Warriors, Cavaliers take court for NBA Finals Game 7

NBA Finals MVP LeBron James, whose return to Cleveland two years ago reopened the championship window closed after he left for Miami in 2010, scored a team-high 27 points and grabbed eleven rebounds in the winning effort. His mission isn’t complete.

Golden State won a record 73 regular-season games with NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry making a one-campaign record 402 3-pointers and taking the NBA Most Valuable Player award.

Curry said that he was happy with the mental attitude of his teammates after their game-six loss Thursday in Cleveland.

Are reputations at stake with the outcome of Game 7 between the Warriors and Cavaliers on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, ABC)?

Although the Cavaliers have beaten the Warriors at Oracle Arena, Game 7 is surely set to become a challenge for the ages.

But there are a few numbers that we can look at to help us determine who will win Game 7.

James, seemingly sparked by being called “a b-h” by Green, has responded with back-to-back 41-point games and now plays perhaps the most pressure-packed game of his career. He led the Heat over the Spurs in 2013 with a 37-point, 12-rebound performance to secure his second championship.

The third one, the one James craves most, is within reach.

If it comes Sunday for the four-time league MVP, it might be the most satisfying of all.

Playing his sixth straight finals, James nearly single-handedly carried the Cavs back into this series and finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds as the Cavs gave their city its first major sports victor since the Browns won the National Football League title in 1964. “He’s one of the greatest of all-time”.

Win Game 7, and it will be a crowning achievement in his legacy.

Two years after making his “I’m coming home” announcement, Lebron James led the Cavaliers to the franchise’s first National Basketball Association championship.

“I came back for a reason, and that is to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland, to northeast OH and all of OH and all Cavaliers fans in the world”, James said. But at the end of the day, I don’t know why we haven’t been ourselves.

The Cavaliers have supreme belief, and are following James’ lead.

Cleveland took Game 6 at home, 115-101, on the strength of James’ 41 and Kyrie Irving’s 23.

Curry, the two-time MVP, is aware that has to change because he feels it will be a lost season if the Warriors don’t repeat as champs.

And of course, Kerr brings real-life perspective too, a thorough understanding that the game is important, but it’s not life or death. “I think that’s why so many people pay attention to her”.

That is why people were dancing in the streets of downtown Cleveland late into Thursday night.

“However he wants to celebrate or whatever he wants to do to take in that moment, it is what it is”, Curry said of James. They are the defending champions. It’s Game 7, it’s on their floor and they were up 3-1.

It will start with Curry.

Once play resumed, the two tried to chase down a loose ball after a Klay Thompson miss seconds later and Curry was called for his sixth foul. He hasn’t lifted his game or his team the way James has. According to a report, Curry recently underwent an MRI that showed issues with both his knees and shoulders, which may require surgery in the offseason.

With an average of 14.7 points during the playoffs, Green’s absence hurt the team.

“We’re going to need some emotion, some grit and toughness”, Curry said.

Thompson expects a big game from Curry. James said at Saturday’s press conference.

“You think I’m going to think anything less of Steph Curry tomorrow if he doesn’t play a great game or if we lose? We all plan to do the same and follow his lead”.

One game in which James is the best player on the court. “We were in adversity the last series and had to rattle off three straight wins so things haven’t gone our way despite how the regular season went”.

And a razor’s edge is about all separating a hard-won title from bitter disappointment come Sunday. “That I’m confident in”.