NBA Playoffs
NBA Finals
Tip-off: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Golden State -5.0, Total: 206.0

The NBA title will be on the line when the Warriors host the Cavaliers in Game 7 on Sunday.

The Warriors looked like they were heading towards an easy repeat after defeating the Cavaliers in Cleveland in Game 4, but the team has been dominated since that victory. The Cavaliers have now won two straight games in this series and they have done so by a total of 29 points. Cleveland has been outstanding on both ends of the floor, shooting 53.0% from the floor in Game 5 and 51.9% in Game 6. The Cavaliers also held the Warriors to just 36.4% shooting in Game 5 and 40.2% in Game 6. If Golden State does not find it’s touch offensively then it is almost a certainty that the team will be watching Cleveland celebrate a championship victory on the Oracle Arena hardwood. One thing favoring the Cavaliers coming into this game is the fact that they are 21-9 ATS when playing only their second game in five days this season. That means that they respond well to rest and get the job done in the postseason. The Warriors are, however, 12-4 ATS when revenging a loss this season and 23-9 ATS when revenging a loss where their opponent scored 100 or more points over the past two seasons. The Cavaliers will be at full strength coming into this game, but the Warriors are not going to have C Andrew Bogut (Knee). SF Andre Iguodala (Back) is also questionable for Golden State and he will likely not be able to play his best basketball even if he does suit up on Sunday.

The Cavaliers could have rolled over and come to peace with the fact that the Warriors were going to hoist their second straight Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, but they turned things around and now head into Game 7 looking like the better team in this series. SF LeBron James (26.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.2 BPG in playoffs) has been the reason this team has been able to get back into the series, averaging 41.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 9.0 APG, 3.5 SPG and 3.0 BPG over the past two contests. With Andrew Bogut out for Golden State, James knows that he can attack the rim at will and he has been doing that these past few games. James has also, however, shot 7-for-14 from three over the past two contests. His ability to shoot has made him unguardable in this series and he’ll likely be winning his third NBA title if he can knock down more shots on Sunday. It’d be huge for James and the Cavaliers for PG Kyrie Irving (25.2 PPG, 4.9 APG, 1.8 SPG in playoffs) to show up in Game 7. Irving scored 30 or more points in Games 2 through 5 and it’d be big if he can do that again on Sunday. His shooting and ability to get to the rim takes a lot of pressure off of his teammates, but he needs to show up in what will be the biggest game of his career.

The Warriors won 73 games in the regular season, but none of that will matter if they do not win on Sunday. If Golden State is going to do that then it’s important that PG Stephen Curry (25.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) keeps his cool and plays smart in this one. Curry fouled out of Game 6 and was also ejected from the arena after throwing his mouthguard into the crowd. The Warriors are not going to be able to win this game if Curry isn’t keeping himself out of foul trouble. He needs to be disciplined on the defensive end and he’ll also need to knock down a ton of shots in this one. SG Klay Thompson (24.7 PPG, 1.1 SPG in playoffs) must also hit his shots in this game. Thompson’s struggles in the first half were one of the main reasons that Golden State fell so far behind in Game 6. He needs to get off to a good start on Sunday or the Warriors may dig themselves too deep of a hole. The last piece of the Warriors’ puzzle will be PF Draymond Green (14.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.6 SPG in playoffs). Green was a non-factor in Game 6, finishing with just eight points on 3-for-7 shooting. He also picked up five fouls and that can’t happen again on Sunday. He is the Warriors’ best defender and is now being counted on to protect the rim. Without Green on the floor, Golden State is not the same team that dominated the regular season.