Cleveland Cavaliers Outlast Warriors To Force Colossal Game 7

In a shocking turn of events, the Cleveland Cavaliers have battled back to force a deciding Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals

When the Golden State Warriors stole Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead, the finale seemed to have already been written.

No less than three chances to eliminate the Cleveland Cavaliers were guaranteed, including two at home in Oakland.

Instead, the Cavaliers took advantage of the window of opportunity presented when Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5. Both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving combined for 82 points, becoming the third duo to crack 80 points in the Finals.

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Back in Cleveland, the Cavs managed to blitz the Warriors in the first quarter and never looked back.

A large part was the great hustle brought by Tristan Thompson, who conquered the boards with 16 rebounds.

James also stepped up to the challenge to make his mark in the Cavaliers’ final home game, joining elite company like Michael Jordan and Jerry West in posting his second-straight 41 point game.

While the Warriors welcomed the return of Green, they were without Andrew Bogut, who has been ruled out for the rest of the Finals with a left knee injury.

Andre Iguodala also struggled, seemingly straining his lower back early on and hobbling throughout the rest of the game despite the best efforts from the training staff.

The Cleveland crowd also rejoiced when Stephen Curry fouled out late in the fourth quarter. The usually composed Curry furiously argued with the official and threw out his mouthpiece in frustration, which inadvertently hit a fan sitting court-side.

The foul escalated to a technical and Curry was ejected for the first time in his career.

The Warriors’ Green was removed from the game by coach Steve Kerr shortly after receiving his own fifth foul soon after.

While Green was still available to play, it appeared Kerr made the decision to prevent the forward from getting another technical and possibly getting suspended for the final game.

On Sunday, the two teams will meet one more time in a Game 7 that is likely to shatter ratings for the NBA.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will attempt to become the first team to ever comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Of the 33 teams that have been down 3-1, the Cavs are only the third team to ever force a Game 7.

Cavaliers: 3rd team in NBA Finals history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 17, 2016

The team is also attempting to bring the first championship to the city of Cleveland in 50 years. It is also worth noting, this is the first time the Cavaliers have ever played in the deciding title game. They were swept in 2007 and only won two games in 2015.

For the Warriors, they get one more opportunity to win the championship and put the cap on a historic season. Of late, discussion has turned to how much the defending champions need to win Game 7 in order to validate their accomplishments this season.

Notably, Curry’s struggles have many wondering if he is deserving of the MVP award even if the Warriors triumph in Game 7. He has been contained several times during the series and his team lost in even his higher scoring performances.

Neither storyline, however, is bigger than the fact that Game 7 is seen as the deciding game for the legacy of the 2016 Warriors and LeBron James.

Are the Warriors one of the best teams in NBA history without the championship?

How great is LeBron if he falls for the fifth time in the Finals?

Only Game 7 will provide the answers.