바카라We want to etch our name in the history books as much as we can, and we바카라re playing our own way. I바카라ve got nothing but the greatest admiration and respect for Steph.바카라
Curry and Draymond Green reflect back on Golden State바카라s many memorable NBA Finals battles with James and marvel how they바카라re all still playing such high-level basketball so many years later.
Yet this Western Conference semifinal matchup starting Tuesday is new for everybody: Curry, Green, Klay Thompson and these Warriors have never faced LeBron바카라s Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs 바카라 even if they바카라re plenty familiar with James himself.
바카라It is special to know the first series we played him in Cleveland in the 바카라14-15 to now, we바카라re blessed to be playing at this level,바카라 Curry said. 바카라Excited about a new chapter, two teams trying to keep their season alive and chase a championship. That바카라s what it바카라s all about.바카라
The Warriors and James바카라 Cavaliers faced off in four straight NBA Finals from 2015-18.
Game 1 in this best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series is on the Warriors바카라 home floor 바카라 Golden State is the sixth seed and the Lakers No. 7. It바카라s the first time a No. 6 seed has home court in the second round since the sixth-seeded Houston Rockets against the No. 7 Seattle SuperSonics in 1987.
바카라It바카라s weird, a six-seven seed series, we get home-court advantage, so we바카라ve got to take advantage of that,바카라 Curry said.
Curry is 15-7 against James in the playoffs, with Curry averaging 25.4 points to James 33.
They바카라re still dazzling.
In February, the 38-year-old James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA바카라s all-time leading scorer. And now at 35, reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry is coming off a 50-point masterpiece in a 120-100 Game 7 win at Sacramento on Sunday that completed a comeback from falling behind 2-0 바카라 the most ever points in a Game 7 and his best scoring performance of any postseason game.
바카라No. 1 you바카라re talking about some of the ultimate competitors, LeBron is one of the ultimate competitors, Steph, Klay, myself, (Kevon Looney), ultimate competitors,바카라 Green said. 바카라To have these opportunities we don바카라t take for granted. Who you are as a professional will show during these times. Here we are eight years later from the first time we met in a playoff series and still playing at that level. That바카라s special. It says a lot about who you are as a pro.바카라
UNFAMILIAR FOE
Thompson has been dreaming about a chance to face the team he grew up watching. His dad Mychal played for Los Angeles in his final five NBA seasons from 1986-91.
The Warriors haven바카라t faced the Lakers in the playoffs since the elder Thompson was there in 바카라91, when the 바카라Run TMC바카라 team led by Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin lost in the Western Conference semifinals to Magic Johnson and James Worthy.
This season, the Lakers won the last three meetings since remaking their roster at the trade deadline. Los Angeles wrapped up its first-round series against the Grizzlies in Game 6 on Friday, so the Lakers will be well-rested.
바카라It바카라s special, we바카라ve played LeBron in the finals four times, one of the greatest to ever play,바카라 Thompson said. 바카라It바카라s going to be a huge challenge for us, but we바카라re all excited to play the Lakers. It바카라s a legendary franchise. Warriors-Lakers, it바카라s been a long time since they바카라ve seen each other in the playoffs. I know I바카라m personally excited to play in front of my father and my mother and some of my best friends and go down to SoCal after our homestand. It바카라s just a dream come true. I바카라ve waited for this for 12 years.바카라
LOONEY ON THE BOARDS
Kevon Looney바카라s chances on the boards could be tougher while dealing with Anthony Davis.
Looney wound up with 106 rebounds in the first-round series 바카라 37 on the offensive end. He had five straight playoff games with double-digit rebounds.
In the final five games of the series, Looney had 90 rebounds 바카라 34 offensive 바카라 with 27 assists.
바카라It all started with Kevon,바카라 Green said.
NEW-LOOK LAKERS
Just how different are the Lakers from the team that started the regular season 2-10 after losing at Golden State on opening night? Only three players who scored in that game are likely to play significant minutes in this series.
The Lakers have been rolling ever since the trade deadline, and they바카라ve won 14 of their last 18 games heading to San Francisco. Los Angeles added former Warriors guard D바카라Angelo Russell and defensive stopper Jarred Vanderbilt to their starting lineup alongside two-way contributor Austin Reaves, dramatically improving James바카라 supporting cast. The Warriors already know it: Los Angeles beat Golden State three times in 23 days late in the regular season.
바카라One of the first things I learned about LeBron the first time we played him in the Finals was just how smart he was, like coming out of timeouts he knew what we were doing,바카라 Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. 바카라So you take that into account.바카라
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Davis put on a defensive masterclass in the Lakers바카라 first-round victory over Memphis, blocking 26 shots in the six-game series and making the Grizzlies profoundly wary of venturing into the paint. Davis probably won바카라t have the same impact on the jump-shooting Warriors, who averaged the NBA바카라s third-fewest points in the paint this season.
Los Angeles has been a determined, resilient defensive team under rookie coach Darvin Ham, and its defensive success is likely to depend on Dennis Schröder, Russell, Vanderbilt and Reaves somehow slowing Curry and Thompson on the perimeter.
바카라It바카라s completely the opposite (from Memphis),바카라 Reaves said. 바카라They shoot 3s everywhere, honestly. So it바카라s a mindset shift, but we바카라ll lock in and figure it out.바카라
THOMPSON바카라S TOUCH
Thompson will be eager to get going fast after struggling in the last two games against the Kings, calling his 4-for-19 outing in Game 7 바카라disgusting.바카라 He went 8 for 20 in a Game 6 loss including 2 of 9 from long range. That was after Thompson had scored 26 in Game 4 and 25 in Game 5.
When he gets hot, he can score in flurries.
He liked the looks he got, and Kerr praised Thompson바카라s stingy defense despite the tough day on the other end.
바카라They바카라ll go in hopefully Game 1 of the semis,바카라 Thompson said.
