NBA Finals Game 7: Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
OAKLAND, Calif. -- I predicted Warriors in seven before the series, mostly out of respect for LeBron James and his ability to be the most dominant force on the floor throughout a long series. Just as he did last year without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, James is so good in these moments that, with just a little help, he"d be able to take the series the distance.
That has certainly held true. The other part of the equation has not, and that would be the part about the Warriors being the better team in every other area.
During a record-breaking, 73-win regular season? Yes. Throughout the postseason, when they"ve switched gears between coasting against the Rockets and Blazers to having to dig deep against the Thunder? Absolutely.
For the first two games of the Finals, which they won at home by a combined 48 points? Yep, then, too.
But as a certain champion named Phil Jackson used to say, these things turn on a trifle. And in dropping three of the last four to the Cavs to set the stage for an epic Game 7 on Sunday, the Warriors have run into a minefield of factors that wouldn"t be enough on their own to derail their quest for back-to-back titles -- but that, together, spell trouble.
When we got started nearly three weeks ago, the Warriors had the advantage almost everywhere else but where LeBron was concerned. The longer the series has gone, the more those advantages have eroded -- and the more pronounced James" influence has become.
The Warriors were by far the better defensive team, the better transition team, the better jump-shooting team. After coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Thunder, their confidence was at an all-time high -- and that"s saying something for a team that won 73 games in the regular season.
But LeBron, with timely help from Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, has been so dominant and forceful in this series that he"s caused the Warriors to unravel. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson always give the Warriors a chance due to their shot-making, but their shots are not nearly the quality ones they"re used to getting. And shots are harder to make when you"re uncomfortable -- and the Cavs have made the Warriors very uncomfortable over the past two games.
Never mind the thrown mouthpieces and Twitter rampages; Golden State also is coming apart physically. Andrew Bogut doesn"t play much, but he"s important when he does. He"s gone. Andre Iguodala -- the key to the Warriors" comeback from a 2-1 deficit to beat Cleveland last year -- could barely walk out of the locker room on Thursday night. Curry has to wear so much tape on his right knee that he looks like a mummy. In good times and bad, the one thing the Warriors have been able to fall back on has been their vaunted "Death Lineup," when they go small with Draymond Green at center. With Bogut out, Steve Kerr started that way in Game 6, and the lineup got outscored 27-9.
LeBron has the Warriors right where he wants them. USATSIAll of this has conspired to put the Warriors in an unthinkable position. Having come back themselves from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference finals, they now face the possibility of becoming the first team in Finals history to blow a 3-1 lead.
But would it really be unthinkable, considering the force of nature they"re up against in LeBron and the format of the series? Yes, teams are 0-32 in the Finals when down 3-1, but the vast majority of those were under the 2-3-2- format. This is only the third year of 2-2-1-1-1, a distinction that is beyond significant.
The champs are a mess, and I believe the Cavs have their number. That number, specifically, is 23. LeBron is playing at such a level and with such force and emotion that I can"t bring myself to believe that he"ll come this close and be denied again. Enjoy your first championship in 52 years, Cleveland. And stay safe.
My pick: Cavs 111, Warriors 97
Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-finals-game-7-prediction-warriors-advantages-are-long-gone/
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