CLEVELAND – The joy of winning left the Warriors both inspired and hungry to experience again. The agony of defeat left some on the Warriors eager to forget the feeling, while others wanting to latch on to it for motivation.
Through those emotional swings, the Warriors (35-9) enter a regular-season matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16) on Monday aware they are experiencing something special. The Warriors and Cavaliers have met in the NBA Finals for three consecutive years, something that did not happen even in the universally revered Lakers-Celtics rivalry that spanned three different eras. And as Warriors guard Klay Thompson said, “I’d be shocked if we didn’t do it again.