Game 6 L 107-115
This series should not be at Game 7 but here we are. (And we are all here, right? 5:30 PST, 8:30 EST on TNT)
There are a lot of explanations and no explanations for the Game 6 loss. The team is tired, or at least most of the team is tired. Curry is turning the ball over. Butler is missing free throws. Draymond is throwing his hands up in disgust at other teammates instead of the refs. GPII blows his defensive assignment. These are mistakes of fatigue. Mistakes they don’t usually make. And they certainly don’t all make them in the same game, a game of meaningful basketball.
Houston is not tired - they are rolling and they have figured out the Warriors. Figured out how to shut down Curry and counting on the fact that the others will miss enough shots. Playoff series are about making adjustments game to game and there’s one adjustment that needs to be made for today.
Play Kuminga.
He has not played most of the entire series even though he has done well against Houston this year. He hasn’t been playing well lately. He will either be cold as ice or have fresh legs. He was good defensively last week but struggled to score. But driving to the basket whether he scores or not could open things up for everyone else. He is not going to be the answer, but he could be an answer.
While we are at it, play Moses Moody more. He’s one of the only players with life in his legs in the 4th quarter. Play Kevon Looney over Post when Steven Adams is on the floor. Give Gui Santos or Pat Spencer a few minutes - let them run around and make something happen. They need someone who is going to be a breath of fresh air, someone who can give some life into the vets so that they don’t feel that they need to carry everything themselves.
Or Dray, Curry and Jimmy can look to one of their peers, Russell Westbrook, from his own game 7 last night against the Clippers, his former team.
Westbrook has been more maligned than praised in recent years, but he explains his play this way
Yes to being a force of nature and bringing the entire experience of being who you are to the floor.
Look, I know I wrote a few days ago but if I wait until after the game there’s a chance of losing. And then I’m writing about the end of things. The end of the season. The end of this team, since no team stays the same. I’m not open to the possibility of the end.
I’m open to the possibility of possibility. I want to be in a space where the future is unknown. Where this ride might go on for another month or even more. Where I am on the roller coaster, scouring bluesky for postgame press conferences way past my bedtime.
This week I’ve been (re)watching Friday Night Lights. It is a minor tragedy that Friday Night Lights is not currently streaming. Fortunately, I have the complete series on DVD and I still have a DVD player (I still have a VHS player). I’ve been averaging 3-4 episodes a day for mental health and daily keeping your humanity reasons. It’s working. Coach Taylor gives me an inspiring pep talk every few episodes and Tim Riggins slowly learns to be a little less drunk and Tyra starts going to class and Matt Saracen learns to be a leader and Jason Street learns he doesn’t have to be one.
Tonight’s episode was from late in season 1. They are in the playoffs, one game away from going to State Championships. For complicated reasons, their field is ruined and they lose their home field advantage. They find a new field (literally a field) and Coach asks them to pretend they are 10 years old again and play for the love of the game. I want that for this team.
There’s a lot of pressure on you Warriors. The noise around you is loud. The nay-sayers are nay-saying. Sometimes I’m one of them - I’m not above noticing how much a player like Jordan Poole is needed at this moment. You’re hurting. You’re tired. You’ve tried all the things you know how to do but perhaps this time veteran experience will not defeat faster taller hungrier players.
I’m aware of that possibility but I do not believe it. I believe in belief.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
The Timeout Books (the books I read during commercials and halftimes)
None this time, I’m not a machine!
A Game At A Time Spotify Playlist (the songs that run through my head while writing this)
A Sunday Morning special this time