High stakes for Warriors, Cavaliers in Game 7 of NBA Finals

Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala is playing but not starting in Game 7 of the NBA Finals Sunday night, despite a balky back that limited him the previous game. After all, the Warriors had a commanding 3-1 series lead after Game 4.

But, surprisingly, this NBA Finals rematch has come down to the wire, in a winner-take-all scenario at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, at 8 p.m. ET.

Or will it be the Cavaliers, who could end more than half a century of heartache in Cleveland?

LeBron James, 31, wants the Cleveland Cavaliers logo added to his championship ring.

“We’ve beaten this team before, and we’ve just got to realize that we’re a deeper team”, Klay Thompson said. And we’re at home with a chance to win the championship.

Then the Bay Area became the ninth market to send teams to the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final in the same year. Once again before Game 7, he didn’t disappoint with those deep shots.

While the Cleveland Cavaliers’ “All In” is a bit generic, the Golden State Warriors’ “Strength in Numbers” has represented an all-encompassing set of values that defined the team as it rolled to a 73-9 regular-season record.

No need to change anything now heading into Game 7of the NBA Finals and the Warriors trying for a third time to clinch their second straight championship.

Meanwhile, the Warriors looked rattled Thursday night. Stephen Curry, who has won the last two National Basketball Association regular-season MVP awards, fouled out in the fourth quarter Thursday night. It was the first ejection of his career.

Golden State’s frustration boiled over with Curry’s ejection for throwing his mouthpiece at a fan after fouling out and Kerr’s $25,000 fine for criticizing officials. “I was too timid”, Green said about his Game 6 performance.