Always Fighting // Kyrie Irving

2016 NBA Finals- Game Four

Kyrie: 

The Q is already packed with people by the time we start our pregame warm ups, chants and hollers filling the arena. Every once and a while I can make out a distinct sentence - usually directed at Golden State and usually offense- but others it's just a bunch of noise overlapping. 

"Yo, Ky!" Draymond calls from across the court, but I pay him no attention until I finish my left handed layup. "Just so you know, game three was a fluke." 

"Whatever you say, Dray," I holler back, once again facing the basket and dishes the ball to LeBron, who slams down a monster dunk. When he releases the rim, he walks towards me, pushing his shoulder into mine. This would be the universal basketball code to hide your mouth during this conversation. He bends his head down so it's next to my neck and I pull up my jersey to hide my mouth. 

"Game three was a fluke because we could have beaten them by 60. Don't listen to him, man. Okay? Stay focused on what we got to do tonight, hear me?" 

"He talking out of the side of his mouth, 'Bron.  I don't pay attention to what he says." LeBron pulls away and slaps me on the back before blowing into his fists. 

This is it. Game four. Having won the last one, it feels like a monkey is off our back. Well, one monkey. We still got a million more trying to suffocate us, but we got rid of the one that was most persistent. 

The two teams make their way to the bench and wait for player announcements to be over. As soon as they finish, we each go into our respective huddle, the last time for the team leaders to give some empowering advice before the game starts. Then we all get into the middle circle as everything around us fades away, all eyes are on the ball. The one thing that has the power to decide who wins this game. 

Thompson and Bogut set in the middle and the referee shoots up the ball, Bogut slips a finger underneath it and tips it to Curry, who brings it down court. He dribbles it out for a while and all of our guys are watching him while trying to guard our man. He starts a drive but then shoots it out to Draymond for a open three. That he missed. Barnes somehow snatches the rebound and he dribbles it out and launches a three that goes in. 

Really? So that's how we're going to play this game? Alright. 'Bron in bounds the ball to me and I pass it back, running up to set our offense. 

"Ky!" 'Bron yells, holding up his hand to signal a different play. What? I want to doubt this, but he must have seen something in way Golden State was defending. Shaking my head, I run towards to LeBron, leaving my position in the corner. I can't doubt myself if we want to win so when he passes me the ball, I barely set myself before taking a three.

Swish. 

"Atta boy, Ky." 

On the other end, the refs call a stupid foul on me, which send Green to the line. He makes both free throws, but JR comes right back down and drills a three pointer. 

The whole entire first quarter is just a battle back and forth, as is the second, and the third. But at the end of the fourth, we can see them pulling away. It's a lead they would retain the rest of the night, but with 2:42 left on the clock, I see Dray and LeBron get into a little scuffle. I'm focused on the play, but in the corner of my eye I see Green fall to the ground and 'Bron step over him. Then I have to move because Curry is on me, but all the sudden I hear Draymond swear at my man and try and hurry up and finish the play so I can see what's going on. 

The refs call  double foul on the two guys and play paused for a second as each team tries to separate their own player. 

"Back, back, back," I say to LeBron, placing a hand on his chest and forcing him to take a few steps backwards. "We need you." He doesn't even look at me, keeping his eyes on Green, but he does follow my instructions.