The Cleveland Cavaliers finally provided some intrigue to the NBA Finals in Game 3, blowing out the Golden State Warriors 120-90. Cleveland played without starting forward Kevin Love (concussion) in that game, raising questions about how much he will play in Game 4 - if he plays at all.
Now trailing 2-1, will the Cavs hold serve at home and even the series, or will Golden State take a commanding 3-1 edge? Here's our full preview & prediction for Game 4:
Game Info:
When: 9:00 PM EST
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: ABC
Spread: Cavs by 2
O/U: 206.5
What They're Saying About The Golden State Warriors:
Curry insists Warriors are "locked in and focused" for Game 4 (SFGate)
Stephen Curry's New Shoes Getting The Wrong Kind Of Attention (San Jose Mercury News)
Afraid of Death: Kerr is playing with fire (Fansided)
What They're Saying About The Cleveland Cavaliers:
Cavs Hype Video (Chat Sports)
Decision on Love to come pregame (Akron Beacon Journal)
The Cavaliers Are 13-0 This Postseason When Scoring at Least 100 Points (Bleacher Report)
Key To The Game: Production from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson
The Cavs seem to have figured out a way to slow the Splash Brothers. They have been physical with both as soon as they cross half-court, trap Curry aggressively in pick-and-roll situations and have made it a point to attack both when Cleveland is on offense. That has forced Klay & Steph to expend more energy to simply get open - and it has delivered a huge blow to their shooting (combined 35.6 percent from three-point range).
Golden State was able to win at home despite lackluster performances from their stars because of the play of their role players, but they need their leaders to return to form if they have any chance of winning Game 4.
Prediction: Warriors win 112-107
All three games in the Finals have been complete blowouts, but I think this one will be different. Cleveland will obviously be playing inspired basketball at home, and Golden State is determined not to be embarrassed for the second game in a row. That will lead to a competitive, back-and-forth game with the Warriors getting the edge late in the fourth.