It' s been a relatively boring NBA Postseason with blowouts and predictable outcomes.
It’s been a relatively boring NBA Postseason with blowouts and predictable outcomes.
Friday night, the season could abruptly come to an end if the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena at 9 p.m. ET (ABC) .
The Warriors have a 3-0 lead, and they can clinch their second Larry O’Brien Trophy in three years with a victory over the Cavs.
While the series may seem over, there are still plenty of reasons to watch. Despite the lack of excitement, this year’s Finals have been the most watched since 1998, according to Nielsen. The average views is up 11 percent from last year’s rematch between the same two teams.
Here are five reasons to stay tuned in, at least for one more night.
What the Golden State Warriors have accomplished this postseason has never been done, and they are one win away from complete perfection. No team has gone undefeated in the NBA Postseason. They’ve already set the record at 15-0, which is the best postseason record amongst all North American professional sports. They’ll be a perfect 16-0 with a sweep of the Cavs. Then the Warriors will own the best regular season record and postseason record.
It won’t be without controversy. There’ll be the ones who will say he cheated his way to a title by joining a team already capable of winning a championship. There’ll be the ones who ask how is what he did any different from the super teams in the 80s. But the fact is that a win by the Warriors Friday means Durant gets his first NBA title since joining the league in 2007. From there, his ranking in the list of all-time greats can only move up.
LeBron James hasn’t been swept in the NBA Finals since 2007. That was the first time he was with the Cavs, and they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Three rings later, it’s safe to say a lot of us thought we wouldn’t ever see LeBron get swept in the Finals again. If that does happen Friday, one can only imagine the huge chip that will be on his shoulder moving forward.
We learned last year to never count LeBron James and the Cavs out. But that was when they were down 3-1 in the series. This is 3-0, and no team has ever come back after trailing a series 3-0. Teams that trail 0-3 are 0-126 in history. But, the Cavs made history last year by coming back and winning a title. Why not again?
Last week, Travis Schlenk was introduced as the Hawks’ next general manager. If you’re feeling sad about the Hawks because it still feels like they’re a long way from a title, or the latest odds have them at 300-1 to win a title next year, just know, Schlenk helped create Golden State’s current run of success. He’s been with that team for the last 12 years, and he was the assistant general manager when the Warriors courted Durant to join the team. So there’s some solace.
Best images from the NBA Finals
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