By: Jake Barnett and John Corvari
The young dynamic team vs. the homecoming hero. The crafty, 3-point shooting point guard vs. the strong, bruising forward with two championships already to his name. The NBA Finals are in full swing, and with storylines galore.
If you haven’t watched this edition of the NBA Finals yet, you’re missing one of the most fascinating championships in recent memory. However, don’t worry, at least one game, possibly two, still remain in this incredible series.
The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers traded punches through the first five games of their best-of-seven series, with the Warriors snatching Game 5 at home to take a 3-2 series lead. The teams have both been forced to make countless adjustments throughout the series, a seven game chess match between two first-year coaches.
The Warriors ran through the regular season virtually untested, going 67-15 even while playing in the brutally difficult Western Conference. Their point guard, Stephen Curry, was named the league MVP and led a fast-paced offense that tore apart defenses at a remarkably efficient rate. Such was their dominance that the Warriors have a record of 48-4 at home so far in the regular season and playoffs, a display of near-perfection rarely seen in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers did not have the same path to the Finals as the Warriors, who cruised easily into the championship series. This season saw the return of LeBron James, the undisputed best player in the world, to a Cavaliers uniform. James left the Cavaliers for Miami in 2010, and his first season back in Cleveland since that controversial decision was a tumultuous one. It began with a rocky 19-20 start that placed them in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference midway through the season. However, the Cavaliers rounded into form behind the strength of James, and arrived in the Finals looking strong despite injuries to two of their best players in Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.
Most people believed that James and the Cavaliers were hopelessly overmatched by a team that was simply better at every aspect of the game. However, as the games began, James turned his team a serious threat with historic performances in the first 3 games of the series, averaging unprecedented numbers of over 40 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 2-1 series lead after dropping Game 1 in overtime. However, in the next two games the Warriors let the world know why they were the heavy favorites, easily handling the Cavaliers twice in a row.
Now, the Warriors will return to Cleveland with a chance to end the Cavaliers title hopes, but all signs point to another mammoth performance from LeBron James to stave off elimination and force a deciding Game 7.
Whether rooting for one team or another, fans can watch this series not as a Cavaliers fan or Warriors fan, but as a basketball fan enjoying two titans clashing in a battle of strength, skill and emotion. Don’t go away, the next few days should be interesting.
