The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors seem to be poised for another NBA Finals match up. Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was sought for comments about the Warriors, and the possibility of another rematch.
As reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press, Lue quipped:
“They have to get there too, right?”
His answer may be suggestive of the much more competitive Conference Finals for the East and the West. The Houston Rockets, this time around, have the home-court advantage over the Warriors. While the series is in favor of the Warriors after three games, 2-1, the Rockets seem to be fully capable of playing toe-to-toe with the defending champs.
The Cavaliers, who cruised along the Eastern Conference last year, seemed to be struggling this year. Their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers was wrapped up in seven games. They swept the Toronto Raptors. Now, they are locked at two games apiece against the Boston Celtics.
Lue and his team seem to be finding their stride once more. It was a horrendous regular season which triggered a roster shake-up which sent several of the team’s championship pieces away. In return, they got much younger players.
Lue has taken much of the blame for the team’s struggles. It takes him a game or two to figure out the right adjustment. He himself is aware of this but chooses not to dwell too much on it. Per William C. Rhoden of the Undefeated:
“At the end of the day, I don’t care,” a weary Lue said. “I do what I do to the best of my ability; the outside noise doesn’t bother me.”