To win their first title in 2015, the Golden State Warriors had to overcome a 2-1 series deficit -- and the loss of homecourt advantage -- against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Fast forward seven years, and the team finds itself in that position once again, trailing the Boston Celtics entering a road Game 4. According to Land Of Basketball, only 12 teams in NBA history have overcome this deficit and won the championship. That's a 19-percent success rate.
Fortunately for the Warriors, their superstar sharpshooter has avoided serious injury. Stephen Curry, who appeared to suffer a left foot sprain late in Game 3, declared himself "good enough to play" in Game 4 on Friday, and head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that he has no restrictions. In the history of the NBA, just one team has overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals. So, would a Game 4 loss for the Warriors seal their fate? NBA analyst Rob Perez says no.
"The series isn't over, by any means. But it's going to be quite an uphill climb. These are obvious things," Perez told the Maggie and Perloff show on Friday. "But, if they lose tonight, the theme that this series was going to be a war of attrition. It feels like an eternity ago, that Game 7 occurred in Miami. And then the Boston Celtics not only had to fly from Miami back to Boston, they had to fly across the country for Game 1 against Golden State, 24 hours after landing.
"The war of attrition was supposed to start with the Celtics climbing up that mountain. Because they were on the road, and they had a short turnaround. But, they've been the ones who've looked more physical, in-shape, athletic. Better defense. If the Warriors lose tonight and go down 3-1, they'll have to prove they're truly a dynastic franchise, to overcome clearly a better team."
Golden State, which earned the West's third seed with a 53-29 record, will play Game 4 against Boston on Friday night, with tipoff scheduled for 9 ET. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Warriors currently have only a 13-percent chance to capture their fourth title since 2015. And if the Celtics hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, it'll be their NBA-record 18th in team history.
The entire NBA conversation between Perez and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.