Spruce Derden-USA Today Sports
After going down 2-1 in this best-of-seven series to the pesky Memphis Grizzlies, I could certainly understand the sheer panic that was going on within the Golden State Warriors‘ fan kingdom.
I mean after all, Warrior Nation was not used to seeing their team lose two-straight games, especially to a team that they know they can beat. But that’s exactly what happened on Saturday night, when the scrappy Grizzlies reached deep down inside and took a series lead over their more superior opponents.
But did you really think that the Warriors would lose a third-straight game to the Grizzlies? Of course not.
Think about it; what would happen if the Warriors lost tonight? There would be anarchy in the streets of the Bay Area, Golden State would be seen as a bust and the balance of the NBA would be so off that the world may stop spinning for a few days.
OK, I am over-exaggerating a little, but you get my point. Tonight was an absolute must-win for the Warriors, and Golden State knew it. They weren’t the best team in the NBA for no reason, and tonight, they reassured all of us who have anointed them the kings of the NBA that those last two games were just a fluke as they dominated the Grizzlies 101-84 in Game 4.
Now that the Warriors are heading home for a decisive Game 5, I can comfortably say that this series will wrap up in six games. Why am I so confident? Because Golden State not only regained the home-court advantage, but the Warriors also got their confidence back.
The Grizzlies meanwhile pretty much lost this series tonight. If Memphis had any chance of dethroning the mighty Warriors, they needed to take care of their home court, and they simply dropped the ball tonight.
Before the series started, I predicted that it would go no longer than six games. Now, after a week of pilling up nail clippings on my floor, I can finally breathe easy knowing that my prediction is safe.
The Golden State Warriors have returned back to form.
Kareem Gantt covers the NBA and rest of the sports world for Rant Sports. For more from this author, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘like’ him on Facebook, and ‘add’ him to your network on Google.
