Chapter 353: Jokić, Unleashed.
On game night, Oracle Arena was packed to the rafters.
Warriors fans were all smiles.
Cleveland was their past victim, and this Warriors squad was miles ahead of their last championship team. This ring? It was theirs to take.
Even Steve Kerr radiated confidence.
Golden State had once again finished as the league's top seed, but unlike last season, they hadn't overextended themselves in the regular season. Their core was entering the Finals with fresh legs, which was the key to their postseason dominance.
Kerr had also preemptively addressed Draymond Green's temperament—there would be no repeat of last season's meltdowns.
The embarrassment of winning 73 games only to fall short in the West? This year, he was set on redemption.
Opening Lineups
After pregame ceremonies, the starting lineups were announced:
Cavaliers: Han Sen, J.R. Smith, Robert Covington, P.J. Tucker, Nikola Jokić.
Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, LeBron James, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia.