Three games in the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics had the Golden State Warriors on their heels. With a 2-1 lead and the home crowd in front of them for the 4th game, Boston had the opportunity to take an imposing lead in the Finals and place a victory away from the 2022 championship. This, obviously, did not happen. The Celtics have not won a game since then and as the series returns to Boston, Warriors coach Steve Kerr sent a message to his players. “We’re going to get this in Boston,” Kerr told the Warriors in the locker room after their Game 6 victory. “We’re going to finish it in Boston.” As certain as Kerr sounds, it does not exactly play like a standard public guarantee. This is not a boast for the media. It’s not a message for the Celtics either. It is a confidence he shares with his team after two consecutive victories. After seeing his players win the last two games, he knows they are capable of finishing this thing on Thursday night. And given the history of Golden State? They will not want to risk a possible game 7. The last time they had a 3-2 lead in the Finals was in 2016 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This series ended in defeat in the 7th game at home, ending the season with 73 victories of Golden State. Boston has already won a game in San Francisco this series. It was a better road team this season after (8-4) than a home team (6-5). Warriors can not take anything for granted. They have won two games in a row. You do not need to make this more difficult than necessary. Take a third consecutive game and you will be the 2022 NBA champions.
