Photo Credit: Jason Miller/Getty Images
Game 5 in the NBA Finals is usually the deal breaker. Win game 5 and your chances to win it all increase dramatically , as if the series between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers needed any more drama.
This NBA series has lived up to all the hype.  It has broken all the clichés and written  rules.  When the series started last week there wasn’t much hype for many casual fans. Yes, arguably the greatest player in the world plays for Cleveland, yes, the reigning MVP plays for Golden State but initially that wasn’t enough to get NBA Nation going. The story within the story was so weak the media had to result to digging up birth records of James and Curry to announce triumphantly that the superstars were born in the same hospital. I’m still clueless as to why we should care about that riveting piece of information.  Maybe the hospital used some special super charged baby formula 20 + years ago that ensured every baby in 100,000,000 made it to the NBA. I don’t know. The Warriors and the Cavaliers are small market teams and ordinary which normally equals lower ratings for the NBA Finals. Someone forgot to tell the Warriors and Cavs they were just supposed to show up because both squads are showing out and giving their fans their money’s worth.
The first 3 games were nail biters. All of a sudden the games that were supposed to be ho hum were becoming instant classics. For the first time in history the first 2 games went to overtime. Game three managed to end without going into overtime but just barely.  James and all the Kings men AKA Cleveland won game 3 (96- 91).  Game 4 was a feast of entertainment. James began the game by bowing to the G.O.A. T. (greatest of all time) NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown.  Then LeBron briefly displayed his “royal scepter” while adjusting his uniform before the start of the game. Later the NBA Finals took a brief journey into the world of boxing when James took on a camera and came up with a bloody skull.  It’s true, all that entertainment for the price of admission and we haven’t even gotten to the show on the hardwood. For Warrior fans, Andre Iguodala ‘s performance was Oscar worthy. Igoudala started for the first time this season, and proceeded to put the Warriors on his back. Simply put Iggy showed out and got fancy, but don’t confuse him with hip-hop star Iggy Azelea. The series is all tied and the only thing clear is that the Warriors and Cavs are in a good old-fashioned street fight.  The Warriors came up swinging to tie the series. The King’s men have been nearly unstoppable. What tricks do the two gritty clubs have up their sleeves for remaining games?
There’s a reason one of the NBA’s slogans is: The Finals is where Legends are made. We knew about James and Curry but Matthew Dellavedova, Timofey MozGov, Iman Shumpert are doing all they can to make a case for themselves. Will the underdogs be able to come together and end Cleveland’s long championship drought? Will King James’ storybook return home end with him and the King’s Men hoisting the trophy? Will the Splash Brothers dunk LeBron’s dreams into the abyss?  Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Festus Ezeli have their own legendary tale they’d like to write before this series comes to an end.  The Warriors need a repeat of game 4 if they want their magical season to have a happy ending. The Warriors need to control the tempo and score at least 95 points to win by getting to the foul line. In short, they need to play Dub Nation basketball. The Cavaliers on the other hand need to take some of the pressure off the King’s shoulders. Even though Cleveland has suffered from injuries all is not lost. The Cavs have formidable veterans on their bench in Kendrick Perkins, Shawn Marion, and J.R. Smith. So far the only veteran expertise David Blatt has utilized is J.R. Smith. It’s game 5 – typically the game changer, the decisive moment in the series. Tonight is not the night to coach like you’re scared. Tonight is the night to pull out all of the stops. The journey continues in Oakland at Oracle Arena on ABC tonight at 8PM ET.
