After an epic conclusion to the Conference Finals, we are now looking at another blockbuster match-up between Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors were able to save their season after finding another gear against the top-seeded Houston Rockets in game seven. The Warriors rallied from an 11-point deficit to record a memorable 101-92 victory.
The win for the Warriors didn’t come without some luck, with Houston maestro Chris Paul sidelined at the end of game five with a hamstring injury. CP3 was missed by a Houston line-up that wilted under pressure, missing 27 consecutive three-point attempts against one of the best offensive teams we’ve seen in the league.
After carrying the Cavs through the postseason, LeBron James will start his first Finals Series as an underdog. The Warriors ($1.10) are the warm favourites to take out the opening game of the series over the Cavs ($7.50) in what looms as another epic contest between these two sides.
Cleveland Cavs
After the Kyrie Irving trade in the offseason and the drama surrounding the mid-season trade of Isaiah Thomas to the Lakers, few people expected the Cavs to make it to another finals series against the Warriors.
The Cavs overcame a surge from the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the postseason to take the series in seven games. They were then able to cement their claims to another title shot with an emphatic performance against the top-seeded Raptors.
The Cavs swept aside the Raptors 4-0 and then went toe-toe with a Boston Celtics side that will dominate the league for years to come. The Cavs were the first visiting side in the postseason to score a win at the TD Garden and seal their place in the NBA Finals.
LeBron James will make his eighth NBA Finals appearance and if the King can pull off the impossible it will put him in the company Jordan. There has been plenty of debate over LeBron’s achievements and a win in this series would end the debate.
The numbers and the stats are firmly stacked against James and the Cavs, but it will take a monumental performance to stop James, who has been in outstanding form this season.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are aiming to become the first side to defend the Larry O’Brien trophy since LeBron James accomplished the feat with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
The Warriors have one of the greatest offensive line-ups in the modern game with four All-Stars.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr was a serial winner as a player, with the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls and he has been equally brilliant with the clipboard.
The Warriors are methodical and ruthless in the clutch and lead on the court by the brilliance of two-time MVP Steph Curry.
With a line-up that includes Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, the Warriors will start this series as warm favourites to get their hands on the silverware.
Kevin Durant will relish the opportunity to steal another trophy from James after being on the losing end of a James championship in 2012. The contest between James and Durant is sure to shape the outcome of the series in what promises to be an epic conclusion to the NBA season.