By holding off the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers vaulted into the driver’s seat of the NBA Finals and put themselves on track to end their city’s tortuous title drought.
Or so it seems.
Cleveland leads the series 2-1 after Tuesday’s win and appears to have history on its side. When a Finals series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the championship 31 of 37 times (84 percent).
If there’s ever a time to break that trend, though, it’s this postseason.
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That’s a pretty reassuring stat for Warriors fans, especially considering Golden State is on that list. Stephen Curry and Co. dropped Games 2 and 3 to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference semifinals but rattled off three consecutive wins after that to advance.
Doing the same against a red-hot LeBron James will be no easy task, and Thursday’s Game 4 will be at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Warriors didn’t hold a single lead in Game 3.
Yet James might have to hold off Curry and Golden State all by himself. The Cavs already are without All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and emerging guard Matthew Dellavedova was hospitalized with severe cramps Tuesday night. Even Iman Shumpert is nursing a shoulder injury.
The Warriors’ offense finally appeared to turn the corner in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, and if it gets on a roll, this series could go the distance. Regardless of who comes out on top, though, one fact is indisputable: History will be made.
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
