OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors are hoping home cooking on Christmas Day helps make a difference for the third consecutive year when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday afternoon.
The Cavaliers and Warriors have met in the NBA Finals in each of the last three seasons, with Golden State winning twice.
The Cavaliers followed up on their upset in the 2016 Finals with a 109-108 home win over the Warriors last Christmas, overcoming a 14-point deficit behind LeBron James' 31 points.
That came one year after the Warriors, as the reigning champs, tightened the defensive screws on the Cavaliers in an 89-83 victory in front of the home fans during the 2015 holidays.