No Finals experience, no problem

SAN FRANCISCO: Having no players with experience in the NBA Finals won't be such a problem for the Boston Celtics, coach Ime Udoka said, even against a finals-familiar Golden State squad.

The Warriors, who host Thursday's (Friday in Manila) opener in the best-of-seven series, are in the championship final for the sixth time in eight years and chasing their fourth crown in that span, sparked by core veterans Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Boston lost the Eastern Conference finals three times in the previous five seasons before breaking through this year.

The Celtics ousted Brooklyn, then eliminated defending champion Milwaukee and East top seed Miami in seventh-game winner-take-all showdowns to reach the promised land.

The young team finds the pre-finals hype unmatched.

"Definitely feels different," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "Definitely a lot more obligations. It definitely does feel different. I'm sure basketball is still basketball. But all the things leading up to it, unlike anything else."

That doesn't worry Udoka, however, and he knows the championship series after winning a title as an assistant coach with San Antonio in 2014.

"Once you get out of the initial media circus and the intensity and how everything is much more exaggerated, it's not much different when you get on the court," Udoka said.

"You have guys that are young but have been through a few Eastern Conference finals already, and our path this year, two game sevens and playing some high-level teams. Taking a tough route, I think that has prepared us more than anything."

German center Daniel Theis has championship experience, although he admits three German league crowns with Brose Bamberg aren't quite the same as what the NBA Finals offer.

"It's obviously two different leagues, but it's experience being in a final and playing for a championship," Theis said.

"We've been in Eastern Conference finals before. Our team's experience — those ups and downs like the past couple years — playing the NBA Finals is new for everyone. But as a group we're so close, and hopefully it doesn't affect us."

Source: TheManila Times