The Warriors have been here before. Once again, they enter the playoffs looking to defend what's rightfully theirs: An NBA title.
Don't tell them that, though.
Although the Warriors look to be the first team since the 2001-02 Lakers to win three straight championships, they don't want to be referred to as the "defending champions."
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"I think that's a bad perspective," Steph Curry said in a 60 Minutes segment that aired Sunday. "You have to shift it. You have to attack it. You have to go after it. You can't just sit like, 'I'm protectin' something.'"
Curry proved he's keeping his foot on the gas in the Warriors' 121-104 Game 1 win over the Clippers in Saturday's first-round playoff game. The star point guard did it all by scoring a game-high 38 points with a career-high 15 rebounds.
Before being ejected for his skirmish with Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, Kevin Durant poured in 23 points for the Warriors. And he has the same mindset as Curry.
"We're not cocky to walk in here and say, 'This trophy is ours. I gotta defend you from it.' We're just gonna go get it," Durant said.
Golden State Warriors
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As the Warriors seek their fourth title in five years, they're highly focused on the task at hand. To them, any talk of "defending what's theirs" can only serve as a distraction.