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Golden State Warriors: Game 5 is a must win

By Paul Andress

Jun 9, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drapes a towel over his head against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half in game four of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drapes a towel over his head against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half in game four of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Golden State Warriors know that Game 5 is in many ways a must win. Here’s what they need to do to bring home the NBA Championship.

In your average seven-game series, a 3-1 lead for a team is the equivalent to a finished series. However, the Warriors Cavaliers 2017 NBA Finals is not your average seven-game series. Fresh in the minds of all involved is last years finals in which the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead to the Cavaliers.

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The common consensus is that one player makes this year’s matchup a completely different story. While the addition former MVP Kevin Durant to the already historic Warriors does change the entire landscape of this matchup, there is an air of familiarity with Durant and a 3-1 series lead. Let us not forget the 3-1 series lead Durant blew to his new team in Durant’s playoff run last year.

As the Warriors and Cavaliers gear up for another playoff game Monday night, allow me to explain to you why the unseemingly must win game 5 in Oracle is without a doubt a must win game for the Golden State Warriors.

  1. “The Golden State blew a 3-1 lead” trolls will be in full force following a game 5 win for Cleveland.

If you think the 3-1 memes and tweets are bad following Cleveland’s game 4 win, it would be deafening following a Cleveland win in Oracle game 5. The Warriors players would tell you they do not pay attention to social media and do not let them distract them. Even if this were true, the Warriors do not need social media remind them of what happened last year. A game 5 loss in Oracle would lead to doubt and an insurmountable amount of pressure on the Warriors going into a game 6 in hostile Cleveland.

  1. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at this point in the series have nothing to lose.

According to most experts, the Warriors were supposed to be celebrating their 2017 NBA Championship in Cleveland following game 4. Being down 3-0 many wrote off the Cavaliers and predicted an inevitable sweep. The Cavaliers responded with a record-breaking 49 point first quarter. LeBron and his teammates played loose, and it could be seen in plays such as J.R. Smith’s 30-foot jumper. Following game 4, the pressure for the remainder of this series shifted permanently to the Warriors.

  1. The Warriors escaped Cleveland with a 1-1 split, and a return to Cleveland would mean a game 7.

If the Cavaliers could have scored in the final three minutes of game 3, this series would be headed back to Oakland tied up at 2-2. The Warriors were fortunate to steal game 3 from the Cavs. Following a would be game 5 loss in Oracle, the Warriors would find a game 6 in Cleveland that would be nearly impossible to win. The Cavaliers and their fan base would be inspired beyond belief if the series were to return to Cleveland. The pressure the Warriors players would feel for the rest of the series would be unlike any pressure they have felt in their careers. Game 4 in Cleveland should serve the Warriors as a nightmarish foreshadowing as to what they could be in for in a game 6 back in Cleveland. Stephen Curry was boxed up and taken out of the game by Kyrie and others in game 4 without any signs of help from the referees. Not to mention the NBA and ABC would not mind making the money a game 7 would generate even if this means turning a blind eye to a blatant backcourt violation.

  1. The Warriors need to win game 5 to confirm they are one of the best teams in NBA history.

A Golden State game 5 win would mean a commanding 4-1 series victory along with a near perfect 16-1 playoff run. Most of the decent 3-1 trolls would go away in recognition of the legitimacy of the Warriors. The longer this series drags on; the more commentators will have the opportunity to dismiss the dominance of the 2017 Golden State Warriors.

  1. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant need to finish off the Cavaliers in game 5 for the sake of their legacies.

Stephen Curry needs this win for his legacy in the NBA Finals. He was a non-factor in game 4, and he needs to have a dominant game 5. Curry needs redemption from last year’s NBA Finals and to get rid of the criticism surrounding his ability to perform on the NBA’s biggest stage. Just like Steph, Kevin Durant has to close this series out in game 5 for his legacy.

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Durant made the most controversially move in the NBA since LeBron took his talents to South Beach. His sole mission in leaving Westbrook was to join a team that he felt he had the best opportunity to win a championship. Game 5 will be his second chance to complete this mission. He has received criticism for being too soft and lacking a killer instinct. He showed his killer instinct as he singlehandedly took game 3 from Cleveland, but he needs to take the championship to silence the haters.

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