Draymond, Kerr believe championship DNA fueled Dubs in Game 7 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Experience. That word is why many picked the Warriors to beat the Sacramento Kings in their first-round NBA playoff series.
It took seven games, but Golden State dialed into their championship experience in their 120-100 Game 7 win Sunday afternoon at Golden 1 Center.
Behind Steph Curry’s historic 50-point performance, Draymond Green believes the Warriors tapped into that championship DNA that helped the team win the clinching game on the road.
“I think it’s a real thing,” Green told reporters after the game when asked if he believes teams can dial into their championship DNA. “Some people, you just cut a little differently. You [are] made a little differently. And then you talk about that DNA, that experience. We leaned into that today.”
Green isn’t alone in believing that their big game experience helped them in Game 7 against Sacramento. Warriors coach Steve Kerr noted that winning NBA championships and playing in various pressure situations allows the squad to dig deep when faced with a Game 7.
“Game 7’s are difficult,” Kerr told reporters after the win. “You saw how many free throws were missed by both teams. These guys are all human and everybody’s nervous. So there’s a need to have experience in Game 7’s. And our guys have that, our core guys.
“And I think what it takes is just taking the game possession by possession, which our guys did beautifully tonight; not thinking about the outcome, just thinking about the process and repeating and repeating and repeating and breathing during the timeouts and staying locked in and staying focused. And our guys did that, but they’ve learned to do that through a decade of these types of games.”
The Kings punched the Warriors in the mouth, taking a 2-0 series lead and then avoiding elimination in Game 6 on the road in the Chase Center. However, in the final game, the experience factor reared its head.
RELATED: Steph Curry saves Warriors with masterful 50-point Game 7 performance
Golden State now can prepare for a foe that helped the Warriors’ core gain all their experience in LeBron James with a Western Conference semifinals matchup that tips off Tuesday at Chase Center.
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