OAKLAND — Professional athletes are creatures of routine. That even extends to Game 7 of the NBA Finals — the biggest stage in basketball. Guys don’t mess with their routine.
“I mean, it’s a special day, but you try to keep the same routine,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “So Luke (Walton) and I went to yoga like we always do every game day. You probably didn’t know that, did you? I’m guessing Bill Belichick and his staff don’t do that. Just throwing that out there.”
Sixty minutes of Bikram Yoga to answer your question.
“Pregame we have breakfast, and then we had a walkthrough in the ballroom, and I went back and took my nap like I always do,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said with a smile on his face.
The question is will routine and familiarity help the key players in Game 7 ward off nerves.
For Kerr, the specific question is can he get through to wingman Harrison Barnes, who has struggled with his shot the last two games and needs to find it quickly in Game 7 or he will be watching a lot of it from the bench (and Kerr’s options to replace him lack Barnes’ versatility).
“The biggest thing is to realize in the Playoffs and especially The Finals the spotlight is big and there are moments for everybody where things don’t go great and you have to fight through that. And just be solid,” Kerr said of his efforts to coach Barnes and provide advice the past 48 hours. “Go out there and play your game, be aggressive. And whatever happens, happens. But it’s very easy in The Finals, especially, to get caught up in all of that, when the reality is what’s important is to just move on to the next game and lock in and do your best.”
Lue just hopes the routine of the last two games — when LeBron James dominated and the Cavaliers’ won — continues one more day.
“I just think we’re ready and prepared,” Lue said. “I thought the last two games guys were really locked into what we’re trying to do defensively and offensively and executing at a high level. So Game 7 won’t be any different. We have to continue to do the same thing tonight, and they’re ready for this moment.”