At long last, the NBA Finals are finally upon us. This series is between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers entered the season with hopes of dethroning the Warriors as NBA champions and the team now has its opportunity to do so. This is the fourth straight NBA Finals between these two teams with the Warriors winning two of the previous three matchups. Can the Cavaliers even it up and win another championship or will the Warriors win back-to-back championships? The Warriors are favored by a ton to win this series. However, the Cavaliers always have a chance with LeBron James on the roster. Despite the clear talent discrepancy between these two teams, expect this game to be more competitive than people think.
Cleveland’s success is due to its best player LeBron James. In the regular season, James averaged 27.5 points per game on an absurd shooting percentage of 54.2% from the floor. However, James has been even better in the postseason. In 18 playoff games, James has averaged 34.0 points per game along with 8.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game. Although he is in his 15th NBA season, James has showed no signs of slowing down and the Warriors will need to find a way to stop him
In game seven, James went into full beast mode as he single-handedly carried the Cavaliers to a victory. In 48 minutes, James had 35 points along with 13 rebounds and nine assists. However, James will most likely need to duplicate this type of performance now that star teammate Kevin Love is expected to also miss game one of this series due to a concussion. Expect James to have a huge game if the Cavaliers plan on winning game one of the NBA Finals.
Golden State’s success has been due to its star point guard Stephen Curry and its star forward Kevin Durant. Both players are former MVP award winners and have proven that they are still elite in today’s NBA. This season, Curry averaged 26.4 points per game along with 6.1 assists per game. Curry’s statistics are even more impressive once one factor in his efficiency from the floor. Curry was shooting an absurd 49.5% from the field and 42.3% from the three-point line.
In the playoffs, Curry has struggled a bit with his consistency and is only shooting 38.5% from three point range thus far. However, Curry did dominate game seven against the Rockets as he went 7-15 from three point range on his way to scoring 27 points. Curry took over the third quarter and regained some of his signature swagger that he was lacking earlier in the playoffs. Look for Curry to continue where he left off as it appears that he regained confidence in his jumpshot.
Leading the Warriors now is fellow superstar Kevin Durant. This season, Durant averaged 26.4 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds per game. Similarly to Curry, Durant was also extremely efficient from the floor. He was shooting 51.6% from the field and 41.9% from behind the arc. In the playoffs, Durant has been unguardable and will likely keep it going in game one. In 17 playoff games, Durant has averaged 29.0 points per game while shooting 47.9% from the floor. Expect Durant to put up points in bunches tonight against Cleveland’s inconsistent defense.
As for my prediction, I have to side with the Warriors. The Warriors are clearly the better team and should be able to overpower the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have struggled mightily on the road this postseason and traveling to Oakland will not change that. However, the Warriors have been awful in the first half of ballgames and I expect Cleveland to hang around before getting blown out in the second half.
Cavaliers vs. Warriors: Game Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details
Event: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Date: Thursday, May 31, 2018
Start Time: 9:00 P.M. EST
Location: ORACLE Arena in Oakland, CA
Broadcast: ABC
How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Warriors: Game Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details On Your Tablet Or Mobile Device
You can live stream the game on the ABC app.
You can download the ABC app on Google Play, Amazon, iTunes, and the Windows Store. The ABC app is also available on the following devices: Apple TV, Roku, Android TV and Fire TV.