Similarly, as everybody expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers will go up against the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals. It will be the third time consecutively these groups combat for a title, with each side winning once over the most recent two years. Regardless of the history, one group has an unusually favorable position in wagering markets. Per Odds Shark, the Warriors are recorded as - 320 top picks while the Cavaliers sit at +260. Grandstand Report's Jordan Schultz noted Golden State is favorites. As indicated by CBS Sports, the Western Conference champs are likewise recorded as seven-point top picks for Game 1 at home.
What have they done lately?
Warriors: With a Kawhi Leonard injury in Game 1, the Spurs did not look the same for the rest of this series, and ended up being swept 4-0. The Spurs were hampered by injuries all series, with Tony Parker being absent for the whole series, and David Lee going down with an injury in Game 3 after being a solid role player for the Spurs all year. There is no doubt however that these star-stacked Warriors would have won this series with or without these injury problems this Spurs team faced.
Cavaliers: In what was a more exciting series for a glimpse second, the Cavaliers took care of the Celtics to wrap up the series 4-1. With All-star point guard Isaiah Thomas going down with an injury in Game 2.
The Cavaliers headed back to Cleveland up 2-0, and many were expecting the Cavaliers to sweep. However, Boston managed to win Game three on the road to make this series interesting for a moment. However, this momentum was short-lived as the Cavaliers won Game 4, and 5 to wrap up this series without any further embarrassment.
Regular season meetings
The regular season series was tied 1-1. On December 25, Cleveland beat Golden State 109-108. LeBron James had 31 points and 13 rebounds, while Kevin Durant had 36 points and 15 rebounds. On 17 January at Oracle Arena, the Warriors won 126-91. Klay Thompson scored 26 points, while Kevin Durant had 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
What's Next?
The winner of this series will become NBA Champions. For LeBron James, this will further add to his legacy as he will have added another title to his other three championships won previously. For the Warriors, a title win is desperately needed to justify the signing of Kevin Durant, and also to put the 3-1 lead jokes to rest after falling short in last year's final.