There is something about playing the defending champions that motivates teams to get up and throw their best punches. The logic is sound — the odds are against them, and the most likely outcome would be a defeat against a team that packs more talent in their starting line up than any other that has played in the NBA, both in the past and the present; why not just give them their best and see if they can pull off an unlikely victory?
The Miami Heat didn’t just give the Warriors their best shot — they gave them multiple best shots in the form of an unexpected barrage of three-point makes.