Oakland
– Don Nelson knows better than anyone how to play the underdog
card.
When his team was in the midst of a slump late in the season, he
expressed disappointment about his likely inability to get the
Warriors into the playoffs.
Oakland – Don Nelson knows better than anyone how to play the underdog card.
When his team was in the midst of a slump late in the season, he expressed disappointment about his likely inability to get the Warriors into the playoffs.
The team’s response: a torrid stretch run, including a 9-1 finish to reach the playoffs.
Now that the team is in the postseason for the first time in 13 years, Nelson is continuing to play that card.
“Until someone wins four games, the series goes on,” Nelson warned after Sunday’s scintillating 103-99 victory over the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks, which including a late 15-2 run to help the eighth-seeded Warriors take a 3-1 advantage in the series. “We feel great about our position, but we have great respect for the Dallas Mavericks.”
When his team dominated nearly every aspect of a 109-91 win Friday in Game 3 before a rowdy, raucous Oracle Arena crowd, he noted that the atmosphere was important “because our team is not very good so we need this support.”
There’s no doubting the crowd has been a factor.
“We’re just feeding off our crowd,” Jason Richardson said after scoring 22 points in Game 4. “They’re the most loyal fans in the world.”
But there’s something else the Warriors have working for them: They’re a good team.
“They played really well,” Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said of Golden State. “They made big plays when they needed to.”
So many big plays that Dallas is danger of becoming the first ever No. 1 seed to drop a seven-game series to an eight seed. And if you didn’t think the Mavericks were worried, Nowitzki confirmed it.
“If you look in our locker room, everybody’s very, very disappointed,” he said. “Now our back’s are against the wall. All we can do is come out swinging.”
The next chapter is 6:30pm today when the series shifts back to Dallas for Game 5. The Warriors are on the verge of their first postseason series victory since beating San Antonio in 1990-91, also the last time Golden State held a 3-1 advantage in a series.
“All we can do is take it one game at a time,” Nowitzki said of Dallas’ outlook. “I know it sounds ridiculous.”
The Warriors are maintaining the same approach they’ve had along: stay loose, have fun and try to shock the world.
“It’s fun,” said Baron Davis, who had a game-high 33 points in Game 4, including banking in a shot from halfcourt to tie the game at halftime. “Coming into the playoffs, Coach (Nelson) said we have nothing to lose.”
For Nellie, the 66-year-old coach who often jokes about his lack of memory, it’s clearly an exciting time, even if he won’t admit to getting a little extra joy out of having success against the Mavericks and former boss Mark Cuban.
“It’s just a very special feeling when you win. It doesn’t matter who you’re with and who you’re playing against,” Nelson said.
But what he won’t deny is the enjoyment he’s getting out this improbable postseason push.
“It is as much fun as I’ve ever had,” Nelson said. “I’ve never enjoyed a year more than this one.”
