OAKLAND — What would have happened if the Warriors actually tried Tuesday?
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday, Golden State turned in what was effectively a lax, regular-season effort. They still beat the Blazers by 22 points.
What would have gone down had the Warriors played more than five, maybe 10 minutes of focused, playoff-caliber basketball?
Would they have won by 30? What about 40?
Yes, these two teams might be meeting with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, but Game 1 proved what I suspected all along: these West Finals are simply not a fair fight.