CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NBA teams have forever believed that the first game of a long road trip sets the tone for the entire trek.
The Warriors believe that their 106-103 victory over Utah on Monday night might have taken the adage a step further. They believe crunch-time calm and play-making might have sent a message to the entire league.
“I think it was a great way to set the tone, but you also let the other teams know that: ‘When we’re coming to town, you’re going to have to take it from us,’” interim head coach Luke Walton said.