Photo Credit: Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
If you don’t learn from history it will repeat itself. Steve Kerr and the Warriors may want to check out the game footage from the 2004 #NBAFinals. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons met in 2004 to play for the coveted NBA Title. The Pistons were double-digit underdogs and very few gave them a chance to avoid being swept by the Lakers. Even fewer believed they could win the series. I believed. People laughed at me. I believed. Many people told me to turn in my press pass because I had become just another girl who picks their favorite teams based on color or cute mascots. Yes, even when idiots with such sound reasoning surrounded me – I believed in the Pistons.
The cornerstone for my belief centered on 1 principle the Lakers could not score 100 points or more 4 times against the Pistons. I knew if the Pistons could hold the Lakers to 99 or less 4 times the Pistons would win. I believed in Larry Brown’s defense and I believed in my Pistons. I was right. The Pistons shocked the world and defeated the Lakers and won the championship. The Pistons formidable defense prevented the Lakers from scoring more than 90 points in all but 1 game – game 2 that the Lakers won 99-91. Game 2 is the only game the Lakers won.
The Pistons controlled the tempo of 4 out of 5 games, and as a result they controlled the series and won the championship. Both games of the 2015 NBA Finals have gone into overtime. In game one the Warriors dominated the Cavs even holding James and the Cavaliers 2 only points during overtime. The Warriors won 108 -100. Game 2 was a completely different story. The Cavs were supposed to be crippled after the loss of Kyrie Irving due to a season ending knee surgery after being hurt in game 1. In fact, many had taken the brooms and fishing pools out declaring the Warriors champions. LeBron James and the Cavaliers came back in game 2 with a vengeance refusing to be denied. The Cavs controlled the clock, the ball and the tempo for most of the low scoring game. The Cavs were able to steal one in Oracle Arena winning game 2 95-93 in OT. Game 3 is in Cleveland at Quicken Arena, James and the Cavs supporting cast are a dangerous team. Underdogs are always dangerous when they gain momentum and believe. If the Cavaliers can control the game tempo 3 more times the same way they did Sunday night in game 2 an Eastern Conference team will shock the world again. History will repeat itself and Riley Curry won’t do any more post game interviews if the Warriors don’t get back to playing Dubnation ball. If the Warriors want their storybook season to have a happy ending they may want to watch game footage from the 2004 NBA Finals, otherwise history just might repeat itself.
