BOSTON – Fans jamming into TD Garden here seem to be more passionate about harassing visiting teams than cheering on their Celtics. Particularly in the postseason. They’re likely to get louder, crankier and more obnoxious.
The Warriors, who face the Celtics and their fans Wednesday night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, wouldn’t have it any other way.
They love nothing more than a silent road crowd in the moments before the final buzzer. It nourishes them. It’s why the Warriors have won at least one postseason road game in 26 consecutive series – an NBA record. Having lost Game 1 at home last week, they have to win at least one road game to win The Finals.
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Theories abound about their success away from home, including the adage that “defense travels.” But there is little question the root of it begins with a common thread running through the psyches of core players Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
All three spent their formative years hearing what they cannot do, and their response has been to prove they can. To put up so doubters have no choice but to shut up.
Warriors big man Kevon Looney has been teammates with this trio for seven seasons. He is with them on team flights, on courts for practices and games, in locker rooms and during team meals. He sees how they race toward a dare.
“We have a lot of guys with a chip on their shoulder,” Looney said after shootaround Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot of guys who kind of embrace the crowd going against them. We’ve got guys like Draymond, Steph and Klay. Those guys live to quiet the crowd and putting on a show and putting on a performance.
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“We kind of just follow their lead.”
The backgrounds have been publicized, and they provide insight on the mentality of each.
Coming out of high school, Curry was rejected by every college powerhouse; even Virginia Tech, where his parents had been athletes, wouldn’t offer a scholarship unless Steph walked on a freshman. He had to prove he was legit.
After four years at Michigan State, Draymond entered the 2012 draft to the sound of snoring around the league. Too small to play power forward. Couldn’t shoot well enough to be a wing. He went in the second round, 35th overall. He had to prove he was legit.
Klay, like Steph, is the son of an NBA player. He always could shoot, always had a great work ethic. But somehow, even at Santa Margarita High in Orange County, was ignored by both UCLA and USC. If he wanted to play on the west coast, it was either Washington State or Nevada. He chose WSU.
He, too, had to prove he was legit.
Every road game is a chance for these guys to show an unfavorable crowd that they are legit.
“We find another level of grit and determination, just an ability to find a way to get it done,” Curry said. “Being in hostile environments, you get tested, you get pushed. Our experience kind of shows at the right time.
“Obviously in this situation it's a must for us to win a championship. We got to be up for that task.”
The trio will lead the Warriors into their first-ever postseason confrontation with the fan base some consider the most irritating in sports. Old Boston Garden, home of 16 champions, had a charm that was restricted to the home team. TD Garden, now 26 years old, is less distinctive and, with one championship, lacks such mystique.
What the facilities have in common is a fan base willing to go out of its way to harass opposing players and coaches. Which in this instance plays into the hands and hearts and minds of the most significant Warriors.
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“Draymond loves to embrace the crowd, loves when they start booing him and stuff like that,” Looney said. “So does Steph.”
The Warriors beat the Nuggets in the first game at Denver (Game 3 of the series) in the first round. They beat the Grizzlies in Game 1 at Memphis in the Western Conference semifinals. They beat the Mavericks in Game 3 when the conference finals shifted to Dallas.
And now they’re seeking a sweep of every initial road game this postseason. Whether they succeed or not, the Warriors are where they want to be.