Basketball games aren't decided by a hot start. Actually, if anything, getting down big early gives the trailing team motivation to shock viewers with an electric comeback. It's easy to get complacent when up. The Atlanta Hawks and their fans know that too well, and now the San Antonio Spurs are beginning to learn the same.
Game One of the NBA Finals didn't go according to plan for the home team in the slightest. A game they controlled for most of the night quickly shifted in the other direction after a series of less-than ideal momentum plays. It's what the New York Knicks do best.
Any matchup with the Knicks is over as soon as they get hot
They've won 12 games in a row, but very few of them have been dominated from start to finish. It sounds ridiculous to say, but it's true. That's not to say they haven't been the most dominant team of the postseason, because they have, but their wins are often sparked by motivated sequences several minutes after tip-off.
It's a true testament to the relentless mentality they've adopted since the start of the playoffs. This squad looks much different than they did in the regular season, and it's likely because they identified a realistic chance to win a title.
On Wednesday night in San Antonio, it truly appeared they'd be going down 0-1. The Spurs had them on the ropes. Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper were unable to be contained. They were in firm control, even without Victor Wembanyama having a game up to his standards.
Then came what everyone who's paid attention to them all postseason expected. A flame was lit in their offense. They relied on their pace and were backed up by elite shotmaking, bringing them all the way back and putting them in front. Momentum was shifted. There was no realistic way back for the Spurs, even on their home floor.
This is what killed the Hawks in their first-round meeting
It's pretty ironic that the Hawks, a team that sees much of their success come from controlling the tempo, was outdone in that category, but they were. New York was caught off guard by Atlanta's pace in the first three games of the series, so they implemented it into their own scheme and never looked back.
The Spurs better hope Game One wasn't an indicator for how the rest of the series goes, because if it was, it's going to be a long one. This Knicks team is quick, and once they catch fire, it's nearly impossible for the opposing team to recover.
Add us as a preferred source on Google