Last night, the Golden State Warriors beat the Toronto Raptors 109-104 to take game 2 of the NBA Finals and tie the series at 1-1.
Although nobody is surprised the Warriors are in a position to win another NBA Championship (especially when you consider their unbelievably talented roster), it’s crazy when you think of all the players who've been injured during this year’s run.
Kevin Durant was out again last night...Steph Curry was feeling under the weather...Kevon Looney got hurt during the game...and Klay Thompson didn’t finish the game after dealing with a hamstring issue. Then there's DeMarcus Cousins who played well last night, but is still working his way back following a torn quad.
As other guys were going down, players like Quinn Cook, Andrew Bogut, and Shaun Livingston stepped up off the bench and made huge plays.
Toronto, playing a strong first half and building a 13-point lead, went into halftime up by 5. With a 1-0 series lead and the home crowd, they were in a good position to take full control of the matchup.
However, the Warriors are a special team and when they came out of halftime they went on an 18-0 run, sucked the air out of the arena, and hung onto the victory.
There are two principles at the core of who the Warriors are and both shined through last night:
The first principle was brought up by broadcaster, Mike Breen, when he commented on their ability not to overreact. Then after the game, Steph Curry referenced the second principle by saying they kept their composure. Both of these traits are tied together and have been key to their consistent championship success.
The Warriors don’t overreact when they get off to a slow start in a game, or when they lose a game, or when they deal with an injury. They keep their composure when the pressure heightens, when they miss a few shots, and when they have a bad turnover.
They don’t make sudden or drastic changes and don't allow the challenges to overtake them. They stick together, stay calm, and remain disciplined.
So what about us? How do we respond when trouble hits...or bad news is given to us...or one thing after another seems to happen to us? Of course, there's a difference between basketball struggles and life's challenges, but we can still choose composure. Instead of overreacting, we can remain calm, disciplined, and consistent.
We know there will be "off shooting nights" or "injuries" or "bad turnovers" in life, but as followers of Jesus, we've been given the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us to keep our composure. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:27 (ESV), "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) also says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline." Today, let's rely on the Holy Spirit to help us when the negative thoughts or the harmful feelings attempt to escalate when we're "down by 13." Let's trust God and the peace, power, and self-discipline He gives us, so we'll keep our composure and have no need to overreact. I'm Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it's easy to for me to get overwhelmed, stressed, and worried when things aren't going well. I pray I would turn to You instead of allowing that negativity to take over. Thank you for giving me Your Spirit to strengthen me and provide me with peace. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
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