The Golden State Warriors can't act like they've been here before. Because they haven't.
This is their first playoff appearance as the No. 1 seed since 1976. And their inexperience with the laser-like focus required for life atop the NBA has been apparent.
The Dubs have twice defeated the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans, but complacency and carelessness have kept both contests closer than necessary. If Golden State can't shake its bad habit of easing off the gas pedal—a problematic practice that leads to a dip in defensive effort and a pile of unforced errors—this group threatens to bring its own playoff run to an abrupt end.